JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Jerry from Riverview
After the dust settles, it occurs to me that we have a potentially ascending quarterback, two of the most talented, dynamic receivers in the league, an interesting mix of running backs and an ascending tight end. We'll see whether or not enough was done to upgrade the offensive line, the annual big question mark. Defense? Stay tuned.
It's very difficult to completely overhaul/upgrade an offensive line in one NFL offseason. This is particularly true when taking over a 4-13 roster with multiple areas that must be addressed other than offensive line, as was the case with the Jaguars this offseason. Still, the Jaguars addressed the offensive line significantly in free agency this offseason: Center Robert Hainsey, guard Patrick Mekari, tackle Fred Johnson and lineman Chuma Edoga. They then selected guard Wyatt Milum in Round 3 of the NFL Draft and center Jonah Monheim in Round 7. I expect Hainsey and Mekari to start, and players such as Johnson and Milum have a chance to compete in training camp. That's major investment and major focus on this area. Did they select offensive line early enough in the draft? Did they go high-profile enough in free agency? We'll see, but they invested major equity in the position, and I don't expect them to stop doing so until they get the desired results.
Travis from Jacksonville
So, the roster stunk, we needed to replace the general manager that created it and the new general manager can trade away draft capital to rebuild the roster? So much so that we can afford to give away next year's draft pick at No. 1, but we are not rebuilding? We are competitive now? How about set expectations about what this team will be? A contender or another year of excuses?
You seem either angry or skeptical about something, though I confess I'm not quite sure exactly what. The Jaguars' new decision-makers – Head Coach Liam Coen, General Manager James Gladstone and Executive Vice President of Football Operations Tony Boselli – are trying to move the roster toward long-term success as quickly and responsibly as possible. The expectation within the building is that there's a good chance they can compete for the AFC South next season. I don't know whether it's appropriate to call it "rebuilding, reloading or retooling" of whatever. Maybe we just call it a regime change that's trying to do things right for the long-term and get on for the ride?
Marc from Oceanway
If Gladstone is content with our interior defensive line, which by most metrics was below average last year, and we have added no new players, he must expect improvement from the players we have. That said, is he expecting a sophomore jump from defensive tackle Maason Smith or possibly defensive tackle Jordan Jefferson or is having Arik Armistead move inside expected to make a big difference?
Yes.
Ryan from Roy, UT
Is there a Jag magazine available for subscription?
No. This is partly because it's not 1998. But there is a free website that has videos, stories on the team, podcasts and a daily "mailbag" in which a devastatingly handsome, hilarious intelligent writer answers questions. The coolest part of the "mailbag" is how fans daily express their love, admiration and appreciation for the writer. I can't remember the URL for this free website. When I do, I'll text you.
Rob from San Antonio, TX
KOAF, I may have seen the draft and free pro agency classes published at some point, but I'm wondering if you there's a consolidated listed of the undrafted/college free agent class recently signed … thanks in advance!
Good eye. One area where I have been remiss this offseason is ensuring that O-Zone readers have full lists of different phases of player acquisition. Just as I apparently never bothered to properly summarize the team's unrestricted free-agent signings and draft selections, I lazily never provided a list of collegiate free agents. Here, therefore, is the list: Chandler Brayboy (6-feet-1, 199 pounds), wide receiver, Elon; Cam Camper (6-3, 197), wide receiver, Boise State; James Carpenter (6-2, 288), defensive line, Indiana; Branson Combs (6-3, 228), linebacker, Wake Forest; John Copenhaver (6-3, 240), tight end, North Carolina; Ethan Downs (6-4, 263), defensive line, Oklahoma; B.J. Green II (6-1, 270), defensive line, Colorado; Seth Henigan (6-3, 215), quarterback, Memphis; Patrick Herbert (6-5, 255), tight end, Oregon; Ja'Quinden Jackson (6-2, 233), running back, Arkansas; J.J. Jones (6-3, 210), wide receiver, North Carolina; Darius Lassiter (6-2, 205), wide receiver, Brigham Young; Eli Mostaert (6-3, 289), defensive line, 6-3, 289, North Dakota State; Jabbar Muhammad (5-10, 185), defensive back, Oregon; Eli Pancol (6-3, 205), wide receiver, Duke; Keivie Rose (6-3, 314), defensive line, Arkansas; Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig (5-10, 185), safety, Colorado; Dorian Singer (6-0, 181), wide receiver, Utah; Doneiko Slaughter (6-0, 190), defensive back, Arkansas; Danny Striggow (6-5, 255), defensive line, Minnesota; Aydan White (6-0, 189), defensive back, North Carolina State; Sal Wormley (6-3, 327), offensive line, Penn State. Twenty of these free agents signed immediately after the draft with Lassiter and Singer signing a few days later. That's it. That's the list. Sorry for the delay.
Gary from St. Augustine, FL
Someone asked me why I think you suck. I didn't have a great answer. I just know you suck.
Right 'em boyo.
Bo from Winter Springs FL
If James Gladstone doesn't work out as an NFL GM, then he has a career in motivational speaking at least. Listening him talk to Travis Hunter was like dude went into another dimension of communication.
Gladstone's communication skills are high end. I can't say they're far and away the highest I've ever been around in the NFL. But I can say they remind me of the best NFL communicators I've been around. The reason this matters so much when discussing Gladstone is this: As important as it is for a general manager to properly evaluate talent, it's equally important that the general manager communicates at a high level to ensure all in the organization understand the team's direction. Sure, Gladstone could be a motivational speaker. Given his communication and leadership skills, and his ability to install a functional scouting system, I will be very surprised if Gladstone's not highly successful as an NFL general manager.
Travis from Undrafted from Your Friend from Jax
If the website is free, how come when we talked at Strings you said I needed to send you $100 every week to read it? I have been doing that for three years.
Damn right.
J.Hooks from Orange Park, FL
In regards to Pedal Bin's post. I've written to you before about my meeting Warren Zevon in the Florida Keys some many years ago. He had property there and had commissioned one of our local music-gear gurus to customize him a guitar amp that he could get HIS tone at a lower "Keys" volume. Not to play shows, but as to not piss off his neighbors. I knew him not close, but close enough. When his amp was ready to go and he plugged her up and played her, strumming around some chords and screwing with his amp knobs, he looked up at us with just a smile and he said, "Pretty cool, innit?" He wasn't bragging on his playing. I got the sense he was just stoked to be able to take this thing home with him. I think that's what he would've said in his response to the Hall of Fame. Sorry. Just thought it was a cool story to tell.
No reason to apologize. This is about as cool an email as I've received in the O-Zone in a long time, innit? And I absolutely think he would have thought him being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was weird and cool. Which it is.
Daniel from St J
We shall not see his kind again? He's retiring from the newspaper, not dead! I heard he's building a home studio to run daily podcasts and has investors planning to take his show international with multi-lingual AI. Look out, he will be back!
When I wrote recently that will not see the likes of longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette again, I was aware he was retiring and not dead. I meant that Twitter will just feel different without turkeys, trashcans and Soggy Hoods moving forward. What will our world be without such things? Alas, we must now find out.
Peter Sp.Duplek
Gene Frenette is retiring. I don't have many memories of him (beside his culinary mastery in roastery) but it seems like the generation is moving on. I'm not saying I'm old, but I got my sports information through newspapers, which were pretty limited in Slovenia in 1980s and early 1990s. There will never again be the thrill of picking up the paper, waiting for the postman, the smell of the ink or the cut outs of important sporting events being glued on some basement door. John, you remember those, which makes you old , too.
Very.
