Category: Uncategorized

O-Zone: Separation anxiety

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Justin from Hampton, VA:
It’s obvious the quarterback play must be better this season, but what is the one position you feel needs to be upgraded? (You can be honest)

John: If by “upgraded” you mean adding personnel before the regular season begins, I don’t think you’ll see anything significant; the time for that has passed. But there are areas that obviously must play better than last season. The No. 1 choice other than quarterback? The obvious answer is offensive line, because while it improved as a pass-blocking unit last season, it must continue to improve in that area and take dramatic strides as a run-blocking unit in 2017. But probably as important is pass rush. Yannick Ngakoue showed potential last season and Dante Fowler Jr. was better at times than many believed, but the Jaguars were not an intimidating pass rush group when it mattered. If they don’t get closer to being such a pass rush, then a lot of the assumptions many are making about this being a great defense … well, you know what they say about assuming.

Preston from Oakville, CT:
O man, with the Jags bringing back the fullback, what position do you think will have fewer players? My guess would be tight end, or perhaps we only keep two quarterbacks. If the latter is true, do you see the Jags keeping Brandon Allen over Chad Henne as a backup? Because if things go south for Blake, it may be worth giving Allen a shot.

John: The Jaguars likely will keep one fullback, so we may never know which position actually was reduced to make room. The Jaguars could possibly keep one less defensive back, defensive lineman or linebacker. If it comes from the offense, quarterback would be a possibility – or perhaps wide receiver. I could see the Jaguars keeping wide receivers on the roster. I also could see the team keeping two quarterbacks, though to assume Chad Henne won’t be on this roster next season is jumping to a conclusion that I believe ultimately will prove incorrect.

Stephen from Jacksonville:
I’m not sold that Dante Fowler Jr. is the defensive lineman everyone was hoping the Jaguars would get with the third overall pick, but I’m not one of those who thinks he can’t become that just yet. Who do you think are the four best defensive linemen on the roster? With the difference between a good Jaguars defense and an elite one likely the team’s pass rush, it seems logical that the four best pass rushers should see the majority of the snaps over the course of next season. Do you expect we will see a frequent combination of Yannick Ngakoue, Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell, and Fowler used to get after the opposing quarterback? What role will Abry Jones have as a pass rusher next season?

John: Campbell, Jackson, Jones and either Fowler or Ngakoue likely will be the “starting” line next season, which means that will be the lineup in base defenses. Don’t underestimate Jones in passing situations, though. While he is a nose tackle he’s also very disruptive in passing situations. But yes … I do think your foursome of Ngakoue, Jackson, Campbell and Fowler will be on the field together a lot in passing situations.

Greg from Jacksonville:
It’s a bit disingenuous to still call ourselves a 4-3 when the SAM was getting ~15 snaps a game last year. Nickel is base now.

John: Yes, if nickel isn’t most teams’ base defense it’s not far off.

John from Jacksonville:
What particular skill set makes a receiver an ideal “slot receiver.”

John: Quickness, the ability to separate in small areas, toughness, good hands, field awareness.

Casey from Kingsville, TX:
One more Branden Albert question for you … if Albert is a no show for the regular season, what are the Jaguars on the hook for (other than a penciled in starter at left tackle and a 2018 seventh-round pick)? Is there any guaranteed money to Albert at this point if he doesn’t play in 2017?

John: No, because Albert’s contract is not guaranteed, they would lose nothing. Even if it wasn’t guaranteed, the Jaguars likely wouldn’t owe him anything because it would be his choice not to report.

William from Yulee, FL:
Which of our 2017 draft picks do you think have the best chance of being starters right out of the gate?

John: Leonard Fournette at running back and Cam Robinson on the offensive line. Marquez Williams also has a very good chance to be the fullback, though it remains to be seen if the position technically will “start” each week.

Justin from Hampton, VA:
Eventually Blair Brown will replace Posluszny at strong-side linebacker. Do you agree?

John: I haven’t seen Brown play in the NFL yet, so I hesitate to project him as an eventual starter.

Brian from Charlottesville, VA:
Do you foresee any changes to the CBA in terms of how running backs are paid? If you look at LaGarrette Blount, for example, he scored the most touchdowns in the league last year and just signed for under $3 million for one year. If there’s a position where it makes sense for the group to collectively hold out, running back is it. Fournette for example may become an elite back for the next five years. The Jaguars could run him into the ground and use his option on the fifth year. He might not get a deal as lucrative as his rookie contract in those circumstances. I think something has to change with how these players are paid or there will become a lack of talent at the position in five years. A young athlete coming into college would have to be insane to choose to play running back if they have a chance to excel at another position. Your take?

John: I don’t foresee changes to the Collective Bargaining Agreement to specifically address running backs because that’s not how the CBA works. The CBA is designed to create a system under which all players and all teams can function while allowing something close to real market forces to operate when it comes to veterans who sign free agent contracts with current or new teams; it doesn’t really lend itself to creating a false market for a single position. The realities you detailed about the plight of a running back are indeed difficult, and it is a position with a short shelf life that is devalued more and more in league circles. But that’s the nature of the position, and that’s not new. As for the collective holdout, it’s a great idea in principle, though it would be difficult to execute.

Travis from Mandarin, FL:
In response to a recent question from Zac from Duval about the AFC South possibly being the worst division in the NFL with the Jags being the worst team in that division in the last four years, I’d agree with you this isn’t “breaking new ground.” However, after four years the Jags seem to think David Caldwell has done such a good job that he deserves a contract extension. You can protect if you’d like, I just don’t see any real tangible results that warrant this.

John: I have no incentive, desire nor mandate to “protect” Caldwell or anyone else, but I can tell you the theory behind him staying as general manager. He took over a roster in 2013 that was weak in pretty much every area. It now appears on paper at least to be stronger. This strengthening appears to have taken place while keeping the Jaguars in a strong position when it comes to the salary cap. Caldwell overall appears to have done a solid if not spectacular job in the draft, with the No. 1 question right now obviously being the development, performance and future of quarterback Blake Bortles. Caldwell’s Jaguars story is one still to be written in many ways. If the Jaguars show results on the field in the next two seasons with a lot of the players on the current roster, then the argument that Caldwell has strengthened the roster will have a lot of merit. If they don’t, then that argument won’t have much merit at all.

Kevin from Jacksonville:
John, an article on NFL.com by Marc Sessler talks about teams most likely to break their playoff drought. He mentions the Jaguars in his article but asks, “Are they even the third-best team in their division?” So, I ask you: is there at least one team in our division that you feel we finish ahead of?

John: Yes, though figuring just which team is tricky. I’m on record saying I believe the Texans will win the division again, so I’ll say the Jaguars will have a chance to finish ahead of the Colts and Titans. The intriguing thing about the South entering the season is there doesn’t seem to be significant separation between the teams. Then again, what’s perception in the offseason often isn’t fact come the regular season.

7/20/64 – 5/17/17

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: Hands off

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Sebastian from Austin, TX:
Hey, O: Have we heard from Poz on how he feels about being removed from the middle? I believe Poz is a true professional who understands all sides of the game and recognizes it’s a young man’s game, but I also see him as a warrior and a leader who takes pride in his craft. Though moving to the strong side is not really a demotion, it must feel like one to a vet who has locked down that position for us and been captain for years.

John: Paul Posluszny indeed did address his move from middle to strong-side linebacker a few weeks ago – shortly after the move was made. He handled it as anyone who has been around him would have expected him to handle it – with professionalism and class, even though it was clear he understandably wasn’t thrilled with the decision. He didn’t actually call it a demotion, but it was clear it was a difficult moment for Posluszny. He said he indeed thought of himself as a middle linebacker and that the transition to a new, unfamiliar position would be the toughest challenge of his career. I can’t say for sure how Posluszny will do at the new position. I can say I would be very surprised if he doesn’t figure out a way to be successful there.

Richard from Starke, FL:
If a player under contract refuses to play for the team they are under contract with, will the team have to use a roster spot to retain his rights or is there a roster designation for this situation?

John: A holdout can be placed on the NFL’s Did Not Report list if he does not report to training camp.

Marcus from Jacksonville:
What would be more surprising? One, the Jags win nine or 10 games and are in the running for a wild card spot at the end of the season or; two, the Jags have a repeat of last year, win three or four games and pick in the Top 5 in the next draft?

John: From a national perspective, the former would be more surprising for the sole reason that the Jaguars have lost so much for so long. For me, the latter would be more surprising. I don’t expect the Jaguars to win 10 games, but I absolutely expect them to win more than four.

