JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Michael from Orange Park, FL

I'm already bored. What's next?

My Scooby Sense – and not my Scobee or Spidey Sense – tells me you're among the many Jaguars fans suffering a bit of football withdrawal these days. This phenomenon presumably began when the Jaguars lost to the Buffalo Bills in an AFC Wild Card Playoff a month or so back and seems to have heightened with last Sunday's Super Bowl marking the official end of football for a while. Because watching replays and YouTube highlights only feeds so much of the beast, what's next for many is breathlessly hitting refresh on big offseason news days. The first of these days kinda sorta is the NFL's franchise/transition tag period, which isn't so much a "day" as a two-week window in which teams can "tag" pending unrestricted free agents and limit those players' ability to move via free agency. I don't expect the Jaguars to use either tag on any of their 2026 UFAs – including running back Travis Etienne Jr. and linebacker Devin Lloyd – with the next "what's next" the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis in late February followed by the March 11 start of the NFL League Year – at which time teams can finalize trades and sign UFAs from other teams. "What's next" after that is the 2026 NFL Draft April 23-25, with minicamps and organized team activities to follow through mid-June. "What's next" after that is training camp and the 2026 regular season. And away we go.

Alex from Michigan Formerly Florida

Z, there's a viral video clip of Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love talking on the sideline that he's figured out how to read New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. He said he's a "classic young QB" in that when he steps back, he will take a second to look in the direction of where he wants to throw. That helped Love to almost intercept a pass and then eventually intercept a pass. Love said Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford as a veteran didn't do this -- calling him a "blind" quarterback. Now, I notice that our beloved Trevor Lawrence sometimes looks in the direction of where he is throwing for a bit. He is very good at finding open receivers, but sometimes he gets intercepted. I wonder if you think this is something that Lawrence needs to work on, on becoming "blind" like Stafford?

This is a learned skill that develops with time and experience. Stafford, who will enter his18th NFL season in 2026, indeed is otherworldly in terms of this. It is why he was the NFL Most Valuable Player this past season Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is entering his sixth season and was an MVP finalist. Give it time. That's what this takes.

Bradley from Death Valley, CA

Do you miss the days when you and Urban would have deep conversation while puffing on your vapes in the smoking section?

What?

Crash from Glen Saint Mary

Obi Wan! The Super Bowl is on Valentine's Day next year. Yikes! What's a guy to do?

One thing a guy could do is buy whatever the significant other wants and ease into the sofa around game time. Another thing he could do is marvel at the ridiculousness of having a game that once was played as early as January 9 now seeming destined to become a St. Patrick's Day staple. Get off my lawn.

Nick from Palm Coast, FL

Hi, John. Since most of us live far from the stadium, I was wondering if you could get someone in the media department to take a drone pic once a week and post it as to what's going on. Thanks. I'm sure everyone would love to keep track of the construction. THANKS.

Soon enough, Nick. Soon enough.

Tony from Johns Creek, GA

O, of the Jags 2025 draft picks, only Travis Hunter started a game. There's not always lightning in the bottle, but this did surprise me. Hopefully, they will contribute more in 2026.

I don't know how to define "lightning in a bottle" when it comes to the NFL Draft. I do know that rookies and draft classes are among the most misunderstood and mis-analyzed aspects of the NFL. The draft is a percentage game and not all – or even close to all – draft selections become great players. If you get one or two "second-contract" players from a draft class, it's a good draft. Either way, huge contributions from an entire draft class as rookies aren't all that common. Remember, too: Good teams don't always get contributions from every rookie and it's OK for a team to be good enough to allow young players a chance to develop. How good was the Jaguars' 2025 draft class? We'll start finding out for real in 2026 and 2027, but we damned sure don't know after one season. We just don't.

Jerry from Riverview

According to AI, there are nine tax brackets in California with rates from 1% to 12%, with an additional 1% for those who earn $1 million or more. Some of the stories I've read are misleading. I'm neither pro or con California but let's at least be fair in reporting.

We're referencing Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold being taxed a silly amount by the state of California for participating in the Super Bowl. I can't speak to what stories are or are not "misleading." I can say that the issue is not a California state tax issue, not an NFL issue.

Kaydie from Jacksonville

I see no issue whatsoever with Sam Darnold paying $71,000 of the $106,753,948 he has earned career-to-date in fees to help fund the state and local municipalities in which he came from. It is pocket change to Darnold and yet life altering for those in need.

OK.

Woody from Dunlap

KOAF: What rights do the Jaguars obtain by signing Reserve/Future Contracts with our 15(?) players? Are they still allowed to be "poached" by another team, or are they prevented from looking elsewhere? Do their salaries count against the salary cap? What is the maximum number a team can have?

Teams sign players to Reserve/Future contracts shortly after the end of the season. These are usually one-year contracts, meaning the players are under contract with the team and cannot sign with another team unless released. They are on the 90-man offseason roster and teams can sign as many of those players as they like as long as the roster is not more than 90 players. Players signed to reserve/future contracts usually do not count against the cap because only the top 51 highest cap figures count against the cap in the offseason.

Brian from Round Rock, TX

I am convinced that not signing Lloyd and maybe also ETN will result in a feeling of defeat equal to the one and done and we will limp into the new season like a wounded duck.

I expect some fans will be discouraged if the team does not re-sign Etienne and/or Lloyd. I don't expect it to have a devastating emotional effect on the team if this happens. This is professional football, not a fantasy world.

Shawn from Moore County, NC

Do we have the same scouting staff that has been here for a long time or did Gladstone bring in new people?

Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone in the past year since his February 2025 hiring has hired senior advisers such as JW Jordan and Brian Xanders and director of college scouting Brian Hill. Many college scouts who have "been here a long time" remain on staff. This is not unusual, with most general managers revamping the "decision-making" level of the staff and retaining the information-gathering level.

John from Jax

Hi KOAGF - What is the best use of the franchise tag? If not using it to retain ETN or Lloyd another year, when would you use it?

When it makes more sense financially – or when it's more likely that the sides can eventually agree to a long-term deal palpable to both sides.

Chris from Mandarin

You're right, former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor had 14 total runs of 50+ yards during his career. The "48" number that I remembered was his total of 100+ yard games. That number of 14 seems low, but Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders had 16 and 15 50+ yard touchdowns respectively, so the number is at least contemporary. Still, I think history will prove me right that Fred Taylor is not a Hall of Famer, unfortunately.

Fourteen 50-plus runs doesn't seem low at all when you consider the difficulty of breaking a long run in the NFL – and when you consider the NFL record for touchdown runs of more than 50 yards indeed is the 16 held by Peterson. Taylor was as good as any running back I've ever seen at consistently producing breakout runs, another reason he is a legitimate Hall of Fame-caliber back – regardless of whether he ever is honored as such.