NEW ORLEANS, La. – Let's get to it …
Brandon from Louisville, KY
Hearing that one of the first things Trevor did was throw an interception and put his head down at a joint practice has been a common story every year for Trevor. Somewhat disappointing that he doesn't improve in that, even in training camp.
The Jaguars practiced against the New Orleans Saints in Metairie, La., Thursday morning in advance of Saturday's 2026 preseason opener between the teams at the Caesars Superdome – and Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence indeed threw an interception on one of the first plays of team drills. He did this, it might be noted, before playing very well the rest of practice – particularly in a mid-practice red-zone period. It is the nature of the Twitterverse and 24/7 NFL news cycle that we feel the need to breathlessly analyze every NFL snap from April through the end of February. This has become so much the norm, and the Twitterverse reaction has become so fast and extreme, that many media – and many observers and fans – seem to have forgotten that there are only 17-to-21 events that matter in the National Football League. Those are the 17 regular season games and three-to-four postseason games. If players play well in those, they are good. If they don't, nothing else matters. Players are not remembered for how they look in organized team activities, or for playing catch for Instagram posts two weeks before training camp, or for early training camp practices, or for joint practices, or for preseason games. Lawrence in five NFL seasons has been in late-season Most Valuable Player consideration twice. He has quarterbacked the Jaguars to three winning records and two AFC South titles. He finished in the Top 5 MVP balloting last season, when he had what very may have been the quarterbacking season in franchise history. This is not to say he's perfect or that he can't improve in multiple areas. It is to say that when analyzing Lawrence, there are many data points that perhaps matter more than a few throws early in joint practices.
Dave from Hastings MN via Waunakee
With all the talk about the best receiver room in the NFL, it seems like we need to keep Trevor upright to make that happen so he doesn't end up like Joe Burrow.
I don't know if the Jaguars' wide receiver room is the NFL's best. I do know it seems like this is going to be a very good group of receivers – Brian Thomas Jr., Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Travis Hunter and perhaps rookies CJ Williams and Josh Cameron – this season, a group that complements each other well and that will make this passing offense hard to defend. As for the offensive line … there seems to be a thought among some Jaguars observers that the group struggled to protect Lawrence last season. This is a group that allowed no sacks in five different games last season and had long stretches in which it played very well. The group allowed 41 sacks overall – about two and a half a game. This isn't a great number, nor is it a tragic number. The Jaguars did a nice job reshaping the offensive line last season and are building the group in the right direction. It will remain a constant focus because the objective is to be the NFL's best offensive line. The group could improve in some areas, but keeping Lawrence "upright" was not a season-defining problem last season.
Jesse from CA
KOF. I took my usual summer break from the all-important O-Zone (too much of a good thing). Catch me up. Did I miss anything important since the draft?
No.
Pedal Bin, IFOTY from Farnborough, Hampshire, UK
Oh Mighty 'O' / King of All Funk. I know football players, particularly very good players, live in a different world to the rest of us, but I did gulp at your reply of "$16-to-$25 million a year for Washington might be too low. It might even be way too low." Wait: $16 million maybe "too low?" I am sure every O-Zone reader would love just to have $16 million, let alone $16 million "a year." But as always, the NFL is always about the money. I believe a wise man once said, "show me the money."
What would make "most readers" content or wildly happy isn't pertinent when discussing money and NFL players, and it hasn't been pertinent in a long time. Washington would be silly to tell his agent, "Get me a contract that would make a senior writer happy." You negotiate these things based on your skillsets, the demand for those skillsets and what the market will bear. Within that framework, $16 for $25 million for Washington might be too low to get a deal done. If you're bothered by that, professional sports probably aren't for you.
Chris from Mandarin
Did you by chance get a chance to tune in for any of J.P. Shadrick's first game call as the Arizona Cardinals play-by-play guy? I'm sure he's going to do well.
Former Jaguars Media member J.P. Shadrick is the new play-by-play voice of the Cardinals. I didn't listen to his first game call. I have heard Shadrick call games before. He's good at it. I have no doubt he will continue to be good.
John from Jax
Hi, KOAGF. I hate to ask you to do work, so tell me to get off your lawn if an appropriate response. Can you list what veterans have left the team since the end of last season and a list of veterans that are new to the team since then? There are so many names flying around lately that it would be good to know this as a refresher. Thank you.
Key free agents such as linebacker Devin Lloyd (Carolina Panthers), safety Andrew Wingard (Arizona Cardinals) and running back Travis Etienne Jr. (Saints) left the Jaguars following last season. The Jaguars' lone "premium" restricted free agent signing was running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Washington Commanders).
Ken from Rabun Gap, GA
Hey Zone. Wondering about Wesley Williams. I realize we have only been padded for a short time, but I haven't heard much about him. Being a fourth rounder, I thought there would have been some more splash or traits folks would have been commenting on. Outside of linebacker Parker Hughes, I think he has been mentioned the least out of our class. Anything that has stood out to make you think he is in the same tier as B.J. Green, Danny Striggow and Zach Durfee? With some hard cuts elsewhere, do you think they keep six at EDGE?
The Jaguars love defensive end Wesley Williams. Remember: Twelve days into any training camp, particularly a rookie training camp, is mind-bogglingly early to track "splashing." Remember, too: "Splashing" can be in the eye of the beholder and not everyone sees all "splashes." The Jaguars like the same traits about Williams that prompted them to draft Williams last offseason. I will be surprised if Williams – or any rookie, for that matter – makes a major impact as a "third rusher" this season. This has nothing to do with splashing or traits and everything to do with edge rushers needing time to adapt from college to professional football. That's true for any edge rusher outside the first or second rounds. It's true for players drafted there a lot of the time, too.
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
I saw a clip from camp where Trevor slid in the pocket to avoid pressure and looked like he got his feet back set to deliver a strike. Harkens me back to the Travis Hunter Kansas City MNF last season catch, that Lawrence was draped all over but scurried to an opening to put that ball in place for Hunter to go and make an electric play. Would you say that's something Trevor's rapidly improved in or added to his game under Head Coach Liam Coen?
Lawrence always has had the ability to make something from nothing or very little. He's rapidly improving in enough other areas – confidence, field awareness, knowledge of the offense – that we perhaps notice the something-from-nothing stuff a little more now.
Thrill from the 'Ville
I know coaches prefer joint practices to preseason games because they can control the situations and scenarios. They can script specific work and there is less potential for injury. How much do the opposing coaches collaborate? Do they coordinate between each other to script out certain things? For example, if one team wanted the other to present a specific look to practice against, do they agree to that level of detail?
The collaboration level varies from head coach to head coach – and on the relationship between the head coaches – but essentially all teams that hold joint practices have a significant level of communication on this front.
Paul from St. Augustine, FL
This feigned lack of understanding is a fun bit.
What do you mean?
