JACKSONVILLE -- Let's get to it . . . John from Jacksonville:
I accept Aaron Ross' explanation and revision as to what he meant. Let's move on.
John: Agreed. Again, I think Ross was probably a little flippant and trying to be funny for a national audience when he said what he said Friday, and it seems he forgot for a moment that the Jaguars treated him very well while he was here. It happens. People say dumb things. Either way, it's probably not worth worrying about much longer.
Andrew from Jacksonville:
O-Man, you seem stressed as of late. You ever relax with some cartoons? Maybe some Southpark or Archer?
John: I loved Archie comics when I was a kid, especially the ones when Jughead ate the hamburgers.
Brian from Mandarin, FL:
Would Ross' comments pretty much mean Mike Mularkey will not get another head coaching opportunity?
John: That's not the reason. Mularkey will have trouble getting another opportunity because neither of his first two opportunities went very well. It's tough enough to get a second chance in this competitive league, much less three.
Dave from Section 410:
Okay, maybe Mozart used all twelve notes, but AC/DC works the three-note jam like no other. Maybe that's what Bradley meant. The two are often confused.
John: Zevon!!!!
Chris from Tampa, FL:
Please somebody tell Marcus that while Mozart may have utilized all twelve tones, he rarely, if never, used them all in a single piece of music. By the way, I'm impressed that Coach knows the diatonic scale.
John: The diawhatic what?
Strnbiker from Dothan, AL:
Is this observation correct? It appears the national media and talking heads, all of a sudden, have tempered their condensation of the Jags. Is this new regime and almost total build/rebuild having that much of a positive perception on our Jags future?
John: It does seem the national guys are raining on the Jaguars less this offseason than before. David Caldwell and Gus Bradley are pretty respected guys around the league, and when you talk to people about them, the vibe is generally good. It appears the national media is waiting and seeing how the franchise does over the next year or so. It's going to take time to time to get the elusive "respect" so many fans crave, but that will come in time.
Renee from Jacksonville Beach, FL and Section 104:
I have no love for BG haters. They're short-sighted, ill-willed and generally naysayers. The whole lot of BG antagonists are the antithesis of Coach Bradley's sermon. They have let the bitterness of losing seep into their souls and unbeknownst to the Eeyore's of the Jaguar fans they are blind – no, make that, "unwilling" to see that there is hope. Why is it so hard to actually pull for a young man that has a "gift" of the skill set to be a NFL starting QB? Guess what people: there are only 32 on a given NFL Sunday that have that job. (Oh, by the way, you are not one of them.) I am pleading, begging for them to come out into the light. If it wasn't for one particular kickoff with 20 seconds left, we wouldn't be having this conversation. I know the odds are against us for even having a .500 season. I am not that Pollyanna. But why not the Jaguars? Why not Jacksonville? People get some self-esteem! Let's yell, cheer, scream for that guy in a Jaguar uniform to be the best in the NFL, because every day WE ALL ARE WORKING at getting better. Go Jags.
John: Renee is ready for the season.
Ross from Jacksonville Beach, FL:
The Redskins have a very promising quarterback in RG3 who I think can win a Super Bowl eventually, but they are already in cap trouble. Do you think this will hinder their progress? Isn't this the reason the Jags should build the right way, thru the draft and light on FA early in the rebuild?
John: Yes, that is a reason the Jaguars should build the right way, though a big reason the Redskins are in cap trouble was a penalty imposed by the NFL last offseason. The Redskins' Super Bowl chances will rise and fall more on RGIII than the cap, because if he can't stay healthy it's going to be tough to be a dynamic player for the long term. But forgetting the Redskins a moment – no question you have to build the right way, through the draft. That's true early in the rebuild and you should stick as close to that as you can for the long-term, too.
Andrew from Washington, DC:
Caldwell has said he believes in drafting for need. How does the changing defensive scheme affect our needs? What positions do you believe become premium ones?
John: This is an interesting question. First, I'd caution from turning Caldwell's statement that he drafts for need into a gospel for the entire fan base to follow and debate on message boards. What I mean is we shouldn't approach that statement as some readers did in the past with the Best Available Player philosophy. Just as Gene Smith did not take Player A over Player B because Player A had a .000000000000001 higher grade than Player B, Caldwell will not take a subpar player to fill a need at say, left guard, if there is a player he believe is a Pro Bowl left tackle available at the same pick. Evaluating players and building a roster is a process of making decisions based on many, many circumstances. Caldwell wants the same thing from the draft that Smith wanted and Smith wanted the same thing any general manager wants – good, young football players around which to build a foundation. Now, will the change in defensive scheme change priorities in the draft room? A bit, but for the most part, priority positions are priority positions, so defensive end and defensive tackle will be important. I'm most curious to see how the new regime approaches cornerback. A first glance at Bradley's system would indicate you don't have to have a Top 10-drafted corner to be elite there, and that the emphasis on big, physical players could allow the Jaguars to address that spot a bit later in the draft, but we shall see.
Marjorie from Jacksonville:
Eric Fisher, Eric Fisher, Eric Fisher. He's the new Boselli. Gabbert or whoever will be worth little without protection. The first qualification to achieving a franchise quarterback is to keep the QB on his feet surveying the field.
John: Goodness, do we really want another Boselli walking around here? I mean, the guy never pipes down, loves the sound of his own voice and . . . oh, you mean Boselli The Player and Not Boselli the Broadcaster? Absolutely. Get another. Get two if you can. Bring it on.
Charles from Midlothian, VA and Section 410:
Is it me, or with the signing of Massaquoi, do we seem to have (for the first time in YEARS) a respectable wide receiver corps that even an average quarterback should be able to get something done with, given the O-Line gives him time?
John: It's getting there. Cecil Shorts, Justin Blackmon and Jordan Shipley closed last season as a good group. It did not close the season as a "great" group, because it still needs to get more consistent and it still doesn't have a bonafide, No. 1, must-stop-or-lose-the-game receiver. That's the next step. The addition of Massaquoi gives the group another decent option, an option that has a chance to compete for playing time and prove if he can make this a deep group.
John from Nashua, NH:
First off, I like the Massaquoi pick up. He won't be a superstar but he doesn't have to be. Second, assuming our Jags take Dion Jordan No. 2 overall do you think they will be looking quarterback with our second-round pick? Also assuming Geno Smith is off the board who would you rate as the best quarterback available and why?
John: First off, I like the Massaquoi pickup, too. He fits the Jaguars' free-agent profile, and he appears to be reliable. That's what the Jaguars needed, and it's why he could be an improvement over Laurent Robinson, whose status likely would have been an underlying concern. Reliability is a key component in these free-agency moves, and Massaquoi seems to have a chance to be more reliable next season than Robinson. I'm not assuming the Jaguars are taking Jordan, but it's OK if you are. It's not a ridiculous assumption. As for the quarterback at No. 2, I like the idea of Matt Barkley, but that's because he's a guy who has been through a lot at Southern California and I feel like he'd be mature enough to play at a reasonably high level early. I also like what I've seen from Nassib at Syracuse, who may have more long-term upside but might not be quite as ready as Barkley early in terms of intangibles.
Lane from Longwood, FL:
Phase 3 of the building renovations: O-man gets himself a refrigerator with built-in tap and a hot tub in his office.
John: What the heck do I need with a hot tub?