JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

JK from NY & Fernandina Beach, FL

John - Nice chat with QB1. Trevor seemed healthy, locked in and excited for the season. What is your confidence level that Year 5 will be his best yet?

You're referencing this week's O-Zone Podcast with Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, which we recorded just before the start of 2025 Training Camp. It undoubtedly was a "nice chat," which speaks far more to the patience of the interviewee than the skill of the interviewer. Lawrence indeed is healthy as camp begins and said he is 100 percent recovered following December surgery on his left – non-throwing – shoulder. That he seemed "locked in" and "excited" is to be expected considering he has a new head coach in Liam Coen and a new offense – and considering we spoke shortly before training camp, during which time pretty much everyone in the NFL is healthy, optimistic and undefeated. Either way, the thought here is Lawrence's optimism is warranted. There's a good feeling around the Jaguars, and Lawrence appears to be adapting well to Coen's offensive system. From this view, I think Lawrence has a good chance to "reset" after two seasons largely defined by injury. I absolutely believe he can return to the form he showed late in the 2022 season and early in the 2023 season. The Jaguars went 13-3 in 16 regular-season games over that span, during which Lawrence consistently was good enough to win at times and spectacular at other times. Can he be better than that? Sure. My thought is that the most likely scenario for Lawrence this season is first getting back to his "13-3 era," with a steady improvement after that. That probably would mean a damned good season for this team.

Deane from Hill AFB via Daytona Beach, FL

Yo, O-Zone!!! We have been told by Coach Coen and Co. that they will look at improving the running game as a priority. Since T-Law and Co. are learning a new offensive scheme, would you expect to see them run more early in the season so that it aids in the progression of the quarterback and the air attack? They do that with new quarterback entering a game, so to me it would be logical to do something like that. What says you, O-Zone??? Oh, and happy belated birthday!

I expect the Jaguars to emphasize the run under Coen. That's the plan and there's no reason to think they won't stick to that plan. But in the modern NFL, it's very difficult to enter games saying, "WE ARE GOING TO RUN AND POUND AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OUR QUARTERBACK THROWING DOWNFIELD." Overcapitalization aside, I expect the Jaguars to throw a lot downfield to help open up the defense, and I expect the Jaguars under Coen to have a versatile running game – i.e., running outside, inside, misdirection, reverses and so on. I don't think they will necessarily try to run more early in the season for a particular reason. I think they will want to run no matter the circumstance in an effort to have an effective running game as part of a balanced offense.

Reese from Loyal Jaguar Fan in VA

I do not believe I've ever greeted you honorably or correctly as the King of all Funk. My apologies, my good sir. We made it! By the good graces. Go Jags!!!

Yes, we have made it through the dead zone. Training camp is at hand. At last. And away we go.

Brad from The Avenues

Of course a new head coach researches what went wrong with the previous regime to some extent. When something is broken you need at least to have some idea why it broke before you can fix it. So why is a new coach hesitant to throw the previous regime under the bus? In a word, respect. Even when some former coaches may be so glaringly undeserving. It's called class. This is football, not politics.

We're spinning our wheels a bit here, with this email again referencing a recent O-Zone email in which the reader interpreted Coen as kinda sorta criticizing former Head Coach Doug Pederson for not calling plays while with the organization. I expect we will stop spinning soon enough with training camp now underway. But for the sake of some sort of closure, I'll clarify here. The comments by Coen to which the emailer referred came during Coen's introductory press conference. While a head coach indeed examines what went wrong in previous regimes, what a new head coach typically doesn't do – and doesn't have time to do before his intro press conference – is dig deep into every last detail of the previous regime. Coaches are moving forward when they join organizations. They are trying to hire a coaching staff. They're trying to get their families moved. They're trying to learn about their new players. What they're not doing is worrying too much about whether the previous head coach called their own plays – and they're certainly not worried about the drama/intrigue of the past season. It's not that the old storylines weren't interesting. It's just that they're not particularly pertinent to a new head coach who is trying to get established at a new organization. The past is the past for new NFL head coaches. They don't care about past issues the way fans do. They just don't have the inclination, energy or time.

Jon from Fairfield, PA

I do not think it's weird to call Jaguars fans weird. I am happy I have matured out of the "my opinion matters" age.

Bless you.

Armand from Jacksonville

Why was it they Mason put on the pup list?

Jaguars second-year defensive tackle Maason Smith was placed on the physically unable to perform List with an undisclosed injury to start camp. That's how Coen addressed it Wednesday. That's therefore what we know. It's not considered serious or long-term.

David from Riverside

Did I miss anything?

Nah. You're good.

Bradley from Kansas City, MO

You mentioned defenses weren't focusing on Thomas last year. Who were they focusing on, particularly in second half of the season when he was most effective?

I indeed said this. What I should have said was defenses last season didn't have an offseason for which to game plan for Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. This was because he was a rookie. That also means defensive backs didn't have a season's worth of tape to study for tendencies. Those factors can have a major effect when it comes to how teams defend front-line NFL offensive skill players.

Kathy from sleepy Palm Coast

I am reading comments that you supported our former coach too much. I also believe that, but as a team player I think you had to defend the team. However, now that he is gone, I think a bit of honesty is in order. BTW I know you will never publish this.

People ask questions. I answer. What are "comments?"

Chris from Delray Beach

I read this quote recently, "this is a scheme under Coen that gives the quarterback all the answers." What does that mean? Do other playbooks not give quarterbacks the answers?

All offensive playbooks and systems try to have "answers" to how defenses defend them. Not all playbooks and systems have all the answers.

Bradley from Kansas City MO

I'm positive that it' past time to quit litigating the Pederson era but I will say that when you see the yearly records of the Jaguars top to bottom on one page, those two back-to-back 9- 8s don't look so bad but the bar is frustratingly low.

Fair.

Holger from Zurich, Switzerland

It has been ranking season and I am wondering who would be your Top 10 quarterbacks of all time if all you had seen of the NFL were Jaguars games since 1995? Peyton at one and McNair at two?

Top 10 quarterbacks who have played against the Jaguars? I'll go alphabetically since I'm not in the mood to nitpick this with training camp upon us: Josh Allen, Tom Brady, John Elway, Brett Favre, Jim Kelly, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino, Aaron Rodgers, and Steve Young.

James from Titusville, NJ

You know what really bothers me regarding the Myles Jack wasn't down stuff? Well, aside from all of it because he wasn't down as confirmed by the league and even Tom Brady, but besides all that stuff. When (if) the Jags ever climb to those heights again, that's going to be a constant thread to the past in lead-up conversations to the big game. Keeping that in the craw of Jaguars fans serves what, exactly? Just pain upon a preponderance of pain. I agree with you that seven wins feels more likely than 11 this upcoming season in which case there's more pain in store. I could do with an increased dosage of happier moments with this team. Losing sucks.

So, you're not buying the whole look-on-the-bright-side-of-life stuff, then?