JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Chris from Mandarin
Maybe if Fred Taylor had been one of the defining running backs of his era and not just this franchise, he would have a better chance at the Hall of Fame. It's cute to use Jim Brown's fanship of Fred as a notch in his favor, but he just didn't do enough: 10,000 career yards is not a great barometer. There are around 15 other running backs that eclipsed this milestone that are also not in the Hall of Fame (not an injustice). He had low touchdown totals after his rookie season (when James Stewart was injured). "Yeah, but they took him off the field in goal-line situations." You're not taking Hall of Famers off the field in critical moments. Fourteen 50-plus yard runs in his career is impressive, but in my opinion Fred in spite of being my favorite Jaguars player is just not a Hall of Famer. As Jaguars fans and close observers, we tend to overstate claims of right of entry. He had undeniable ability to change motion for a power back and he was very fast, but he doesn't belong in. It would be nice, but it's never going to happen, especially with the new voting rules.
Your passion for this subject is impressive – and you thus far are correct in as much as former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor is not yet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And I agree – to a point – that it's not necessarily a snub of insanely epic proportions that Taylor is not yet enshrined. The argument that Taylor wasn't the best running back of his era also is fair. He played in an era of great runners and players such as LaDainian Tomlinson deserve to rank a bit above him. At the same time, your argument might be slightly too vehement – and a bit overstated. Taylor remains the NFL's 18th-leading rusher of all time and the three players ahead of him not yet enshrined – Derrick Henry, Adrian Peterson and Frank Gore – likely will be enshrined without undue delay. His 4.6 yards per carry also is uber-impressive and ranks only behind players such as Barry Sanders, Peterson, Henry, Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson. He also still holds the record for longest run in postseason history – his 90-yard touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in 1999. Here's what's also perhaps overlooked about Taylor among voters and fans – that in 1998 and 2000 he was, from this view, as good as any back in the NFL. He easily could have been Rookie of the Year in 1998 despite missing or playing sparingly in several early-season games and he had the best year of any back I've ever covered in 2000 after missing the first three regular-season games. Only injuries kept him from being a 1,000-yard back in any of his first 10 seasons and he easily passes the eye test for greatness. Is it the greatest oversight in the history of the Hall of Fame that Taylor isn't enshrined? No. Is he worthy of enshrinement? Absolutely.
Jeremy from Gilbert, AZ
I bet the Jags could re-sign Lloyd and Etienne and get Maxx Crosby if they didn't have $42 million in dead cap money.
Would the Jaguars be in better position to re-sign running back Travis Etienne Jr. and linebacker Devin Lloyd if they didn't have $42 million in dad cap money? Would they be able to sign Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby? Sure. Maybe. I guess.
Michael from Orange Park, FL
Short answer. No spin. Where will Travis Hunter play next season?
I don't know the answer for sure. I expect Hunter will start and essentially be a full-time player at cornerback and I expect he will have a key role at wide receiver.
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
"... those with a rooting interest the other way talk meanly about the officiating and using words a lot worse than 'damn' " made me laugh. I certainly do. Or did a lot. It started to occur to me that I might not be spiritually helping my cause and the team by saying mean things about the officials (along with the opposition members) and using those words. I attempted brokering a deal for us to get more favorable outcomes that if I stopped. I didn't get an immediate answer on whether the deal was accepted - and I truthfully hadn't considered it from a total season perspective, until just now - but we did go 14-4. So, it's hard to argue against or just slap the idea down and say that it didn't work at all. Maybe spread the word, that if more of us can execute that maybe our season doesn't end in heartbreak. It is hard to be perfect at it, though. I'm certainly not there, yet.
Perfection is an elusive mistress. Stay at it.
Josh from Lakewood
I know I should let it go, but I have to imagine the playoffs would have unfolded differently had the refs not botched the end of the Cincinnati game and the Jags entered as the one seed.
This might have been the case. The Jaguars in your scenario would have had a first-round bye and perhaps played the Houston Texans in Round 1. That would have been a tough matchup, just as the Buffalo Bills were a tough matchup. Would the Jaguars have won in the postseason against the Texans? Perhaps. But here's the reality: The Jaguars had every chance this postseason to advance to the Super Bowl. They were in the postseason and scored to take the lead with a little more than four minutes remaining against the Bills. They didn't hold the team. Period. A first-round bye would have meant one fewer game to play to get to the Super Bowl. But New England won three games to make the Super Bowl. The Jaguars had that opportunity and didn't do it. Onward.
Nick from Las Vegas, NV
Should the Jaguars consider trading a later-round draft pick to get Will Levis to be the backup quarterback? He's a bigger mobile guy like Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. He has familiarity with Head Coach Liam Coen – and if Liam can resurrect his career, the Jags can trade him for a higher pick than what they gave up. Also, I think he's a better option than Nick Mullins.
TRADE MACHINE!!!
John from Minneapolis, MN
Are the moves the new Jaguars regime did last season (trade wide receiver Christian Kirk, release Evan Engram, among others) give you any indication on if say ETN or Lloyd will be back next season?
The moves the Jaguars made last offseason have nothing to do with the moves they will make this offseason except that they indicate this regime will make necessary moves without regard to sentiment and fan popularity. Moves will be made to give the Jaguars the best chance to win – and with an eye on the short- and long-term salary cap. I will be surprised if the Jaguars retain running back Travis Etienne Jr. and linebacker Devin Lloyd because of what the market is expected to be for those players.
Crash from Glen Saint Mary
Obi Wan! Bad Bunny? How about Lainey Wilson for the next Super Bowl? There are 1,200 country radio stations in the U.S. More than any other format. Has the NFL lost touch with America?
Bad Bunny was fine as a Super Bowl halftime at. I had to familiarize myself with him a bit and watch Sunday's halftime with an open mind, just as I did when with Kendrick Lamar last year. I would have to do the same with Lainey Wilson because I am as familiar with her as I am Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar – which is to say I probably wouldn't know them if they knocked on my front door and said they wanted to talk ball. Not everything is for everyone. Even for me.
Scooby from Crestview, FL
I suspect the Jags will be better this year but do worse than 13-4. Playing a first-place schedule is no joke. I'm glad we will not play the NFC West this year. I remember you thought eight-to-nine wins would be reasonable for 2025. Somewhere between nine and 13 wins sounds right. What are your thoughts?
We're months from realistically being able to get into any sort of details on this front. I expect you're correct that the Jaguars could be better in 2026 than in 2025 and not finish 13-4 – primarily because you can be really good and not win 13 games in the NFL. I expect at this early, early, early stage that the Jaguars will win at least 11 games in 2026. How close could that be? I haven't the faintest idea.
James from Titusville, NJ
Are you awesome and close to perfect or do you really suck? Either way, I wouldn't attend an O-Zone gathering to find out. It's nothing personal. I just wouldn't take the 1,000-mile trip south to find out.
So you say.
