O-Zone: Leave the man alone

 

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Scott from Brooklyn, NY:

Mr. O, Jaguars fans need to take the “blinders” off their eyes. They can’t seem to realize that there were two Blake Bortles: the awful one under Gus Bradley – and the player who had a 1-1 record, 600 yards, no turnovers, two touchdowns, 20 yards receiving and one receiving touchdown under Doug Marrone. Lighten up, Jaguars fans: it will be a different Blake Bortles running the team.

John: The Jaguars without question believe there is some truth in what you say. Bortles did play far better in the final two games last season when Marrone was interim head coach than he did in the first 14 games of the season; the Jaguars certainly want to build on that moving forward. At the same time, let’s not be dim about this: Bortles’ struggles last season were not all because of Bradley, and he won’t magically be an All-Pro selection just because Bradley left. What the Jaguars must hope is that Bortles is at least somewhat more the player he was the last two weeks of last season than he was the first 14 and hope they can build on that small sample size. That has been the idea of strengthening the running game and defense this offseason. But either way … hey, one fer Blake!

Don from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:

There was a time when Giants fans would just tear down Eli Manning and say how bad he was. That kind of talk seems pretty dumb now after Eli won two Super Bowls. Blake Bortles is a really good quarterback who will win. He is also the best running quarterback in the league. He is very, very good at short passes. He has great feel and touch. He is tough. He is young. He does not choke. He works hard. His best days are ahead of him. His teammates respect and like him. Tom Coughlin and Doug Marrone like him. Maybe fans need to take a deeper look at him; way too much diaper crying about him. He is going to be a big-time star. I agree with Dave Caldwell when he says you can win a championship with Blake.

John: Bortles is not the best running quarterback in the NFL, and it goes without saying his touch, feel and accuracy could improve. That said … hey, two fer Blake!

Matt from Las Vegas, NV:

Apparently, ESPN reported that DeAngelo Williams said the following about the Jags: “I can’t think of anything positive about that organization outside of the fact that they have pools in the stadium.” Not to harp on perception too much, but is this the result of being uninformed or is there actually a kernel of truth to this statement that runs through players’ conversations about organizations? I imagine if this were true, we wouldn’t be signing high-profile veterans who know a thing or two about organizational climates/culture.

John: It’s the result of being misinformed. It also reminds me of when I was single and boldly proclaimed I didn’t want to date Kathy Ireland – and furthermore, that there was no reason for her to contact me regarding the matter. She didn’t call, and I don’t recall her being upset I wasn’t interested.

Marty from Jacksonville:

I think people confuse cause and effect. For example: if we run more and throw less, we’ll win more games. Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse? Running more and throwing less is a byproduct of being ahead in games. It doesn’t cause you to be ahead; it comes from being ahead.

John: The idea isn’t how much you run as much as whether you run effectively when you need to run. Doing that will help you win whenever you do it. If you do it early, you can control tempo and it makes it easier to pass protect – and theoretically, to pass – and that can get you ahead. If you do it late, it allows you to maintain your lead, which is a good thing no matter how the lead was attained.

Zac from DiRocco’s Neighbor:

Michael DiRocco states “Bortles’ biggest issues are decision-making, accuracy and turnovers.” Uhhh … so, what can he do? I’m no general manager but aren’t those the Top 3 things a quarterback needs to do well?? (Insert confused emoji’s)

John: I’m sorry you’re confused. Confusion can be confusing – yes, even emoji-expressed confusion. DiRocco in this rare case is correct, because those are areas in which Bortles must improve. What does he do well? He has shown a knack for the big play, and a willingness to stand tall in the pocket. He also has shown flashes of accuracy and good-decision making at times. What he needs is to be more consistent with those flashes, but either way …. Not one fer Bortles, I guess.

Bryan from Reston, VA:

I’m somewhat younger than you so I went and looked up those old bands you guys were talking about last week. What I heard sounded like a bunch of over-emotional guys whining about getting broke up with all the time, generally being majorly disappointed about life, and wanting people to feel sorry for them. Then I thought of you and it all made sense.

John: That hurts, Bryan.

Greg from Section 122 and Jacksonville:

Hey Zone, have been away awhile, sorry. Question: with the move of Poz from middle linebacker, how much difference is there in the new position? Is this a transition you believe he will succeed at? Or is this just prolonging the inevitable of him being released due to age? I really love Poz, if not for his skill, for his incredible heart and soul he brings to that defense. Good to be back.

John: The differences are substantial, most notably that Myles Jack and not Posluszny now will make defensive calls. Posluszny also likely will play on the line a bit more than he did at middle, though I don’t know if that difference will be as pronounced as it would have been had the Jaguars made Posluszny “an Otto” linebacker. That was what the Jaguars’ strong-side linebacker was last season, but Posluszny will be more of a traditional strong-side backer. I do believe Posluszny will succeed on the strong side, because I believe he will put in the time and study to succeed – and I also believe his skill set will allow him to succeed. I also believe the move has a chance to extend his career and his time with the Jaguars. Not that age won’t eventually catch up to him, as it inevitably does to us all.

Frank from Dothan, AL:

Zone, you responded to a question the other day about which receivers from the 2014 class the Jags would retain, and you made it sound as if re-signing A-Rob would be a given if he played at a level somewhere between his ’15 and ’16 campaigns. But, if the team waits to get a deal done until late in the season after Blake has already proven not to be the guy moving forward, why wouldn’t Robinson just play out the last month of his rookie deal and opt for a team with an established quarterback that isn’t as run heavy? Do you really think if his agent tells him the market will yield equal monies elsewhere that he’ll elect to stay in Jacksonville in hopes the team can one day find someone to get him the ball?

John: That’s always a possibility, but Robinson is going to be expensive to re-sign no matter when the sides begin serious negotiation. At the same time, it’s logical for the Jaguars to see how Robinson plays within the framework of this offense and this coaching staff before determining their perception of his value.

Zoe from Jacksonville:

I believe the Jaguars deserve a backup that will compete with Blake Bortles for the starting position. Do you see us looking for that caliber backup this season?

John: It’s July 13. Training camp starts in less than two weeks. I do not believe the Jaguars will actively seek a backup quarterback before that.

Jon from Brentwood, UK:

Mr. O, Gil Brandt has done a Top 20 of offensive tackles and only one current player (Joe Thomas) and Tony Boselli on that list are not already in the Hall of Fame. Is this the year for No. 71?

John: I believe there’s a good chance Boselli makes the Hall of Fame in 2018. If not, I believe he has a good chance to make it soon. That has little to with Brandt’s list and a lot to do with Boselli making the Top 10 in Hall voting last January. It feels like momentum is on Boselli’s side. We’ll see.

Dwayne from Jacksonville:

My sarcasm font isn’t working. Can you get Shadrick and the IT guys to fix that?

John: I would ask Shadrick about this, but he’s waist deep in his summer “me time.” Trust me when I tell you it’s best to leave him alone right now.
 

 
 

O-Zone: Funny boy

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Amari from Hartford, CT:
It seems like the Jaguars are building a team to take the ball out Blake Bortles’ hands; it’s being built so it can kind of “hide” how bad he is. With that being said, how do we know how good/bad Blake is? Even if he cuts his turnovers and we win more games (which we should with this roster regardless) how do we know if we have a franchise quarterback if he can’t put the team on his back and make the right decisions? I feel best-case scenario for us is for Blake to be great and we keep him – or completely horrible and we move on and find our guy. Him being “in the middle” is the worst thing that can happen because then he sticks around for few more years and gives us flashes of hope.

John: The idea that the Jaguars are trying to build to win “despite” Bortles has become a common perception, one I’m not sure is completely accurate. There’s no question the Jaguars would like to take the ball out of Bortles’ hands at times, and there’s no question they want to see fewer mistakes from the quarterback. But Bortles threw nearly 40 times per game last season. And the Jaguars struggled mightily to generate any running game. Given those circumstances, it’s completely reasonable that the Jaguars would want to find ways to run more and have Bortles throw less. As far as worrying about the Jaguars running too well to find out if Bortles is a franchise quarterback … I wouldn’t worry about that. No matter how well the Jaguars run, Bortles is going to have plenty of chances to make the plays that will show whether or not he can get the job done. He will have moments he must carry the team. It’s the NFL. Even the best running teams must have quarterbacks who can make plays.

Richard from Starke, FL:
Winger, Bon Jovi, and Poison are not metal bands.

John: Neither is Manilow.

