Ep. 70: 2024 Schedule Predictions | Jags A.M. Podcast

Welcome into dag Ziyam. I'm kindan a Stephens here with Brian Sexton and John Ogier as we get ready for rookie Mini Caamp a little later on in the week. But if you want to talk a little bit about some moves that have been made since last week, our first big thing, Number one is the wide receiver room. At the beginning of last week's show, we told you about Jay Jones being released, and of course you know

I really can't speak to Ridley as much. Knowing Zay like I did and understanding the dynamic that existed between Kirk and Jones and the quarterback. I think it's going to be interesting to not have Jones there. He was one of those guys that you could always count on. I mean, it just seemed the most difficult throws Jones was there. And I go back to that game winning or department game time drive against the Cowboys when Trevor rolled out to his left and just knew right where

John was a guy when young and new receivers weren't quite sure what was going on could look to him, and he knew exactly where every receiver on the field was supposed to be, regardless of position. Look, I said last week, I hoped against hope. I guess that they would keep saying I liked cover him, like being around him, and I thought he gave you something at the same time when he was not healthy in twenty twenty four, I mean in twenty twenty three, he really wasn't there

You know, A word to describe it was joy. I mean, this guy loved to come to work, He loved to be in the locker room around his teammates. Who's going to be that lighthearted guy. We don't know Brian Thomas's personality yet. Christian Kirk is a very low key, serious performer. I don't know who's going to be that guy that keeps it loose and fun, especially guy in the fourth quarter when it's tight and a play needs to be made.

Who's that guy? I guess we're gonna find out.

Well, we do have Gabe Davis, and we know he can make some big plays as to what we've seen in Buffalo, so that's always an option. Our second big thing this week is look at him because as we mentioned, John, I know this is your favorite time of year, but what can you take away from rookie camp when all the young guys come in and kind of see how things are laid out?

Nothing? And when I say that, I mean what's going on on the field, whether this guy is beating this guy or catching touchdowns and any anything away. What you don't want to see is guys where the scouts are coming off the field going to know about that one and that doesn't happen very often.

Anymore.

But basically this should be a week is what I'm getting at, Brian, where you're just showing guys what it is, what the NFL is. Okay, we'll see in a week when OTAs start, we'll go over this again, go over it again in training camp. This should be an initiation, and I don't think you want to read too much into it. If some kid doesn't look quite ready yet.

Oh, it's practice for practice, Kai, I mean, this is where you're going to show these guys how you work and what the expectations are, and just get them familiar with the schoolhouse, so to speak. It's kind of a first day of school experience for them. Know where the bathrooms are and know where the lunch room is, understand where the locker room is and the.

Quickest way out to the field.

There was a situation years ago where the Jaguars in nineteen ninety seven drafted an offensive lineman out of Colorado State who walking off the practice field. One very high profile offensive lineman once was heard say who is that guy? He can't play at all? And you don't want that. You want everybody to look the part.

I can't imagine what lineman would have said that I had might know him pretty well. Maybe our first, our final, big thing today is going to be final additions. So, because the draft is over, free agency obviously behind us, is this the roster set that we're going to look at. I'm sure if he talks to the GM, they'll say they're always looking for players. But Brian, do you think this is kind of the roster we're going to see going into the season with as much.

Money as they've got under the salary cap. I don't think they're going to limit themselves if there's somebody out there that makes sense.

If there's someone that's cut during.

Training camp, you'd have to look at very specific positions, and I think on the defensive side of the ball entirely.

A quarterback or a pass rusher.

Who can help that with Ryan Nielsen, and someone gets cut somewhere he's been along the way Atlanta, maybe there would be a guy there, So I would say, no, I think there's still a guy or two here that's going to come on and be a big time contributor at some point.

This Yeah, it's essentially the final roster obviously, But as Brian said, Trent Balkey likes to leave room for one mid season move, a trade deadline move one way or the other. And I do think no matter what happens with Trevor Lawrence's contract later, with whatever contracts they still have to get done, they'll leave room to make at least one either mid season or training camp acquisition.

They really have managed the salary cap exceedingly well. When they started this process of free agency, I wasn't sure because of Josh Allen's contract that they'd be able to be as aggressive as they were, and now to set themselves up with as much room as they've got, they've done a really good job.

With the cap this year.

