JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …

Michael from Orange Park, FL

Now I read where Gladstone and Liam aren't going to the combine. We saw last offseason these guys think they know more than everyone and now we see it again. Help me understand this, Zone. Without spin.

It seems you're angry and perplexed at the Jaguars' decision-makers opting against attending the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis this week – and it also appears you might still be angry about the Jaguars trading up to select wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's certainly true this Jaguars decision-making regime operates differently from many past Jaguars regimes – and from many current NFL regimes. Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen and General Manager James Gladstone indeed won't attend the combine this week. They're not the only team to take this approach, though it's still unusual. The idea is that Gladstone doesn't want combine workouts or in-person interviews to overwhelm all else when it comes to evaluating prospects. Rather, he wants draft decisions to be based on football ability – and the team's research into the players' intangibles and character. This is a relatively new approach – and a bit unusual. The aggressive move to select Hunter last offseason also was a bit unusual. This is the Jaguars' way now. They went 13-4 last season. So far, so good.

Limo Bob from Neptune Beach/ Piscataway

Do we have any "jars on the shelf" that will move into starting positions?

Someone who used to write for this website used to talk about "jars on the shelf" as a way of saying NFL teams needed young players who hadn't played much to be ready to step into prominent roles when older players left as unrestricted free agents. It's indeed the best way for a winning team to manage a roster in the salary cap era because good teams in the cap era are going to have too many good players to always keep all those good players. It's a bit of an ironic concept, too, because if a team going to have good players "on the shelf" they must be playing young players relatively sparingly – and fans tend to get very angry at and dismissive of young players if they're not stars immediately. Such might be the case with the Jaguars' draft class this past season. Fans/observers have written off the class as awful and it has been placed low in all-important "draft-class rankings" on the interweb. The reality is the team likes players such as guard Wyatt Milum and center Jonah Monheim very much – enough that they indeed could be "jars on the shelf." It wasn't a bad thing that they played sparingly this past season. It was in fact a good thing because the offensive line was good enough that developing rookies didn't need to play immediately. So, yes … there may be some jars on the Jaguars. Milum. Monheim. Safety Caleb Ransaw. Maybe linebacker Jalen McLeod. Maybe running back Bhayshul Tuten. Maybe even Hunter. Stay tuned.

Trent from Orange Park, FL

Are you ready?

Damned right.

Willam from Jacksonville

USA, baaaybee.

I'll assume we're referencing the entire United States Winter Olympic team – and why the hell not? If you missed the United States men's hockey teams overtime victory over Canada in the gold medal game Sunday, you missed one of the best sports moments in recent memory – and another example of why professional, high-stakes hockey is perhaps the best sports viewing around. The same is true of the women's team's overtime victory over Canada in the gold medal game earlier in the week. Alysa Lui? Unreal. And on and on. Great two weeks.

Raymond Sis from Windermere, Fl

Do you think the start of the Stadium of the Future will mean the end of this abysmal Trevor Lawrence experiment? He couldn't start for a CFL team. He's worse than when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor to start World War I.

The Germans didn't bomb Pearl Harbor. It was the Japanese.

Tom from Jacksonville

Enjoyed your answer to how you became a sports writer. I had a similar experience in college for less than $5 an hour, answering calls at the Kansas City Star in the pre-internet, pre-legalized gambling days. Most calls were from bookies in bars wanting to know the latest scores. You are younger, so perhaps you missed that experience.

I did not miss this experience. I started at the Florida Times-Union in the late 1980s. This was before the internet – and even before ESPN and other networks began the constant "crawlers" at the bottom of screens updating scores by the moment. You could call a "900" number for update scores. Outside of that, you could often have to wait for the morning newspaper for scores if you missed SportsCenter. Fans – and other elements – indeed would phone the sports department for scores, particularly as games neared the end. This seems like a lifetime ago. Which, of course, it was.

CaptBob from St Augustine

KOAF, can you explain how I'm oversimplifying the following? If a player wants to stay here, why don't they consider the increase in taxes they will pay elsewhere, except in Texas, and the increase in cost of living in a bigger city? Even with a 25 percent increase in salary they would be just about breaking even.

Teams in high-rate states such as California, New York and New Jersey do at times get hurt in free agency compared to no-state-tax teams in states such as Florida, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Players don't get hurt nearly as much in lower state-tax states such as Georgia. Why would a player ignore the higher costs in the aforementioned states? Many don't.

Bruce from Saint Simons Island, GA

O, My whole family says I missed my sports commentary/writer role. You mentioned John Riggins. Quick memory, walking around inside RFK stadium with my wife and mother I saw someone ahead of us wearing a cowboy hat. He towered over everyone. That was Riggins.

Sandy baby, loosen up.

Reese from Loyal Jaguar Fan in Va

Lane from Winter Gardens last submission was the chef's kiss right!? Go Jags!!!

The now-infamous Lane from Winter Gardens recently wrote an email that said, "Most fans want to retain all free pending free agents as well as go sign other teams' free agents." It later said, "I think the biggest offseason priority is to clean up the salary cap for past mistakes." It also said, "The Jags need to clear cap space, draft well and develop players knowing that they won't be able to keep everybody down the line." It concluded with, "How's it going?" It indeed was quite the email.

Woody from Dunlap

KOAF: Two days after our loss to the Buffalo Bills, I began to develop my annual spread sheet of potential draft candidates, using several different NFL draft websites and multiple on-line sources of information on select draftees. From this it appears the depth of quality offensive line candidates is robust in the 2026 draft. Is this consistent with what your sources are saying? Also, the depth of interior defensive line seems to me to be somewhat thin, however, it looks like we can obtain a high quality DL draftee with position No. 56. Cornerbacks with size and speed (height 6'0" or greater with 4.4 speed or better) will likely all be selected by about Position No. 100 or so. However, we should have a choice of at least three tall, speedy cornerbacks with our Selection No. 81. Then with Selection No. 88, we will still have a choice of several high-quality offensive line candidates from which to choose. Are the results of my spreadsheet at all consistent with what your folks are saying? Will send results on Positions No. 100, 117, 162 and 164 soon.

I'll look forward to that.

Ronald from Jacksonville

I was reading a rumor page or something was just out and about and it says that Travis Etiem Is wanting to be traded and has interest into the Kansas City Chiefs which I'm doubting is there any truth to this and if so, why would he leave unless they're just wanting him to get out of here for a salary cap?

Any talk that Etienne wants to be traded is incorrect because he's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 11. He therefore won't be traded. There is a lot of talk on social media and the internet that the Chiefs and Etienne could have mutual interest if Etienne doesn't return to the Jaguars. Sure, that could be true. It's free agency. There will be rumors until the negotiating period begins March 11. Then we will know.

John from Jacksonville

Whatever happened to the girl you were dating who cautiously suggested sportswriting as a career? Have you seen her lately to tell her thank you? Also, do you still have the Jazz bass? Mine is a '75, black body with a black pickguard and a slender Fender maple neck. She's a sweety.

We remain in touch periodically. She knows the damage she did.