Cody from Boston, MA:
Yooo O, IF Bortles doesn’t work out this year, do you see the Jaguars going for Kirk Cousins next season? If he wants out of Washington, do you think he would be interested in a team that is just missing the quarterback piece or a more proven team? That’s saying the Jags go under .300 after this year. Thanks!

John: Yoo, Cody: I can’t speak for Cousins, because I don’t know what would motivate him next offseason. I also don’t know for sure that if the Jaguars are looking for a quarterback next offseason that the position would be the only missing piece – though many appear to be assuming as much. As far as the Jaguars, it’s far too early to know their approach next offseason – partly because so much can change for free agents such as Cousins, but more so because we don’t know where the Jaguars will draft next offseason or how the statuses of what right now appears to be a very good quarterbacks class will change between now and then. If Cousins is on the market and he plays well in 2017 and the Jaguars see him as a fit, could they pursue him? Would he be interested at the right price? Perhaps, but that’s 10 months away. There simply are too many “ifs” and “woulds” for a meaningful answer right now.

Zach from Knoxville, TN:
Will Leonard Fournette see more playing time than Ivory and Yeldon?

John: If healthy, almost certainly.

Kenny from Rochester, NY:
The rookie contract scale makes signing players to contracts a lot faster than before. It also seems to have made it easier for teams to take players other than quarterback high in the draft due to not having the huge salary cap hit. How do you feel that has changed the NFL/Jaguars? Also, if the rookie wage scale wasn’t in place with all of the high draft picks on the roster would the Jaguars be in cap trouble without it?

John: The rookie wage scale has benefited the Jaguars and other NFL teams with early draft selections in pretty much the same way – i.e., it has prevented one or two Top 2 or 3 selections from eating up an inordinate/unearned amount of salary cap space. It particularly has prevented agents from being able to negotiate franchise-crippling contracts for players who are still very much in the boom-or-bust stages of their careers. As far as the Jaguars specifically, it’s hard to say for sure what their cap situation would be without the rookie scale because they might have made different roster moves based on rookie contracts. Still, without question their cap situation would be different under the old system. Would they be in cap “trouble?” Perhaps not. Would they have as much cap space? Almost certainly not, particularly with a Top 3 quarterback on the roster.

Justin from Hampton, VA:
I don’t think the Jags will have Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson on the roster. With Lee and Robinson in line for extensions, I feel the odd man out will probably be Hurns. Lee has more upside and Robinson can dominate when the quarterback play is good. It looks like Tom Coughlin and David Caldwell are setting it up for Dede Westbrook to be the replacement. Do you agree?

John: I think Lee, Hurns and Robinson certainly all will be on the Jaguars’ roster in 2017. Whether they are all on the roster beyond that indeed is a question – and the answer could depend largely upon this season. I agree that Hurns is no more a guarantee than Lee or Robinson even though the contracts of Lee and Robinson expire after this season. The contract that Hurns signed after the 2015 season was essentially a two-year deal, so the statuses of all three can change after this season. Can Robinson re-establish himself as a No. 1 receiver? Can Hurns return to the form of 2015? Can Lee put together an entire season at his top level from last season? The answer to those questions will go a long way toward determining the receivers group moving forward.

Steve from Section 215:
I just don’t see how anyone can say that Branden Albert is a veteran and knows how to get himself ready for camp. Sure, he probably knows how to work out and get himself prepared physically. But he is coming to a new team with a new offense and new coaches. Learning the offense is also part of preparing for camp and he is not doing that. And just as an aside, who doesn’t at least show the courtesy and manners of returning their boss’s phone call? He is not required to take bad advice from his agent.

John: I can say Albert is a veteran and can get himself ready because he’s a veteran and can get himself ready. These are voluntary workouts, and if Albert participates in veteran minicamp and training camp he can be ready for the regular-season opener. As for your aside, I certainly have said several times he could have called Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone. At the same time, if he had called Marrone and said, “Hey, don’t worry, coach. I’ll be in camp in mid-June” an argument can be made that that would take away whatever leverage he and his agent feel he might have in this situation. Could Albert have called? Sure. But this is the business time of year in the NFL, and him not having called yet doesn’t mean he’s getting bad advice and it doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy. It just means that he hasn’t yet made contact with the team.

James from Duval:
Why is no one talking about Brandon Allen? The kid looked good in college. Does he have a wooden leg or something?

John: Plenty of people are talking about Brandon Allen. I get questions about Allen, and I answer questions about Allen. There’s not much to say at this point about Allen other than he is entering his second NFL season and he will be competing at quarterback. I doubt he will push Blake Bortles for the starting job because no one around the Jaguars is yet indicating he will push Bortles for the starting job. Perhaps everyone around the Jaguars is keeping this a secret or perhaps something on this front will change during organized team activities or training camp. We’ll see.

Scott from Daytona Beach, FL:
I heard that T.C. is going to be sitting right next to you on game day to really see what he’s dealing with.

John: That’s cool. He just better keep his paws off my sammich.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: Of far greater import

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Tom from Charleston, SC:
Last preseason the coaches spoke highly of Blake Bortles‘ improvement. This preseason Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone says that Blake has improved. My concern is that if the 2016 Blake Bortles shows up we will again be a laughing stock of the NFL. I know that Henne is a “capable” backup, but his career has also found very few wins. We are putting a lot of pressure on and dependence in Bortles. It appears to be “all or nothing.” What do you think: sink or swim?

John: There indeed is a lot of pressure on Bortles – and the Jaguars’ 2017 season in that respect indeed is being seen as “sink or swim” in most circles. I’ve written and discussed it that way as much as anyone. But I have in recent weeks started considering at least one other scenario, which is that perhaps Bortles plays closer in 2017 to how he played the last two games of the 2016 season. He went without an interception in those games, and while I wouldn’t call him spectacular throughout all eight quarters, he by any measure was much better than he had been in much of the first 14 games. I don’t know if that level would put him in the Pro Bowl and I don’t know that it would wow fans, but it would be serviceable and would be somewhere between sink or swim. He also would be good enough to get this team in position to win a lot more games than it has in recent seasons. Would that level of play be good enough to secure his future as the team’s franchise quarterback? I honestly don’t know yet, but it would be a step in the right direction.

Jeremy from Bossier City, LA:
It’s been so long since the Jags have fielded a good team and now fans want every player who is decent given new contracts. Our perspective is off because of the years of mediocrity and subpar performance. We’ve cheered for teams when way too many players shouldn’t have even been in the NFL. Is the front office more level-headed than fans and managing the salary cap responsibly? Or is the front office judgment as skewed as the fans and have they been overpaying players in recent years?

John: The Jaguars have overpaid players at times in recent seasons, but the reason isn’t skewed judgment as much as necessity. The overpaid players have been almost exclusively free agents signed from other teams, and when you play in unrestricted free agency you’re going to overpay. The Jaguars haven’t given enough of their own draft picks second contracts to determine if they view those players accurately or not.

Rob from Section 122:
May we please stop asking/answering Branden Albert questions?

John: Probably not.

Nate from Visalia, CA:
Did someone really ask if our current defense is better than the Henderson/Stroud era?! John, has it really been that long? Why do I feel like even JDR would be offended by that question?

John: People are understandably excited about the Jaguars’ 2017 defense. There’s a lot to like about, and it appears there are pieces in place that could make it a good unit. But the Jaguars’ defense right now is a group that played at a high level at times last season while needing to force more turnovers and create more consistent pass rush. Until it does, that it’s not a top-level defense – and you certainly can’t yet begin comparing it to quality defenses of past eras.

Jeremy from Wise, VA:
Omar Kelly, a beat writer for the Dolphins, was asked on Twitter what was going on with Branden Albert. He tweeted the following: “The Jaguars promised him a new deal to grease the trade and it hasn’t happened. He’s a vet so he knows how to get himself ready for camp.” But I remember [Jaguars General Manager] Dave [Caldwell] saying there was never an agreement to rework his deal. Wonder where Omar is getting his info or if both have a little truth to them?

John: I can’t speak to where Omar Kelly gets his information, but he’s a good beat writer and I have no reason to think he made this up – so I assume he’s hearing it somewhere. Still, I’d be surprised if the Jaguars promised Albert a new deal, mainly because teams don’t have to promise players anything when they trade for them; there’s no “greasing” necessary. The second part of Kelly’s statement rings the truest, and that’s that Albert being a veteran knows how to prepare for a regular season. He’s more than capable of doing so and I don’t doubt that when he reports to the Jaguars he will do so ready to play.

Bo from Dresden, NC:
What financial hit does the team take if Albert decides he wants to play for a contender? Can he opt to do that?

