JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Scott from Gilbert, AZ

Zone, assuming we won't (can't) be players in free agency this year, I'm wondering what you think next year's compensatory picks would be for linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne Jr.? A three and a five, respectively? With a need to possibly have to find Day One starters and immediate contributors at cornerback, defensive tackle, pass rusher, inside linebacker – as well as backup running back, upgrade at backup tight end and swing tackle after getting out from under Walker Little's contract – I would be okay with using our next year's three and five in anticipation of being awarded picks later in those rounds in order to move up to get the pieces needed for this year. Your thoughts?

The secretive nature of the NFL's compensatory formula makes these sorts of projections tricky, but your projections feel relatively close. To review: Teams are awarded compensatory selections each offseason based on free-agency gains and losses from the previous offseason, so any compensatory selections based on 2026 free agency indeed would be awarded for the 2027 NFL Draft. Though the Jaguars might be active enough in '26 free agency for their acquisitions to somewhat offset losing Etienne and Lloyd in formula in '27, they do figure to gain some draft capital. As for how General Manager James Gladstone will use his draft capital … there's very little I would rule out. If this regime sees a way to improve its chances of winning, it will aggressively pursue that chance – be it going for first downs on fourth and short or trading in the draft.

Michael from Orange Park, FL

We have talked this to death. We will continue to talk it to death. You say Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is elite. That is what you said, right.

Lawrence played like an elite quarterback in the second half of the 2025 season. If he plays around that level or better, he will be elite.

Charles from Riverside

Hello, John. In my opinion Van Lanen, outside of Trevor, was one of our best players during the last stretch of the season. Things might have been different if he played in the Buffalo game, maybe? Do we have to worry about his knee injury and the ability to return to form? Any reason his three-year contract would not be continuing?

Left tackle Cole Van Lanen indeed was among the Jaguars' best players in 2025. Would the Jaguars have won against the Buffalo Bills in their AFC Wild Card Playoff game had Van Lanen not been out with a knee injury in that game? It's always hard to know one player's effect in that sense. Perhaps Van Lanen would have prevented a key pressure that ruined a play. Or perhaps he would have missed a key block. Who knows? I have yet to hear precisely about Van Lanen's return. I have heard nothing to indicate he won't return to full strength and nothing has happened to make the extension he signed last offseason not continue.

Will from Jacksonville

Is there any downside to using the transition tag on Devin Lloyd? If he plays on the tag, the cost is closer to $20 million – which is top-tier for off-ball linebackers but maybe not so steep as to be beyond consideration. Alternatively, and more likely, we get a chance to match any offers which – even if he gets paid on par with San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner – are unlikely to rise above $20 million per year. Worst case we decide not to match and he walks anyway. I know he's likely gone, but I'm trying to hold out hope young Jimmy Happyrocks has something up his sleeve…

The only downside is you would be paying $20 million – which may not be steep enough to be beyond consideration but is still probably too steep for Lloyd.

JAY from THE BURG FL

With all the injuries last year, to a man the team really showed a lot of heart. The coach in training camp said the best players regardless of contract are going to play. That began a cultural shift you could see take hold throughout the season. The two overtime games. Being able to dominate and outplay most teams in the second half of games. We showed up at altitude in Denver – and had the gas and the want to keep playing against the bills. That heart and cardio showed the team was just in better physical and mental shape as a whole. Even with all the injuries. LET'S BRING THAT CULTURE BACK.

CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!

Stuart from Cottonwood AZ

Etienne has repeatedly said that he wants to stay and will take less to do it. Given that most players are cautious about making such comments in a contract offseason, I think there is a reasonable chance he stays. What say you?

I have seen and heard Etienne say he wants to remain in Jacksonville. I haven't seen or heard him say he will take less money to do it. While it's possible I just missed it, I doubt seriously Etienne would take significantly less money to stay. I damned sure wouldn't counsel Etienne to take significantly less money to stay, and I doubt anyone inside the Jaguars' organization would counsel him to do so. This is professional football. Etienne is a running back. Professional football doesn't last long for a running back. He should make as much as he can while he can. I don't think there's a reasonable chance he is playing for the Jaguars next season.

Pedal Bin from Farnborough, Hampshire, UK

Oh Mighty 'O' / King of All Funk, I do not believe Nicholas from Fort Hood, TX is correct with the origin of your esteemed title as the King of all Funk. If I recall correctly, the legend of the title of the King of All Funk is a pivotal Jacksonville tale. Following the departure of Vic 'Ask Vic' Ketchman a young, unrecognized and slightly less mighty than he is now, Mighty 'O' returned to his spiritual home. In order to prove his divine right to answer the Jaguars Loyal Readers questions he effortlessly pulled a magical fender jazz bass from an anvil-topped stone outside the Florida Times-Union Building; a feat no other noble Senior Writers could achieve. Some say this was orchestrated by former longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette, but it is not our place to question such things.

Fair.

Yeti Daddy from Somewhere and Yet Nowhere

Can you explain the difference between a franchise tag and a transition tag? I am not sure and what is the benefit of one over the other?

Both the franchise tag and the transition tag limit a player's ability to move freely on the free agent market, with the players playing on a one-year contract with a guaranteed salary in either situation. The franchise tag salary is based on the average of the Top 5 salaries at the player's position, with the transition tag based on the average of the Top 10 salaries at the player's position. If a team uses the non-exclusive franchise tag on a player – as is most common when using the franchise tag – the tagging team receives two first-round draft selections if the player signs with another team. The lesser-used exclusive franchise tag prevents players from negotiating with other teams. A player receiving the transition tag can negotiate with another team, with the tagging team having the ability to match the original offer and retain the player. A tagging team also has the ability to match the offer when using the non-exclusive franchise tag.

Lane from Winter Garden

O Man, Vic used to say that the NFL is a game of replacement and I agree. ETN and Lloyd will most likely move on and we should receive compensatory picks for them unless we spend big in free agency which I don't expect to happen. Most fans want to retain all free pending free agents as well as go sign other teams' free agents. It's just not possible and if anyone remembers the early 2000s, doing just that got the Jags into the biggest cap mess in NFL history. I think the biggest offseason priority is to clean up the salary cap for past mistakes. That will include making difficult decisions but that's the responsible thing to do. The Jags need to clear cap space, draft well and develop players knowing that they won't be able to keep everybody down the line. Finally, my question. How's it going?

Good. No wait …

Dube from Jacksonville

With the new roof going over EverBank Stadium. How much more of a noise issue will it be for visiting teams?

A roofed Stadium of the Future figures to be louder than an unroofed EverBank Stadium. Just how loud and the exact acoustics of a building isn't specifically known until there's a building.