JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Mike from Jax
It's so excruciatingly hard to be a Jag fan. We clearly need help everywhere. Embarrassingly, our front office pulls a stunt by trading for a wide receiver that's currently suspended. Wow ... only the Jags. The worst part is now that we still have Josh Allen. Jaguars General Manager Trent Baalke will set the market with a guy who is second string at best.
You're correct that it has been hard for the last decade to be a Jaguars fan. No one with perspective would disagree. But misreading/exaggerating the present won't help matters. Trading for wide receiver Calvin Ridley this past week was in no way a "stunt." It was a calculated and comparatively low-risk move to acquire a potential No. 1 wide receiver for reasonable draft capital. If Ridley is as good with the Jaguars as he was with the Atlanta Falcons, the Jaguars will have given up a fifth- and second-round selection for difference-maker. If he's not, the compensation will have been far less. It's a way of acquiring a needed piece and still maintaining premium draft capital to acquire another front-line talent in the 2023 NFL Draft. As for Jaguars outside linebacker Josh Allen … I don't know how Baalke will handle his second contract, but Allen is not a second-string player. He hasn't had the sack numbers you would hope, but he's far from a second-team player.
Izzy from 2023
Seems to me the Ridley trade signals Jaguars Owner Shad Khan has written off the 2022 season with regards for increasing receiver talent for Trevor! I'm still trying to wrap my head around that move in light of the present skills need…
The Jaguars indeed probably won't acquire more significant high-profile receiving talent for quarterback Trevor Lawrence this season. We're past the trade deadline, so the time for major moves pretty much has passed until next offseason. The only other major trade involving a wide receiver at this week's NFL trade deadline was the Chicago Bears acquiring wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers for a 2023 second-round selection. I'm sure the Jaguars considered Claypool as they considered any player, but they considered Ridley a better fit with more payoff for the cost and risk.
Nick from Virginia Beach, VA
We want to win, O. We are tired of losing streaks that are the majority of the season. The question is will it ever stop? It does not seem like it will.
It will.
KC from South Florida
I am still a believer in Trevor Lawrence and think he is still learning. Not every quarterback is going to come in and light it up immediately and not every quarterback is going to develop within the same timeframe. With that said, is there any worry that Trevor might keep making the same mistakes and therefore maybe the other guys in the locker room start losing a little confidence in him? We've seen this in the past with our last two quarterbacks …
That's always a risk if your quarterback isn't playing well. I haven't heard this expressed by Jaguars players this season, and it's not something they're likely to express publicly. I don't get the sense we're there yet with Lawrence. I sense confidence in him remains high among teammates and that there's an understanding that he's young – and that he's still doing a lot of positive things as he grows. But can he continue to make the same red-zone mistakes and maintain that confidence? No. At some point …
Jonathan from Blackfoot, ID
I like Trevor. I think I'll just wait and see what happens.
There is, after all, really nothing else to do.
Kyan from Le Mars, IA
What is your take so far on Travon Walker? To me he seems to have all he physical traits and is solid against the run, but limited on pass rush (what was expected). What worries me is there seems a lack of development in pass-rush moves. Seems like he really only uses two moves. Wouldn't it make more sense for him to try other moves to develop them, even if they don't work?
Your assessment of Jaguars rookie outside linebacker Travon Walker so far is fairly accurate. He is talented, athletic and his physical traits make him an asset to the defense – particularly against the run. He gives great effort and has been able to pressure the passer at times. I would expect him to develop more pass-rush moves over time. Will that come as a rookie as he works to adjust to a faster, more physical game? That's tough and I expect it to happen more in the offseason than in the regular season. We'll see.
Cliff from Everywhere with helicopter
Without engaging in the circular, pointless elite/non-elite argument, I would point out that Lawrence is in his *second* professional season, which also happens to be his *first* under a professional head coach. I find it hard to believe there are this many fans calling for his head, but then I don't listen to sports radio or read "comments sections," so admittedly my expertise may be lacking.
Fair, but what's a "comments section?"
Brandon from Omaha, NE
Hey, O. Has there been any discussion on moving Walker inside on likely passing downs? I'll admit I don't key on his every move but when I do see him rush the quarterback it's the same bull rush move over and over. It seems like he'd be more effective collapsing the pocket rather than winning off the edge. While Walker has plenty of time to develop his pass-rush skills, something needs to change with this pass rush soon or the Jags will be picking in the Top 5 again.
I expect the Jaguars at some point to use Walker more extensively inside in passing situations. I don't get the sense they're close to that yet because they want him to continue developing as an outside linebacker before using the versatility that made him the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Mike from Cartersville (AKA Trevortown), GA
I think the ones criticizing your Trevor answers don't enjoy nuance. Perhaps they're looking for binary responses: Trevor bad, Trevor good. I suppose that way is easier than digesting a deep dive. Social media is destroying our attention spans.
What's "nuance?"
Jason from North Pole, AK
From what I've read and seen, Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell is playing at an extremely high level. Is it possible, between linebacker Devin Lloyd, Campbell and Walker the Jaguars could have an elite player at all three levels on defense next season?
Campbell, Lloyd and Walker all must take a pretty significant step to be elite, though all could reach that level.
Gabe from Washington, DC
"I would expect Zay Jones, Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley to be the Jaguars' top three receivers in 2023." Is that to say you would be surprised if the Jaguars drafted a wide receiver in Round 1 or 2 of the next draft? Or even Round 3?
Not shocked, perhaps but a little surprised.
Paul from Saint Johns
Why do you think the defense can't stop game-winning, fourth-quarter drives? Are they tired? Do we stop being aggressive and play "not to lose" as opposed to playing to win during those times? What is it?
It appears that the Jaguars have some exposable weaknesses and some youth in some key areas, and that they don't have enough dominant disruption up front to negate those weaknesses. Opponent in recent weeks seem to be identifying those weaknesses and to be taking advantage of them late in games. That's one theory.
John (aka Jagtattoo) from Ramsey, NJ
Do we all realize that we are a few boneheaded penalties and a few turnovers away from being 6-2? Instead, these fixable mistakes have brought us to 2-6 at the midpoint. We have some very tough games ahead in Baltimore, Tennessee, and Kansas City. I don't see us finishing above 500 this season. However, finishing strong could set us up well both mentally and physically for next season. Is my glass more than half-full here?
Not really.
Ryan from Detroit, MI
Well, this Las Vegas Raiders game marks the close of the "easy half" of our schedule ... if we lose this game, do you even see a reasonable path to five wins this year?
I'm not a big believer in easy and difficult games in the NFL. Teams typically have a chance to win if they play well and will probably lose if they don't. Remember: The unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles may be the NFL's best team and the Jaguars were a red-zone interception and/or a late drive from having a real chance to win the teams' Week 4 matchup. If the Jaguars play well, they will have a chance to win three or four more games – at least. If not …
James from Socorro, NM
The 2021 Jaguars started 2-6. The 2022 Jaguars started 2-6. Sure, the games are closer, but it doesn't matter if you keep losing them.
Fair.
