JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Charles from Riverside

Hello, John. I was curious how the replacement player situation generally works in the NFL during training camp? Are they typically waived after the injured player returns? Are they paid differently than other players on the roster? Do they have a chance to make the team permanently regardless of the returning players status? With the recent rash of offensive line injuries could Sam Mustipher and/or Geron Christian Jr. make the team?

What you term "a replacement player" is viewed by the NFL as a "player," with no specific distinction or designation – and most NFL training camp transactions are the same whatever the intent. If a player is signed during training camp, he becomes a member of the 90-player offseason roster and another player is moved off the roster to make room. That can mean releasing a player, trading a player for a draft selection or placing the player on a retired list, etc. They receive a per diem, expenses and a signing bonus if merited. The per diem for first-year players and rookies is $2,000 and the per diem for veterans is $3,500. All players on the 90-player roster will have a chance to make the team if they play well enough.

Alex from Manchester, UK

During the current NFL offseason (training camp/preseason), it looks from the outside as though teams only spend around two hours a day on the practice field. Is that about right? If so, how much additional time do players typically spend in meetings, film study and learning the playbook at the whiteboard compared with actual on-field practice? For an average player, what would a typical day's split look like between physical practice, classroom/tactical work, film study, strength and conditioning and recovery? I am curious because it seems like the mental side of learning an NFL system could take considerably longer than the time actually spent on the field. Is that generally true?

Your schedule assessment is close to accurate, with teams typically practicing between two and two-and-a-half hours most days during training camp. This, along with a much lighter "walkthrough," accounts for much of the "on-field" camp work these days, with the rest of training camp's daily dawn-to-dusk schedule consisting of meetings, conditioning, more meetings, film study and more meetings. This is a significant change from past eras, with the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement banning two-a-day practices. The mental significantly outweighs the physical these days. That does not make it better or worse than the past. It makes it what it is.

John from Jax

Hi, KOAGF. Wow, two key topics can only predict one outcome. The topics? Shadrick leaving for Arizona and the possibility of the O-Zone changing to less than daily next offseason. The outcome? We are winning the upcoming Super Bowl! I know you know it but will not say it, will you?

I think the Jaguars have chance to compete for the AFC South and perhaps the Super Bowl. That thought has nothing to do with former longtime Jaguars Media member J.P. Shadrick or the O-Zone.

Yetidaddy from Nowhere and Yet Somewhere

Big, O. Sorry I have been away, traveling down the Amazon. I have been patiently reading and trying to remain calm. I know it is dangerous for Jaguars fans to feel hope, but with wide receivers Josh Cameron and C.J. Williams both looking like they actually know how to catch footballs, should we allow ourselves to believe both rookies might make the 53? And isn't it so good to be talking about the possibility of real deep depth at more than one position? Or is this where you remind us that it's still August and reality is undefeated?

Rookie wide receivers Josh Cameron and CJ Williams both have looked strikingly good during the offseason and – more pertinently – training camp. I will be surprised if both players aren't on the active roster during the regular season. Yes, it's August. But there is a lot of good about this roster and depth is among those good things.

Chris from Mandarin

What in the NFL rulebook specifies that a defensive player does not complete a reception when intercepting a pass? I get that the stats interception and pass defenses are simultaneously recorded, but why isn't it also considered a reception? Does the rulebook specifically define reception as an offensive playing term? I wonder about nuance sometimes.

When a defensive player catches a pass, it's an interception. When an offensive player catches a pass, it's a reception. An interception is not a reception because it's an interception. I wonder about people overthinking things sometimes.

Kenneth from Jacksonville

Who is the best player in Jaguars history to don No. 99?

And so we reach the end of this discussion. Possibilities here include defensive tackle Marcell Dareus (2017-2019), defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks (2013-2016), defensive end Joel Smeenge (1995-2000) and defensive tackle Marcus Stroud (2001-2007). This is a good list, with a lot of good choices. Stroud is the best choice.

James from Jagsonville again

Mr. O. I did forget there was another No. 99 who was pretty good. I just like the way the announcer always called Smeenge's name when he got a sack.

Fair.

Tucker from Nashville, TN

Hey, John. Shoutout to former Jaguars defensive end Bobby McCray. He had one of the better celebrations after the sack. Loved how he would point at his name on the back of jersey at the end of it. Speaking of defensive ends, I keep hearing Zach Durfee is showing up. He is the guy I am watching during preseason. How many defensive ends do you see the Jaguars keeping on the active roster?

Rookie Zach Durfee absolutely has shown good signs during Jaguars 2026 Training Camp. So has second-year defensive end B.J. Green. Exact numbers at end can be a little muddy these days because the Jaguars – like many NFL teams –value versatility and it can be hard to identify players as "pure ends." But five is a good, safe estimate here – with six possible depending on whether you identify players such as Dennis Gardeck as a linebacker or an end. I expect Josh Hines-Allen, Travor Walker to start and I expect a lot more meaningful competition with Green, Durfee, Wesley Williams and Danny Striggow. The Jaguars like all six players and I expect all will be on either the active roster or practice squad.

Not Smokin' Joe from Jax

Much has been made of the ballyhooed virtual room at Jaguars HQ. Is there any way you could use your significant resources to shoot a video of said room so we can see what both an offensive and defensive player sees when utilizing the room?

I talk to knowledgeable – and sometimes not-so-knowledgeable – people about football. I watch practice when they let me attend and I watch games. I write stories about football. I also speak on podcasts and "podcasty" shows about football. I rarely shoot video because when I do anything that's not writing or talking about the Jaguars, Jaguars "Vice President" of Content and Production Patrick Kavanagh – my "boss" – says, "That sucks, Zone. Do whatever it is you do. And don't think." I then try to figure again what whatever it is I do is. Or something like that.

Jason from Port Orange, FL

Zone. I am curious about two players and how they are looking in camp. I really like running back LeQuint Allen Jr. and cornerback Jarrian Jones and am curious to see how they'll fit in with their respective position groups. Both seem to be good leaders and bring a nice edge in their approach to the game. Both position groups seem pretty full/solid. Are these two guys going to play prominent roles this season?

I expect both Allen and Jones to matter very much this season. I do not know if they will be considered starters because they play positions where the Jaguars likely will rotate and use various players extensively.

Josh from Atlanta, GA

How are we feeling with the offensive line injury bug? Thankfully no reports of anything like Laremy Tunsil or the San Francisco 49ers, but still keeping an eye on the rotation. Camp is camp, and just like the regular season guys get banged up, but any major concerns?

Multiple Jaguars offensive linemen have missed practice in recent days: Emmanuel Pregnon, Chuma Edoga, Walker Little and Patrick Mekari. Tackle Cole Van Lanen also remains on the Physically Unable to Perform List. The Jaguars have placed none of these players on season-ending lists and the regular season is a month away. I have heard nothing to indicate any panic on this front.

Darren Jac

If the Jags stink this year, I am blaming Shadrick leaving. It will forever be known as the Curse of the Shadrick. Losing Shadrick, then losing games ... the coincidence would be too strong.

I will be stunned if the Jaguars stink this season. There is nothing to indicate such an outcome. What is a "Shadrick?"