JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Bill from Hammock, FL
Zone. With all the discussion of what went wrong last year and how some key players digressed a bit, do you think the constant losing had an effect on the effort on the field? There were a lot of games where we were only playing for draft position.
Loyal O-Zone readers – and he still knows who he is – likely know well that I'm not a big believer that NFL players stop giving effort when seasons go as bad as the Jaguars' season went in 2025. Players' NFL futures depend how they play in every game, and every game – indeed, every play – is on tape for the entire league to review. That usually ensures individual effort from players. What does occur during lost seasons is players playing for themselves more than within the team concept. Human nature also is such that attention to detail, focus and cohesion sometimes wanes when the playoffs are no longer an incentive. When seasons are lost, seasons get messy – and yes, that absolutely seemed to happen to the Jaguars last season.
Sean from Oakleaf, FL
How do you see Travis Hunter's playing time being managed in the three preseason games? Do you see him playing both sides of the ball with the starters and then sitting when they are subbed out or does he play on defense later in the games after the starters come out?
This is a good question – and it unquestionably will be a compelling Jaguars 2025 Training Camp storyline. I expect rookie wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter to play as a starter on offense early in preseason games in which the starters are playing, and I expect him to play cornerback situationally when starters are playing. I expect this because this is how the Jaguars plan to play him early in the regular season and it would make sense to play him in the preseason as they will play him in the regular season. I expect Hunter could play a series or two more than other "starters" in preseason games, but I don't expect him to play long after starters have left preseason games. That's what I expect. We'll see what the Jaguars actually do. Those two aren't always the same, nor should they be.
Brian from Gainesville, FL
Big O, I demand that you agree with me that Gainesville is the best option for the Jaguars to play the 2027 home games. It's not a question of whether Gainesville can support an NFL franchise full-time. It can definitely handle eight games, would be amazing for a smaller community to enjoy those fringe benefits, it's MUCH closer for hometown fans, and it's clear that Gainesville is more of an extension of the Duval County area than Orlando, which is more closely associated with Tampa. Thoughts?
Hotels, Brian. Hotels.
Ryan from Apopka, FL
What a wild first two days of Wimbledon! The Nos. 2, 3 and 5 seeds eliminated on the women's side, including the two top Americans. And on the men's side, the Nos. 3 and 8 seeds lost along with Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz both going five sets in Round 1 but pulling out the win. Looks like it will be a fun two weeks ahead! Still think Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz? Or could Novak Djokovic get 25 or maybe see an American man win one for the first time in what seems like forever?
It indeed has been an unexpected, entertaining first two days at Wimbledon. I expect a non-big name to win on the women's side – as has been the norm the last few years. I expect the men's draw to be wild until the final rounds, at which time I expect Sinner and Alcaraz to emerge as dominant with Alcaraz beating Sinner for the championship. But it should be an entertaining ride to get there.
Charles from Riverside
Hello, John. I realize that the fullback position is a thing of the past. However, assuming there may be an offensive set that incorporates what would be a designated fullback position on occasion, which one of our running backs would be most likely to fill that role? Miss Greg Jones, he was a beast.
Tight ends, Charles. Tight ends.
Armand from Jacksonville
How many of the draft class is still unsigned?
Linebacker Jack Kiser, a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, is the lone Jaguars '25 draft selection who remains unsigned. My understanding is it's not an issue and he will likely sign soon after players return. The rest of the Jaguars' '25 draft class – Hunter (Round 1), safety Caleb Ransaw (Round 3), guard Wyatt Milum (Round 3), running back Bhayshul Tuten (Round 4), linebacker Jalen McLeod (Round 6), safety Rayuan Lane III (Round 6), offensive lineman Jonah Monheim (Round 7) and running back LeQuint Allen (Round 7) all have signed their rookie contracts.
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
Jaguars kicker Cam Little mixed it up with the big DAWGS from the O, in the Bahamas? I like it.
You're referencing Jaguars kicker Cam Little working out in the Bahamas with quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Jaguars receivers Dyami Brown, Brian Thomas Jr. and Hunter. While these offseason workouts make for happy July social media posts, I don't know how much players actually gain from three or four days of such work. I particularly don't know much better the work will make Little next season. But the Bahamas are cool, and the environment seemed cool. Good for those who went.
Robert from Elkton
John, I know it's the Dead Zone, but readers are right to want to stick to football questions. So, do you think if there's life on other planets, that they have some form of football, too? (Assuming they have feet). With the NFL's obsession with international games, could you see the league one day playing on the moon? Could Little possibly kick one that broke threw the gravity and make it into lunar orbit? Logan Cooke's punt's supposedly would have a 30-second hang time. Hail Mary jump balls would be amazing - guys jumping 20 feet into the "air", and the whole play lasting about a minute! They could interview the quarterback before the play was even over.
Bob's got thoughts.
Tom from The Mean Streets of Nocatee
Good news for our friend Jalen … Dr. Rodgers will be able to get him some good stuff when his back flares up this season.
You're referencing a trade this week that sent former Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Miami Dolphins to the Pittsburgh Steelers. I expressed disinterest in Tuesday's O-Zone when discussing the trade, a disinterest based largely upon Ramsey now being with his fourth NFL team – his third team in the last four seasons. I recall writing when the Jaguars traded Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 that I thought Ramsey likely would be something of a nomadic player the rest of his career. Some of this was because of the nature of the cornerback position in the NFL, with teams not considering it a core position and therefore often willing to part ways with elite corners depending on where the team was in the building process. Some of it, too, was because Ramsey had showed a willingness in Jacksonville to push for a trade if he didn't love the circumstances around him – a willingness that seems to have followed him in subsequent stops. Ramsey appears fine with this nomadic career. Good for him.
J.Hooks from Orange Park, FL
OOOOH. That response to the Jalen Ramsey "trade," or whatever that was, had a hint of snarkiness to it. Just a touch of maybe not so nice? Remember, it's important to be nice in this forum and we try to do our best with the back hurt guy.
My team is on the floor.
Matt from Orlando
Ever get a chance to watch the Hemingway PBS documentary? If so, what are your thoughts? Found it very interesting to learn how tender and sensitive he was (like his writing) given the hyper-masculine traits stamped on him. Also, tough way to go given all of his accomplishments. A complicated fella, indeed.
If my calculations are correct, I have seen all Ken Burns and associated documentaries. Most rank with the best documentaries I ever have seen. Burns' documentary on Ernest Hemingway certainly belongs in his catalogue.
Cristiano from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Catching up with the last 20-ish O-Zone columns, I learned a lot: that your kiddo got married (congrats to him btw), what a split infinitive is, that Joe Fortunato thinks JP looks like Frankenstein, that a guy once lost his job over OJ jokes, that Hemingway is your top 1 writer, and that it's still always coaching in the NFL. Thank you for one of the better spent hours of lately, and for still being the king of all funk.
Even in the dead zone, I am the king of all funk.