Good to have options and that flexibility going into training camp and the season. Stay with us here on Jagsam. As we come back, we're going to look ahead and do our schedule predictions for the upcoming season. Move the freight. Move the freight. Magellan Transport voted the coolest office space in Jacksonville. You can apply online at www dot Magellan Logistics dot com. Welcome back to jag Zam. As I mentioned, we're gonna look ahead to the schedule now. Schedule usually

That that Texans Jaguars rivalry is quietly, you know, a budding marquee rivalry. It doesn't have the status yet because neither team has made a deep playoff run.

But watching what CJ. Stroud did last.

Year and the division came down to the last game and the rookie took it over the more veteran quarterback, I think the league would look at this game and say it would be a four o'clock game. I think it's in Houston, to be honest with you, and it could be something that could be really compelling.

Yeah, I agree with Brian about the Texans rivalry. I kind of just leaned the other way that maybe they wouldn't put that as the opener because they think both games will be so important for the division race, but it can easily be the opener. I just kind of, you know, and looking at this, you're really guessing on how they're gonna think because a lot of times it comes down to what.

Every game's left.

They're not actively thinking about how to do the Jaguars every day or do bad things with the Jaguars, which is what most fans will think on Thursday. So I went with Tennessee just because I think it'll be a division game. I think generally the league sort of likes putting division games in the opener when they can. They've done the colt so often is the opener, and I don't think they'll do the Texans. So guess what the Titans are the team that's left to take. So that's why I went that directly.

One other option, let's look at some of what we predict for London. Obviously last year they played two games there. We haven't had that confirmed. There is rumors, there's reports that there could be two games there this year, and if there are two games, we do know that one of those would be against the Bears. So we each have our predictions if there are two games, that's what we're going with. The prediction that if there are two,

With the Bears?

Yea?

And we should clarify the reason that that would be is when you look at the potential road games, sure, there's really only one that could be and so I went with Chalk there. I went with Cleveland. I don't know. I mean one of the reports said the most likely were either Cleveland or New England. I went with Cleveland because it kind of feels like they would try to put what might be perceived as the better game over there, but that could be one.

I know that they had a strong Patriots contingent in Germany last year, even though neither the Colts know, the Patriots were very good at the end of the year. So I went with the Bears for the reasons that you both enumerated, and I went with the Patriots because obviously they have a huge fan base and an international following from all of the Brady years, and I just think as many times as they can get the Patriots in front of a European audience, they're going to want

They had marketed very well internationally, so wouldn't be surprised. I went with similar thought process. I went with the Jets for my Bears, of course, and we mentioned if there is an extra game, it would be that I went with the Jets as well, because I'm thinking Aaron Rodgers. I know when we go there, there's jerseys of every color and every team, but Green Bay is always represented very well. And I know Aaron's not there anymore, but I think some of that might carry over, so I

A lot of optimism this year. There always is when you're doing with the Jets.

I mean there are always people that seemingly nonsensically jump on board. I mean, you've got a foty year old quarterback coming back with a bad achilles and yet I have seen people put the Jets at the very top of the AFC.

So it would make sense to put the Jets in London.

It would. Now let's look ahead to primetime. So last year we had quite a few we if there's any football, Sunday night football, Monday night football. Obviously the London games are technically primetime as well, because they're the only games on where do we think they're going to end up? Here? John, I know you went with two. I think for yours. Yeah, everyone's promised one includes Thursday.

Yeah, everyone's promised. Why I went with the Texans for the early reason. I think over the course of the next five years, this game will be on primetime twice. At some point it'll be a four o'clock. Yeah, he's going to turn into the rivalry Brian's talking about. So if I looked at the schedule, it would seem logical that that would be one. They would consider the Dolphins. Both teams had winning records last year. Meet JAG's nine and eight, Dolphins like eleven and six, it would make

But there's a bunch that could be.

Where'd you go with yours, Brian, I think you had a couple of more.

Yeah, I think I had three. I don't wait for you to put them up because I've forgotten.

I went with the Texans, and if they play a four o'clock game in Houston, and then I would think this would be, you know, maybe the season finale something like that. I like the Dolphins for the same reason that you do. You know, two teams with winning records in Florida. I mean, it could be a Thursday, could be a Monday. There's lots of opportunities for that. And I think the Packers game could be a primetime game.

Here. You've got an exciting young quarterback in.

