Join *Jaguars Inside Report *Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Brad Biringer from Jacksonville:
What's your favorite stadium in the NFL and why?
Vic:
All of the new stadiums are sensational. The single-greatest improvement in the NFL over the last 10 years has clearly been in the form of new stadiums. I love the view out of the south end of Alltel Stadium. The new one in Baltimore is a jewel that left no stone unturned. Pittsburgh's Heinz Field has a lot of creative ideas, one of which is a courtyard area in one end zone that promotes in-stadium tailgating. Wayne Weaver fell in love with that concept in his visit to Heinz Field and is incorporating it into the Alltel renovation project. You might think Lambeau Field would be my favorite stadium because of its history and tradition, but, honestly, I've never liked the place. In my opinion, it's a featureless facility on a featureless piece of property. I've always been partial to Arrowhead and Giants Stadium. Those two, along with Alltel and the new ones in Baltimore and Pittsburgh would probably represent my top five. It would be a toss-up among those five.
Pete Signorelli from Goshen, NY:
From what I see on-line and on television, the Jags are looking to go with a relatively young offensive line. Do you see them picking up a veteran offensive lineman come June 1? If so, maybe a Ray Brown of the 49ers or a John Fina of the Bills?
Vic:
If the price is right, it's possible the Jaguars could sign a veteran offensive lineman, but I'm inclined to believe they're satisfied with the flexibility and development potential their current cast of offensive linemen offers.
David Wielgus from Orlando, FL:
I am very excited about this season. I think the Jaguars have an excellent starting lineup, however, the team is very thin in many areas, such as linebacker, cornerback and especially running back. When Fred Taylor went down last year, teams essentially didn't respect our running game. I don't think any team one-dimensional can win a lot of games. The Jags have done a terrific job addressing the offensive and defensive lines and the wide receiver position, but don't you think it's risky to live and die by Fred Taylor? Other teams weren't even interested in (Stacey Mack) at minimum wage. Am I the only one who sees this as a glaring problem?
Vic:
In my opinion, the emergence of Stacey Mack and Elvis Joseph last season make running back the Jaguars' position of greatest depth.
Mike Weidner from Atlanta, GA:
I was wondering, with the Jaguars making a major effort to reach out to the fans, including lowering ticket prices, is there any early indication of how ticket sales are going?
Vic:
There is no startling news; good seats are still available. Obviously, this is an area of great concern, and one of the reasons for alarm is the fact that the yearly decrease in season ticket sales began while the Jaguars were the winningest expansion franchise in NFL history. The first annual decrease in attendance began in 1998, and yearly attendance has decreased each year since then. The Jaguars want to halt that slide this season. Sellouts are what every team wants, but what may be most important for the Jaguars is that they show an annual attendance increase for the first time in five years.