Brian from Gainesville, FL:
Big O, what have other teams done to build an elite offensive line that the Jaguars have not done (or haven’t had the opportunity to do)? Let’s use the current Dallas Cowboys line as the gold standard. Why did it get that way? Was it good luck in selecting/signing just the right players? Amazing coaching? Spending time, effort and money there instead of on other units? What does it take?

John: The Cowboys used three first-round selections and a third-round selection on their line, and also signed a first-round talent as an undrafted free agent after off-field concerns pushed La’el Collins out of the 2015 NFL Draft. Other teams in recent years – the Oakland Raiders, for instance – have added free agents to their lines to build strong units. The Jaguars have spent time, money and draft choices there, but they haven’t had the chance to invest multiple first-round selections there yet. They also haven’t hit consistently enough on the players they targeted. Will they invest heavier in the line in the draft in the future? This season will have a huge bearing on the answer to that.

Gabe from Washington, DC:
Will Dede Westbrook have more touchdowns as a receiver or a returner this year?

John: Receiver.

Dylan from Tulsa, OK:
If you had the ability to “Madden Force” a trade for any player not at the quarterback position, who would it be?

John: Julio Jones. He’s in his prime, continuing to get better and he makes the really difficult look really routine really often.

Rob from the duuu:
Would the Jags have to trade with the Cowboys to get Romo? Or can anyone sign him if they want to?

John: Romo has been released by the Cowboys, and therefore he can sign with any NFL team.

Gabe from Washington, DC:
With more emphasis being placed on the run game, would it surprise you if pass protection took a dip this year?

John: Yes, because the line improved as a pass-blocking unit last season and I don’t believe adding Branden Albert and Cam Robinson will make it worse.

Mike from Atlanta, GA:
How much will the more vertical passing game help Bortles? I think that he will never be a precision- timing passing quarterback. He doesn’t throw the short passes all that accurately and he needs time to set up and launch the football. I think looking for more intermediate and longer passes suits his skill set better.

John: I think the Jaguars’ running game will be improved in 2017, and I think that will help Bortles because he has had success as a play-action passer in the past. I agree that Bortles probably will never be a “precision” timing quarterback, but it’s a dangerous game to depend solely upon deep passes. While Bortles never may be a three-step, get-the-ball-out rhythm passer, he needs to improve as a short and intermediate passer to enable the Jaguars to convert critical third-and-manageable situations.

Cooper from Jacksonville:
John, would you say that the only difference between the potential play of Blake Bortles and, say, Brett Favre, is the number of turnovers? Brett Favre had the same gunslinger mentality that Bortles seems to have, yet he had one of the greatest NFL careers for a quarterback. Bortles can’t seem to take that next step.

John: Favre actually was very interception-prone for an elite quarterback, six times throwing 20 or more interceptions in a season. Why was he great? His ability to come back from a bad play and make clutch, winning plays to lead his team to victory. Bortles hasn’t shown the latter ability yet, though there are certainly reasons for that beyond his control. If you’re comparing Bortles to Favre, then there indeed is reason for optimism about Bortles. Favre after three NFL seasons had been a full-time starter for two seasons and had as many interceptions as touchdown passes in those two seasons. He emerged as elite in Year 4. Interception-heavy quarterbacks who become elite are rare in the NFL, and Favre’s success doesn’t guarantee success for Bortles. But if you’re looking for hope for Bortles, some can be found in Favre.

Steve from Shreveport, LA:
I need to know. When you are forced to type the standard Shadrick verbiage do you type it out every time or copy paste?

John: Shadrick is a fine, upstanding member of the jaguars.com staff and he deserves – nay, commands – our respect. I’d appreciate it in the future if our readers remember this.

Crecia from Wake Forest, NC:
I’m Snoopy Happy Dance excited about Calais Campbell playing for the Jags and everyone thinks he will be a big difference-maker. My question is if he is such a huge impact player, why did Arizona let him walk?

John: The Cardinals in recent seasons have allowed several players 30 or older to leave as unrestricted free agents. Campbell fit that description. That’s a wise organizational policy if you have reached the point that you can draft, develop and allow aging players to move on. The Jaguars aren’t there yet, and believe Campbell can have enough of an immediate impact on and off the field to make it worth paying him for what could be a relatively brief stint.

Bill from Jacksonville:
John, I haven’t been able to find an accurate number. Can you list for me the number of interim head coaches – promoted by their team to the full time position – to lead said team to and win a Super Bowl? I mean, surely it’s happened before. An NFL team wouldn’t try something that hasn’t worked in almost 100 years of the league being in existence, would they? Would they, John? Thanks! Go Jags!

John: The Super Bowl only has been played 51 years, not 100. As far as interim coaches who have coached their teams to Super Bowl titles as permanent head coaches, Jeff Fisher probably came the closest. He was the interim coach of the Houston Oilers in 1994, became the full-time head coach the following season and coached the Titans to the Super Bowl following the 1999 season. Bill Parcells was an assistant on the New York Giants’ staff in 1982 and was announced as Ray Perkins’ successor when Perkins announced in December he was leaving after the season. So, Parcells wasn’t technically interim, but he was close. But just because it never has completely worked doesn’t mean it won’t work. I don’t think that many Super Bowl-winning coaches had been fired twice by NFL teams before Pete Carroll was hired by the Seattle Seahawks. He went on to do pretty well there.

Rik from J-Ville:
Why does it always feel like you’re writing about a minor league football team? I am hoping this year you grow up, too. You have a funny way of babying players and it is time to step up your game to 100 percent. The constant oohing and awing about average guys is exhausting. Please give them the respect they have earned and go from there on all fronts.

John: I’m glad you think I’m funny.
 

 
 

O-Zone: Just in time

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Don from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
If you make the playoffs, it’s a good year; if you do not make the playoffs, it’s a bad year. Anybody who gets satisfaction from being 8-8 with no playoffs is a loser. That’s the way it works. This is not Little Billy League where everyone gets to play. It’s the NFL and you make the playoffs if want to be a winner. Eight-and-eight has been the attitude around here for way too long. If you want to be somebody, it’s the playoffs or nothing. All you 8-8 girls need to get your Star Wars lunch boxes and go over to Sbarro’s and hang out with the losers. Go Jaguars and Blake Bortles who will make the playoffs this year.

John: Ah, the great 8-8 debate goes on … Look, I’m not saying a .500 record would satisfy fans, and I guarantee you no one inside the Jaguars’ organization on July 11 is saying, “Let’s shoot for 8-8 … ready … break!” The idea is to win, and no one’s talking about improving being OK and being satisfied with .500. But I have covered this team for six consecutive seasons of double-digit losses. I can’t accurately say the Jaguars have been close to contending in any of those six seasons. From that perspective, being as objective as possible, 8-8 would be a dramatic improvement. To get there, a lot of positive things must happen – i.e., quarterback Blake Bortles playing better, the offensive line playing better, the pass rush being more consistent, the team as a whole playing better in crucial situations. I also assume that for the Jaguars to get to .500 they would need to reduce turnovers and play better on special teams. Those would all be positive for the organization. It might not thrill every fan, and it sure wouldn’t thrill Head Coach Doug Marrone or Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin, but from a big-picture, realistic viewpoint, it darned sure would be progress for a long-struggling organization. Now, give me back my lunch box.

Old Skool from Da Burg:
I’m calling my shot! 12-4 with a sweep of the Titans! And … and a first-round playoff (home) win! Magic Eight Ball has nothing further.

John: OK.

Mike from Chiefland, FL:
Mr. O, lots of fans were not happy with the retention of our offensive and defensive coordinators after last season. I was one of them at first. Then after taking time to analyze the decisions, I saw that Nathaniel Hackett was still running Greg Olson’s playbook, just with some Hackett twists. Then Todd Wash was running Gus Bradley’s defense. Am I right to say we will see big differences in the play-calling style from last year to this year even though we still have the same coordinators? Thanks, Mr. O.

John: I anticipate noticeable differences both offensively and defensively. Hackett indeed was running Olson’s offense in the last nine games of last season after taking over as coordinator, and it’s likely you will see a more power-run-oriented offense in 2017; signs of this already can be seen the return of the fullback to the offense. Hackett showed last season he wanted to establish the run and stick to it, and it’s safe to say that will be his approach moving forward. I anticipate the defense will look pretty similar on the surface, but there will be schematic changes in the secondary and in terms of how the team uses the strong-side linebacker. As far as play-calling style, it’s hard to say how Hackett and Wash will change from last season, though I would anticipate Hackett continuing to be more persistent in sticking to the run and you might see Wash try to give more looks up front in passing situations. Stay tuned.

