JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Julio from Oak Hills:
O, not a question – more a comment. It is my opinion that the most talented team does not win. It is the team that plays as a unit and with some grit. TC is preaching grit because he understands.
John: The Jaguars do appear likely to have increased grit this season. Jaguars Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tom Coughlin loves grit, and appears to have the ability to instill it. Head Coach Doug Marrone appears to be a grit instiller, too. Both men have gritty personas, and I think there's a good chance the Jaguars take on that persona. Grit is awesome. Grit is important. But talent is damned important, too.
Logan from Wichita, KS:
T.J. Lang started as a defensive player and moved to guard and then to tackle. La'ell Collins played guard and tackle. Brandon Shreff played guard and center at Iowa as well as tackle. Osemile and Martin have successfully converted from tackle to guard with very little play there. But they also all knew at the combine that their skills better transferred to the interior line. Moving players around purely because you need someone to play the position or the towel boy comes into the starting lineup is not the best idea. Do I hope if the move is made that it works? HELL YES! GO JAGS! But history says it doesn't look promising.
John: It's "Scherff," "Osemele" and "La-el" – and history doesn't say that.
Scott from Aurora, IL:
I appreciate the reality of signing bonuses and how they count against the cap. I guess I just don't understand the environment where teams are able to build flexibility for themselves into contracts, but players – unless they are supreme talents even by NFL standards – are not able to do the same. If a team is able to show a player the door after a certain point in the middle of a contract, a player should likewise be able to leave the team and move on at the same point.
John: I don't know that it's "fair" that teams can cut players while players must play for teams when under contract. I suppose life isn't always fair, and I also suppose sometimes it's important to be realistic. There is still an element in team sports that teams must have the ability to plan and secure players for the foreseeable future. The NFL Players Association understands this, and therefore has agreed to the current system. Players actually do have a choice: they can play under the current collectively bargained system or choose another profession in which they will make the same amount money. The fact that few such professions exists perhaps explains why so many players with NFL ability choose football as their profession.
Kevin from Section 124:
I want to give a one fer my Papa (William Donald White). He passed June 12. He wasn't as much of a Jaguars fan as an NFL fan. He was an avid Gators supporter and introduced football to me at a young age. He had a humongous impact on my life and was always a part of it; he taught me to be an upstanding man. After he passed, I recovered a voicemail on my phone after a Jags win last year. In it, he says "How bout those Jaguars! I hope you enjoyed the game, and have a great rest of your night." It will be something I keep forever. Now whenever I hear his voice ... it's tied to our love of football and my love of the Jags.
John: One fer Papa. Absolutely.
Emory from Jacksonville Beach, FL:
How is the indoor/outdoor practice facility coming along? Will it be ready for camp? We can't afford to lose any practice time due to rain.
John: The flex field adjacent to EverBank Field is coming along fine. It is expected to be complete by mid-July, and I've heard nothing to indicate that won't happen.
Jeff from Wake Forest, NC:
Manning is my Staubach. I feel your pain.
John: And I yours.
Zach from Jacksonville:
With the news of John Dorsey getting fired in Kansas City, could you possibly see the Jaguars making a position for him just like they did with John Idzik from the Jets? If the Jaguars have a bad season, could you possibly see Dorsey as the next general manager of the Jaguars?
John: I would be surprised if the Jaguars create another front-office position on that level. As for what would happen if the Jaguars had a bad season, it's a little early to start speculating about thoughts that wouldn't begin being thunk for quite some time yet.
Dude from Jacksonville:
Sometimes I ask myself: What would Oehser do? And then I don't do it.
John: Smart.
Mark from Archer, FL:
John, I get wanting the five best offensive linemen on the field at one time. I truly hope, though, that the Jaguars keep Brandon Linder at center. He was ranked the fifth-best center in the NFL last season, and that was his first year playing center in the NFL. Imagine how much better he can be. He might be an elite guard also. But considering the center is far more important than the guard position. I would want my best lineman playing that position instead of guard.
John: I agree Linder should stay at center for the reason you cite, and as of right now – late June – I think you'll get your wish.
Gabe from Washington, D.C.:
If we had two solid starting guards outside of Cam Robinson, would he be learning to play left tackle in the NFL? Couldn't time spent learning guard hamper him in the long term? I know it's common, but still. We want this guy to be an elite-level protector for a long time.
John: There's no reason Robinson playing guard – if indeed he plays guard – has to hinder him at left tackle for the long term.
Mike from Atlanta, GA:
The Smiths, The Cure, New Order, Duran Duran. Which band had the most success in the 80s? Which band had more musical influence on those that came after them? Which band made the best music? The longevity of Duran Duran and The Cure is impressive. I think the originality, greatness and lyrical prose of The Smiths make them an all time great. I live Joy Division, but to this day I am still dancing at clubs to New Order. Lots of greatness in those four bands. What do you think?
John: Duran Duran was the most successful commercially, and because I haven't religiously followed music in recent years, it's hard for me to say which of the other three were most influential. New Order's sound seems timeless, though I imagine Johnny Marr's guitar-playing will make the Smiths influential far beyond my lifetime.
Colton from Jacksonville:
Hi John, I just want to ask for your general opinion on the growing list of popular quarterbacks coming out for next year's draft.
John: I hear they're supposed to be good and I hear the class as a whole could be one of the best in recent memory. I hear there is more than on potential franchise quarterback who could change a team's direction. Sometimes you hear those things and the quarterbacks end up being great. Sometimes you hear those things and they're not. We'll see what people think in April – and then we still won't know.
Sunil from Jacksonville:
Hello O! Sometimes during the dead zone, I get bored while driving to work and sing along with the Bangles hit, Manic Monday ... even on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Is that okay? #DeadZone
John: No.
Travis from High Springs, FL:
Hi, John. What current running back would you say has the most similar running style to what we can expect to see out of Leonard Fournette this season? Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch. There have been a lot of different comparisons so far. I was just wondering what your opinion was on who may have a similar style.
John: He reminds me some of Adrian Peterson, who has been special with a lot of speed and power but not mind-blowing miss-ability. Fournette at first glance seems similar. The thing about the great runners is many are doubted entering the NFL and show a special something once there that you couldn't predict beyond doubt would work. They are just able to do it at the highest level, which means somehow, someway – a few times a game – making something from nothing. I think somewhere in his size and power Fournette has that, but we won't know for sure until he starts doing it.
Chad from EverBank:
I must have missed John from Mexico, NY football question. John, do you have a go-to joke? My example is I'm watching football sitting with my dog. One peculiar thing about my dog is he has no nose. (This is where you ask, "How does he smell?") To which, my reply would be, "Awful." Football is fun.
John: I've heard that joke before more than once. I still laughed when I read it.