Join *Jaguars Inside Report *Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Ryan Glenn from Atlanta, GA:
I'd like to know a little more about the Wali Rainer trade. From the outside it looks like a great move for the Jags. They get a solid starter at linebacker (a position of need), and all they gave up was a couple of positions in the third round. That seems very one-sided in the Jags' favor. Why would Cleveland make this trade?
Vic:
The Browns were going to release Wali Rainer, which made it attractive for them to use Rainer to trade up. In the Jaguars' case, even though Rainer was going to be cut by the Browns, he would not have been an unrestricted free agent, which means the Jaguars would've had to go through the waiver process to acquire Rainer's rights and may not have gotten him. That made the trade attractive to the Jaguars.
Dennis Futch from Jacksonville:
I am very excited about the upcoming season but I have a question. I don't know much about this Garrard kid; never heard of him before the draft. What happened to the Jaguars looking strongly at Rohan Davey? He went to a more big-time program at LSU and he found ways to win the big games (ask Tennessee), so I thought he would be the clear choice. Did the Jaguars change their mind?
Vic:
They obviously think David Garrard is a better prospect.
Ben Corby from Jacksonville:
One of the guys whose name keeps popping up is wide receiver Larry Shannon as being impressive during mini-camp. If I may be ignorant for a second, who is this guy, what are the numbers on him, and is he a home-run hitter or a possession guy?
Vic:
Larry Shannon was a third-round pick of the Dolphins in 1998 and spent the year on injured reserve. He was waived in the middle of the 1999 season. He was signed by the Raiders in 2000 and was cut. Shannon is 6-4, 210, and runs in the mid-4.5's. I would classify him as a player with an outside chance of making the team.
Don Hilton from Jacksonville:
I'm all set and ready for the upcoming season. Win or lose, I love NFL football. When will the season tickets be available for pickup?
Vic:
There is no ticket pickup event this year. The Jaguars will have all season tickets shipped to their season ticket holders in July.
Aaron Fleck from Minneapolis, MN:
I know the Jags are going to cut McCardell and Nickerson to sign their draft class and bring in some patchwork beneficial salary players, but do you think if they offered Nickerson a beneficial salary deal he would take it, and what would that be since he has been in the league for 15-plus years? I think he could be an important influence on some of the younger guys on learning how to play defense. Could he possibly become a coach if nobody picks him up?
Vic:
The beneficial salary program requires that a player not have received more than $25,000 in bonus money. Hardy Nickerson has far more than that amount remaining in bonus amortization, therefore, he would not qualify to be signed by the Jaguars within the guidelines of the beneficial salary program. In my opinion, Nickerson would be a great coach, but he may choose to enjoy the rest of his life.
John Parres from Jacksonville Beach, FL:
Considering his familiarity with the Jaguars and Coughlin's history of signing Pittsburgh Steelers, is there any chance of Rich Tylski resurfacing for the Jaguars?
Vic:
It's not likely, but it's also not out of the realm of possibility. The longer Tylski remains unsigned, the greater the chances become that something could be worked out.