Logan from Wichita, KS:
Do you foresee the Jags picking up anymore veteran free agents between now and Week 1 of the preseason?

John: I suppose the Jaguars could sign, say, an offensive linemen or a cornerback before Preseason Week 1. I wouldn’t anticipate it being a player who would generate much excitement. The Jaguars’ Week 1 starters almost certainly are on the roster, and most significant contributors are as well.

Charlie from Van by the river:
John, I liked metal, too. Are you a Winger or Bon Jovi guy? I was always partial to Poison myself.

John: I’m sure you were.

Gabe from Washington, DC:
Sbarro’s is fine and all, but did you ever check out Dream Machine in your Avenues heyday?

John: No. My mode of operation was to park just outside the Food Court; order a slice, a garlic roll and a jumbo diet coke; park my fat self solo at a table for two; then watch the world go by. #heaven

Doug from Jacksonville:
You know the mall food court is not only a great place to eat, but to meet girls. That. Place. Is. Awesome.

John: Word.

InfiniteWaters from Ralphville:
Feels so good to be alive, baby! Can I get a hellooooooooooo there?

John: What?

John from Jacksonville:
Now that we are a couple of months from the start of the regular season, it’s starting to sink in – the importance of the first two games (Houston and Tennessee). I’m hoping our Jags are treating these two games as all-important in having a fast start and a successful season. Starting 2-0 with your division and the overall record would bring mega-excitement to the fans. Our playoffs start out of the gate and the team needs to be ready Day One! All in … no excuses. Go Jags!

John: Of course the Jaguars are approaching the first two games as all-important. What else would you expect them to do? Mail it in?

Donald from Tampa, FL:
O-Zone: Other than Blake Bortles, what’s the most important area the Jaguars need to improve this season?

John: It would be easy to say “pass rush,” but I’ve been harping on the need to improve the pass rush all offseason, so I’ll go with turnover ratio here. The Jaguars were minus-16 last season, which means they averaged giving the ball away one time more a game then they took it away. If the Jaguars can reverse that, they have a chance to make the five- or six-game improvement many fans so desperately and correctly covet.

Donald from T:
Brian from Orlando, born in Atlanta, fave color: green, likes: sardines, wine Are we friends yet?

John: Nah.

Gary from St. Augustine, FL:
Zone, I’m excited about the season, but I realize a lot of it is about the return of Tom Coughlin. I also realize he is not the head coach. How much of a difference can he make from the front office … you know, realistically?

John: There realistically won’t be a tangible, statistical difference attributable directly to Coughlin. He won’t make in-game decisions and won’t be on the sidelines. But when you lose as much as the Jaguars lost in recent seasons, the tone and outlook of the organization has to change. Coughlin has helped reset the tone of the organization, and his success and reputation has helped give the tone immediate credibility. That in turn has helped with the “buy-in” necessary – and make no mistake: the buy-in with players entering 2017 is complete. There’s a belief that this approach of Coughlin and Head Coach Doug Marrone can work. The next and far more important step is to build on that with success.

Gabe from Washington, DC:
If Blake Bortles isn’t the Jaguars’ quarterback in 2018, do you think it will be Chad Henne, Brandon Allen, or someone not yet on the roster?

John: If Bortles isn’t the Jaguars’ quarterback in 2018, that will mean another franchise reset at the position. That would almost certainly mean drafting a quarterback in the first round or trading for/acquiring one in free agency – all of which would mean that player being the quarterback for the majority of 2018.

Brian from Gainesville, FL:
Big O, what era did you cover University of Florida sports? Did you enjoy it? Why or why not? How does it compare to covering the NFL?

John: I covered the Gators from spring of 1993 through spring of 1994, so I covered two Southeastern Conference Championship football teams and the 1994 men’s basketball team that went to the Final Four. I enjoyed it for the most part because I had the opportunity to cover big-time events at a relatively young age – and work what at the time was a very competitive beat with a slew of major newspapers covering it on a daily basis. I didn’t enjoy it as much as covering the NFL; the access to players on a regular basis in professional sports is far greater than in college sports – and makes the job far more interesting. I also enjoy covering professional football more than college football. I find the pro game faster and more entertaining.

Jerell from Columbia, SC:
What’s good, Zone? Every time I want to get excited about the Jags I remind myself Blake is still the quarterback and it all fades away.

John: Jerell’s back.
 

 
 

O-Zone: Two words

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Jason from North Pole, AK:
I personally feel like an 8-8 record depends entirely on how it is accomplished. If the Jags are 4-8, then bench Blake Bortles, and Chad Henne leads us to an 8-8 finish when we have been eliminated in November, then I won’t feel like we accomplished anything. If we are 8-6 and in the hunt in December, but drop our last two games in heartbreakers, it will have been an exciting season. I just want to play meaningful games in December, regardless of the final record. Do you feel like it makes any difference how 8-8 is accomplished?

John: All records are not created equal, and a competitive start leading to playoff contention indeed is the better – and more exciting – of your scenarios. That would make the Jaguars competitive for the first time since 2010, a span of seven years that by any definition is too long. Still, I can’t say your other 8-8 scenario wouldn’t accomplish anything. Winning in the NFL is hard; the Jaguars if nothing else have proven that the last six seasons. If the Jaguars find a way to win half of their games in 2017, that would represent a five-game improvement and would provide tangible, on-field evidence of progress. After more than a half-decade of double-digit losses, that would be a welcome occurrence for this franchise.

Ace from Jacksonville:
Is Jalen Ramsey the best rookie to play in 2016? If not, where would you rank him?

John: Ramsey was outstanding as a rookie. I don’t cover all NFL teams, so I can’t honestly say if Ramsey was better than, say, San Diego Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott or Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. I’d put those four in a group at the top, though I’m likely leaving more than a few players out.

Chris from Goodnight, TX:
Which undrafted free agent pickup do you think has the best chance to make the final 53 in your opinion? Avery Gennesy looked good on tape, but he is not very athletic, and the Jaguars have good depth (albeit largely average starters) along the offensive line. Hunter Dimick had great production in college, but it sounds like his short arms kept him from getting drafted. Amba Etta-Tawo and Carroll Phillips also seem like decent candidates. Who is your money on?

John: If I’m projecting the final 53 right now, I don’t have any undrafted players on the roster. That probably will end up being wrong once it shakes out, and I imagine there will be at least four or five undrafted rookies on the practice squad with most or all of those players eventually being signed to the active roster sometime during the regular season. Undrafted rookies typically start to separate themselves and earn roster spots once the pads go on in August. I’ll be watching Etta-Tawo and Phillips closely – and Dimick, too.

Dylan from Tulsa, OK:
Say a decent starting veteran guard/tackle is released for cap space, first-round draft pick, injury, etc. Do you think the Jags will look into signing him? Oh, and can I get one fer Brandon Linder? He doesn’t get enough credit.

John: Experience tells me “decent” often is defined differently by fans than teams. If there were a player available that the Jaguars thought could help them on the offensive line, then yes … they would sign that player. Would the team do that because fans were familiar with the player’s name? Not unless the team thought the player was an upgrade. And yes … one fer Linder.

Mike from Atlanta, GA:
Deion Sanders was probably my favorite player to watch growing up with possibly the exceptions being Barry Sanders and Dan Marino. I consistently watched Prime Time make quarterbacks think they only had a half of a field to use. Most of the time they wouldn’t even look at his side. He frequently gave his receiver space to bait the quarterback into thinking the receiver was open. Throwing at Deion was never a wise endeavor. I’ve never seen anyone cover receivers like him and I doubt we ever will.

John: There certainly have been other great cover cornerbacks. Darrelle Revis in his prime could take away sides of the field and elite receivers. Rod Woodson could do it as well and there have been others. But in terms of taking away a side of the field and creating scoring opportunities – making an impact – on defense, I never saw anyone match Sanders.

Jordan from Hampton, VA:
Winter is coming!

John: What?

Sandman from Jacksonville:
If Branden Albert wins the left-tackle spot this year, or if Cam Robinson wins it, why not let the loser challenge for the right-tackle spot? I believe either one could be stronger than Jermey Parnell. Why not let him be the swing tackle or possibly guard?

John: If the Jaguars shared your belief that Robinson or Albert would be a stronger right tackle than Parnell, then your scenario is one that would probably play out. I have heard or seen nothing to indicate the Jaguars share that belief.