John: Branden Albert absolutely can “want” to play for a contender. People are allowed to want pretty much anything they, well … want. But Albert cannot play for another NFL team unless the Jaguars release or trade him because he is under contact with the Jaguars.

Roger from Valdosta, GA:
Where will Tom Coughlin be on game day? Press box, sideline? Or possibly both?

John: Press box.

Daniel from Urbandale, IA:
I know this is pretty random and I’ve been out of the loop due to the traveling, but is Justin Blackmon still technically a Jacksonville Jaguar? What’s the story there?

John: Blackmon is on the Jaguars’ Reserved/Suspended by Commissioner list, so the Jaguars still control his rights. He is not a member of the 90-man offseason roster and is not in the team’s plans. The Jaguars have not relinquished his rights because they would gain nothing by doing so.

Cameron from St. Johns, FL:
In 2011, the Jaguars had the league’s leading rusher. They finished 5-11. How is this year going to be better if the whole plan is to run more? Fournette is not better than MJD in his prime.

John: I don’t know that we know yet if Leonard Fournette is or isn’t better than Maurice Jones-Drew was in his prime. I have great respect for what Jones-Drew accomplished in 2011 and in the early years of his prime, but Fournette as the No. 4 overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft should be something close to Jones-Drew’s level to fulfill his draft status. As far as the first part of your question … obviously a team must have more than just a good running game to achieve success. That’s why it’s not accurate to say the Jaguars’ “whole plan is to run more.” It’s to run a lot better and create better situations for the passing game, which in turn must take advantage of those situations, which in turn must help an improving defense and so on and so on …

Jason from North Pole, AK:
If Branden Albert had been released by the Dolphins, do you think he would have been offered more than his current salary by another team? If that’s the case, I could understand his frustration with his situation. He had a lot of money and the choice of who to play for late in his career taken away from him. Most guys his age would probably want to either get a big contract or sign with a team that they consider a contender. Hate to say it, but I think he is right in asking for his contract to be restructured.

John: Albert certainly has the right to ask for his contract to be restructured, and the Jaguars have the right to opt not to do that because they traded for his contract and now have Albert’s rights. Yes, I think Albert likely could have gotten a bit more on the open market – and I certainly think he would have gotten some money guaranteed as part of another signing bonus. And yes, Albert probably is a bit frustrated with his situation. At the same time, he signed a contract with the Dolphins and this situation arose as part of that contract. There was a possibility when Albert signed that contract that he would play for $8.6 million with no additional guaranteed money this season, and there was a chance that a team would trade for his contract that season. In that sense, Albert signed on for this scenario and if he plays at $8.6 million, he wouldn’t be playing for substantially less than his worth.

Justin from Toledo, OH:
John, the odds-makers have the Jaguars season win total line at 6.5. Are you taking the over or under?

John: I’d take the over, though I don’t know that there will be much room for error.

Mike from Middleburg, FL:
When the couch said that Blake needed to throw 1,000 passes to get better did that mean he is not really a good passing quarterback?? Thanks.

John: If we’ve really got a talking couch around here, that’s a hell of a lot more important than how many passes the quarterback throws this offseason.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: Bottom line

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Kevin from Orange Park, FL:
So, Doug Marrone says Blake Bortles is improved … say what? Who cares if Bortles is better now? And “better” based on what, by the way? The only thing that matters is if Bortles is improved in the regular season. Anyone can look better in May.

John: Well, of co-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-urse the ultimate test for Bortles will be the regular season. But Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone on Saturday was asked how Bortles had looked so far during the offseason. This is a pertinent topic, and because of Bortles’ struggles last season – and because of his importance to this franchise – there is in fact no more pertinent topic this offseason. In other words, don’t expect the question to Marrone during rookie minicamp to be the last time he is asked what might seem like a premature question regarding Bortles’ offseason. Marrone answered that Bortles’ fundamentals and mechanics no doubt have improved. That’s encouraging because that’s part of what Bortles needs to do in the offseason. I don’t believe it’s the most important part, because I believe the most important issue for Bortles is improving decision-making, pre-snap reads and pocket awareness. But without improving the mechanics he can’t improve in those areas, so Marrone’s thoughts in this area Saturday were important. He apparently likes what he is seeing thus far this offseason from Bortles. That’s a good thing. There are more important things, but it’s also important that the first step has gone well.

Darren from Jacksonville:
Does the left-tackle position have its own coach? There’s a quarterback coach, and left tackle is arguably the second-most important position on offense. We have the best left tackle to ever play the position living in Jacksonville. Why isn’t Tony Boselli the Jaguars’ left tackle coach?

John: The Jaguars don’t have a “left-tackle” coach. What they and pretty much every NFL and college team have is an offensive line coach. It’s Pat Flaherty, the offensive line coach of the New York Giants from 2004-2015 and of the San Francisco 49ers last season.

Myagi24:
John, do you think that the tutelage of Tom House in California helps or hinders Blake Bortles’ quest to be a better quarterback? I have a feeling that Blake will shock a lot of people in 2017!! Tell me if I’m wrong for thinking that way!!

John: I believe Bortles was at his best in 2015 after working extensively the previous offseason with House and Adam Dedeaux, his quarterbacks gurus of choice. What is perhaps as important is that Bortles clearly believes in what he does with the duo in California – and if Bortles believes in them, then he should certainly keep working with them. Belief and confidence go a long way for a quarterback. Are you wrong that Bortles will shock a lot of people in 2017? Time will tell. He has shown flashes at times, but the improvement he must make to reach the level he must reach is a big improvement. It’s relatively rare to play as he has for three seasons and make such a leap. But there’s no one route to becoming an elite quarterback, and perhaps this long route is the one that eventually will work for Bortles and the Jaguars.

Tom from Monks Corner, SC:
If Branden Albert continues his holdout and refuses to show for the entire season a) what recourse do the Jaguars have, and b) does it negate the trade and require other compensation for Thomas?

John: Branden Albert isn’t holding out. He at this point is simply opting to not attend voluntary offseason workouts. Sure, Albert wants something done about his contract but what’s going on with Albert now is not a crisis. I in no way expect Albert to miss the entire season. But to answer your question: the Jaguars have no recourse. Albert theoretically could sit out the season and he theoretically could retire if he so desired. Either way, remember: The Julius Thomas trade and the Albert trade were separate trades, so one had nothing to do with the other. If Albert would happen to not play for the Jaguars, the Dolphins would simply keep the 2018 seventh-round draft choice and the Jaguars would get nothing in return.

Kevin from Bell:
What do you think the Jaguars will do with Cam now that Albert here?

John: I assume you were asking what the Jaguars will do with Cam Robinson now that Albert isn’t here in Jacksonville. Or maybe you were asking what the Jaguars will do with Robinson now that Albert is here, which to my knowledge he isn’t. Whatever. If Albert doesn’t show up, it appears Robinson will be the left tackle. I doubt that happens because I imagine Albert eventually will be in Jacksonville. If Albert indeed does show up, the two will compete at left tackle for a time and I believe that Albert will be the left tackle with Robinson starting elsewhere on the Jaguars’ offensive line – likely guard.

Josh from Pensacola, FL:
Can you give me some clarity on Branden Albert? Did we acquire him without a contract agreement or did he decide he didn’t like the contract after we acquired him?

John: When the Jaguars traded for Albert in March, they acquired the last two seasons of the contract Albert originally signed with the Miami Dolphins. That contract is worth $8.9 million in 2017 and $9.6 million in 2018. The tricky part here is early in the offseason the Dolphins were poised to release Albert. Players on Albert’s level often sign new free agent deals with new teams after they are released by their old teams. Because Albert was acquired in a trade rather than signed as a free agent, the Jaguars are under no obligation to offer Albert such a deal. Hence, the current situation.

Brian from Traverse City, MI:
Can you explain what the expected base offense and defense will be for this year? Any wrinkles to each that you are envisioning?

John: I don’t expect the Jaguars’ base defense to be dramatically different next season than last season. They likely will play a 4-3 featuring strong-side and weak-side ends with a nose tackle and a three-technique tackle in base packages. The linebackers will feature strong- and weak-side linebackers, though it will be Paul Poslusnzy on the strong side and Myles Jack in the middle as opposed to Posluszny in the middle and Jack at strong-side last season. Look for some twists in how the Jaguars’ approach coverage in the secondary, and I do expect the Jaguars to perhaps have some wrinkles in terms of trying to put defensive playmakers in a position to take advantage of their athletic ability and playmaking ability. It’s harder to get a feel for the base offense, though it’s safe to say there’s going to be a heavier emphasis on the running game with the involvement of a fullback. How many three-wide receiver sets as opposed to two tight-end sets? How much of the offense will be straight fullback as opposed to spread, three or four wide receivers? That will be a major training-camp/preseason storyline as we get a feel for coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s offense.

