JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
William from Jacksonville
If this hire isn't Cunningham or Gladstone, I'm done.
You're referencing the Jaguars' ongoing search for a general manager, a search that is expected to continue Friday morning with a second interview with Los Angeles Rams Director of Scouting Strategy James Gladstone. This is the fifth interview of this "in-person" second round, with interviews having been conducted in the last two days with Chicago Bears Assistant General Manager Ian Cunningham, San Francisco 49ers Director/Scouting and Football Operations Josh Williams, Green Bay Packers Vice President of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jaguars Interim General Manager Ethan Waugh. I understand people's curiosity here, though I find the passionate hire-him-or-else stance of some observers regarding some candidates somewhat amusing. Do these observers know for sure that Gladstone is a better candidate than Waugh? Or that hiring Cunningham is a savvier move than hiring, say, Sullivan? I wonder. But I digress. I have heard good things about all five candidates. The word around the building is that all five are capable, and there isn't a bad hire in the group. I expect we'll know soon – very soon – the identity of the next general manager. After that, we can start the second guessing. Can't wait.
Andy from Jacksonville
Gladstone the favorite, I see. Make it happen, Zone.
Gladstone reportedly is a leading candidate for the position, and I think he has a very real chance at the position. He comes from a strong organization and has a history with Head Coach Liam Coen, with Coen having worked for the Rams from 2018-2020/2022 and Gladstone working there the past eight seasons. Coen also is a big fan of the Rams' organization and culture. Like Coen (39), offensive coordinator Grant Udinski (29) and defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile (42), Gladstone (34) is young. This will concern some observers – and so much youth and inexperience is indeed a concern. But good young people are better than bad old people. Is Gladstone really a favorite? I have no idea, but the fit is logical.
Limo Bob from Neptune Beach, FL
Have you asked Boselli for a raise yet?
Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli knows where to find me.
Kerry from Mount Airy, NC
Not a question, rather a realization that occurred to me recently. I would guess 95 percent of the anti-Trevor comments in this forum are from SEC fans.
It's understandable that some fans have criticized Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. As he enters his fifth season, he has yet to establish himself as elite – and he has been inconsistent. When that's the case, criticism naturally will follow. That doesn't mean it was wrong to re-sign him last offseason. And that doesn't mean he never will be elite. It means he's not there yet, which means the criticism is expected. As for the collegiate allegiance of specific O-Zone commentors … I haven't the foggiest idea. It's not that I don't care. Wait, that's exactly what it is.
Brendan from Moral High Ground, by myself.
Wearing white-and-black uniforms in almost every home game is what I consider "ugly." The team was built around black and teal, and yet white is the primary color on most Sundays. While some people like Doug might think the Prowlers are ugly, at least they represent the ACTUAL true colors of the team. (Teal)
One fer the Prowlers.
Chris from Fleming Island, FL
OZONE, While I approve of Tony Boselli as EVP, the press release says he will be in charge of player engagement, football technology, football travel and logistics, equipment, sports performance, team security and football communications. Everyone applauds his "football acumen." He says he won't be involved in player evaluations. To me, this seems like not taking full advantage of Tony's "football acumen."
Not being in charge of does not mean not being privy to conversations. Boselli's football acumen will matter.
John from Jacksonville
I enjoy Don from Marshall, NC's commentary. It's Gary from St. Augustine who sucks.
Don't poke the bear.
Tony from Johns Creek, GA
O, an NFL.com editor ranked the Jaguars' 2024 draft class 13th. Who knows? If Baalke had done better in free agency...
I confess my eyes glaze over a bit when asked about NFL internet rankings – whatever and whoever the source. While I understand the need for NFL offseason content churn, I just can't keep up with the deluge sometimes. Former Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke for the most part didn't draft particularly poorly. The youth on the Jaguars' roster reflects that. I can't say the roster overall is outstanding. Neither is it awful. It's fine and there's a foundation from which to build. That's not nothing.
Don from Marshall, NC
You know I have earned the right to be all in. It's an honor and I don't take the privilege lightly. Besides, I like to party hard before I get into it and get ready for it. Go Jaguars!
When it comes to perspective – and when it comes to partying hard at all the right times in all the right places – Don remains "all in."
Sam from Orlando, FL
Don is a leader of men. Take notes.
Good eye.
Tom from Duval
Pretty excited about the coaches, my question is regarding the defense. Why was it so bad last year? It seems we had some decent personnel, but we had the same repeated mistakes all season. Defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen seems to be getting some bad pub out the door, but how do you fix a player just not doing his assignment? (Notwithstanding that the scheme last year seemed pretty dumb and disjointed on its own).
A lot must go wrong for as much to go wrong as it did with the Jaguars' defense last season. A lot of the NFL is about belief. The Jaguars' defense from this view allowed some big plays at key moments early in the season and players lost belief in the approach after that. How much of that was the coordinator? How much was players? A combination, most likely.
Jordan from Mandarin
Two thoughts. I think Gladstone will be one of the great general managers in this league. I think it's really cool that Rams General Manager Les Snead and Head Coach Sean McVay called the Jags' brass and really tried to sell how good Gladstone will be as a general manager. That's good leadership.
OK.
Brian from Round Rock, TX
I remember doing the Oklahoma in high school. That was fun. Why is the current version of the NFL afraid of blocking and tackling? It's hilarious. Were you traumatized by the experience, O? Do you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat? "The horror, the horror?"
The NFL isn't "scared" of the Oklahoma Drill. Owners and the NFL Players Association mutually decided that the risk of the antiquated drill in training camp wasn't remotely worth the reward.
Woody from Dunlap
KOAF: New offensive coordinator Grant Udinski has been called a candidate for "The Most Interesting Man in the World." Are you at all concerned over your newest competition?
I am the king of all funk.
Rob from The duuuuuuu
I feel like wide receiver Christian Kirk when healthy is worth the money. I don't feel we can afford to lose him unless we draft a receiver relatively early. I feel like he is a core player and a key veteran leader. I don't know what was wrong with our offense last season, but both he and tight end Evan Engram were less involved and less productive. I feel like they can both produce at a really high level if given opportunities and could both have big years. Put me in the camp of holding on to our best players. Please don't get rid of Kirk or Engram.
Kirk and Engram when healthy have been very productive. Neither was healthy enough last season and neither was as effective when healthy as he had been in earlier Jaguars seasons. I would love to see both Kirk and Engram return. The next few weeks will be interesting on this front.
Nick from Virginia Beach, VA
Doug from Jacksonville is wrong. I don't have a mullet, and never had acid-washed jeans. Prowlers are the best jerseys in franchise history. I think Doug is in the minority when it comes to the prowlers. What is the best jersey in franchise history?
This continues a recent O-Zone conversation about the Jaguars' uniforms. Doug, who hails from somewhere I don't feel like remembering, doesn't like the Prowler Throwbacks – the uniform based on the Jaguars' 1990s uniforms that were worn twice this past season. While I'm not overly passionate on the subject, and don't have pound-the-table favorite Jaguars uniform, I do sense from O-Zone emails that Doug is in the minority. I don't have a mullet, either, though I did have a Flock-of-Seagulls haircut. I probably had some acid-wash jeans, too. I imagine I wore them with my maroon Members Only jacket. Sorry, ladies. He's taken.