Keith from Palatka, FL:
Our offensive line is still not fixed. It is not from lack of trying by Dave Caldwell (Sam Young, Jacques McClendon, Luke Joeckel, Zane Beadles, Brandon Linder, Luke Bowanko, Parnell, Stefen Wisniewski, A.J. Cann, Mack Bernadeau, Kelvin Beachum, Albert, Earl Watford and Robinson). That’s every free-agency period and four out of five drafts since 2013. After all that time and effort, what we don’t have is a 13th-ranked offensive line as per PFF. I understand the extenuating circumstances that Caldwell was hamstrung by Gene Smith and had to focus on all aspects of the roster. Albert is a stop gap, Cann regressed last year, Linder is a stud, Parnell is not a spring chicken and Robinson has potential. Do you think our offensive line is “fixed”? If not, any idea on how many more seasons it will take to fix?

John: I think the offensive line was better as a pass-blocking unit last season than many fans believe, and I think the protection was more than adequate enough for the passing offense to have been better than it performed. I did not think it was a very good run-blocking unit last offseason, and I thought that had more to do with the run game struggling than the performance of the running backs; not everyone shares the latter opinion. Is the line fixed? I see no reason why it won’t continue to pass protect well, and adding Robinson and Linder – and some improved health elsewhere – could improve as a run-blocking unit. That improvement is one of the team’s three major storylines this season along with Blake Bortles and the pass rush. Much of the fate of the Jaguars’ 2017 season depends on it. Stay tuned.

Dylan from Tulsa, OK:
Nnamdi Asomugha I think deserves to be in the category of really good yet really underrated corners. The dude was Patrick Peterson before Patrick Peterson.

John: OK.

Arthur from Ormond Beach, FL:
Nnamdi Asomugha has to be somewhere in your Top 5 corners. That dude scared quarterbacks so much they only threw to him 27 times an entire season and only 10 of those were caught. IN AN ENTIRE SEASON 10 RECEPTIONS!! And he the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Big Ben etc, all in their primes and only Tom Brady had success because he had a dude named Randy Moss to throw to and he still only managed 2 catches against Asomugha. Give me Nnamdi over Sanders any day.

John: Nah.

Terrell from Jacksonville:
I think Dede Westbrook is going to be a star. My question is, “Who do you keep next year?” I like Allen Robinson, but is he a true No. 1? I like Allen Hurns; don’t need a lot of balls to come his way. No. 11 gets hurt too much. Who do you keep if Dede become a No. 1 receiver?

John: This is one of the Jaguars’ most-obvious and most-intriguing season-long storylines for 2017, and I don’t know that anything’s written in stone on this front. Robinson, Hurns and Marqise Lee all have had productive stretches, and of that group, Robinson has shown the most potential to be a No. 1 receiver. If he has a season somewhere between the ones he had in 2015 and 2016, I think the Jaguars will re-sign him to a long-term deal. I think three of the four players you mention will be on the roster in 2018, and I think Westbrook will be one. If there indeed is a decision to be made between Lee and Hurns, it likely will come down to one of the two showing this season that he is a bona fide front-line NFL receiver. I think it’s a tossup as to which of the two will do that.

Jordan from Jacksonville and South Florida:
You recommend Sbarro’s? Sbarro’s in the Avenues Mall is your recommendation? You joke around a lot, but now you’ve gone too far!

John: Two words, Jordan: Garlic roll.
 

 
 

O-Zone: Weird-O

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Daniel Since Day One from Jacksonville:
Eight and eight? That’s not enough. This team needs one less critical bonehead mistake and one more great play in each game to get over .500. I think that increased discipline and experience will get that. If we have a better-than-average running game, and if Blake Bortles only throws 25 or less times a game, we’re in the money baby! Are you ready for some football???

John: I am ready for some football – or pretty close to it anyway. And while eight victories may not be enough for some Jaguars fans in 2017, considering they went 3-13 last season, eight would be a pretty dramatic improvement. The question: how do they get there? You’re on the right path. One less critical bonehead mistake and one more great play per game is a tested formula for improvement for many teams; such things do turn games and seasons in an environment as evenly matched as the NFL. And discipline and experience can be key to those areas. So, that’s a start. But Bortles remains the key. I wouldn’t bet the mortgage that he will throw 25 times or less per game because that’s a really low number in today’s NFL, but the further he gets from the 39 per game he threw last season the better.

Tim from formerly St. Petersburg and now Fernandina Beach, FL:
John, after 10 long years, I’m finally back. Did you miss me?

John: No.

Logan from Wichita, KS:
Will I ever recover???? Or am I doomed to wear funny hats, fight “the man,” have crazy flashbacks, struggle with a never ending need for cake and pie, write a Logan-zone for a home team and make fun of the next poor sap that loves his team then falls in love and goes off the deep end. GIVE ME HOPE, O-MAN!!!

John: No.

Fred from Naples, FL:
Florida State versus Alabama … biggest opening college football game ever? Who do you like?

John: I do suppose FSU-Alabama will be the biggest season-opening title, lid-lifting game in college gridiron lore. I don’t pretend to be an expert on college gridders, but how do you pick against Alabama? Don’t the Crimson Tide win everything?

Bryce from Waterloo, IA:
John, being from Iowa, we don’t have an NFL team. Everyone is a Packers, Bears, or Cowgirls fan. I started watching the Jaguars as a kid and have been a fan ever since. I am probably the only person in Iowa with a Jaguars decal on my car. I have gone to a game each of the past two seasons and plan on going to another this year if we get off to a decent start. On a non-football related note, can you tell me a restaurant in Jacksonville that you’d recommend? I can’t remember the restaurant, but I had root beer ribs and they were amazing. Point me in the right direction. Looking forward to talking football in the near future.

John: Sbarro’s, Avenues Mall. I think that has been pretty well established.

Wayne from Jacksonville:
Hey, John – what is your “take” on the report that the Colts used hearing enhancements at away games so they could hear Peyton Manning’s count?

John: My take is that I don’t know enough of the details to know whether or not what the Colts did was against NFL rules. Offensive tackle Tarik Glenn recently said the Colts during Manning’s rookie season of 1998 used a sort of “hearing aid” to combat crowd noise and enhance Manning’s calls. It is unclear whether or not the “aids” were electronic, and that seems to be the determining factor over whether such a device would have been allowed. There also have been reports this week that other teams during the past couple of decades have used similar devices – and that it’s OK as long as electronics weren’t involved. It’s possible we’ll never know much more about this issue than we do now; I doubt if the NFL would try to investigate a matter nearly two decades old. Would I be surprised if a team pushed as close to the edge of the rules as possible then or now? No, that would not surprise me, but it’s difficult to have much of a take on this issue beyond that.

Alan from Jacksonville:
I am glad we showed patience in the last draft and avoided picking a quarterback in what was considered a pretty weak group. It puts us in a really good situation for 2018. If Bortles does well, we don’t need one next year. If he bombs, we will have another Top 10 pick in a draft pundits are calling one of the best for that position in a long time. Are you feeling the glow, Sir O of Zone?

John: I don’t know how much glow the Zone is showing, and I’m not inclined to start thinking about the 2018 NFL Draft quite yet. But you have a point about the Jaguars’ quarterback situation. Finding one, developing him and determining if he indeed is the guy is a tough, time-consuming process and patience can be required. Sometimes there are highs lows during that process that make it excruciatingly difficult to determine if a guy indeed is The Guy. That’s where the Jaguars are with Bortles. Is he the guy? Will the patience be rewarded? Or will the Jaguars be starting over – as they did in 2011 and again in 2014? And even if the quarterback class of ’18 is as good as people believe, how many of those quarterbacks will fulfill their potential? Ah, the uncertainty and high-risk business that is finding a franchise quarterback. Stay tuned. Again.

Hugo from Albuquerque, NM:
So, in keeping with the tradition of talking about ranking lists, Gil Brandt just put Bryan Anger as his sixth-best punter of all time. A third rounder doesn’t seem that bad for an all-time great player.

John: I already was sort of worn out on rehashing and debating Brandt’s offseason lists. I must be really worn out because I have no idea what to say about that punter ranking.

Neil from Valdosta, GA:
John, is it just me, or does it seem like there haven’t been any arrest reports this dead period? No weapons charges, new domestic abuse or rape allegations, DUIs, traffic stops involving drugs, or anywhere type of negative news this year. I honestly can’t remember a time it has been so quiet on that front. It’s definitely a privilege to represent the NFL shield, and nice to see guys might finally be getting that message.

John: Shhhhh …

Jason from Da’Hass:
Fond memories of skipping school, and going to Sbarro at the Volusia Mall.