Greg from Section 122 and Jacksonville:
People are so worried about the Jaguars’ offense, perhaps with good reason. But if Dede Westbrook can get his game on early and duplicate what he did in college, mainly getting in behind coverages quickly, we could quickly see lots of scoring if defenses choose to stack the box. But that is ONLY if Dede makes the plays and we have a legit offensive threat in running game.

John: Wow, so there’s absolutely no way Marqise Lee can possibly get behind a defense?

Zac from Duval:
In the last four years has the AFC South been the worst division in the NFL? If you think it is, who has been the worst team in the division?

John: The AFC South indeed probably has been the NFL’s worst division in the last four years – and yes, the Jaguars have been the worst team in it. This is not exactly breaking new ground.

John from Amarillo, TX:
Why in the rookie minicamp photos do I see No. 44 and No. 24? Are Myles Jack and T.J. Yeldon wearing others this season?

John: The Jaguars had more than 40 tryout players in for rookie minicamp. Those players had to wear some numbers while practicing. That they were doing so had nothing to do with Jack or Yeldon.

Keith from Palatka, FL:
How can Tom Coughlin, who despises a “callous disregard for the football” and seethes as he says that “turnovers are the bane of his existence,” coexist with our present quarterback, Blake Bortles?

John: It’s safe to say Coughlin and Bortles won’t be a pleasant partnership if Bortles commits turnovers as frequently as he has his first three seasons. Then again, the Doug Marrone-Bortles partnership won’t be particularly pleasant if Bortles commits turnovers as frequently as he has in his first three seasons, either. Bottom line? Bortles needs to play better. If he doesn’t, this won’t work.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: Goodness, no

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Travis from North Dakota:
If Marqise Lee has another good season and is looking for a contract similar to what Allen Hurns got, do you think we pay him or let him walk? I would love to have the Allens and Lee in Jacksonville for many years, but does it make sense for the Jags to tie all that money up into their receivers, especially since we are trying to become more of a running team?

John: There is much being assumed right now about the Jaguars’ wide receivers and their contract situations, and many of those assumptions may or may not be correct. The first assumption is that it’s an elite group that must be kept together. I don’t know that it has proven itself to be that – yet. This is a group that cumulatively has had two 1,000-yard-plus seasons and two double-digit touchdown seasons. Those were turned in by Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson in 2015. Lee indeed showed serious flashes last season, and Robinson/Hurns have had standout moments outside 2015, but none have yet shown they are elite No. 1 receivers. Robinson has probably come the closest and Lee hinted at it last season. Can one or more of those players emerge as a must-keep, franchise receiver in 2017? Sure, but that emerging still must be done. All of this is a reason it makes sense for the Jaguars to approach long-term “mega deals” with Robinson and Lee slowly – and it makes sense to wait until the 2017 approaches, or even until the season plays out a bit. Hurns factors into that equation, too, because the contract he signed before the 2016 season essentially is a two-year deal that doesn’t tie the Jaguars to him beyond 2017. Can the Jaguars keep all three players? If all three show in 2017 that they merit the money to keep them … yes, the Jaguars can keep all three. My guess is they’ll keep two and that we’ll know more about the pair’s identity midway through 2017.

Gabe from Washington, DC:
Defenses stacking the box to stop Leonard Fournette just makes it harder for them to take away the Allen Robinson 75-25 balls #DTWD

John: True.

Dallas from Jacksonville:
In one of your recent answers, you said that Corey Grant is the fastest Jaguar on the team. Correct me if I’m mistaken, but isn’t Jalen Myrick now the fastest player on the team?

John: Grant ran a 4.28 at his Pro Day at Auburn in 2015. Myrick ran a 4.28 at the NFL Scouting Combine in February. I’m not going to say Grant isn’t the fastest player on the team until someone catches him. But I’m not going to say Myrick isn’t the fastest player on the team until someone catches him, either.

Brian from Gainesville, FL:
Big O, it seems that some fans would rather pass a lot and lose games with a score of 49-42 than have a run-heavy offense and win games with a score of 7-3. What gives?

John: I honestly have no idea.

Travis from High Springs, FL:
Hi John, my question is about our wide receivers. I’ve been reading a lot of stuff that’s very conflicting. I read one thing and it says Robinson and Hurns are our two best outside receivers and Lee is the best option in the slot. The very next thing I read says Robinson and Lee are our best outside receiving options, with Hurns in the slot. So I guess my question is: are Lee’s and Hurns’ abilities so interchangeable that it doesn’t matter who plays which position? Because I thought that they were different types of receivers.

John: Believe not all that you read – especially if you’re reading that Lee is the Jaguars’ best option in the slot. Lee plays very, very infrequently in the slot, though he has the skill set to do it. Hurns has played far more slot than Lee, and it was Hurns who moved to the slot last season to get Lee into the lineup opposite. Robinson. The bottom line is that none of those players is a natural fit at slot receiver. That’s why the Jaguars’ best option in the slot eventually could be rookie Dede Westbrook.

Josh from Victoria, BC:
With Yannick Ngakoue looking like he’s going to be the starter at defensive end over Dante Fowler Jr., and with Paul Posluszny being moved to strong-side linebacker (and not getting any younger), do you think we could see Fowler getting some rotations at linebacker to see how he does?

John: I doubt it. First, it’s far too early to assume that Ngakoue will start over Fowler – just as it’s incorrect to say that Fowler didn’t play well a lot of the time last season. Fowler right now is seen as a defensive end – no matter how much fans and observers seem to want to see him at strong-side linebacker.

Robert from Moorpark, CA:
So, what you’re saying from your last article is you expect the Jaguars’ defense to be elite next season, right?

John: I haven’t said that. I do think the Jaguars’ defense has some pieces that could make it the best unit either side of the ball has had in some time. And if the Jaguars’ defense develops into a defense that consistently can rush the passer in big situations, then it has a chance to be elite. The Jaguars’ defense has potential and talent, neither of which guarantees an elite defense. I expect them to be improved next season with a chance to move toward being elite. Until I see a pass rush that bothers a quarterback consistently I can’t say I expect it.

Jared from O-Town, FL:
Hey, John. I have two questions for you today. Firstly, wouldn’t the ideal situation for the Jaguars be Cam Robinson winning the left-tackle spot? Branden Albert was drafted out of UVa as a guard. Seems he would be more qualified than Robinson, who has probably been at left tackle since he started playing the game. Not to mention, it would also help on the contract restructure being able to pay guard money. And lastly, this is the first time in a while that the Jags have let so many players walk in free agency. What would be the best case scenario for next year’s compensatory picks?

John: The Jaguars certainly wouldn’t mind Robinson winning the job. That would mean their second-round draft selection is ready to play a premier position over a player who has played the position in two Pro Bowls. It’s not ridiculous to think that could happen, but the percentages tell you Albert has a better chance of being the starter and playing at a high level immediately. I doubt Albert’s contract will have much to do with the issue because it doesn’t appear the team plans to restructure it – and he apparently wants a restructuring before he reports, anyway. As far as next year’s compensatory selections, I don’t anticipate the Jaguars getting any. Yes, they allowed strong safety Johnathan Cyprien, left tackle Kelvin Beachum, cornerback Prince Amukamara and defensive end Tyson Alualu to sign elsewhere, but the Jaguars also signed end Calais Campbell, cornerback A.J. Bouye and safety Barry Church in addition to a slew of lesser-known free agents. You have to reach a point where you’re letting players go and not making as many additions before the compensatory formula starts working in your favor.

Travis from North Dakota:
Hey, John: Do you see Dede Westbrook and Marqise Lee being similar players coming out of college? Both have the ability to blow the cover off the top of the defense and play similar to me. I know Westbrook is projected to play in the slot but does he have the ability to play on the outside?

John: There are some similarities in production, and both have phenomenal quickness and speed. I haven’t seen Westbrook up close on the practice field yet, so it’s hard for me to truly compare him to Lee. I say that because it’s seeing Lee up close that makes you truly understand what made him so good in college – and what makes him difficult to defend in the NFL. There’s a speed, smoothness and suddenness to his athleticism that draws your eye when you watch him from the sidelines. It’s not so much the “jitterbugness” of a slot receiver as it is the athleticism and grace of an outside receiver. I’m not saying Westbrook doesn’t have this; I just haven’t had the opportunity to see if he has it or not. If he does … well, let’s just say it would be a good thing for the Jaguars if that’s the case.

