JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Josh from Lakewood
I really liked Pederson as head coach, but part of me will always be suspicious he allowed Nielsen to fail as a sort of an "I told ya so" to the front office for making him replace Caldwell.
The O-Zone is many things to many people. I suppose today it can serve as a place to put your mind at ease because I can assure you that former Jaguars Head Coach Doug Pederson did not do as you suggest. I can't explain fully all that went wrong around the Jaguars in 2024. This is because it's impossible to know to the last detail the exacts whys and hows of an operation with as many moving parts as an NFL team. Also: When things go as bad as things went for the Jaguars last season, so many people offer so many theories that there likely is some right in those theories just as there is a lot that doesn't quiiiiiite feel right and a lot that is waaaay, waaay wrong. What I can tell you is this: While Pederson wasn't perfect, and while he made mistakes as any head coach makes mistakes, he absolutely was not forced to dismiss defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell following the 2023 season. He also in no way wanted 2024 defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen to fail. Nielsen's failure, after all, hurt the Jaguars and therefore hurt Pederson. Whatever other nuances shaped the '24 Jaguars, intentional sabotage and purposeful failure simply were not among them. Remember: It's really hard to win in the NFL. You can lose a lot of games by just sort of kind of not doing things right. Trying to lose by sabotage isn't remotely necessary.
Benjamin from Jacksonville, FL BWO Upstate SC
Who is the guy who introduces J.P. Shadrick at the beginning of Happy Hour and is there any introduction that stood out to you as particularly funny? A recent one I enjoyed was something like, "And now, a guy who didn't get Albert Einstein's brains, but got the looks of his brother Frank..."
That's Jaguars Manager of Radio Joe Fortunato. And while I don't remember a particular introduction of Shadrick that stands out, Joe is indeed a funny guy. He's good at giving people the giggles. Teehee.
Scott from Jacksonville
Why are your favorite authors required reading in school? Is it because Gary is right?
Schools teach the greats.
Scott from Aruba
With Travis being a true two-way player, where do you see the Jags using that extra roster spot? For example, teams usually keep five wide receivers active and eight defensive backs for 13 total. But if it's four plus Hunter and seven plus Hunter, that leaves an extra roster spot elsewhere.
This is a good question in theory, but it's trickier in reality. This is because the idea of NFL teams "usually" keeping a certain number of players at certain positions is more a general guide than a specific fact. I've been around teams that have kept six or seven wide receivers, for example. I've been around teams that have kept eight offensive linemen and others that have kept 10. Rookie wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter's versatility undoubtedly will allow the Jaguars a measure of roster flexibility for the foreseeable future, but I don't know that it will be possible to know exactly where they use that "advantage."
Tyler from Jacksonville
Hey John, I see other teams have released their training camp dates. Do you know if the Jaguars plan to reveal their training camp dates soon?
They do indeed.
Micah from Chicago
There are 47 new faces on the roster this year. That's a lot! Is it wrong to extrapolate that pieces on the roster left untouched - thinking specifically of interior D-line - are good in the eyes of the coaches?
No, that's not wrong at all. The Jaguars like their interior defensive line. It's a big reason they didn't make significant free-agency moves in the area. If they thought they were weak there, they would have spent there.
Al from Fruit Cove, FL
Bonnie McMurray!!!
How are ya now?
Rob the duuuuuuuuuu
Is it just me or are we really in trouble at tight end if Brenton Strange gets hurt?
The Jaguars indeed could be in trouble at tight end if Strange is unavailable IF players such as Johnny Mundt, Hunter Long and Quintin Morris – all of whom signed with the Jaguars as free agents this offseason – can't play. The Jaguars don't believe that's the case.
Ed from Danvers, MA
What stadiums that you visit have the best food for the press gang? Is it a free-for-all where you have to fight off the likes of Shadrick to get a chicken salad sandwich or is there a server dishing out plates of top cuisine?
Most NFL stadiums – if not all – now have servers, as the press-box food overall has improved dramatically over my three decades covering the NFL. Mine is not a scientific list, though the top press-box "spreads" that come to mind are Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Houston. There are probably others in that realm.
Jerry from Jacksonville
Where do you think you're going?
Out.
Limo Bob from Neptune Beach, FL
Can you give us an update on what's happening to the stadium and the hotel area?
Construction remains ongoing on what is now EverBank Stadium and what will be the Stadium of the Future. The work on the stadium this offseason involves a lot of foundation and exterior infrastructure, with the major work to begin following the 2025 season. The work is expected to be complete in time for the 2028 season. The Four Seasons across from the stadium continues to progress and is expected to open in 2026. It's all coming along nicely.
Dmiz from Jax 904
Not that it's the dead zone (not the red zone) I think it's appropriate to say that you are totally missing out on chicken wings. Sbarro??? Come on, there is much better pizza than Sbarro. Where does Gene Frenette get his pizza?
I've tried chicken wings. I eat them on occasion. I just find them to be "meh." If loving Sbarro is wrong, I don't want to be right. Where does former longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette get his pizza? The same place he gets anything else, I suppose. Wherever he damned well wants.
P Funk from Murray Hill
How would you feel about an important Jag playing on the Olympic flag football team?
I would be lukewarm, with the old-school writer in me saying it's not worth the injury risk – particularly for a fledgling sport.
Josh from Atlanta, GA
The Buccaneers went from 20.5 to 29.5 points per game year over year. Of course it is always coaching, but do you think a nine PPG improvement for this team is realistic?
You're referencing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive improvement when current Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen served as the Buccaneers' offensive coordinator in 2024. Is a nine-point per game improvement realistic? That's a really, really steep jump, so I can't quiiiiiiite predict that much improvement. But a five- or six-point improvement is a really good and very attainable.
J.Hooks from Orange Park, FL
From what you've gleaned from Liam's candor, do you get the vibe he might be a guy that "calls out" players' effort or gameplay like … let's say, Mike Tomlin, Jim Mora, Mike Ditka or even Tom Coughlin? I always liked those type of coaches and they always seemed to find success. In an older time, it seemed the players responded well to criticism.
I expect Coen to be honest and forthcoming to the degree it makes sense. I don't know that the sort of "calling out" you like so much is necessary. I also don't know that the coaches you cite "called out" players with any real regularity. There is ample opportunity for coaches to let players know when they played poorly without doing it in extreme fashion to the media.
Charles from Riverside
Hello, John. As you have pointed out, the transition from college football to the NFL is a big leap. Is there a position on offense and on defense that is easier than the others for those players to compensate quicker? And conversely, is there a position on offense and on defense that are considered the hardest to adjust? Or is it pretty much a function of the player?
Running back is generally considered the easiest offensive position for rookies to contribute quickly upon entering the NFL, with cornerback sometimes a little easier than other positions on defense. Quarterback is the toughest offensive position, and some coaches will tell you safety is among the toughest defensive positions for an NFL rookie. This indeed often comes down the player and it should be clarified that this is a matter of degrees. It's the NFL. There are no "easy" positions.