John: Stay in school, kids.

Eddie from Jacksonville:
Deion over Darrell Green? I respect your opinion but I must disagree.

John: I’m a huge Darrell Green guy. Green’s speed was phenomenal and the idea of playing at a high level in this league for two decades – all for one team – is mind-blowing. Still, there were times when Green’s size was a liability against the larger receivers – not a huge liability, but a liability. Sanders in his prime had few if any liabilities in coverage.

Jerell’s Cousin from Ocala, FL:
Jerell is OK, he wanted me to tell you that.

John: Whew.

Chris from Norfolk, VA:
Two questions, O: I’ll take either answer if you want. One: Always sports journalism, or have you submitted other work? Two: Took the wife to London last month to check it out. She wanted two things. Stonehenge tour, and “high tea.” I liked the paste sandwiches, but my question is, how long did it take you to stop the accent in your head? I’m on Week 5 and I’m still all sixes and sevens.

John: I covered the occasional city-council meeting and assisted in some news coverage during my Florida Times-Union days, but when I say “occasional” I mean “very, very occasional.” My beats and primary responsibilities were high school sports, University of Florida sports, NFL and the Jaguars. As far as getting the English accent out of your head, I could give you an exact time frame, but others might disagree and then we’d be in some silly argy-bargy over it. No one needs that in July.

Sam from Orlando, FL:
I tell people I grew up on the Westside of Jacksonville off of Normandy Boulevard and they cringe. I still love it and call it home … One for Normandy Blvd?

John: Absolutely. One fer Normandy Boulevard. #WTWD

Otto from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
John, I don’t want to sound negative but, what if Blake Bortles starts off the season with no appreciable change from last year? How many games do you think Tom Coughlin/Doug Marrone will stay with him?

John: I anticipate Bortles being the Jaguars’ quarterback this season as long as they are in contention for the postseason.

Catlover from Jacksonville:
Do you ever put your cat on a leash and take it for a walk?

John: No. That would be weird.
 

 

 

 
 

O-Zone: Covering the bases

 

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Brother Bob from Graceville:
The football “experts” (not) love to give their false prophecies from which they use their false doctrines to resource from – and bless the fans with season predictions. I firmly believe the package of offense, defense, and special teams with the staff in place will produce a winning season for the Jaguars. Talent and attitude can change our touchdown-behind issues in the second half. O-ZONE! What is your vision for the season?

John: Many of the football “experts” (whatever) indeed once again like the Jaguars’ chances this season. This was the case before last season. A lot of things went awry early last season, and the high expectations never came close to being met. I have greater confidence the Jaguars will be improved this season than I did before last season because I felt the Jaguars were still a really young team entering last season. They still don’t qualify as a savvy, veteran team entering 2017 but the core of players on which they need to rely – a core that includes players such as Telvin Smith, Allen Robinson and ideally Blake Bortles – are entering their fourth NFL seasons. They are at last at that point where their experience says they should be able to carry a team and play consistently at a winning level. What will that mean for the record? I think if the team gets consistent play with reduced turnovers from the quarterback position, the Jaguars can push for a .500 record. That “if” will be the Jaguars’ primary storyline until it’s not.

Brian from (space intentionally left blank):
John, I dare you to answer this question with a one-word answer? Why me?

John: Because.

Josh from Pensacola, FL:
It’s hard to find something not to like about Dede Westbrook besides his off-field issues. He has magnet hands, above-average physicality for his size, top-notch athletic ability and he does not lose foot-races. I am a lifelong Sooners fan born and raised in Oklahoma, so I worry my opinions might be a little biased –but I am excited to have him. I think he will be a weapon immediately. Do you see the same things as me or am I just fanning out a little too much?

John: You’re probably fanning a little, but that’s OK: Fans gonna fan. I do see the same attributes in Westbrook as you, and I agree he has a chance to be a weapon. The Jaguars absolutely saw this, which is why they selected him when they did in the 2017 NFL Draft. This was not a desperate, need selection. This was a case of the draft falling the Jaguars’ way, and seeing an opportunity to add an impact player. I expect Westbrook to have a chance to contribute and be a weapon immediately. He is a rookie, so I doubt his impact will be double-digit touchdowns for the season or a run of 100-yard games. But I do see him having the playmaking ability to be a threat to defenses and to make a momentum-turning play every few games. If he does that, then that’s a major impact for a rookie.

Drew from Jacksonville:
I read an article earlier today about the University of Georgia’s quarterback competition this season between Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm. The article described that because both were competing for game time, the two were performing at a very high level and constantly getting better every day because of competition. When players have competed to start their entire careers, why do the Jaguars think letting Blake Bortles not compete with another quarterback in practice is a good idea?

John: It’s the NFL. Very few quarterbacks truly compete. Reps and continuity trump the benefit of offseason and training-camp competition.

Tim from Fernandina Beach, FL:
John: The Tampa Bay Rays drafted a pitcher from Oregon State and he rejected the offer and is free to go back to college and play. Why is it that if a college football player declares for the draft, he can’t go back to school if he isn’t drafted where he likes or doesn’t like the offer?

John: Because the rules are different in baseball and football. The rules for baseball state that a player can be drafted out of high school and still return to school – but that if he does so, he must stay at a four-year college at least three years. A football player can’t be drafted out of high school and he must have been in college three years – i.e., he must be a true junior or a redshirt sophomore – to declare for the draft. In that sense, the sports’ rules are similar in that neither allows a college player to declare then return to college just because he doesn’t like where he was drafted. Every sport’s eligibility rules are different. That’s because the factors for developing young players are different depending on the sport.

Rick from Alexandria, VA:
If there is a surprise cut on the way to 53, who is your leading candidate?

John: I don’t anticipate any surprises. Then again, if I anticipated a surprise, it wouldn’t be … you know, a surprise.

Rick from Alexandria, VA:
The greatest cornerback you ever saw was a guy who deliberately and admittedly avoided run support? So the Oehser standard is no points deducted for physicality in the game of, you know, football or fulfilling only half the role of a cornerback?

John: That is the Oehser standard. The thing that matters the most at cornerback is covering wide receivers, and that’s what Sanders did best. No, he was not a great tackler. If you’re looking for a player who covered and tackled well, Rod Woodson did both at an exceptionally high level. But if you’re talking about a player who could take away a No. 1 receiver or a side of the field – and in the modern era, that’s what you want from a cornerback – I’d take Sanders.

Cliff from Charlie’s Basement:
Oehser, there’s a creep/bully who won’t leave me alone. And I’m a grown man. What should I do?!

John: Pay the man.

Adam from Jacksonville:
Shadrick is a punk. There, I said it.

John: J.P. Shadrick is a fine, upstanding member of the jaguars.com staff and he deserves – nay, commands – our respect. I’d appreciate it in the future if our readers remember this.

Frankie from London, UK:
Mr O! I love Allen Robinson. Yes he (and the offense) weren’t as good as 2015 but I think he’s a quarterback’s dream and has the kind of attitude that’ll make him determined to overcome and improve upon 2016. A quality possession receiver who I think will score elite numbers if the running game is presentable. Whether it’s Bortles or not throwing the ball for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018, Robinson is a guy you’d want to be throwing to.

John: Well, then … one fer A-Rob!

Esko from Finland:
I assume that Mike from Atlanta, GA was just sarcastic when describing his time in Iowa? With all the modern amenities, I actually really enjoy the cold dark Northern winters, though for the fairness’ sake it should be pointed out that the landscape down here is mostly taiga rather than cornfields.

John: I like a good taiga landscape as much as the next guy. I mean, don’t we all?

Bon from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
John, I see a lot of analysis of how successful our prior drafts have been in comparison to other teams. The general manager and coach seem to get all the blame for drafting a dud when there were players available who performed much better for the team that drafted them. How much credit/blame should our scouts be getting here? Maybe they aren’t giving as good input to the general manager/coach as other teams’ scouts? How much turnover have we had in our scouts compared to GM/Coaches?

John: A team’s scouting staff tends to have less turnover at the area level than, say, the assistant coaching staff, head coach or general manager positions. Positions such as director of college scouting, director of pro scouting, etc., tend to change more often because general managers often bring in “their own guys” at those positions. The Jaguars’ scouting staff is well-respected and I’ve never heard anything around the league to indicate otherwise. That answer has irritated fans in the past and I’m sure it will irritate people now, but it remains true.