Jagsfan from Jagsonville:
Would you say this defense is easily better than the one of the Stroud-Henderson era?

John: Goodness gracious, no. That defense helped the Jaguars to the playoffs twice and was by any measure one of the best in the NFL on several occasions. This unit hasn’t done anything close to that.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: Quite an imposition

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Frankie from London, UK:
What are your thoughts on the AFC South this season? It’s really becoming stacked with individual talent and I wonder whether the next ‘dynasty’ of the division is the team that puts it all together first.

John: My thoughts on the AFC South are similar to my thoughts on the Jaguars. Until the Jaguars show they are more than a team that may nor may not be “talented” – and until they actually turn that talent into victories – then they are simply a team that may or may not be “talented” that hasn’t yet won. Until the AFC South produces a team or teams that win double-digit games and advance in the playoffs, then it is a division with some teams that may or may not be talented but aren’t yet elite. As far as the next “dynasty” of the division, I don’t know that there necessarily has to be a dynasty along the lines of the way the Colts dominated this division for so many years. If two or three teams package a talented roster with front-line quarterback play, then you can have a division that’s brutally competitive for an extended period of time. There’s no mechanism in the NFL that automatically keeps that from being the case. As far as the South this season, I see the Texans as the favorites. They have a big-time defense and have won the last two division championships. I figure they’re the division’s best team until they’re not.

Cody from Boston, MA:
Victor Cruz!?! O … did I hear a rumor correctly that Victor Cruz wants to visit Tom Coughlin? If he does join the team, do you rank this receiving corps Top 5? I would love to hear CRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZZ on Sundays.

John: We may need to slow down a bit on this topic. While there are reports that Cruz could visit the Jaguars in the coming weeks, this feel very much in the preliminary stage – and there seems every chance Cruz could sign elsewhere before visiting Jacksonville. There’s also the reality that Cruz would have to make the team and carve out his own role. Neither is a guarantee at this point in his career. If he indeed would sign, Cruz could give the Jaguars some depth and experience, but it’s premature to think he would make a make a major impact.

Tom from Katy, TX:
John, do you feel there might be one more move that management may be considering regarding quarterback for the Jags? It’s been written several times that a better option appears not to exist, but if it’s possible, what would it be?

John: I don’t feel there’s another move the Jaguars are planning at quarterback this offseason. Maybe I’ll be wrong. We’ll see.

Jarret from Crosby, ND:
I really think Fred Taylor might be the most underrated player in NFL history. Where do you think he ranks among all-time running-backs? Although LaDainian Tomlinson has the fame, I actually think Taylor was better.

John: It’s hard for me to say Taylor was better than Tomlinson because Tomlinson in his prime was a difference-making, game-breaking running back on a level very close to the best I’ve seen. I can say Taylor was in the same class, which means I consider Taylor Hall of Fame worthy.

Rob from Orange Park, FL:
Over the past few seasons, you have often said you didn’t think ‘yelling’ and the like made much difference with professional athletes. It seems like more discipline and passion for winning likely involves some yelling and rear-end chewing when needed. With at least some of our players saying they appreciate the new regime’s approach, and we will see if that translates to wins, have you changed your opinion of more yelling and behind-chewing versus less being a productive approach?

John: No. Yelling and behind-chewing do not equal discipline, just as speaking about winning does not equal a passion for it. Look, Doug Marrone certainly is taking a different, harder-edged approach than did Gus Bradley – and he’s talking about winning more than Bradley. So is Tom Coughlin. That works for them. It’s their way. And the approach of Bradley certainly can’t be called successful because the Jaguars lost way too many games while he was head coach. It also makes sense that the team would go the opposite direction from Bradley and that players would like a change; when you lose a lot under one head coach you want a change in direction with the next head coach. But just because Bradley’s approach didn’t work here – and just because a change was needed – doesn’t make it the wrong approach, and just because players are appreciating the new approach doesn’t make it the right approach. This is Marrone’s approach, and I believe he’s a good coach. Because of that, I believe this has a chance to work here. But that doesn’t mean as a general rule it’s the right approach across an entire league or an entire sport. It means it’s the one he believes works, and it means it’s the one that’s being taken here. Will it work? We’ll see. But if it does, it won’t be because Marrone yelled more.

Brandon from Washington, DC:
Will there be any competition for the strong-safety spot between Barry Church and James Sample? Is the spot open or do you think Barry Church has the position locked down?

John: The Jaguars signed Church as a high-profile unrestricted free agent this offseason. They didn’t do that to have him be a backup. Sample needs to show he can stay healthy for an extended stretch, after which the Jaguars can consider his potential for a larger role for the long-term.

Joe from St. Augustine, FL:
Wouldn’t Corey Grant be a better option at third-down back than would T.J. Yeldon? Seems that he has better hands, much quicker and is more elusive in space – and just generally more dangerous. Am I wrong in this thinking?

John: Grant is faster than Yeldon because he is faster than anyone else on the team, and he therefore is more dangerous than Yeldon once he’s in the open field. As for having better hands, being quicker and more elusive, I don’t know that I agree as a blanket statement. Yeldon has played well as a third-down back and in passing situations, and he has done a nice job for the most part in protection and as a receiver out of the backfield – all of which make you reasonably think he can be productive in the role the Jaguars envision for him this season.

Mike from Jacksonville:
Hey O, I know Jacksonville is a big military town, but politics aside … why not take a chance on Colin Kaepernick? He is better than Chad Henne, we are still not sure about Bortles, and he likely wouldn’t cost much. Kap is not going to carry a team, but did pretty well when he had a solid defense and some offensive talent around him. Your thoughts?

John: While I am not naïve enough to think there would be no negative fallout politically from signing Kaepernick, my strong sense is this is more a football issue than a national-anthem/political issue. Because of Kaepernick’s playing style, there’s a belief in league circles that you’ll have to build your offense around him for him to be effective. Teams generally don’t want to do that for players they perceive as likely backups, or for players who are essentially competing for a starting job. I don’t doubt Kaepernick’s actions off field last season are making it difficult for him to find a team, but I do doubt that’s the issue keeping the Jaguars from signing him.

Dave from Orlando, FL:
How do we “impose our will” with the running game when other teams will sell out and stack the box against the run? If defenses stuff the run on first and second down, aren’t we going to be in third-and-long and right back where we started, depending on Bortles to make a play? How do the coaches keep this scenario from playing out?

John: A strong running game has many benefits. One is that it can set up positive down-and-distance situations. Some others are that it can help control clock, take pressure off a quarterback and allow a team to control possession late in games. Just as important is the effect it can have on an opposing defense. This last benefit applies to your question, which implies that a powerful running offense has no choice but to run against box-stacked fronts. Nothing could be further from the truth, and in fact the advantages a quarterback can and should have against a defense stacked to stop the run is one of the biggest benefits of a strong running game. You know what the Jaguars will do if defenses sell out to stop the run? They’ll throw, and they’ll likely find it far easier to pass effectively in that situation. First things first, though: the Jaguars must run well enough to make that happen. They haven’t done that yet.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: Ouch

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Adam from Bryan, TX:
Hey John, listening to Tom Coughlin, this sounds like it’s going to be a boring offense and a boring season. Is this going to be one of those teams that run on first and second down the whole game and try to convert on third down by passing? Bortles needs to be allowed to throw freely – not contained.

John: I don’t know how to broadly define boring offense. I do know I’ve seen run-oriented offenses that win games and I’ve seen fans of those teams who seem pretty excited. I also know I’ve seen pass-oriented offenses lead to a lot of turnovers, mistakes and losses – and fans of those teams seem more irritated and exasperated than excited. Productive offense is often considered exciting, and productive offense is a lot easier when you’re facing second- and third-and-manageable situations as opposed to tricky down-and-distance situations. But I find the use of the phrase “throw freely” interesting. If by “throw freely” you mean an offense that emphasizes the pass and has Bortles by design throwing as often as he has the last two seasons, then no … the philosophy of this offense won’t be to have Bortles throwing freely. The Jaguars ideally will have Bortles throwing in a lot of second- and third-and-very manageable situations. That would mean they’re facing defenses that are as concerned about the run as they are the pass. Offenses have a tendency to get pretty exciting when they’re in a lot of situations such as that. That’s because they’re hitting big plays over the top of drawn-in defenses. And the thing about big plays is they’re exciting. And cool. And players like them. And fans do, too.

Sarif from Washington, DC:
It seems the non-mechanics aspects of Blake Bortles‘ game are the bigger issue. Is being able to read defenses and make good decisions something that can be improved significantly – or is that just a talent you either have or don’t have?

