JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Josh from Atlanta, GA

Could you give me a name or two on the defensive side of the ball that might not have the name recognition of, say, Travon Walker, but by the end of the season could be a household name if healthy? Brenton Strange is my pick on the O.

First: Good call on tight end Brenton Strange, who very well could have a very good season and raise his profile in 2025. As for defense, this is tricky because I assume we can't include edge defenders Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen in the discussion since they already have "name recognition." I also assume we can't include defensive tackle Arik Armstead or defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter for the same reasons. Because it can be difficult for non-edge defenders to be "household names" on defense, that limits the candidates. For the sake of the question, let's go with defensive tackle Maason Smith and maybe cornerback Tyson Campbell. Smith showed some serious flashes late last season and has the size and athleticism to be a disruptive force on the interior. Campbell, entering his fifth NFL season, has the contract of a household name. We'll see if he can remain healthy enough to become one in 2025.

Bill from Neptune Beach, FL

Speaking of Vince Lombardi, where do you stand on ranking coaches from the past against coaches from the present? I can't see putting Lombardi above Belichick, for example, because the game is so much more advanced now.

You're referencing Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi being mentioned in a recent O-Zone – and while I don't have a "stand" on where coaches are "ranked," I certainly don't believe coaches of this era are necessarily superior to coaches of past eras. Yes, the game is more complex. It also is a faster, more athletic game than was the case in past eras. But head coaching from this view above all else is about motivating, organizing and setting a tone for a franchise. From this view, a great coach from the past such as Lombardi absolutely could be a great coach in this era. While players are certainly different, and while coaches of this era must deal with players differently, great leaders can adapt to their circumstances and get the best from people regardless of era. And before we assume that innovators from the past would be lost in the "complex" sport of the present, remember: Innovators such as Sid Gillman, Paul Brown, Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs have shaped and defined the sport for decades. There's no reason to believe they wouldn't be just as innovative in the present day as they were in their own.

Evan from Jacksonville

What the hell is going on out there?

I have no idea.

Cliff from Everywhere with helicopter

Sounds like O-Zone may be one Tolkien over the line.

I laughed at this as much as I've laughed at an O-Zone email in a while. I'm not saying that makes me a mature person. I'm just saying that's what happened.

William from Orange Park, FL

I understand the optimism around this team – to a point. But shouldn't we be more worried about the schedule? The front end is brutal. Or am I missing something?

You're not missing much. While loyal O-Zone readers – and he still knows who he is – know I'm not big on pre-judging schedule difficulty, the early Jaguars 2025 schedule on paper indeed could be challenging. After a Week 1 home game against Carolina, five of the next six games are against teams that had winning records in 2024. The one team in that stretch that had a losing record in 2024: The San Francisco 49ers, who have been really good more often than not in recent seasons. The reality is there is no such thing as an easy NFL schedule. If you're not good, most teams are more than good enough to beat you. But could this schedule start looking very tough very quickly if the Jaguars don't win that regular-season opener? Yeah, you could say that.

Paul from Jacksonville Beach, F:

Do you really think the Jaguars will be that much better this season?

I think the Jaguars will be better than 4-13 this season – four or so games better – and I think they will look like an improving team. I don't know what "that much better" means."

Bradley from Kansas City, MO

The email about quarterback Trevor Lawrence throwing eight hours a day at a spinning tire got me thinking about quarterback arm fatigue. I don't really recall hearing much about it. Is it a thing?

Arm fatigue indeed is a "thing" – enough so that it's a reason teams often keep at least four quarterbacks during training camp and three during the regular season either on the practice squad or 53-player roster. This fatigue is not only why quarterbacks don't throw through tires swinging from oak trees eight hours a day, but why coaches monitor quarterbacks' throws daily through training camp and the regular season.

Michael from Orange Park, FL

What's that smell?

The dog.

Al from Dowling Park, FL

OK, I'll bite with the books and authors. What were your favorite childhood books? One of my favorites was the Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. That was about 70-75 years ago and I still remember them.

I was never a huuuuge "childhood books" guy, though I admit I preferred the Bobbsey Twins over the Hardy Boys. I generally leaned far more toward sports books, from the "Great/Star (insert position group here) of the NFL" series of the early 1970s, to Jerry Kramer's Instant Replay, to Lombardi's Run to Daylight. Reading sports books was much better than studying, which probably explains my grades at … well, at pretty much all levels of schooling. I also read a ton of 1970s/1960s sports autobiographies – including the greatest title for any such work: Joe Namath's "I Can't Wait for Tomorrow because I Get Better Looking Every Day." Jim Bouton's Ball Four and Sparky Lyle's Bronx Zoo also stand out. As for the whole Bobbsey Twins thing, don't judge: Bert, Nan, Freddie and Flossie could solve a damned crime.

Howard from Homestead, FL

Is it true that you'll post any lame question during the dead zone?

Evidently.

Clyde from Deltona

John. Any chance of you having an O-Zone podcast with Head Coach Liam Cohen just before training camp starts? Maybe ask how his down time was spent, maybe a couple of questions about running his first training camp as the head coach, etc.

This would be intriguing and well-received. But there are time considerations for a head coach once training camp begins. Coen and General Manager James Gladstone were guests on the final 2025 offseason EVPodcast with Executive President of Football Operations Tony Boselli, with the trio covering multiple topics as the offseason transitioned toward training camp. That's probably the last Jaguars-produced podcast we'll ask Coen to do for a while.

Hooks from Orange Park, FL

Hey John, I loved the EVP podcasts! They were fun, informative and transparent. You said Episode 4 was the last for the off-season. Did that just mean OTAs only? Are there plans to do a couple through training camp and maybe a couple in the regular season, or would that be a no-no?

The plan for now is to have the most recent EVPodcast – Episode 4, which posted shortly after the end of the 2025 offseason program – be the last until at least after the 2025 regular season. I expect we'll revisit scheduling and concept then.

Cliff from St. Augustine, FL

Zone. 'Sup, Buuuddy. All this talk about the '80s and Regency Square have me reminiscing. I have a substantial record collection that mostly was purchased from Coconuts Tapes and Records across from the mall on Atlantic. I walked to work to bag groceries and chase carts at Winn Dixie on the corner of S.t John's Bluff and Monument (Arlington Strong) to earn some dollar bills, so I have WD to thank for my records. I still break those bad boys out occasionally, although Bob Seger is barely audible anymore as it's been played so much. Just a bit further down the road was a Monte Cristo and fries meal at Bennigan's. Something about that raspberry jam slathered over the salty meats and cheese that kept me going back. Memories. Too bad the Jags weren't around back then. Looking forward to some football!

You should have taped some of those albums so we could listen to them when we were hanging out at the dunes at night. Or maybe you did.

Steven from Nocatee

Since it is the dead zone. Fun fact for the day: A cloud weighs around a million tonnes. A cloud typically has a volume of around 1km3 and a density of around 1.003kg per m3 – that's a density that's around 0.4 per cent lower than the air surrounding it.

That wasn't much fun.