JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

John from Jax

Hi, KOAGF. Where does this obsession with trading BJT come from? No way should we consider it. Keep him and watch him shine this season as our wide receivers complement each other, giving our quarterback good targets. I do not connect with the trade machine obsession on this one.

The interweb "obsession" this offseason with the Jaguars trading wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. from this view stems from multiple origins. One is that he struggled at times last season with drops. A second is that he was very, very good as a rookie in 2024. These two dynamics work together to make analysts and fans theorize that the Jaguars would be willing to trade him because of the drop struggles while also believing other teams would covet him because of the Pro Bowl skills he showed at times as a rookie. The Jaguars also have a lot of capable skill players around Thomas, which further leads "Trade Machine!!!! believers to believe the Jaguars might consider him very tradable. I agree with you that Thomas as a complementary part of a very balanced offense is important enough that he is well worth the Jaguars retaining – and my sense is the temperature in the building is right along those lines. That won't stop Trade Machine!!!! Nation from speculating, pontificating and orating otherwise on the matter. Long live the Trade Machine!!!

Wayne from Jacksonville

Pro-Bowl caliber receivers with top-tier speed aren't easy to come by. Sure, BTJ had a rough patch last season, but he is a very capable, good receiver as evidenced by his rookie season. Also, loved what he did for the diabetes community. He seems like a genuine, good guy (one fer'BTJ). Is there any merit to the idea of teams trying to re-sign a player coming off a down season on the belief that he will bounce back to previous form to get at a discount? In other words, not waiting until contract expiration because if they blow up, they can demand a premium.

BTJ from this view indeed is a good guy. I have heard or seen nothing in his two NFL seasons to make me think otherwise. It certainly behooves teams to sign players before they have "breakout" seasons, but it is tricky to time signings in the way you indicate. This is because teams would kinda sorta become hesitant to sign players after the bad season, thereby making this "plan" sort of not a plan. Or something like that.

Wes from Ponte Vedra, FL

In answering my question Sunday regarding the slyness of Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone, you inserted the words "wide receiver" into the question and changed my original spelling of Bryan Thomas Jr. to "Brian." I did not make a typo. My question was in regards to Gladstone being sly about negotiating a deal for a WR1, but sending an undrafted free agent defensive end of the same name.

Whoops. Better day tomorrow, I guess.

Kaydie from Riverside, Jacksonville

I have long lamented the loss of the Monday Morning Quarterback and weekly Monday morning longform journalism pieces of the incomparable Peter King since his retirement and long for locating anything even remotely close to what King created. The closest I can find is the occasional piece in The Athletic. Will we ever see this stuff again?

I hesitate to say "never" on a question such as this, particularly with technology and consumption habits capable of evolving and changing rapidly. I absolutely agree with you that the decline of longform journalism such as that produced by my longtime friend, the legendary and now retired Peter King, has left a significant content void. His Monday Morning Quarterback for many seasons was impressive not only in terms of high-level content but in timeliness. He worked diligently into early Monday morning each week to ensure MMQB was ready to be read Monday morning. That is a difficult standard to maintain for 20 or more weeks each fall – year after year after year. King chose to retire fully rather than ease into retirement working at a lower standard. The spirit of MMQB – weekly in-depth discussion of all things NFL – does continue in the form of a slew of weekly podcasts, though I can't in good conscience say that many active podcasts match King's level of expertise and professionalism. Will we ever see something like King's version of MMQB again? It would take not only a journalist with King's contacts and drive to create such content, but a media outlet willing to invest in the written word on a high level. I don't know that higher ups at these media outlets care all that much about written content in a world of phone scrolling and catchy videos. Maybe someday, though I expect it will be a minute. Probably a lot longer. Side note: I texted King that you missed his work. He appreciated the sentiment. He also has a book due out in the fall. That probably won't suck.

Eva from Béziers

NEWLETTERS

OK.

George from Mandarin

Always have and always will love the music references. "It's A Big Ole Goofy World."

I got fired from my first job even though I said thank you and please. It wasn't because I scrubbed the parking lot down on my knees. It was the bees. It's always the bees. The pay wasn't great, either.

John from Section 206 as long as it's there

Additional info for Van from St. Augustine. Check out Boxpark before the game. It is an entertainment venue that is a combination of food hall, beer stand, live music and pre- and post-game football entertainment. It's halfway between the tube station and the stadium. Get there early as it fills up fast with thousands of fans, so getting advance tickets is advisable. They are free online. It is also a great spot to go after the game as the entertainment continues while people wait for the tens of thousands of other spectators to cram onto the tube. Also, on the tube on the way out go as far right on the platform as you can (behind the escalator), you can normally get into a train pretty quickly and not be jammed in.

Good stuff.

Josh from Hanoi, Vietnam

You mentioned a few days ago about running back LeQuint Allen Jr. and former fullback Ryan Christopherson being a couple of your favorite guys to cover. What exactly makes a player fit that criteria? I assume all the players are relatively nice and easy to talk to. What sets them apart? Without naming names, do you have any stories about a guy that made him one of your least favorite to cover?

There is no "exact" criteria that makes a player enjoyable to cover. Sometimes they're really good and insightful in an interview environment. Sometimes they're they type to enjoy engaging after the microphones and notebooks are put away. Sometimes I really respect the player and appreciate their professionalism. Sometimes they're just entertaining. One thing to note here is that it's not remotely true that all players are relatively nice and easy to talk to. Some are quite difficult. This doesn't make them bad people. It often means that they either don't like talking to the media in general – or perhaps they don't like a specific interviewer. When that specific interviewer happens to be me, that's fine. Not everyone has to like me. And yes … there have been a few guys I haven't loved covering over the years. It's usually the players who think they're smarter than everyone else and have it "all figured out." People who think they have all the answers are very annoying to those of us who actually do.

Thomas from Charlottesville

Beware of the first game trap! I have a feeling that Mr. Verse will be out to prove that his trade to Cleveland was not one-sided and that Cleveland received a very comparable end rusher at the expense of the Jags' offensive line!

One fer not overlooking the Cleveland Browns and defensive end Jared Verse in Week 1.

Steve from Nashville, TN

Reports indicate slow ticket sales for the October 18 Jaguars home game in London. You have long said the London games are financially attractive for the Jaguars - if there are significant unsold seats at kickoff does this change the thinking of playing these games away from Jacksonville?

I will be surprised if there are any unsold seats for this game when it is played in four months. If playing a London home game is not financially attractive to the Jaguars, that absolutely would affect the thinking of playing the games in London. This is professional sports. Money matters because of course it does.

Keith from Jacksonville

Nice job getting the Billy Joel line in. You are much more than The King Of All Funk even if it's still rock and roll to me ...

You wouldn't want me any other way.