Andrew from Bloomington, IN:
John, take the day off. I got it covered. Yes, Bortles needs to show improvement for the team to be successful. The O-line will most likely be LT Albert, LG Robinson, C Linder, RG Cann, RT Parnell. Ramsey is and will be a star but we can’t control numbers when teams throw away from him. Poz will be fine at his new position. Jack looks good at middle linebacker but we’ll know more when the pads are on. To the upset/angry posters … thanks for your negativity, you have the right to be mad, and fans are gonna fan. I think that covers it. Enjoy your day off!

John: Thanks for reading.
 

 

 

 
 

O-Zone: Budding friendship

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Zac needsWs from Orange Park, FL:
The national media is hyping the Jags again. I’ve seen articles about how the Jags have the top cornerback tandem, a Top 10 defense, the No. 5-ranked wide-receiver tandem and the No. 13-ranked offensive line. It’s time to get over the hump and get some Ws. What you say, O-man?

John: Sure, it’s time for the Jaguars to win — past time, actually. As far as where certain Jaguars players or position groups rank among the league’s best, I’ll repeat what I have said a few times since these rankings began being bandied about a few weeks back – that the projections, pontifications and praise about the Jaguars’ talent level are based on the potential of many young players. Those young players indeed do have potential. What they don’t yet have is a body of work that shows they consistently play to that potential. Whether those players can do that or not is one of the major storylines to follow entering the ’17 season. Are the Jaguars as talented as many believe? Stay tuned.

Nate from York, PA:
I’m bored!

John: Read a book. Or get a run in.

CD from Fleming Island, FL:
While I think we can all agree the offensive line’s pass blocking was improved last year, it was kind of a train wreck the two previous years. I can’t help but wonder if it just took a while for Blake to truly trust that improvement. I felt like he had a much better pocket presence toward the end of the season, when he began to finally trust his blocking. Do you agree with that at all – and if so, do you buy into that as an excuse or reason for optimism next season?

John: I don’t call it an excuse, because I’ve never heard Bortles say it – but you’re right that Bortles seemed to settle in the pocket in the last two games of last season. He played better overall the last two games. The Jaguars apparently believe those two games – the ones played with Doug Marrone as the head coach – represent a foundation from which Bortles and the offense can build. They therefore apparently see them as reasons for optimism. We’ll see.

Ken from Jacksonville:
What’s with all the questions about Jalen Ramsey being able to catch the ball? There’s a reason he’s on defense. If he could catch the ball, he’d be a wide receiver.

John: Well, yes.

Gabe from Washington, DC:
Would it be that shocking if the Jaguars traded Poz to a team looking for an experienced, starting-caliber middle linebacker? I’d bet there are a number of teams who could use him as the “quarterback of the defense.”

John: Yes, I actually would be shocked. There may be a number of teams who could use a player such as Paul Posluszny, but what would those teams be willing to trade? And would it be worth the risk to the Jaguars of not having Posluszny on the team? Remember: players get hurt in the NFL. It’s a physical game and backups can matter. There are worse things than having a player such as Posluszny available if Myles Jack is unavailable.

Dan from Jacksonville:
Granted, fans fan – and a victory is a victory. But (there’s always a but) don’t you think that the road to becoming elite is paved with playing against the best your opposition has to throw at you?

John: Without question. Don’t worry about who’s starting or not starting for your opponent. Let them worry about you.

Robert from Oneonta:
Metallica was great Wednesday night in Orlando. Do you have any head banging in your music closet?

John: I liked metal, but didn’t love it. I went through an AC/DC phase in high school, but hey … most of us did. It was the 1980s.

Tom from Loughborough, England:
Over/Under a 8-8 record next year for the Jags?

John: Over by one game, though if you ask tomorrow I might have a different answer.

Charles from Midlothian, VA:
Bill Belichick without Tom Brady? Great coach? Tony Dungy without Peyton Manning? I think Dungy is overrated and without Manning would not be in the Hall of Fame; Belichick on the other hand has proven that while Brady may be one of the greats, he may not have become one without Belichick. Y or N?

John: Very, very few Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches achieved that status without elite quarterbacks, and Belichick and Dungy certainly have relied on great quarterbacks for most of their success. But the facts don’t really support your argument. Belichick clearly deserves his status as one of the best coaches in NFL history, but he made just one postseason appearance without Brady as his quarterback. I also believe Dungy deserves his status as a great coach, and while he won his lone Super Bowl with Manning, four of his career postseason appearances came as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where his quarterbacks were not exactly elite. As far as whether or not Brady would have been elite without Belichick, my guess is he would have been among the best no matter his head coach. His circumstances and path would have been different, but the great ones manage to achieve greatness whatever the circumstance.

Jeff from Jacksonville:
When kickers try for a field goal, their yardage is from where it’s kicked but a punter’s yardage starts at line of scrimmage not from where it was punted. Why is that?

John: I’ve never seen or heard a good explanation for this, though logically I assume it had to do with a field goal being kicked from a placement and therefore easily measurable whereas a punt could take place from a variety of spots behind the line of scrimmage. My best answer on this? Because that’s the rule.

You know who I am from Jacksonville:
So, yeah: You got that 50 bucks you owe me?

John: Please hold for J.P. Shadrick.

Brian from Duval County:
Is it reasonable to expect 10 or more touchdowns from LF27? Marrone has been on record with his desire to run the ball more.

John: Sure, it’s reasonable to expect 10 touchdowns from Fournette. That doesn’t have nearly as much to do with Marrone being on the record about wanting to run as it does with the Jaguars selecting Fournette No. 4 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. That means he’s going to get a lot of opportunities. And if the Jaguars do indeed run more in 2017 …

James from Jax:
You and “Zach” suggested Jags would have an advantage with Deshaun Watson starting. My question: When a defense is facing a quarterback with no film, can they really scheme a defense?

John: Yes. You can scheme based on what the offense has done in the past, and you can scheme against the tendencies of the coordinator. Scheming in the regular-season opener is always tricky because teams don’t show their entire playbook during the preseason – and they presumably have spent at least part of the offseason preparing for the opener. That’s also why there are a lot of upsets and unpredictable happenings in Week 1. And yes, a rookie quarterback is a trickier scheme challenge than a veteran in the regular-season opener. Still, the chances for rookie mistakes usually counteract that – so, generally speaking, you would want the rookie starting for your opponent in Week 1.

Mike from Jacksonville:
Who should be inducted into the Hall of Fame first: Joe Jacoby or Tony Boselli? Does Joe Theisman deserve to be in?

John: Boselli. No.

Mason from Palm Bay, FL:
I hate watching Bortles throw pick-sixes as much as the next guy, but I kinda miss Jerell this summer.

John: You make a valid point. It seems the last we heard from Jerell was when the Jaguars opted against selecting a quarterback in the 2017 NFL Draft. Considering his feelings regarding Blake Bortles, I assume that Jerell’s silence in recent weeks is related to the aforementioned decision. Here’s hoping we hear from him soon – if not incredibly often.

Luis from St. Johns, FL:
If the Jaguars don’t make the playoffs this year, then I’m not renewing my season tickets until it’s time to renew!

John: Go get ‘em, Tiger.

Logan from Wichita, KS:
That’s cold!!!! But I guess you aren’t wrong for lacking fear of me; after all I’m about to get married and no one fears a soon to be married man. Right?

John: This email is a relief, in a sense. We at jaguars.com have wracked our collective brain for weeks – nay, for months – to solve the Logan Mystery, wondering why Logan from Wichita seems to have been prone recently to panicky responses, paranoid accusations, irrational ramblings and a hallucinatory outlook on the world. The pending nuptials have ended our wonderings. Mystery solved.

Dan from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
John, if we ever met I feel like we would be friends.

John: Cool. Call me. We’ll hang out.

Dan from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL:
Never mind.

John: Oh.
 

 

 

 
 

O-Zone: Searching for answers

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Scott from Satsuma, FL:
John, discipline caused us more than a few issues last season. It kept our defense on the field instead of getting off. The offensive discipline issues put more pressure on Blake Bortles to make a play, and that led to forced passes – a.k.a., bad decisions. Discipline caused quite a lot of the Jaguars’ woes last year. Then, there is the lack of faith Bortles had in his protection. Watch the tape: mechanics and lack of trust really affected him mentally – and for a quarterback to take a leap forward, you need both of those. Fix the offensive line and discipline issues.

Dick John: Holy shit. God forbid you expect your QB to make a play. Not every team can have the Cowboys o-line and even if they did Bortles would still suck.

Aaron from Bethlehem, PA:
When is the Jaguars’ first full padded practice in 2017 Training Camp?

Dick John: Saturday July 29th is the beginning stages of Blake’s final year.

