JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Deane from Hill AFB via Daytona Beach, FL

Yo, O-Zone!!! Glad to see Maason Smith being activated off the PUP list! Can't wait to see him dig his cleats in the dirt and get nasty! I know that they kept his injury under wraps, which I am fine with. However, in some of the video segments you, JP and company referenced that Smith was seen with a wrap on his leg while working on the sideline. Was this the same leg he had issues with coming out of college? What says you, O-Zone???

I say the Jaguars loved defensive tackle Maason Smith's approach to the offseason program and hope he plays to his potential as an early-second-round selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Smith was activated from the physically unable to perform list Thursday morning. I've heard nothing to indicate the injury is anything remotely long-term or that it has anything to do with past issues.

Charles from Riverside

Hello, John. I thought the previous kickoff rules were in place to encourage fewer returns, mainly for the safety of the players – as so many injuries occurred during kickoff returns. With the NFL's new kickoff rule for 2025, the "Dynamic Kickoff," these changes supposedly aim to encourage more kickoff returns and make the play more dynamic. What am I missing? Also, the second part of the rule change includes moving the touchback spot to the 35-yard line and allowing onside kicks at any point in the game if the kicking team is trailing. What is your take on that change?

What you're missing is that while the NFL indeed implemented rules for several seasons to discourage returns for safety reasons, the rules implemented entering the 2024 season were designed to encourage more returns and make returns safer at the same time. This was a significant change and approach – and the '24 rules made collisions less high-speed and therefore less violent, reducing the risk of injury on the play. It resulted in kickoffs being a weird-looking play by NFL standards, but it reduced the speed blockers and tacklers reach each other on the play. It therefore absolutely made kickoffs safer. The change this offseason to move touchbacks to the 35-yard line from the 30 was designed to reduce touchbacks and encourage returns, which makes sense because teams too often last season opted to take the touchback rather than risk a return. I expect that to happen less often this season because of the rule change. The rule to allow onside kicks throughout the game also makes sense because allowing them only in the last two minutes last season never made much sense at all. The inherent and unsolvable problem with the new kickoff is the elimination of the "surprise" onside kick. This is because you have to declare that you're kicking onside. There's seemingly no way to avoid this for safety reasons, but it does remove a cool option for risk-tolerant head coaches.

Brad The Avenues

Just read that Jaguars kicker Cam Little sent his jersey and cleat to Canton from his 70-yard field goal against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the preseason opener Saturday. If it were me, I think I'd keep that shoe and kick with it until it fell apart.

He kept the ball.

Steven from Duval

O-Zone. While you continue to defend Trevor Lawrence's career up to this point, it's comical that you use half a season before he free fell into the sub-average quarterback he is. If we started using half seasons – or shoot let's start using half games – as a metric to start measuring players. I'll be interested to see at what point you stop defending him and say what everyone else sees, which is the truth.

There are plenty of websites and something called Twitter or X or something where you can read analysts who write what "everyone sees." I'm sure of those analysts are awesome and others are less "awesome." I expect I'll continue to analyze Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as objectively as possible based on what I see and what I know about the NFL without worrying about the opinions of the reader. I don't know if Lawrence will be great. I do know I have seen him be really good and that there were some reasons beyond his control – including injuries – that may have contributed to him not being good when he wasn't good. That doesn't mean he will be good moving forward. It means we still don't know. That's my general thought on Lawrence. If you find it comical, that's fine. Funny is subjective and I can't control taste.

Roscoe from Southside

O-Zone: In today's NFL, with only three preseason games, starters are likely to get more work in Game 2 (against the New Orleans Saints) and little to no play in Game 3 (against the Miami Dolphins). Do you think the team would benefit from more preseason work with so many things being new? One example that might explain why our linebacker and defensive back starters were outplayed by the Pittsburgh Steelers' second string on their one series is that they were trying to play the way our new defensive coordinator instructed, which could cause delayed reactions or uncertainties in lieu of quick attacking football.

NFL players indeed might benefit from more preseason work. That's true for not only teams with new coaching staffs, but all NFL teams. The reality in the NFL these days is player health often takes precedent over "live" preseason reps, which means coaches seek other means to get players ready. Those means include more "live" practice reps, more joint practices with other teams and more "scrimmage" situations such as the one at the Miller Electric Center Thursday.

Fred from York UK this week

Will the TV people adjust the "get to this yard line to attempt a field goal" imaginary line for Cam?

Sure. If they're paying attention. That means some will and some probably won't.

Deane from Hill AFB via Daytona Beach, FL

Yo, O-Zone!!! One thing I have noticed from the coaches and players is focusing on fundamentals whether that is in practice or in the preseason games. They talked about reviewing the tape and focusing on the fundamentals. When I was a young whippersnapper, I was told the difference between being winning and losing can be reduced down to how much you focus and sharpen your fundamentals. Glad to see that they are not straying from their core beliefs. Enjoy the French Quarter if/when you get a chance!

I don't anticipate "enjoying" the French Quarter this weekend. I enjoyed it in a few times too often when I was young – and while I aging rapidly may not have taught me much, I know enough to know The Quarter is a young man's game. It's also a noon start Sunday. So, there's that.

Gary from St. Augustine, FL

Even when the Jaguars play awful in the preseason, you still suck.

Here we go.

Deane from ill AFB via Daytona Beach, FL

Yo, O-Zone!!! After watching Jags A.M., former Jaguars quarterback David Garrard had an interesting take on all four running backs that made me think. If we end up keeping all four, based on David's perception – and if Coen employs a two-back set, could you see Bhayshul Tuten subbing for Travis Etienne Jr. and LeQuint Allen Jr. subbing for Tank Bigsby? Also, to disguise who might be getting the ball, have Etienne lined up with Tuten and Tank with Allen? If you have similar backs lined up together it would make opposing defenses really guess. Again, this is based off the analysis of Garrard. What says you O-Zone???

I don't know how much Garrard's analysis plays into this thought, but it remains to be seen how often the Jaguars will pay two-backs sets under Head Coach Liam Coen. I don't get the sense it will be a primary look, but Coen is good at adjusting and he could adjust in that direction. I could see Tuten substituting for Etienne at times and maybe Allen for Bigsby. But Tuten and Allen are going to have roles of their own in this offense, so I don't know that it's going to be a situation in which one of the younger backs specifically replaces one of the older backs.

Boxcutter Bill from Worcester (Woosta)

I know its preseason and fans are going to fan. The defense didn't play "well" in the nine plays they played. The preseason isn't really an indication of what a team really is….BUT I remember a long time ago when Dom Capers was hired to be the defensive coordinator and in the first preseason game you saw a totally different defense, they were flying around, sacking the quarterback, and causing turnovers. That season we almost broke the record for the least points allowed. We also went 14-2. Unfortunately, the Tennessee Titans were our kryptonite. So sometimes the preseason is a indication of what the season is.

And sometimes it's not.