John: I agree that Bortles’ decision-making, field awareness and pocket awareness are bigger issues than mechanics and accuracy. The latter two were an issue last season at times, but the decision-making/awareness issues have been there from his rookie season. Yes, factors such as experience, knowledge of the offense and confidence can help improve those areas, but improvement is no guarantee. The only way to know for sure is to allow a quarterback to play.

Oliver from UK:
Hi, John. What touchdown/turnover ratio at the end of this year for Blake Bortles makes us as fans and inside the corporation say Blake’s our quarterback of the future. Would 10 be a good place to start?

John: I suppose 10 could be a start, but remember: Bortles was plus-17 in the category in 2015. The Jaguars still went 5-11 that season and the Jaguars’ offense still had far too many long stretches of inefficiency. So, what will the Jaguars need to see from Bortles in 2017 to say he’s the quarterback of the future? Start with fewer interceptions. That should lead to the team being in better in-game situations. That could in turn to lead to even fewer interceptions. That could lead to more victories, and the more-victories part would go far to making him a potential franchise quarterback.

Irving from Washington Heights, NY:
With all of the hype surrounding Leonard Fournette, where does this leave T.J. Yeldon? What scenario do you see playing out for him this season? How realistic is it to think the Jaguars will keep three running backs with starting ability?

John: I believe Yeldon will play a major role as the Jaguars’ third-down back in 2017, and I believe he will play extensively in passing situations. As far as the Jaguars keeping Fournette, Chris Ivory and Yeldon, it’s very realistic – enough so that I see no reason to think they won’t do exactly that.

John from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
I love the Leonard Fournette pick. He reminds me of guys like James Stewart, Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, and J.P. Shadrick. All were bell-cows with burst, plenty of wiggle and were always a threat to take it to the house. #DTWD

John: #DTWD

Rob from Section 122:
Couldn’t Branden Albert play left guard and Cam Robinson at left tackle? Think Albert played there HIS rookie season in KC.

John: Albert actually played guard at the University of Virginia, but has been almost exclusively a tackle in the NFL. Could he move to guard? I don’t doubt he could. It just stands to reason he would be the better option at left tackle because he has played at a high level there in the NFL. Maybe the Jaguars will do something differently. That could happen. I just don’t see it at this point.

Mike from Atlanta, GA:
Is there a bigger gap in ability to handle assignments from college to NFL than the gap between college lineman and NFL lineman? Someone asked: Why can’t Cam Robinson beat out Branden Albert? Robinson, while I don’t doubt he is big and strong, has not been lifting weights nearly as long as has Branden Albert. There’s a reason behind the phrase ‘grown-man strong’. How big is the difference in strength and ability to physically hold up against NFL linemen?

John: The difference in strength and ability to hold up between a college player and an NFL player is one of the major differences in the NFL and college game – and a major reason it takes most college players a season or so to start approaching their full potential. Grown-man strong is a good way to put it. The NFL is a grown-man league and it usually take even the strongest, nastiest college football players some time to get strong enough and experienced enough to thrive there.

Richard from Gainesville, FL:
Are we going to get real competition at the kicker position before camp? I really thought they would have done this by now.

John: It’s possible the Jaguars will bring in another kicker, and it’s possible that player could prove to be legitimate competition for Jason Myers. I wouldn’t consider it a front-burner issue at the moment.

Edwards from Los Angeles, CA:
I noticed that Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich recently changed his number to 44 so he can work on offense without having to report as eligible. Is that the reason Myles Jack also wears 44? He did play some running back in college and was called by at least one prominent analyst “draftable as a running back.”

John: Myles Jack no doubt has a skill set that perhaps could have allowed him to play running back in the NFL. Jack’s reality right now is he is moving to one of the defense’s most important positions, and the team needs him to make that transition successfully mentally and physically. It’s best right now if that transition remains his sole focus.

Wallace from Jacksonville:
Does Branden Albert realize that he’s holding a losing hand in the high stakes poker game he’s playing with Tom?

John: Albert is missing voluntary workouts. I wouldn’t call this high stakes for a while yet.

Greg from Jacksonville:
The biggest thing I see that is leading to the Bortles enigma is the false belief that Blake’s 2015 was actually good. His overall stats looked good because he threw the ball a ton, but the much more useful per pass stats were not good: 23rd in passer rating, 31st in completion percentage, 15th in YPA, and 23rd in ANY/A. The “doubters” know the truth, that Bortles has had one season where he was almost league average and two where he was among the worst quarterbacks in the league.

John: This is true. This is also why Bortles entered last season needing to improve, and why it was concerning when he didn’t. It’s also why 2017 is such a big season for Bortles.

Eddy from Miami, FL:
I am not someone to think we need to get rid of Bortles. I understand that the organization didn’t believe there was a better option out there so they stuck with Bortles. I also understand the move to pick up the fifth-year option. However, if Bortles plays how he did last year, you need to start Chad Henne. Henne will not be the future and is not going to take us to the Super Bowl, but Henne will help us get a better evaluation of our team as a whole. Bortles holds the ball way too long at times. Maybe our O-line is not as bad as we think. Bortles is not the most accurate quarterback, which is also hurting the evaluation on the wide receiver group. As a whole, we need to evaluate the team because we have a very important free agency period coming up in 2018.

John: Eddy, I hope I don’t hurt your feelings when I say I’m not ready to start talking about benching Bortles to let Henne play, so the Jaguars can evaluate the roster for 2018 free agency. I’m not saying your point doesn’t contain a shred of validity somewhere. It’s just when I started thinking about a lot of your points I started to get a sick headache.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: They’re just gonna…

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Steven from Duval:
Mr. O, I honestly respect the fact that you stay objective to the game – and with your years of covering the NFL, it is understandable your fandom has subsided. But you are from our city and obviously understand our passion and occasional ridiculous expectations/love for our team and players. Since I am a sometimes-delusional and always-passionate fan of our players, I would like your honest opinion of players I believe should be in the Pro Bowl every year such as Telvin smith, Brandon Linder, Jalen Ramsey and the one we call Poz. These guys seem Top 5 at their position. I know our team sucked but where was the individual recognition – or am I really that jaded? Did they get shafted or am I blinded by loyalty?

John: The players you mentioned all have played well enough at times in the last two or three seasons to have earned Pro Bowl recognition. At the same time, it’s hard for me to honestly say they were shafted to any great degree because none clearly stand out as far and away the league’s best players at their positions. It’s probably fairer to say all are among a group of players at their positions who play very well and wouldn’t be out of place at the Pro Bowl. This is where many will assume that market size is what prevents these players from being honored, I’m not big on that theory. I saw too many Jaguars players make Pro Bowls in the 1990s to blame market size. The reason more good Jaguars players don’t make the Pro Bowl is the team has lost 11 or more games six consecutive seasons. When your team isn’t performing year after year, it becomes increasingly hard to earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro recognition. I believe such recognition will come soon for Ramsey. If the Jaguars improve, it will happen for others. But the winning must happen first.

Cathouse Crazy from Wallyworld:
I just saw a stat that the Jags were Top 10 in yards rushing before first contact last year. That’s a stat one associates with a Top 10 offensive line, yeah? Is it possible the run-blocking is further along than we think? With a healthy top-end back and an improved bigger badder, better running left side … maybe I’m just dream’in. Have you made a decision on the perm?

John: That actually is an encouraging statistic, and the Jaguars’ belief indeed is that the offensive line has improved over the last two seasons – and the belief certainly is that the line didn’t need a complete overhaul this offseason. The statistics bear that out in terms of pass blocking, which by any measure was better last season than the previous two seasons. While the run-blocking statistics perhaps are fuzzier, the area did improve in the last nine games last season with Nathaniel Hackett as offensive coordinator. The main concern in this area is one Jaguars Head Coach Doug Marrone has voiced a couple of times this offseason – and that’s the ability to run when the team wants to run. It hasn’t been able to do that enough in recent seasons. If it can’t do it this season, it won’t be because of a lack of focus on the area. As far as the perm … yes, yes … a thousand times … actually, no.

Steven from Duval:
I’m on the #dtwd train – and I believe Telvin Smith should receive a nice extension. He has outperformed every high draft pick on this team – and while I know this is a business, guys like that don’t come along often. He is a perfect example of a young man working his way to the top and he is a fan favorite for all of the right reasons. To not recognize that would be an insult from management. And we will not find a better weak-side linebacker available.