Glen from Orange Park, FL:
Who was the better coach/quarterback combo: Joe Gibbs/Joe Theismann or Tom Landry/Roger Staubach?

Dick John: My answer is only ever allowed to be Bradley/Bortles.

Mike from Jacksonville:
John, I think it is time for you stop with the Cowboy hate and allow Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Harvey Martin into the Hall of Fame. And while you’re at it, you can also let L.C. Greenwood in for sacking Staubach a Super Bowl-record times in 1976. It’s a travesty these guys aren’t in the HOF.

Dick John: The real travesty is that I have to read stupid questions from little shits like you every day.

Doug from Jacksonville:
O-man, you said you missed Jacksonville when you went to Indy: Family, friends, weather, etc. … sure. What about favorite places to eat? Were there places you hit soon as you got back? Places you couldn’t wait to go to again?

Dick John: What are your favorite places to eat? Let me know so that I know to never go there.

Jensen from Nacodogches, TX:
O, I am about to have 12 days of freedom roaming the French countryside. If you were able to have an opportunity to do the same, what destination and activity would you look forward to the most?

Dick John: I hope Napoleon pops out of the grave and sticks you in the ass with his little sword.

Paul from Jacksonville:
With all respect to Zach from Ocala, I hope camp and preseason will go well enough that the Jaguars’ defense will be well-prepared for the Texans without regard for the identity of the opposing quarterback.

Dick John: I’m not worried about the other teams QB, I’m more worried about our fucking QB.

Dylan from Tulsa, OK:
Do you think we ever called Seattle when they were flirting with a Richard Sherman trade? I mean we had the capital to trade for him in good young receivers and maybe a runner as well as draft picks at the time.

Dick John: If we didn’t sign Norman, we sure as hell wouldn’t trade for Sherman.

Roger from White House, FL:
John, as far as Jalen Ramsey only having two interceptions and not being able to catch the ball, didn’t Darrell Green only have 50 to end a 20 year career?

Dick John: Yep. We really are starting the Ramsey HOF talk already. Lovely.

Neil from Gloucester, UK:
Dear Mr. Oehser. Blimey, this Dead Zone is doing my head in! When is something going to happen?! I have come to greatly respect your opinion on football matters. Who is the best cornerback you ever saw? Darrell Green for me. Thank you.

Dick John: I highly doubt that the dead zone is the cause of your head issues. Also, thank you for kissing my ass. You get a mention today because of it.

Jeff from Orange, CA:
It seems that tons of praise is being thrown at Jalen Ramsey, and perhaps deservedly so, but what are the risks of a sophomore slump? In other words, were there any weaknesses you could point out in Ramsey from last year that opposing teams could look to exploit now that there is a year’s worth of NFL film on him that could be studied?

Dick John: Ramsey’s biggest weakness is whatever Steve Smith says it is.

Zach from Jacksonville Beach:
Do you think Parnell could play right-guard?

Dick John: Why? Doesn’t he suck enough where he is?

Thrill from The ‘Ville:
Which do you think is a better strategy, having your shutdown corner mirror the other team’s No. 1 receiver in order to limit his production, or having him mirror the other team’s No. 2 receiver to shut him down completely and roll the double team over to the No. 1 for the whole game?

Dick John: (Finally a semi-decent question about actual football. Oh shit. I have nothing knowledgeable to say.) What do you think?

Bob from Accounting:
The Jaguars have the most losses in a six-year stretch than any NFL team ever. I have yet to hear anyone acknowledge this. Why?

Dick John: Because we aren’t allowed to you fucking asstard. KHAN KNOWS ALL.

Chris from Section 437:
Everyone is thinking way too much about this contract thing. There is a reason why players negotiate for the guaranteed money. Wait for it … It’s guaranteed! The rest of the contract years are the team’s side. If the player is a bust, it’s bad for the team. If he’s great, the team may have got a good deal. But either way the guaranteed money was what the player was worth at the time of signing.

Dick John: If there is one thing most of you are doing, it isn’t thinking.

Tucker from Gatlinburg, TN:
Do you see Bortles in the film room? He has to Manning the film room if he wants to be our future.

Dick John: I see Bortles in the film room all the time. He sure does love watching Snow White. Hi Ho, Hi Ho. It’s high balls that I throw.

Charlie from Fort Mill, SC:
Hey John, tell me exactly why I should respect Shadrick. Give me one good reason.

Dick John: He has a bigger dick than you. How’s that?

 

 

 

 
 

O-Zone: Hello goodbye

JACKSONVILLE – Let’s get to it …

Zach from Ocala, FL:
Regarding the starting quarterback for the Texans in Week 1, I hope they start Deshaun Watson. Yeah, he’s a rookie, so it may be different to game plan for. But look at like this. Our defense versus their offense led by lightweight rookie. Calais Campbell will crush him. Our secondary will pick him off. There isn’t that consistency with DeAndre Hopkins yet. Tom Savage was pretty savage to us. He came in and kinda ran our defense, Jalen Ramsey included …

John: I hesitate to dive deep here, lest I encourage more questions about a subject – the Texans’ Week 1 starting quarterback – that’s not yet particularly critical. Still, I always assume a quarterback with zero NFL experience will make mistakes in his first professional start, so I would say it’s probably an advantage on some level for the Jaguars if Watson starts in that game. Is that edge guaranteed? No. Would an edge guarantee a Jaguars victory? No. Do I think there would be rookie mistakes that could help the Jaguars? Yeah, but how much it would help remains to be seen – and I just don’t know if there would be that much of a difference between he and Savage.

Scroll on Gary:
Ready for Football. #deadzone. So many music, other non-football questions, I just scroll on!

John: That’s the spirit, Gary! And I’m guessing now that what’s done is done, all that scrolling didn’t take all that much out of you spiritually or emotionally.

Tom from Loughborough, England:
Hi John, after a promising rookie season with 14 passes defensed and two interceptions, what would you say are realistic targets for Jalen Ramsey – clearly a very important player to the franchise – to achieve in the coming season? Also, on the topic of Ramsey, would you say after watching him for one season that he has the caliber to become a Jaguars great or an all-time great/Hall of Famer? He definitely seems to fit into one of these two brackets for me …

John: Ramsey in 2017 has a chance to emerge as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks, and to potentially have a Pro Bowl-caliber season. I don’t know what that will mean in terms of interceptions or pass breakups, because I don’t know yet if teams will continue to challenge Ramsey or begin to throw away from him. That’s obviously out of his control. After watching Ramsey for a year, there’s no question he has the ability to be a Jaguars great and an all-time great. It takes a lot more than that to achieve greatness, but that’s absolutely his caliber.

Mike from Atlanta, GA:
So John, you’re telling me that you don’t miss waking up to a gray, dreary day to snow-blanketed cornfields, your 10th consecutive day without any sunshine while the temperature peaks in the single digits? You don’t miss that? You know you need provisions, food and beverages and such, but you really don’t feel like getting out because on top of the high temperature of six degrees and the wind is kicking up to 30 mph. On top of that, several inches of snow have fallen and you know you have to shovel the driveway and walkway. You don’t miss that? I assume Indiana was similar, but in Iowa, the winter was about four or five months long with brutal cold and not a lot of sunshine. I think of about only two words when I think of winter up there: bleak and dreary. I always felt proud when I came out alive at the end of winter, like I had achieved something. You don’t miss that?

John: Indianapolis winters weren’t quite that extreme, but there absolutely were moments … and no, I don’t miss them.

BunchaClowns from Jacksonville:
Holding a gun to Oehser’s head, forcing him to post nice things about him repeatedly in the O-Zone. #ShadrickSighting

John: Why would I need to be forced into saying nice things about J.P. Shadrick? J.P. Shadrick is a fine, upstanding member of the jaguars.com staff and he deserves – nay, commands – our respect. I’d appreciate it in the future if our readers remember this.

Rhonda from Jacksonville:
In regards to fairness of players’ contracts, is it not true that when a player is on the roster opening day he gets his year’s salary, regardless of how well or how much he plays, whether he gets cut or injured on the first play? I wish my employer had that plan.

John: The rule applies to vested veterans – i.e., players with four or more NFL seasons. That rule does provide those players a measure of security, but remember: the careers of professional athletes are significantly shorter than most careers. Injuries also can end those careers at any time. At the same time, it’s also true that NFL players make significantly more than people in many other careers. What’s the point of all this? Mainly that it’s just impossible to compare contracts and job circumstances of professional athletes to many other professions. Fair or unfair, they’re just different worlds and the ground rules for one often don’t apply to the other.

