JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get started…
Jonathan from Formerly of Jax Beach
Do you agree that most of Trevor’s problems are a direct result of him holding onto the ball too long? Regardless of the improvements in the offensive line, he is at his best when he gets rid of the ball immediately, as many quarterbacks do.
While there is some truth to this assessment from Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, it may be a bit too sweeping. Lawrence certainly had his share of issues with fumbles when trying to extend plays in his three seasons as the Jaguars’ starter, and getting him to understand when it’s OK to accept a sack and move on to the next play has been a focus this season. And Lawrence has had success passing quickly and on time. But he’s also had more than enough success improvising plays outside of the game plan that you don’t want to eliminate that element of his game entirely. Lawrence needs to improve his sense of when to give up on a play, but he can’t just throw the ball away “all the time” under pressure. You can’t play quarterback just one way, and you can’t play out of fear of making mistakes. Finding the right balance is the art, and what makes players special or not.
I got the feeling that the Jaguars may have regretted getting rid of Marvin Jones last year, not only because of some injuries, but also because of his presence on the bench and in the locker room. Is it a myth that an older veteran who has been relegated to the periphery as a player can still bring great benefits as a leader?
I think it’s fair to say the Jaguars missed wide receiver Marvin Jones last season. He was a reliable receiver who was a positive presence in the locker room, and he caught some crucial balls in 2022 that helped the Jaguars reach the postseason. Salary cap and age made a parting necessary, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t missed on occasion.
John, speaking of preseason records and their relationship to regular season results, you probably remember that in 1982 the Washington team lost every preseason game and won the Super Bowl, and that in 2008 the Detroit Lions won every preseason game and lost every regular season game.
Ray from Newport News, VA
O-Man, next week is a special week as it’s certainly not a normal training week. I have a basic idea of the teams’ training schedule for game weeks, but I wanted to know what the schedule might look like next week, assuming it’s all hands on deck on Tuesday so the players can find out who made the team.
The week between the season finale and Week 1 still feels like a no-man’s land, as this is only the fourth season. There is no practice on Sunday (today) and players are required by NFL rules to have Friday, Saturday and Sunday off next week. The rest of the week is valuable practice time, with Tuesday being a mandatory practice day – and a nerve-racking, difficult day for many, as teams must trim their rosters down to 53 players by 4 p.m.
Nick from Virginia Beach, VA
Will third-and-1 still be a problem for this offense?
Deadhead Brian from Shakedown Street Nocatee
Will Trammell make the team?
They’re referring to Jaguars wide receiver Austin Trammell, who has become one of the most intriguing stories of 2024 training camp. At first, it was easy to overlook Trammell, who originally played with the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 after signing there as an undrafted free agent, and joined the Jaguars this offseason after two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. It’s quite common for a veteran fourth-year receiver to spend the offseason with a team, look pretty good in the preseason, and then spend the following season getting in a practice or two while playing a few regular-season games. Maybe that will be Trammell’s story for 2024. But he’s looked really good in three preseason games, and the Jaguars like him a lot. He’ll be one of the Jaguars’ tougher decisions as they trim the roster down to 53 players, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes the team.
Bruce of Saint Simons Island
Oh, I think you’ll agree that the biggest positive of the preseason is not that the Jags were undefeated, but rather that they finished the preseason without any significant injuries. How good are the Jaguars this year?
Being relatively injury free after the preseason is absolutely more important than being undefeated in the preseason. How good are the Jaguars? I think they have a chance to compete in the postseason. I think the defensive line has to be as good as I expect it to be and the Jaguars have to run a little more consistently than they did last season for these things to happen. I also think Lawrence needs to cut down on turnovers in key situations and I think the Jaguars need to stay healthier than they were at the end of last season.
Not a question, but a comment: Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis is too big a man to wear number 0. That’s all. Good day, sir.
JO – Will our front office have the courage to admit they made a mistake and just kicked Luke F.? If our starter gets injured, the long snapper could step in.
I don’t expect the Jaguars to release center Luke Fortner. Long snapper Ross Matiscik would not – and could not – be center if starter Mitch Morse is unavailable due to injury.
Who cares?
Deshaun Watson and Jameis Winston are both national championship-winning quarterbacks.
Matthew from Charles City, IA
What are the chances that the Jags will return to the Prowler jerseys or perhaps a new generation of them in the future?
I don’t get the feeling the Jaguars plan on permanently wearing the Throwback Prowlers they’ll be wearing against the Indianapolis Colts on October 6. Stranger things have happened, but I don’t get the feeling that’s the plan.
I keep seeing questions from readers about how bad Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor is as a playmaker. If Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson thought he was terrible, wouldn’t he have fired him by now? Loyalty is great, but I can’t imagine head coaches being loyal to a man if they’re going to get fired for it.
I have only one thing to say to those who complain about salaries: If you were a world-class talent in your field, you would probably earn world-class money.
We’re revisiting a timely topic in the O-Zone, player salaries, which some NFL fans have found offensive for decades and are still offensive to many. Your point has been missed by many, and that is that NFL players – like elite athletes in most high-level professional sports – are paid well because they are among the 100 to 500 best people in the world at what they do. They also work in a field that demands a lot. Many people who are the best at what they do and work in fields that demand a lot are paid insanely well. That’s just the way it is.
Scott from Atlantic Beach, FL
The NFL’s salaries and profits right now just seem to be greed. They’re squeezing every dollar they can out of fans, from ticket prices to concession prices, all to make even more money when salaries and profits are already unrealistic. I wonder if they would just take 10 percent of the salary cap, not the league’s net profit, and give it back to the fans. That’s pretty disgusting at this point. I mean, I’ll watch this, I’ve been watching this since I was eight years old, but it seems like the NFL as a company has lost touch with reality overall. The greed at this point is disappointing.
I can’t control how fans feel about it, and I understand fans balking at the idea that players and owners earn so much. On the one hand, they earn that money by playing a game. On the other hand, it’s an insanely competitive game when played at the highest professional level – and that competition has led to players being paid exorbitantly. I don’t know what advice to give here. That’s not going to change.
You know, Cam Little can’t actually kick a football over these mountains, but he once kicked a football so high that it accidentally hit a majestic Canada goose.
As someone who has worn the ponytail since I left the Corps in 2003, I think it’s really cool, but I understand that the hairstyle will probably define a time when the ponytail is more sad than glorious; then I won’t wear it anymore. Don’t complain, appreciate what you can do.
My ponytail would reach incredible sadness if I wore it today. Come to think of it, it wasn’t so happy in 1996.