John: I agree. When it comes to fourth-year players such as Smith, Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Brandon Linder, etc., the team wants to let this coaching staff work with the players a while before working on extensions. Remember: this is a new regime in many ways, and it’s understandable to want to get things moving forward before starting the extension process. A reason I could see for not re-signing Smith is if you don’t like a linebacker of his size – and there are some in the NFL who just have a tough time playing someone so light at the spot. Smith has proven himself to be an effective player who transcends that, and he improved last season after being out of position too often in 2015. I see him as someone who indeed is exactly what a team needs, and a player around whom you can build. My sense right now is the Jaguars will see him that way when it comes time for an extension. We’ll see.

Glen from Orange Park, FL:
We let a lot of talented players walk this year and seemingly replaced them with even more talented players. Why didn’t we keep more for depth, especially in the trenches? Is salary cap an issue this year?

John: While the salary cap always is a concern, the Jaguars didn’t release or chose not to re-sign players for cap purposes this offseason. I agree that players such as Sen’Derrick Marks, Tyson Alualu and Roy Miller had value and I would have liked to have seen some combination of the three return. But the Jaguars were going another direction – and Marks and Miller had dealt with injuries in recent seasons. The Jaguars signed and drafted players to replace those players. While Stefan Charles, Jonathan Woodard and Duwaune Smoot lack the name recognition of Marks and Miller among Jaguars fans, that doesn’t make them bad options.

Mike from Elberton, GA:
Unless something happens to Branden Albert injury-wise, I doubt there will be any serious competition for Robinson to start at left tackle. But why is there no consideration for him starting at right tackle instead of guard? Jermey Parnell didn’t impress me with all the holding penalties he got flagged for last year and I think Robinson could hold his own on the right side until he gets moved to the left. It comes down to would you rather have Patrick Omameh or Parnell on the field. I think that makes for pretty good camp watching. Does Omameh step up and make himself less bench-able than Parnell? Is it possible, O-man? Or am I underselling the season Parnell had last year?

John: The team’s stance is Parnell was injured much of last season and played better late in the season when healthy. He needs to prove the team’s stance is correct.

Jared from Atlanta, GA:
I hope people realize that P.J. Davis will soon be the best linebacker on this football team. Frankly, this website needs to talk more about P.J. Davis.

John: Hey, one fer P.J. Davis!

Jason from North Pole, AK:
I’d be willing to bet Drew Brees and Andrew Luck would happily take a better running game and defense this season in exchange for not having to carry the team. Improving your football team does not mean you have no faith in your quarterback.

John: Well, of course any quarterback would prefer quality running backs and defenses as opposed to the alternative. Look, this is a silly topic and one that’s not really worth arguing. I answered an O-Zone question Wednesday that wondered if the Jaguars acquiring good defensive players in free agency and drafting Leonard Fournette meant they didn’t believe Bortles was a franchise quarterback. The answer is that those moves don’t give a final analysis on how the Jaguars feel about Bortles, and the answer is that all teams want to run and play good defense. The Jaguars obviously don’t know if Bortles is going to be elite, and they don’t believe he is elite now. But there remains a belief that he can improve and fulfill his potential. Maybe he will do that or maybe he won’t. This season will tell a large part of the tale. But whatever the outcome regarding Bortles, having a good defense and a good running game certainly can’t hurt.

Keith from Jacksonville and Section 236:
In response to your response from Marcus of Jacksonville, the reason fans don’t accept the team’s lack of competition for Bortles and bringing in more development in the offensive line is because management hasn’t shown it deserves the trust of the fans with their decision-making abilities like keeping Gus Bradley on one year too long or not allowing Blake Bortles to work out in the offseason with Tom House even though it was proven to work. If you want the fans to stop fanning so much, the trust needs to be built and it has a long way to go after being destroyed over the last decade.

John: I neither want fans to stop fanning nor do I expect them to stop fanning – and incidentally, fans won’t stop fanning if the team improves. Fans gonna fan. It’s what they do. And thank goodness for it.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: You never know

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Bill from Jacksonville:

In pretty much every move they’ve made this offseason (drafting Leonard Fournette, Cam Robinson and a fullback and adding more high-priced free agents to their defense in Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye) and said (ideally he’d only throw 25 passes a game), the Jaguars appear to be doing everything they can to take the pressure off Blake Bortles. To make everything as “easy” for him as they can. So my question is: if you have to give a running back 20 carries a game, limit your quarterback to 25 passes a game, and have a Top 5 defense … do you really have a franchise quarterback? I’d say no. What say you? Thanks! Go Jags!

John: There are a couple of ways to see this issue. One is that the Jaguars’ offseason moves made sense whatever the level of quarterback play, and that’s true. Were they not supposed to try to improve the defense and the running game? Would a team with an elite quarterback say, “Nah, let’s be as average on defense and in the running game as humanly possible?” Of course not. At the same time, the Jaguars’ offseason approach does have a feel of not being sure Bortles and the passing offense can carry the team in the way quarterbacks such as Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady carry teams. But quarterbacks such as Russell Wilson – and even Brady to a degree – depended on elite defenses early in their careers until they developed into better quarterbacks. It’s possible for a quarterback to grow from non-elite to elite. Still, for right now the answer to your question is: No, Bortles is not yet a franchise quarterback. That’s obvious. Can he develop into one? That process must start in 2017.

David from Daytona, FL:

I began to read the piece on the defense and it caused me to choke on what I don’t know in any case the defense was not good enough to be considered middle of the road they let far too many games we were winning in the 2nd half get away just like the super bowl made me sick! One of the reasons I did not renew my season ticket and there were others. So the Jaguars did the one thing that could make me regret that decision that’s right hired TC and I do regret it now so my question is Coach Dougy fresh start going to get after guys Like TC did in our glory days? I recall once TC was asked what more could the defense have done after shutting out the other team he said something like our defense didn’t score any points did they? The following week the defense shut the other team out and scored some points.! Oh to have that higher level of expectation again where greatness is born and Super Bowls are in the head lights and multiple members of this team are invited to probowl and it’s normal.

John: I began to read this email and I started doing that and then I reread the first and then I reread it again and kept to figure out something about punctuation and then I think was the second sentence and then I around a little and then I stopped!

Chris from Jacksonville:

Do you think Dede Westbrook can become a real threat to the wide receivers if he catches on quickly? His speed makes him a real threat to start.

John: I think Westbrook’s talent gives him a real opportunity to make an impact as a rookie, and perhaps to develop into a major contributor – and perhaps a starter – after that. I answer a bit cautiously for a couple of reasons. First: while Westbrook is a talent, he also is a rookie wide receiver who was projected outside the first round and who lacks big-time NFL size, so expecting him to be a “real threat” as a rookie to start over any of three fourth-year veterans such as Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson or Marqise Lee is a very big ask. The second is that while he certainly is talented, he projects best as a slot receiver rather than a starting outside receiver. If Westbrook progresses enough to become the Jaguars’ primary slot receiver this season and makes an impact there, that would qualify as a really good rookie season.

JT from Jacksonville:

I’m all for smash-mouth football, but the idea that we need to use the option and keep the score low bothers me. If we stay scared of using Blake, then what is the point of keeping him? We have plenty of weapons around him now that Leonard Fournette doesn’t need to be the main focus. Hope this coaching staff uses our weapons right. Too much talent on both sides of the ball to keep losing the way that we have.

John: The Jaguars to my knowledge have not said they are scared of using Bortles, nor have they said they want to keep scores low and play entirely smash-mouth, ball-control, clock-draining offense. They have indicated by words and actions this offseason that they want to run better – and they believe that running better will help Bortles and the defense. The Jaguars would very much like Bortles to throw fewer times than he has in recent seasons, but remember: Bortles threw 625 passes last season. That was the third-highest total in the NFL. That’s too many. The Jaguars want to control down-and-distance far better than they have in recent seasons, but that doesn’t mean Bortles won’t be allowed to throw.

Paul from Jacksonville:

I get the feeling from some fans that because Tom Coughlin is emphasizing physicality that the Jaguars will be a “three-and-a-half-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust” kind of team. Coughlin does believe in balance and physical play, but he also has had some extremely prolific offenses. I don’t see Doug Marrone wanting to be the kind of guy whose team is always playing to scores of 20 or 21, either. These guys are smart and know what the modern NFL game demands. The biggest question is the quarterback and what Marrone/Coughlin will do to tailor their plans to Blake’s strengths.

John: Yes.

Steve from Fernandina Beach, FL:

After reading “Where they stand: Defense,” the good news is that the starters should be much improved. The bad news is that across the board, the depth seems pretty shallow. What do you think?

John: I’d call it “unknown” news as opposed to bad for right now. The Jaguars overhauled a lot of depth in the offseason. That depth in a lot of cases is young, and in some other cases it is largely unknown. A lot of that depth is going to have to play roles on special teams. Does young and unfamiliar mean shallow? Not necessarily, and there was probably nothing wrong with changing some of the Jaguars’ defensive depth.