Jordan Love who you know, pulled off a huge upset in the playoffs and of course, the Packers are always a great draw in primetime, and the league likes quarterback matchups, and I think they're going to gamble and go back to Trevor Lawrence. They didn't have a lot of success in primetime last year, but I don't think that takes away. I think that would be an end of the season kind of thing because it'd be in the flex schedule

I have one similar to you guys, I want with the Dolphins. I could definitely see that being like a Thursday Monday night something, just because of proximity and the records, as John mentioned. But then I straight a little bit. We are going to Buffalo this season, hopefully if it's a primetime game that is in the fall and not in January, because I don't think that be very fun. And then this is a little bit different. I think the Lions primetime in the sense it's Thanksgiving wouldn't be

Yeah, I think there's a good chance that that happened. I say a good chance, the realistic chance that happens. I didn't put it on there because I just didn't really think that as a primetime game. If you think that's primetime, then absolutely, I think that could happen.

It's definitely primetime for eating turkey and stuffing, and you watch football.

Technically prime time is.

Night, so it's a barkie game though.

Marquy, Yes, but I will go prime time for turkey at noon on Thursday, fair enough.

And besides just the lines, there's always the opportunity that a Jaguars game could be put on that in that wild card Thursday night, sure, because they've not announced to the teams would be for that yet.

Yes, let's look at what we think our regular season finale will be for this year, because that's all of us. That's kind of where I went with mine, in the sense of I didn't put this in my primetime necessarily, but I know kind of when they flexed that Titan game the other year at the end of the season, That's what I could see for the Texans game, because I think they always kind of want a division game at the end, you know, if it's gonna decide the division.

Yeah, I went with the Colts as because I think it'll be division I kind of think they might get the Texan stuff out of the way. I think it could easily be the Texans. My only hesitancy with picking the Texans is I kind of wonder if the league doesn't sort of think that they're the favorites and might put them against somebody else if they thought that at

I want with the Raiders.

Just as a throwback, twenty years ago, the Jaguars went to Oakland to play the Raiders in the season finale with the playoffs on the line, and they got beat.

By a field goal at the end.

So I just harken back to that and think, well, maybe they'll put the Raiders out of this year.

We're guessing. So this is true.

We are all guessing, and hopefully if that is true, it's a different finish this time around.

Well it's a different city, that's true.

All right, stay with us. We're gonna come back and do ozone mail bag as we get all of our questions answered by John. After the big Jags fansy can gear up at fanatics dot com with all the latest Jag styles. Shop now and get today's special offer at fanatics dot com. Officially licensed everything in Frittly, Oh, rolling on in love? Your caricature looks just like it?

Yeah, I guess it does.

We ask the questions here this week. Interesting. I mean we talked a little bit about this, but first questions from Sean. He wants to know, would you say the Jaguars have more depth than last year or about the same.

It's hard to say.

I guess they have a little more.

Depth.

Is such a weird thing in the NFL because if you get an injury to it a particular position, then all of a sudden you don't have depth. It can be a perception thing. Meaning remember twenty twenty two, Brian, nobody thought they had any depth, no, and they were able to withstand two significant injuries on the offensive line and a couple in their places and they were fine. Last year they thought they had depth, they got two injuries at receiver and one at quarterback and the season

Well.

You know, last year, I think we thought that there was a lot of depth on the offensive line.

There were certainly a lot of bodies.

And then remember in Detroit they lose Josh Wells, who was going to be that swing tackle for them, and it seemed like it unraveled from there.

There were injuries.

With Cam there were several injuries at left guard, and it just they never got any traction whatsoever. So it's easy to look and say, oh, yeah, we've got depth in the second week in May, but by the time you get to the start of the regular season, all of that depth is evaporated.

And clarify something, no team has the depth to withstand two or more injuries at I mean I say nine, it's rare. It's very difficult to withstand or run on injuries at a position group, especially the secondary, because usually once an injury happens and you get too then all of a sudden, it's.

Katie bar the door.

But there are a couple of places right in the secondary with the two young corners they drafted. If one of those guys all of a sudden becomes a contributor, whether that's Nickel or having to take some significant time for an injury to Ronald Darby, and up front right, if one of those two young defensive tackles has to work their way into a rotation that seems like it's got a lot of bodies, then.

You could have depth. But it's so tough to know.

If the league gets set up so that they don't want teams to have depth.

Right, that's what free agency is.

It's parody, and we'll figure out a lot once the rookie's get in here too, about who's going to be of service to the team right away. Our second question about the offensive line is Rogs Paul from Lake City says, as a veteran center and a fourth rounder really change our line that much? I see a line that is one or two injuries away from being ineffective. Again, obviously we can't count for injuries, but yeah.

Plays in the I was saying before, Yeah, I think it. If Mitch Morse is better than Luke Fordner and you get interior solved, and remember everybody talks about they'd make enough changes. I think the team considers Ezra Cleveland a change. I don't think there's a belief that we saw the complete Ezra Cleveland experience last year.