Tommy from Fernandina Beach, FL:
Johnny-O, I see you as a fan of Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders?

John: Guilty.

Logan from Wichita, KS:
Dave brings up a good point, O-man! You are always messing with my fee-fees. Why you got to step on my feels to get your kicks? Am I your O-Zone stress ball or are you just trying to keep me from taking your job when you take over as the ESPN guy for the Jags??? I smell your fear! GO JAGS! Run O-man! RUN!!!

John: I have no desire for the job currently held by Mike DiRocco (whoever he is), or any other job for that matter. It would be nice to close here by saying I fear no man, but that’s not true. I fear most men, and a good majority of women, too. Except you, Logan. Except you.

Marc from Oceanway:
All the Staubach bashing got me wondering who I despised as a young football fan. Living in Dallas while in grade school from 1970-1975, I lived and breathed the Cowboys. I obviously hated Billy Kilmer and Joe Theisman, but another NFC East rival that came to mind was Terry Metcalf, who played for the St. Louis Cardinals. I remember him driving me crazy over several years. He was such a graceful and dynamic running back who seemed to have a knack for breaking the long run, and I despised him. I looked him up and was surprised he only played five seasons with the Cardinals and had a career total of 3,489 rushing yards. My memory of him frustrating me and the Cowboys seemed more substantial. John, do you remember Metcalf and did he annoy you like he did me? PS: Moved to Jax in ’95 and have never looked back, that and the firing of Tom Landry left a foul taste in my mouth.

John: I haven’t been bashing Roger Staubach. He was a fine quarterback worthy of his Hall of Fame status. I simply believe Staubach and all other Cowboys from the 1970s are inherently evil; such is the penalty for those men routinely stepping on this young man’s Redskins-filled dreams. I indeed remember Metcalf well. All-too forgotten in NFL lore, he was a critical player on a few St. Louis Cardinals teams that were really, really good under Head Coach Don Coryell from 1974-1976. The 1970s were an NFL era in which teams such as Dallas, Minnesota, the Los Angeles Rams, Miami, Pittsburgh and Oakland dominated for long stretches at a time with other teams rarely breaking through. Teams such as Washington, Baltimore and Cincinnati, Denver and Houston had moments, but they were relatively rare. The Cardinals won the NFC East in 1974 and 1975 with a pass-oriented offense that was in a lot of ways a precursor to the more wide-open offense that were to follow. As a Redskins fan of that era, I don’t have the quite the intense dislike for Metcalf and the Cardinals because they weren’t nearly as good for nearly as long as the Cowboys. But they were good, and the 1974-1976 Cardinals Redskins games mattered on a similar level to Cowboys-Redskins. One such game was in late 1975, when a wide receiver named Mel Gray was thrown a pass from a quarterback Jim Hart. Officials ruled Gray caught the pass, which eventually led to the Cardinals winning in overtime. The game led to the Redskins missing the playoffs, though there is no doubt that Gray dropped the #$%&*@% ball.

Kemoy from Port Charlotte, FL:
Hello.

John: Goodbye.

 

 

 
 

O-Zone: Blissful thoughts

JACKSONVILLE – Happy fourth. Be smart out there.

Let’s get to it …

Rob from Brunswick, GA:
John, in the past every team was promised at least one prime-time game, even if it was a terrible December Thursday game. I noticed we didn’t get one this year. What gives? I obviously missed something here.

Not John: What gives is that their broadcast partners (aka networks) got tired of paying huge money for shit games, and pushed back a little. The NFL gave in, and made a few changes to increase the quality of nationally televised games. Not giving the Jaguars a prime time game was one of those changes.

Scott from New York, NY:
I found myself in what appeared to be a three-to-four hour line for a ferry to the beach and I thought to myself, “What would O-Zone do?” Thankfully, before going any further (or is it farther?), my wife talked some sense into me and we took the train. For a moment there I was about to …

Not John: …masturbate in a public bathroom?

Wes from Baldwin:
What is it gonna take for the Jags to protect home field? Why does it seem like they can’t defend the Bank?

Not John: Find a better GM? Get a real quarterback? Fire the head coach? So far we’re one for three.

Scott from New York, NY:
Is there’s anything you’ve been wanting to tell us?

Not John: Yes. I’ve been sleeping with your wife for years. Whew! It’s good to get that off my chest. Thanks.

Marty from Jacksonville:
O-Zoner, is it not possible that the best five individual offensive linemen may not actually be the best offensive line combination?

Not John: Sure. But I would be more concerned about finding five decent offensive linemen, period, at this point. It’s been a very long time since we had that.

Paul from Jacksonville:
O-Man … would you please tell J.P. to stay out of the Jug, and stop cutting the rug with Linda Lou, or he may run into a feller with the hair colored yeller…

Not John: Forget Shadrick. “Gimme Three Steps” should be T.J. Yeldon’s theme song, because he ain’t breaking off a decent run without them.

Jonathan from Jacksonville:
You forget to mention that the Jaguars’ defense choked in that game as well. And you stating the fact that Jags and Blaine Bortles only put up 150 yards of total offense proves that it doesn’t matter who starts as a quarterback for the Texans because their defense will still win games for them.

Not John: It doesn’t matter who starts at quarterback? You and that guy who compared Blake to Peyton Manning should get together. Between the two of you, you might have a couple of brain cells to rub together.

Mark from Jacksonville:
Jalen Ramsey is an otherworldly talent. The one knock on him is his hands (i.e. catching the pass instead of deflecting it). Do you know if he has worked on improving this area in the offseason and are there drills that they run to work on this area? Would love to see him grab more of the passes he breaks up and truly put fear into quarterbacks.

Not John: From what I hear, Ramsey works on his ball-handling every weekend, often with two balls at a time. It’s something he takes VERY seriously.

Nick from Phoenix, AZ:
O, it’s the dead zone. We’ve heard about your music taste and your (understandable) fear of Shadrick. Let’s go a little deeper! What is a career move that you would make differently? An interview that you wished that you would have taken more interest in, at the time? One you wish you would have had? Maybe a question that you wish that you’d asked while you had the chance?

Not John: O craves the small time. If any city was smaller-time than Jax in the NFL, he’d move there.

Glenn from St. Marys, GA:
Reasons the Jags will be better this season is: One, new coach; two, improved defense; three, improved offensive line; four, monster running back; five, coach Keenan; six, Tom Coughlin and because I want them to be better! Club seat owner since 45 minutes after the announcement that we got a franchise and still enjoying the Jaguar experience!

Not John: OK. Maybe. BZZZT!! Maybe. Love that he’s here. Same with this guy, here’s hoping.

On the other hand, here are six reasons they won’t be better: Blake. Blake. Blake. Blake. Blake. And Blake.

Nathan from St. Augustine, FL:
On a team planning to use the running game as much as the Jaguars, how important is it to have receivers who can run block? And in your opinion who is the best blocker the Jags have at wide receiver?

Not John: It can be a big factor when it comes to springing big plays, after the running back is into the secondary. That hasn’t happened often here in recent years, so it’s hard to say how good the Jaguars receivers are at this. I haven’t seen any deliberately dodging blocks, so that’s a start.

Doug from Jacksonville:
All I want from this year’s Jags is double-digit wins, winning the AFC South and hosting a minimum of one playoff game. If anything less occurs I will send a strongly-worded letter to Mr. Khan.

Not John: You might as well start writing it now.

Brian from Gainesville, FL:
Big O, with all this consternation regarding Cam Robinson starting his career at guard, can you please educate us about the differences in playing guard versus tackle and left side versus right side? Also, given the changes in the offensive line this year, are the guys associating together like an elite military unit? Are they eating, lifting, and hanging out together to gain unit cohesion? If so, is Branden Albert joining in?

Not John: I was going to write a long answer to this, an actual football question for once, but fuck it. It’s the 4th, and I have a shitload of beers to drink if I want to be properly drunk when the fireworks start.

Aaron from White Hall, AR :
So I keep seeing about the ROAR calendar shoots. Do you see any of these girls to have the impact the Culligan girl did?

Not John: Sadly, no. But they’re still pretty hot.

Wiseman from Space:
They better not trade Paul Posluszny. Such heart. In fact, he should be the Jaguars linebackers coach when he retires. Agreed?

Not John: Agreed.

Charlie from Chuckville:
PLEASE HELP OEHSER! I can’t stop picturing you in a speedo!

Not John: Meet Scott from New York at the nearest public restroom. I think you guys might get along together.