JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Michael from Orange Park, FL

A busy first day, sort of. What do you think, Zone? Did the Jaguars get better Monday or not?

The Jaguars were productive Monday, the day the NFL's "negotiating window" opened in advance of Wednesday's start of the 2026 NFL League Year. The Jaguars' moves on this day were mainly about retention rather than acquisition, with the team re-signing three key veterans – linebacker Dennis Gardeck, tight end Quintin Morris and cornerback Montaric "Buster" Brown – to contract extensions. They also reportedly released tight end Johnny Mundt. The Jaguars not unexpectedly were not incredibly active pursuing other team's free agents on Monday, and that inactivity may have led some observers to conclude they weren't busy enough. They were in fact, plenty busy – just not in the way observers wanted. The veterans they resigned were important parts of the 2025 AFC South champions, and the moves solidify three positions as the '26 offseason begins. Brown in particular was in no way a "sure thing" to return and the Jaguars liked the price at which he was retained. Signing other teams' high-profile veterans may draw the big March NFL headlines, but teams that quietly re-sign their own are often the stable contenders. Monday in that sense was a good day for the Jaguars.

Aaron from Jacksonville

I know I was told to expect it, but losing ETN still hurts. What a gut punch. Sooooo disappointing. What gives, Zone?

Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. reportedly agreed to terms on Monday to sign with the New Orleans Saints as an unrestricted free agent, a move that was widely expected and that understandably was disappointing to Jaguars fans. The reality was the Jaguars had a certain number for Etienne's contract above which they didn't feel they could go – and Etienne's reported four-year, $52 million deal with the Saints was such that his departure was pretty much inevitable. I'm with you in being disappointed on this one. Many around the Jaguars are with you, too. Etienne was a front-line professional who made a lot of big, important plays for the Jaguars. That was true not only this past season, but for three of the past four seasons. I enjoyed watching Etienne mature and grow as a player, and I'll miss covering him. The Jaguars can overcome this loss and the positional value made this move make a lot of sense. That's the on-field and on-paper part of this move. The human part is that losing players you like stink. Mid-March is a tough time in the NFL and Etienne leaving Monday is another example of why that's true.

Jim from Jagsonville

Good for Travis Etienne, getting to head back to his home state for a great contract! I am going to miss him, and will keep rooting for his continued success in the NFC.

One fer Etienne.

JT from Palm Coast

Sad to see Lloyd and Etienne go, but I get it. Still sad nonetheless. Glad they got paid and they'll both be in a different conference. Wishing continued success to them both.

Etienne indeed was not the only high-profile Jaguars unrestricted free agent to agree to terms with another team Monday. Linebacker Devin Lloyd on Monday night agreed to terms with the Carolina Panthers. Etienne leaving wasn't a surprise. Neither was Lloyd. Neither are irreplaceable. It's a draft-and-develop league, but if you draft and develop well you're going to lose some good players. It's important to know when to re-sign a player and when to let him go. You got to know when to hold them and when to fold them. The Jaguars had to fold on two good players Monday. That made it a difficult day, even if it was an expected one.

Stuart from Cottonwood AZ

Fair winds and following seas to Travis Etienne. 100% class and talent to burn. We'll miss you!

Yep.

Ray from Newport News, VA

Johnny O, Salary Cap rant/question. There has always been the question on should a team "mortgage" the future for a Super Bowl? As a Jaguar fan from the beginning, it was fun at the start of the franchise when the team was good year in and year out, but we failed to make the big dance. Then we were in a difficult phase of limited funds either via salary cap, cash on hand or whatever. While our beloved Jaguars are working through the cap situation, and I believe in this current group to get it done, I am struggling with my thoughts. What I want is to be a team like the New England Patriots or the Kansas City Chiefs, having a decade or so of playoff success with a few Super Bowl champions mixed in. Why should we settle for one Super Bowl and then be obsolete for a decade like a few teams? There is often talk about the NFL having parity, do we really have parity? My vote is let's smartly build a constant contender that wins the big one from time to time.

I sense you're perhaps a bit concerned that the Jaguars are going too "all in" in their offseason maneuverings of late – perhaps because they restructured some contracts of players such as safety Eric Murray, guard Patrick Mekari and cornerback Jourdan Lewis last week to get under the 2026 salary cap. While it's always better to not restructure and push cap ramifications into future seasons, the moves in this case were necessary and comparatively manageable. This decision-making regime of Head Coach Liam Coen, General Manager James Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations shares your goal of being a consistent contender. This past season was the first step.

Wes from Ponte Vedra, FL

Across the NFL landscape, how much backroom dealing is being done between teams and free agents prior to the 'legal tampering period'? I find it hard to believe that, if a team could not begin negotiating until noon Monday, that these highly sought-after players can consider all their options and make multi-million-dollar deals and have it announced on ESPN by 12:15. Seems fishy.

Fair.

Kenneth from Jacksonville

I don't get it. Monday comes and goes. The entire league is active, except our Jaguars. Did Gladstone not set his alarm?

Gladstone and the Jaguars set their alarm Monday, as evidenced by the team re-signing Morris, Gardeck and Brown. There's an old NFL truism that many front-office types either never learned or chose to forget – that's that a lot of the best free-agent deals you make are the ones you didn't make. The Jaguars have been very active in March in a lot of seasons. It's better to be active in January and into February.

Alex from Rowlett, TX

I think it's a mistake not to at least pay Etienne.

OK.

Mason from Palm Bay

On Saturday's column, you mentioned that you thought it was possible that we lost Etienne, Lloyd, safety Andrew Wingard and Brown to free agency. We'll see how the rest of the week shakes out, but if we were only able to keep one of those four, Montaric was definitely the most valuable (factoring in positional value, not just talent alone). Glad we were able to get a deal done before tampering began.

I don't know what the rest of the week will hold. I do know I'll be surprised if the Jaguars keep more than one of the players from the group you mention.

Sal from Austin, TX

With the new year here, there's one thing I'm hoping to say. We all make mistakes. Some big, some small, but leadership demands accountability. If a decision one of the triumvirate makes blows up in their face, I would hope they don't attempt to minimize it with some casual, "Well the math was right, what do you want from me?" remarks postgame. In Normative Ethics, a field that evaluates the correctness of decisions, that practice is called blameless wrongdoing, but in that same field, absolute consequentialism rejects that position on the grounds that you can't outsource your own accountability. (Reader's note: could you please not alter either the spelling or the grammar of this? Thank you.)

You had wrongdoing as two words in your original email. I fixed it. You don't have to thank me. I'm here for you. Always.

JT from Palm Coast, FL

I am happy for Travis Etienne getting paid and being close to home. He was an absolute professional for us the entire time. I will root for him always. I am curious to know what Trevor Lawrence thinks? He has been with him since their freshman year in college. That's a long time for them.

Lawrence, who played collegiately with Etienne at Clemson and the past five seasons in Jacksonville, posted the following tweet following news that Etienne had agreed to terms with the Saints: "We've come a long way!! Going to miss you man been a hell of an 8-year run. Best is yet to come." Good stuff.