So that would be two.

If they get that interior offensive line fixed and it's not and you're able to run for half a yard more Carrey, then I do think the offensive line is better in terms of if you get a couple of injuries away. I would say this every team, ideally in the NFL, you want seven or eight good offensive linemen. Most teams have trouble fight and five. So yes, they're probably an injury or two away from not being as

I think it's also important to mention you do want change. I think they definitely need to make change to that line, but you don't want four out of new five new players on your offensive line.

There is it's not realistic to try to do that.

What if the change is that Walker Little and Cam Robinson are both available.

For sixteen games this year?

That's huge, right, I mean that has changed that neither one of them were last year. So what if what you do in the off season, the way that they train, the way that they change their diet. What if that's the change that keeps them on the field the entire time. And what if the young kid from Missouri all of a sudden looks like he's a guy that you could

And I think that's important to remember. It's a good point. Our final question for you, John is from a fellow John, and he says, the addition of Darnell Savage and Jariin Jones, how do you foresee Antonio Johnson's role in the upcoming season? Have to keep that production on the bench.

Yeah, it's it's hard right now. I think we'll know more in a couple of weeks. I'm not a big hey I look forward Ota guy, but I think it will be interesting to see and maybe get some sort of a feel for how they're gonna play the safety position. There's talk with Darnell Savage and Antonio Johnson playing you know, Nickels safety, Where does do he wingerd fit in. I don't really have a great feel yet for exactly where

Have a role. I think he's a start.

I think he with Andre Cisco will start, and then you'll see Darnell Savage playing with Jari and Jones or whoever the other Nichol is going to be.

I think his talent is too good and his potential is.

Too high to put on the bench, and he takes ray Sewn Jenkins spot and the.

Starting line up.

It remains to be seen, but I think there'll be a lot of rotation on defense, especially if they're gonna play running gun as we've described, you know, playing Manda Man all day, you're gonna need a lot of players in there stay fresh and healthy. So it remains to be seen. Coming up after the break, we'll preview our rookie mini camp with what's coming up the rest of the week.

For me, it's a well, just completing my game. I was going to my four years kind of like you know, you think about like a senior in high school, like you're supposed to You're supposed to know what to do now, you're supposed to do everything right, supposed to shore the guys. So I'm looking to be a leader and just like I said, take the next step.

Out of way. The safety Andre Cisco entering his fourth season, final year of his contract, believe as well. So just talking a little bit about that. He's now kind of after the movement we've seen in the defensive back room, he's a more of a veteran presence this year.

Well, he's he and Tyson Campbell are the most tenured guys back there outside of Dewey. So yeah, it is an important It's an important year for him. He has been very very close to being very very good at times. He's also got a step to take before he's what.

He wants to be.

So I think it's a big year for him.

Cisco and Campbell. Consistency definitely gonna be big for them, and staying injury free. Of course, as always, I know rookie Minni camp. We don't get a ton out of that, but we will see them. They head into camp on Thursday, I believe, Johnny. Just you just heading out and make sure everybody can run around.

I exaggerate, I say every year with these things, not to get worked up. If you see media reports of this guy isn't what I thought.

He would be.

This I ran this wrong route. He didn't look the part. Whatever. Just don't get too hyped up about little things that you see. But you do want to see guys that look like they belong and that's what you're sort of going out there to see. Brian Thomas, does he look the part? You want guys to look the part. Just don't get overly worried if they don't shine on the first two days that they're out there.

Brian, what are you looking forward to this week?

Nothing?

Worky minute camp is just from our perspective, offers you nothing. It's all hype, not to coaches, not to the players, but it's conclusions nothing. By the time we get to OTA's no one remembers rookie minicamp. The only rookie minute camp I remember is twenty fifteen because Dante Fowler Junior, the third pick in the draft, popped his ACL in the first ten minutes, and I.

Thought, why are we out here with these guys. I'm gonna get him hurt.

They haven't been training for this, and now all of a sudden, you go from training to run a forty or bench you know, two twenty five. I've had ver many times you can to actually getting into pass rest drills. This doesn't make any sense and they know that too. There's a fine line that they'll walk with these guys this week so that they are ready to come back for whatever off season they're a part of and mini

That is the prime thing staying safe. Of course, we're gonna hear from some of the coaches, the coordinators this week, I believe as well, and perhaps Matt House as well, who has that LSU connection with all of our draft picks. That House, So stay with us. We'll check them with you next week and let you know all things that go down here on Jacks.

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