John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com Follow John on twitter Like The O-Zone on facebook
JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …
Geoff from Virginia Beach, VA:
What’s the feeling you’re getting at left guard? Do you think Earl Watford is the choice or do they give Patrick Omameh a shot due to the coaches liking how he played last year? Anyone else we should know about who might have a shot at the starting spot?
John: The Jaguars listed Omameh, Watford, Tyler Shatley and Josh Wells equally at guard on the unofficial Week 1 depth chart released Tuesday. Based on Omameh starting and doing well at times early in preseason, and based on Jaguars Executive Vice President Tom Coughlin saying Watford did well in his lone preseason start Thursday against Atlanta, it feels like it’s between Omameh and Watford to start Week 1. Purely speculating, I’d guess Omameh starts Sunday with a strong possibility Watford plays/starts soon if Omameh falters. This feels as if it could be fluid early. Marrone has been asked several times about offensive-line cohesion; his answer usually is to the effect that finding the best five linemen is more important. Here’s guessing the Jaguars keep trying to find the best five and worry about cohesion after that.
Jerell from Columbia, SC:
Let the road to 3-13 low end and 4-12 high end begin. I am stoked, John. How ‘bout you?
John: I’m seeing a slightly higher end. But if you’re stoked, Jerell … hell … I am, too.
Dave from Duval:
“The Jags’ handling of the quarterbacks hasn’t been perfect.” Easy there, Johnny: don’t be so harsh after just 16 years of futility. Let’s give this organization another decade or so before we just jump to conclusions and start judging.
John: No one’s “giving” the Jaguars anything, and no one’s saying the quarterback situation is good. At the same time, this organization has selected three quarterbacks in the last seven drafts, with two of those quarterbacks selected in the Top 10. If the position falters this season, it’s likely another one (or two) will be selected – or acquired through trade or free agency. I can’t speak for the approach before that, but during the current span it hasn’t been negligent. Unsuccessful? Possibly. Negligent? No.
Paul from Jacksonville:
John belittle? I think Dave from Duval has you confused with Mike DiRocco.
John: Who’s Mike DiRocco?
Mike from Jacksonville:
I am tired of the complaining about Chad Henne. He has never had a decent line in front of him; for that matter, neither has Blake Bortles. They also have not had a decent running game to protect them. Ezekiel Elliot makes Dak Prescott look like a stud. Let’s hope our new running back can do the same. One fer our quarterbacks.
John: I sense you’re a small dog barking solo (or close to it) into a loud, stiff storm, but sure … Hey! One fer the quarterbacks.
Dave from Dallas, TX:
So, Brandon Allen found a very quick welcome with the Los Angeles Rams. That worked out well for us. I mean, what could possibly go wrong at quarterback. Idiots!!! #DT we can’t take any more!
John: Whatever does or doesn’t go wrong at the Jaguars’ quarterback position this season – and I’m not saying a lot can’t go wrong – my sense is history won’t show this past weekend as a watershed moment.
David from Jacksonville:
Tom Coughlin has been here eight months and hasn’t turned this team around yet? I want my money back! He dared to cut the future of the Jaguars?! Turrible!
John: Come in, David. Have a seat. You’ll find yourself among like-minded folks.
Rob from Section 122:
What does it mean when a player is “waived/injured?” Is the player still on the team (injured)? Or is he just waived, injured? If he’s being waived altogether, why even mention the injury?
John: A player who is waived/injured is waived. If he goes through the waiver process unclaimed, he reverts to the waiving team’s injured reserve list. If a player is simply waived, he becomes a free agent if he goes unclaimed.
Jim from Neptune Beach, FL:
I thought Brandon Allen’s game looked a lot more like Bortles’ game in that he was more mobile, could throw on the run, better able to evade a rush, etc. When Head Coach Doug Marrone decided to make Bortles the starter, weren’t a lot of those reasons applicable to that decision? The O-line needed some help. Henne’s knock was he wasn’t as mobile. So, in a game situation, given those circumstances, if Bortles were to be injured, wouldn’t Allen make a better, more offensive-line compatible sub? The game plan wouldn’t need to be adjusted to a different style of quarterback play. If that’s the case, then Allen would have been a more logical “next QB up.”
John: If this were next week, this would be Look-Ahead Wednesday with no more discussion of the previous game. We’re reaching Look-Ahead time with Brandon Allen – though I realize many fans/readers won’t completely look ahead for some time. Bottom line: this didn’t appear to be a hard decision. While there was a buzz among fans for Allen to be the backup or perhaps push for a starting role, there were no signs that Allen was remotely close to starting or particularly close to being the backup for the Jaguars. One sign of this was when Marrone made a point to say Henne was the backup quarterback early in training camp; this from a head coach who revealed comparatively little about the depth chart throughout August. Another sign of this was while Marrone opened up the starting quarterback competition midway through preseason, he referred repeatedly to two quarterbacks – Henne and Bortles – and not Allen. Lastly, the Jaguars released Allen this weekend; considering the relatively uncertainty they had at the starting position, to release Allen shows they certainly did not want him starting or as the first option. I make none of these points to denigrate Allen. I like him and thought he had played well enough to be the third quarterback. The team clearly did not. Why? While no one on the Jaguars has anything to gain by going overboard in detailing Allen’s shortcomings, Marrone did indicate late in the preseason that he had played better in games than in practice. And while it’s good for a player to be a “gamer” against third-team competition in straightforward preseason work, the Jaguars clearly saw enough in practice that they believed he would not fare nearly as well in the regular season against front-line players with teams game-planning and scheming. The feeling was strong that the concerns about Allen would be magnified the more he played. This undoubtedly won’t placate fans who understandably question most about an organization that has struggled in recent seasons, but perhaps that explains a bit of why Allen now is with the Rams and not the Jaguars.
Hassan from Irving, TX:
The Texans’ O-line doesn’t seem to be too good and they are missing their best lineman in Duane Brown. How do you think our D-line will do against them?
John: The Jaguars’ defensive line versus the Texans’ defensive line is a match-up that should favor the Jaguars Sunday. The presence of end Calais Campbell, tackle Malik Jackson and end Yannick Ngakoue make that so; it should be a solid run-defending unit with some ability to bother the quarterback. Houston’s defensive line appears to have a more pronounced edge over the Jaguars’ offensive line. A major question for the Jaguars entering the game is whether they can make their perceived edge matter on big plays. When the Texans’ defensive line dominates, players such as J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney disrupt and cause havoc. That sort of disruption creates turnovers and can change games. The Jaguars’ front in recent seasons has lacked disruptive, game-changing plays. Can Campbell, Jackson, Ngakoue and Dante Fowler Jr. form the core of a disruptive line? Aside from offensive line and quarterback, that’s my No. 1 question about this team entering 2017.
Alan from Aurora, IL:
Any news on the offseason injuries? Do you know if any players aren’t expected to play Week One?
John: Marrone said all players practiced Monday. The Jaguars will release their first official injury report of the season Wednesday. Stay tuned.
Jeff from Jonesboro:
I am back from my annual summer disconnect from the Jags. Anything important that I need to catch up on?
John: It’s all good.
Patrick from Springfield:
How can the Jags improve their record with the current quarterbacks and offensive line? Won’t opposing teams just crowd the line of scrimmage to shut down the run?
John: Yes, teams almost certainly will crowd the line against the run when defending the Jaguars. How to prevent that? Block. Make plays in the passing game to get defenses off the ball and out of the box. The preseason didn’t indicate the Jaguars would be effective in those areas. The preseason is not the regular season.
Nate from York, PA:
I never knew we had so many experts in our fan base.
John: I knew. I always know.
