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This is what I wanted

Join Jaguars Inside Report Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.

Bharat from Jacksonville:
In the last three games, it seems to me Ayodele has been coming into his own. The guy looks like a real stud. Does he have the look of a possible star, or am I just biased?

Vic: He's a good player who's getting better. What's not to like?

John from Fruit Cove, FL:
In the Colt game, Del Rio threw the red flag to challenge a play. The ref told him it could not be challenged by NFL rules. Can a coach be penalized for excessive red flag-throwing to maybe stop the other team's momentum? Is there a rule on this or is it up to the referee?

Vic: If the referee believes the coach is intentionally delaying the game by throwing red flags onto the field with no basis for doing so, the referee may cite the coach for an "unsportsmanlike conduct" or "delay of game" penalty.

Tony from Jacksonville:
What I'd like to know is of the 22 starting positions on offense and defense, what are the top three positions the Jags will be looking to upgrade in next year's draft?

Vic: I can't tell you how they'll draft because they profess to adhere to the "best available player" philosophy, but I can tell you wide receiver is absolutely, without a doubt, the Jaguars' position of most critical need. After that, I'd say linebacker and cornerback need to be addressed.

Howard from Homestead, FL:
Jacksonville is giving up just 2.7 yards per carry, which is the third-lowest average in the NFL, yet, we are 0-3. Doesn't this put a damper on your theory of defense a bit?

Vic: What's the alternative, don't stop the run? How is that going to help? If you don't stop the run, you won't have to worry about stopping the pass. Maybe that's what's happening right now; because the Jaguars are stopping the run, teams are forced to throw the ball and that's exposing weaknesses in the pass-defense.

Todd from Toledo, OH:
What is the missing factor the team needs in order to win it all?

Vic: Talent.

Will from Birmingham, AL:
Do you think the Jaguars need to throw the ball down the field a little more? It appears to me our wide receivers do not have great speed, but if you don't even try, the defensive backs can just sit on the short routes and running game. What do you think?

Vic: If they thought they could be successful throwing deep, they would throw deep. This wide receiver corps just doesn't have the speed to make defenses respect the deep ball. Maybe the return of Jimmy Smith will change that.

Jason from Jacksonville:
Do you know what Tony Boselli is up to? I know he was considering moving back to Jacksonville, but I haven't heard anything lately.

Vic: Mark Brunell told me recently that Tony is going to settle down in Austin, Texas, per his church's request.

Nick from Clearfield, PA:
We've had two recent acquisitions who have had a lot of good experience with the Steelers, Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and Troy Edwards. So where has Fu been, and how much do you see Edwards contributing?

Vic: Fu (vowel rationing) is still bothered by the hamstring injury he brought with him from Pittsburgh. Troy Edwards did some nice things on a utility basis for the Steelers late in the 2001 season. He returned punts, ran some reverses and made some key catches. Basically, he's a replacement for Jermaine Lewis.

Ed from Jacksonville:
It seems the new catch phrase for this football season is "Playmakers." Do you think the Jaguars have the quality of playmakers on the roster to compete with the rest of the NFL?

Vic: Compete? Yes. Contend? No.

John from Jacksonville:
Is it possible for the decision-makers in the front office to take into account who the fans who pay their salaries want to see in a Jaguars uniform? Maybe hold a poll on-line during the draft to gauge some public support they could use in their decision-making process? I think if a fan is going to shell out $50 for tickets, $20 for parking and at least $15 at the concessions, they should have at least some say in who they spend their good, hard-earned money to see.

Vic: You're kidding, right?

Thiago from Madrid, Spain:
How did you get to love football? Did you ever play it when you were younger?

Vic: I grew up in a neighborhood that made it impossible not to be sports crazy. I remember delivering newspapers and hearing the radio broadcast of the ballgame coming out of every house on my route. Sports was the centerpiece of our lives. Every day of summer began and ended on the baseball field. Then, late in the summer, the high school team started practicing and we spent the remainder of our days before the start of school hanging around the high school kids and begging to help with the water buckets. High school football was enormous and those players were our idols and they all had cool nicknames. My hero was a running back named McKinley "Mack The Knife" Combs. He was the coolest thing I ever saw and I dreamed of being like him. Well, at least I got to wear his number. At a very young age, I saw my first college game. I remember walking into Pitt Stadium, staring out at that green grass and all of those seats and thinking to myself that this is what I wanted. Mike Ditka was the star player on the field that day and I worshipped him; "Iron Mike." At that point, I was hooked. I knew I had to spend my life involved in sports. All these years later, I look out at all that green grass and all of those seats and wish I could do it all over again.

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