JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Kenneth from Jacksonville

Zone, just got back from rookie minicamp. Pretty meh, TBH. But I really enjoyed it at the same time. Am I crazy? Do I love football too much?

Mine is not to judge others on matters of love – or on matters of mental state. I can tell you that I also was pretty much thinking along these lines Saturday afternoon after Day 2 of Jaguars 2025 rookie minicamp at the Miller Electric Center. I wrote somewhere else on this free website that two cool things happened Saturday. One was that rookie wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter looked as good as possible during a 75-minute, non-padded, non-contact practice. He's a unique, special athlete with undeniable star power – and he's going to stand out in any environment, even an environment as "meh" as a rookie minicamp. What else was cool about Saturday was that fans got to see Hunter and the entire rookie class practice. This might not sound like a major deal, but not every NFL team opens rookie minicamp practice to fans. Previous Jaguars regimes haven't always done this. But this current regime of Head Coach Liam Coen, General Manager James Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli operates a bit differently. The trio has said since assuming control of football operations earlier this offseason they believe in transparency and in allowing fans to embrace the organization. They believe that by doing so they can allow fans to reconnect with the team – and that fans will like what they see once they reconnect. If this seems like an obvious approach, I assure you that's not always the case. Many organizations would have said, "Let the fans see Hunter in August. We have work to do" – non-padded work, but work nonetheless. Kudos to these decision-makers for having the proper perspective. Kudos to them for doing things right. Were you crazy for enjoying Saturday? No, you were not. This was a cool day. It probably doesn't mean all that much in the big picture. Except that it was fun. And that can mean something, too.

Dan from Birmingham, AL

Sir, O. Please tell me that 12 provided you with the same feeling that Blackmon/Ramsey did following their first day of rookie minicamp.

First, a review: When discussing rookie minicamp with NFL and Jaguars Media analyst Bucky Brooks this past week on the Huddle Up Podcast with Bucky Brooks, I mentioned that former Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon and former Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey left great immediate impressions during their rookie minicamps. I followed that by saying I hoped we had that feeling this weekend from Hunter. It has been nine seasons since Ramsey's rookie minicamp and 13 seasons since Blackmon's, so I don't remember the details of exactly how I felt after those. But watching Hunter on Saturday gave you a good feeling. He's electric. Even without pads or contact, he's electric.

Anita from Springfield

Transparency has been a staple so far of this regime, and Coach Coen was fantastic in his post-practice press conference. Didn't feel like gaslighting, but honest opinions. One fer the improving fan experience of feeling more connected to the team.

Yep. One fer that.

Richard from St Augustine, FL

O, all wise and knowing King of all Funk, is it true Jags will get some money back from contract Gabe Davis signs with any future team? DTWD Duuuvaal Go Jags

This is true, but I fear the positive effect for the Jaguars will be minimal. Veteran wide receiver Gabe Davis, who the Jaguars released on Wednesday, signed what essentially was a three-year contract with $24 million guaranteed last offseason. Of those guarantees, $22.5 million already has been paid in bonuses and 2024 salary. The $1.5 million that hasn't been paid is Davis' "paragraph 5" salary for the 2025 season. The "paragraph 5" salary essentially is his weekly paycheck. If another team signs Davis, they would pay him that "paragraph 5" salary. Having already paid Davis everything else, the Jaguars won't get anything else back. It's true that $1.5 million ain't nothing. But compared to $24 million, it also ain't a lot.

Michael from Orange Park, FL

I know you're ready to move on from all Gabe Davis all the time, but one thing does bother me. Doesn't it seem like this leaves our wide receiver room very thin? First Christian. Then Evan. Now this.

This concern is understandable, but it's not in line with how the Jaguars see this. The Jaguars indeed since last season now have parted ways with only Davis, but wide receiver Christian Kirk and tight end Evan Engram. But this new regime doesn't see the receiver room as thin. They actually see it as improved. They see wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. as a front-line No. 1 receiver, and they believe veteran Dyami Brown – who signed as an undrafted free agent from Washington in March – is an ascending player who has only shown the first signs of being a productive, explosive player. When you add Hunter to those two, you have what the Jaguars believe can very quickly be an explosive receiving corps capable of consistently scoring from anywhere on the field. Either way, releasing Davis doesn't change the dynamic of the receiving room much. Had he been with the team, he likely would have been the fourth or fifth receiver, probably the fifth. This group was – and is —going to be largely about Thomas/Brown/Hunter with a dash of Parker Washington. That was true before this week. The difference now is it's official.

Ed from Danvers

Can you tell us what you're pressure washing?

Brick pavers, a concrete sidewalk and a soiled soul.

Don from Marshall, NC

Gabe Davis was injured when the Jaguars got him and he is still injured. That contributed to his poor play. When you cannot do what's expected of you, it creates a bad attitude. Bad investment is what it was. Hard to fire the person responsible when they are already fired. So what are you going to do? It was an act of desperation to begin with. Spilled Milk! Go Jaguars.

When it comes to kinda, sorta "nailing it" when it comes to this issue, Don remains "all in."

Michael from Orange Park, FL

You keep saying "former" longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette instead of longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette. My Scooby Sense – not by Scobee – sense tells me this means Gene is retired. Is this true? How has this changed life around the Jaguars? Please elaborate.

"Former" indeed is now before longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette. And yes, he is officially retired after 44 years at the T-U. How has it changed life around the Jaguars? Saturday's minicamp was the first official Jaguars event in the post-Gene era. It was a little like those old Western movies where the tumbleweeds blow through a dusty town. The world without Gene is a desolate place.

Doug from Jacksonville

I've been a Jags fan since they started declining in the early 2000s after the miraculous early stretch of success. Season ticket holder, Jaguars emblazoned clothes purchaser and overall Jags homer. However, what level of fandom that will never be achieved again in the fan I have been for longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette. I just can't get enough. Sure, we all enjoyed the Shadrick Sightings (btw I saw him push a kid out of the way at Dreamette the other day to cut in line, but I digress) I just need more. Tell us about a day in the office with this literary giant if you are so inclined please.

I worked with Gene 13 years at the Times-Union – from 1988-2001 – and have worked alongside him since returning to Jacksonville in 2001. While I good-naturedly kid Gene often in this column – sometimes daily and sometimes more – I can tell you that he is a good-hearted person and a tireless worker whose knowledge of Jacksonville sports can't be replaced. I am proud to call him a career-long colleague and lifelong friend. He also was "quirky," which many Jaguars fans realize – and it's hard to do a "day in the office" with Gene justice in just one O-Zone answer. His Thanksgiving Twitter turkey and trashcan photos were only two of a looooong list of legendary Gene stories. As for the Dreamette incident, I can't confirm details. It's my understanding that the kid had it coming.

Rob from The duuuuuuuu

Any chance we incorporate THE's dance moves into the offensive scheme? It could be really confusing for the defense and it would certainly draw some more fans. Seems to be working out for the Savannah Bananas.

Now is the time on sprockets when we dance.