JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Jesse from Texas
Wouldn't one of the best ways to find out if a player is intangibly rich be to personally speak to the player yourself? There was a lot of talk last year about selecting players that were as great off the field as they are on. Now it seems like the on-field tape is more important than getting to know the person.
This continues an ongoing O-Zone discussion about the Jaguars' decision-makers not attending the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Ind., this week – an unusual enough move that it has been discussed among Jaguars observers and media ad nauseum. Your question about the Jaguars not interviewing players in person during the pre-draft process is an understandable part of the discussion. Here's why the Jaguars and some other teams now consider that once-"critical" part of the pre-draft process relatively unimportant – and even counterproductive: While much often can be gained from talking to a person and getting to know them personally, the pre-draft process is now dominated by agents and "handlers." The "handlers" often include public-relations types and image coaches who work with prospects and have their answers so rehearsed – and their behavior so coached – that the reality is there is little to differentiate between many prospects. The Jaguars' belief essentially is that they can learn far more about a prospect from researching the player – which includes talking to people who have been around that player – than from rehearsed and formulaic pre-draft interviews. You often can learn more about a person from talking to people about them than talking to directly to them. Speaking for myself, I've met plenty of people in life who I on first impression I might have called "intangibly rich." After the first impression wore off and I got know who they really were, I often called them something else. At least to myself.
Yeti Daddy from Somewhere and Yet Nowhere
OK, with the Combine here, how ridiculous are mock drafts? We know you are the King of All Funk, so what is your hit percentage for mock drafts? Do you get 50% of the picks correct. Does anyone come close?
Mock drafts are extremely ridiculous. They might be as ridiculous as anything passing as "NFL coverage." They're entertainment and offseason fodder. No more. No less. They're fun – if you like that sort of thing. No more. No less. I haven't the foggiest idea what "percentage" picks I get correct. I don't actually remember my last mock draft.
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
I kind of like our head honchos aren't attending the combine and are trusting those appointed to gather information throughout that process to do just that. I feel like being a main decision-maker in that environment could lead to falling in or out of love with players, and possibly becoming myopic. Compiling the information gathered and trusting the process seems, to me, like an even-keeled way of dealing with the hoopla the combine has become and a surer path forward.
That's the idea.
Lane from Winter Garden, FL
O man, I'm glad you and the readers got such a kick out of my "question" last week. My question this week: With the NFL probably expanding to an 18-game regular season, when will we start looking at stats and records on a per-game basis rather than a season total? I don't think the rushing or receiving record will mean as much after playing 18 games compared to the guy who played a 14- or 16-game season. The per-game average is more impressive and that's what should be considered more in my opinion.
I doubt this ever will happen fully. I say this because NFL observers never really made this change when the league moved from 14 to 16 games in the 1970s, or when it moved to 17 games in 2021, so I doubt it will happen if the league indeed move to 18 games. We still talk in terms of "1,000-yard rushing seasons," which made a lot of sense as a greatness measure when teams played 12 games and increasingly less sense when the league moved to 14, 16 and eventually 17 games. Another reason this probably won't change is statistics aren't quite the be-all end all in terms of measuring players in football as they are in, say, baseball. None of this is to say it wouldn't make more sense to speak in terms of per-game average. But making sense isn't always the reason people do things. Believe it or not.
Jason from North Pole, AK
There is a trend of not attending the combine that has developed amongst general managers and head coaches. There also seems to be a trend of players not testing or not attending. Fast forwarding ten years, how might the combine look different? Will it simply turn into medicals and become less-publicized?
I don't know that the combine will ever cease to exist or be "just" the medical examinations – certainly not within the next 10 years or so. But it certainly seems we're moving in a direction where the medicals will again be the primary reason for the combine – with the on-field testing more about confirming times or other measurables. At the very least, we're moving in a direction where teams put on-field testing – and in-person interviews – in proper perspective and see them as parts of the process and pieces of the puzzle rather than as an overriding element. As for it being less publicized moving forward … I expect the NFL will figure a way to publicize it. I've been doing this a while. I can't remember the league ever veering toward less publicity.
Russ from Calhoun, GA
When Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen accepted the job, he said he had studied quarterback Trevor Lawrence and was enthusiastic about working with him. After a year, has he been satisfied, had hopes exceeded, etc.? Are there areas they are planning on working on to get even better? Two, in free agency discussions all I hear about is the dollars. Do players and their agents consider things like system fit, coaches and organizational matchups? Would hate to see some of these guys struggle or regress in a different place.
Coen from this view liked very much Lawrence's development in their first season working together. He liked Lawrence's ownership and command of the offense, and he said this week he believes Lawrence will only improve in those areas. The idea for Lawrence now is to increase the grasp of that offense, something that should happen organically in his second season in Coen's system. As for players and agents considering factors such as system and organizational fit … absolutely those things are considered. And then money comes into play. And it's professional football. So money matters. A lot. As it should.
Bradley from Death Valley, CA
The is no doubt that Jaguars wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is a special talent, but unfortunately his body build isn't. The fact is he is slight for a corner or wide receiver in the NFL. This is what prevents him from being a true full-time two-way player. This isn't the SEC, as you put it. Do you think in 2026 Hunter will be a full-time corner and as needed on offense, perhaps 0-20 plays per game?
You have concluded what Hunter is and what he will be based on seven games. That's fine. You're entitled to that opinion and opinions require neither knowledge nor basis in fact. This is neither fortunate nor unfortunate, though it's equally true we would have far few opinions in our world were either of these things required. I expect Hunter will be a full-time starter at corner in 2026 with a role on offense. I expect it will be more than "as needed," though I don't know the full extent of that role.
Bob from Bobsville
John, do you have any other brothers or sisters than Gary?
I have a step-brother and a step-sister, Don and Tina, who are 14 and 16 years older than me, respectively. They're terrific people, as step-siblings go.
Pookie from Panda City
"I do know that this Jaguars regime isn't going to do something just because everyone else is doing it." Not sure why you didn't end the sentence thusly: "…but they're sure going to do it if Daddy Snead and Daddy McVay are doing it."
Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone worked with the Los Angeles Rams nine seasons before joining the Jaguars. Is it safe to say he has many of the same football beliefs as Rams General Manager Les Snead, with whom he worked daily for nearly a decade? Of course. For it to be otherwise would be weird. Is it just as safe to say Gladstone had a huge hand in how the Rams – one of the NFL's most-successful and consistent organizations during that decade – functioned? Yes, that's just as safe to say.
Jadon from Raleigh
JP going to the combine alone and unattended? Seems wise.
Does it?