Matt from Bartow, FL:

Hypothetical: You have the opportunity to trade Blake Bortles and next year’s first-round pick for Kirk Cousins. Cousins also agrees to a new contract: four years/$80 million, $25 million guaranteed. Do you make the deal?

John: No.

Aaron from White Hall, AR:
I know people are back and forth on the Fournette selection, but I think a lot of people will be happy when second down comes up and it’s second-and-6 compared to last year when it was second-and-13. To me, that will help Blake – or any other quarterback, for that matter – make better decisions.

John: If the Jaguars face significantly more second-and-6 situations because of Fournette, that alone will make it a worthwhile selection.

George from Longview:

John, we keep talking about Cam Robinson at left tackle or left guard. Do you see him competing at right tackle, and possibly moving Parnell inside? Here’s hoping our best five offensive linemen come together quickly.

John: I wouldn’t rule that scenario out, but I would rank it well behind Robinson playing left tackle or guard.

Tommy from Fernandina Beach, FL:

O-man, how are you assuming that Albert will beat Robinson in the left-tackle competition? Is it simply due to playing time and experience in the NFL? How can Cam then get the experience of the tackle position by moving him inside? That really doesn’t make much sense to me; those two positions are so different.

John: I am assuming Albert will be the left tackle because he has been a quality left tackle in the NFL for a long time. The Jaguars clearly believed strongly in Albert as an NFL left tackle because they opted to trade for him – and to part ways with Kelvin Beachum. I believe they believe in Robinson as a left tackle, too, but it simply makes sense to start an NFL veteran who has played at a high level professionally at the position over a rookie who has played at a high level collegiately at the position. This is what I am assuming and why. I could be wrong. It has happened before, and odder things certainly have happened.

 

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

O-Zone: Good for everyone

John Oehser Senior writer jaguars.com

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Chris from Orlando, FL:
OK, say we get four or five games into the season and Blake Bortles obviously is not improved. Do you see Chad Henne starting or the Jaguars letting Brandon Allen play? That is, of course, if they bench Bortles since he is on a leash this season. How many games do you think it takes if Bortles plays bad?

John: Much of this answer could depend on Allen’s preseason. If he shows some electricity and shows a Year 2 command of the offense, then he could be an enticing alternative. Still, I’d be cautious about assuming Bortles is on a dramatically shorter leash than years past in the same sense that it was wrong to assume the team was bringing in veteran or rookie competition for Bortles this season. This is not to say that Bortles will be able to string together a month’s worth of consecutive poor performances and remain the starter, but it’s not as if the Jaguars will enter the season looking for the first opportunity to replace him. That’s not the feel of this organization right now.

Attila from Dunakeszi, Hungary:
John, you wrote many times that if Brandon Albert starts at left tackle, Cam Robinson will play guard. But what if Cam wins the battle and starts at left tackle? Do you think Albert would be able (and willing) to play guard? Or will Albert be only the backup tackle and somebody else starts at guard?

John: I would guess in that scenario Albert would move inside to play guard. I think he would be able to do so – and though he wouldn’t be pleased, there are millions of reasons he would be willing. But I wouldn’t stress this issue much: I would be very surprised if Albert is not starting at left tackle.

Glen from Orange Park, FL:
Expectations before last year were six-to-eight wins. I think many of us refuse to accept three wins as an acceptable reality for last year. We are going to hold the team to a standard of winning five-to-six games last year and expect further improvement on that this year. To accept a three-win season last year is to say it is acceptable. It isn’t. Eight-to-10 expected this year.

John: I have no idea how to know what was acceptable last season. I do know the Jaguars went 3-13 last season, so at least in one sense they were a 3-13 team whether people accept it or not.

Matt from the Mattcave:
When will Justin Blackmon not be on our team? I don’t know why I randomly thought of it but when do we stop owning the rights to him playing football if he decided to come back? (I get he won’t be back and we don’t need him anyway.)

John: The Jaguars have Blackmon’s NFL rights indefinitely.

Dennis from Port St. Lucie, FL:
Big O, I know what voluntary means and why Branden Albert has every right to be absent under NFL rules. It is not his absence I see as the problem; it’s his lack of communication with the team. My understanding is the team reached out to Branden and his agent and as of yet has received no reply from them. To me that shows a lack of character and respect for his new team. To ignore coaches trying to reach out to Branden is the real issue. What is your take on the lack of communications?

John: Albert as of the weekend of the draft had not communicated with the Jaguars. That was according to various statements made by team officials during that time. That is not a particularly ideal approach by – or a good look for – Albert. But I’ll stop short of calling it a lack of character or a lack of respect. Players for better or worse do things for business reasons in the offseason – often acting on the advice of agents or advisors when doing so. Those actions are often reported upon and made into a very big deal in the offseason, and such actions indeed make for lively offseason conversation. The issues have a way of becoming forgotten quickly come the regular season so long as the player is a good teammate off the field and a good player on it, with a heavy emphasis on the “good-player” part.

Marcus from Jacksonville:
John, will you please explain your view of competition in the NFL? You keep saying that the reason the Jaguars didn’t bring in competition at the quarterback position is because they didn’t see anyone as a “significant upgrade” over Bortles. To me, you don’t bring in a significant upgrade to compete; you bring in a significant upgrade to take over. You bring in similar talent to compete … a young quarterback with a high ceiling but little experience; a veteran quarterback on the tail end of his career looking to prove he has a few years left; a career backup who wants one more shot at a starting job … those are the guys you bring in to compete, not someone who is a clear upgrade.

John: Those are indeed the kinds of quarterbacks you bring in to compete. The Jaguars didn’t see anyone available that they believed merited the move. Do you give up draft selections and negotiate a new contract for a player such as, say, A.J. McCarron, to compete? Do you change your offense for a player such as Colin Kaepernick to compete? The Jaguars decided the answer was no to both questions. As for my view of competition in the NFL, it varies. I think most of the time teams generally know who is going to start at most positions entering the offseason and training camp – quarterback included. And I think true competition in the sense of having quarterbacks split repetitions in practice and training camp is rare because you usually want one player taking most of the first-team repetitions at the position. If you have two quarterbacks competing, you generally don’t have one – at least not one in whom you have a great deal of confidence. Look, the biggest reason there was no quarterback brought in to compete with Bortles or to play the position over him is that the Jaguars didn’t believe bringing one in would improve their situation. That’s not something that a lot of fans like, but that’s the approach.

Sean from West Palm Beach, FL:
How long before the “Why-hasn’t-Leonard-Fournette-signed-yet” questions?

John: I imagine there might be a few of these questions at some point, but they won’t last long and they won’t mean much. Draft selections with rare exceptions now negotiate and sign with little fanfare. The establishment of the rookie wage scale in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement has accelerated and simplified the signing process – and it stands as at least one case in which the league in recent years has “gotten it right.”

J. Hooks from Orange Park, FL:
Hey John, here’s a seemingly nonsensical, irrelevant, off-season question for you. Let’s say a team knows it’s targeting a certain “can’t-miss” quarterback in the draft, and said team knows the odds of them getting that quarterback are almost a guarantee. Can that team give the quarterback the playbook to start studying before the draft commences, or is that a no-no?

John: A team can give a playbook to anyone it wants, but your scenario never would happen. Playbooks are state secrets in the NFL. Their contents are protected, and only players currently associated with teams have them. A team never would give one to a player not associated with the team no matter how certain it might be the player would be drafted.

Rob from Brunswick, GA:
John, it seems Tom Coughlin wants to play power-run, smash-mouth football. I’m all for it! But do you think our defense is up for it? Playing that kind of football, you have to keep the score low. Our defense was pretty good on paper last year. But the defense also gave up a lot of points on a few occasions and seemed to get gassed late in nearly every game and start getting beat. Do you think we’ve done enough to win a close, low scoring game this season?

John: Tom Coughlin indeed believe it’s important to run effectively – and perhaps more importantly, it’s clear Head Coach Doug Marrone is committed to being able to run effectively. Is the defense up for it? That remains to be seen. The Jaguars’ decision-makers clearly didn’t think last year’s defense was up for it enough; that’s why they signed end Calais Campbell, cornerback A.J. Bouye and safety Barry Church in free agency. One thing to remember: part of why the Jaguars are taking the approach they are offensively is to not only help Bortles, but to help the defense, too. Having a running game that can control the ball, tempo and everything else a running game controls helps a defense significantly. That’s a major part of the team’s offseason thinking.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2