JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Bruce from St. Simons Island, GA
O, This Jags season could be fun! Are wide receivers and cornerbacks at all less likely to get injured?
Somewhat. While wide receivers and cornerbacks take fewer big hits and endure less contact overall than linemen and backs, they still take hits and endure contact. Wide receivers and corners also run more during games and practices than linemen, so there is an increased risk of strain and "mileage" on the legs at those positions – which can lead to injury. That's particularly true the more wear and tear the legs of those players endure throughout the course of a long NFL regular season. This latter part is where the Jaguars' strength and conditioning staff will align with coaches to determine how to best manage rookie cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter's workload as he plays two positions.
JK from NY & Fernandina Beach, FL
John. Word is that you are angling to become Travis Hunter's fishing buddy. Any truth to that rumor and, if so, fresh or salt?
This would benefit Hunter not in the least – either in companionship or fishing skills. While Hunter is an experienced fisherman, my fishing experience is minimal at best. I once accompanied my friend, Drew Terry, with his father to dock fish on the St. Johns River at Riverbend Apartments in Arlington. Presumably sensing my incompetence, Drew's father gave me the smallest of fishing poles – or it may have been a hook tied to a piece of fishing line. I proceeded to swing the hooked string around, at which time the hook attached itself painfully and bloodily to the end of a finger on my opposite hand – thus ending my fishing day. I later fished a time or two in the Adirondacks while in high school with a small line on the end of a stick baited with bread. I surprised myself by catching a few. I believe I even hiked back to the family cabin with the fish on a string. I was a real Tom Sawyer, I suppose. And not the modern-day warrior kind, either.
Doug from Jacksonville
Longtime reader, 116th-time caller. Love the column. Cautiously optimistic about the team this year. Can you tell us when the schedule is released?
The NFL will release its 2025 schedule May 14.
Matthew from Leon
I heard about you guys drafting Travis Hunter. How do you guys feel about that?
Very good. The Jaguars wouldn't have traded a first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft and a second-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns to move up three selections to select Hunter if they felt otherwise.
Justin from Hoboken
What kind of stats would you need to see from TH to be considered for the regular-season Most Valuable Player award?
Better ones than most of the other elite players in the NFL that season. I would guess he would need to be near the league leaders in touchdowns and yards receiving with multiple interceptions. A few game-changing, highlight plays mixed in also would help.
Robert from Fernandina Beach FL
Not to put excess pressure on our newest potential superstar, Travis Hunter, I propose adoption of the following Slogan/Cheer !
Here we go.
Rick from Franconia, VA
Zone, If memory serves, Gene Frenette is/was one of the writers with a vote for the NFL Hall of Fame. Will he continue in that role now that he is retired from the Florida Times-Union? And if he will not, will another writer who covers the Jaguars be replacing him as a Hall of Fame voter?
Memory in many cases does not serve. This is one of those cases. Former longtime Florida Times-Union sports columnist and Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette was not a Pro Football Hall of Fame voter. Former WJXT sports director Sam Kouvaris remains Jacksonville's Hall voter.
Sam from Orlando
When do we elect a new Eugene "The Apostle" Frenette
You don't replace Gene. You hope to succeed him, realize you can't and move on knowing what's going on now is just less than it once was.
Bradley from Sparks, NV
Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen and General Manager James Gladstone say they haven't reached the point where they are thinking about the number of wins in the upcoming season, but when you trade next year's first-rounder it has to come up in a big way in the pros and cons of that trade. A No. 4 overall is way more valuable than a No. 13 or a No. 28. I don't believe Gladstone makes that trade if he figures it's a top 10 pick. I firmly believe the new regime thinks that will be a late first-round pick. Right?
The Jaguars do not expect the '26 first-round selection they traded to the Browns in the Hunter trade to be a Top 10 selection.
Robert from Elkton
Zone, any word on how much money ESPN lost when Jags traded to second and ESPN missed out on the planned 15-minute commercial break during fifth?
Not really, no.
Sean from Oakleaf, FL
Looking at some of the names on our roster, their age and contract situation, it seems like quite a few won't be on this team next year?
There are 90(ish) players on the Jaguars' roster. Fifty-three make the active regular-season roster with 16 on the practice squad and a few others on injured reserve or other designations. So, yes … some of the players now on the roster won't be on the team in 2025.
Clyde from Deltona
Not a question, just a shout out for the O-Zone James Gladstone Podcast. It was one of your best ones yet and I really liked the Blood, Sweat and Tears answer at the conclusion of your podcast. What goes up must come down. Spinning wheel goes round and around …
It wasn't that Blood, Sweat and Tears.
Keith from Saint Augustine, FL
I admired and respected Gene Frenette as a journalist and will miss his keen insight. In your recent article entitled "Jaguars Addressed Key Needs in the 2025 Draft: Defensive Line Poised for Major Improvement," Gladstone was quoted as saying, "I think that whole group is about to take a jump." I hope he is right, but I have learned that wishing and hoping do not always come to be. It is true that we have improved our defensive line by adding a third edge rusher in Emmanuel Ogbah and "buck linebacker" Jalen McLeod. Moving Arik Armstead back inside where he belongs and hope for continued improvement from Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson is wishful thinking that I hope comes to fruition. It is also wishful thinking to hope that DaVon Hamilton returns to pre-back infection form. What we needed in the draft and were unable to secure is a big, nasty nose tackle. I know that the draft board did not fall our way and I'm glad we didn't reach for perceived need. We did get Keivie Rose in undrafted free agency, but I don't think he is what we need. Raekwon Davis is available in free agency, but he is not "intangibly rich." We may pick up a NT after June 1 or even when teams trim rosters to 53, but once again that is wishful thinking. If we do not secure another NT, I am afraid we will continue to struggle to stop the run. "The little lights... they aren't twinkling." Your thoughts?
I don't expect the Jaguars to make a major move on the defensive interior before the season. I could be wrong. Weirder things have happened. The Jaguars' decision-makers see their interior defensive line differently than you. Perhaps you're right and they're wrong. Weirder things have happened than that, too – but not as many.
Hugo from Portland, OR
So, if the plan for Hunter is to play on third downs, wouldn't an offense be able to stop him from being on the field by going into hurry up? Just feels like there are a lot of ways for opposing offenses to keep Hunter off the field if he's only playing part time on defense.
Hunter's not just going to play on third downs on defense. Yes, an offense can go hurry up to keep him off the field in some situations. This doesn't happen as often as many people think, and teams are usually in hurry-up mode at the end of halves or when trying to catch up a the end of games. Hunter presumably would be playing in those situations anyway.
James from Titusville, NJ
After the draft and into the dead zone, I'd like to propose a whole day's worth of questions/comments about the Northeast Florida cultural icon/thought leader Eugene P. "Gene" Frenette. Such may not be informative (because who doesn't know about the legend?), but it would be funny and give Doug from Jax Beach an entire day off. If Doug doesn't have to be nice, then why should we?
I'd click on that.
