Spoke of it to Jagsam. I'm kin Nannie Stephens our first jags Am of the month of May. Brian Session and John Oser are with me today. It's exciting months coming up. OTA's are around the corner of voluntary workouts already going on. But let's start out with our first big thing today, which is Rookie Mini Caamp that's coming up in the coming days. And as much excitement as there is swirling around this rookie class, Brian, what are you most looking forward to in Rookie Minni Caamp?
Travis Hunter? I mean, listen, I can't imagine even being excited about Rookie Mini Camp, especially you know since twenty fifteen when things changed after Dante Fowler tore his ACL and they went to more of a walkthrough. But you're getting a star. You're getting a superstar in Travis Hunter who brings such a huge press both online and in person. I'm excited to see him.
Yeah, I mean, Travis Hunter is the only answer, and since Brian goes first, he gets the answer today. But within that right, the people who are coming out to see this, you're not gonna see, you know, much football stuff, but you will see speed. You know, you will see Tooton's very fast Hunters very fast. They tried to draft to get some speed, so I think you'll see some suddenness from those guys, and that's the kind of thing
you can see. But the show is Travis Hunter, and this is the first act of the show.
We love that. Our second big thing today gonna be overhaul. We talked a lot about the front office changes we saw in the off season, but now after the draft, we're seeing some more changes continue. Assistant general manager Ethan Wah parted ways with the team. Some other front office changes Jonas is something we'll see consider we will see going forward the next couple of weeks as this goes along.
Yeah, I think this is how the clock works with a new GM. They come in, they do the draft with people who are existing, because the people who are there have the institutional knowledge of what this scouting staff has looked at. Then once you get through the draft. James Gladstone, other Rams do things a certain way. James Gladstone does it things a way that I anticipate evolving from the Rams, and we'll stop talking about that soon.
But he'll bring in his people, people who see it the same way he does and who he has experience with, just like anybody. So I think the transition you'll see over the next month ish is very natural, expected and it would be exciting though, Brian, because these guys think a little different, and I think it's natural when you do that that you want to get. You want to get people who are on the same page as you.
Well, since John gets to go first with the second question, he got the obvious answer, so I'm just going to reiterate it in different terms. You just expected that the previous GM's right hand man was going to be dismissed. I mean, I don't know whether he expected it, but I think everybody around expected it. But to John's point, they just do things different. It's an unconventional way of approaching asymmetrical. I've called it the Hedge Fund over and
over and over. It's guys that do things a completely different way, old school football, new school football, and they're going to infiltrate the ranks with people that do things their way.
Just makes sense.
Our final big thing today is going to be turnover. We saw a ton of signings in free agency, obviously with the new front office here and now we've seen the rookie additions and also the undesignated free agent additions. I think there's almost twenty of them. So Ryan, when you look at this roster, it's going to be more than half new people right at this point, which makes sense with a changeover in management. But what are we
looking for as far as things go forward. There's gonna be a lot of new faces.
Yeah, And I think the speed side of it is what really stands out. I mean, this team added it all over the place. I don't know that I thought they were terribly slow last year, but it's clear that this coaching staff and the scoutings gap wanted something completely different. So when you look down the ranks of the guys, especially the undrafted rookie free agents, you see speed, speed, speed.
I think that's the part that, as John alluded to, we're going to see on Saturday, guys running and running fast.
Yeah. And you can't really change a culture without changing the people and some of that as players. So I do think you're seeing that. I think the number is twenty nine rookies last time I counted, I think there were twenty two free agents by the time they finished. And I think The intriguing thing is James Gladstone. I think he alluded to it. To the draft, they clearly left spots. Their roster was a little smaller after free
agency going into the draft. That maybe would have been usual a lot of teams sort of wait, see what they draft, then they release guys. The Jaguars were able to sort of just we're gonna leave space. They knew what positions were likely. So this has been a plan from day one. And of course there's transition because you're changing culture.
I was at an event with James last night and he was asked this very question about undrafted rookies and filling the roster with rookies and there being a chance, and he went back to a year, probably three years ago in Los Angeles where they had forty six players under contract on draft weekend and they filled in the gaps with rookie free agents using their method, their DNA,
as he alluded to time and again. And you've seen what they've done the last couple of years, and of course they made a playoff run last year, so it clearly has worked for them, and that's what they're setting about to do here.
So hope it works. Just as well in Jacksonville. Say with us here on jag Zam, we're going to go over some of that roster construction after the break. Jag Dam today brought to you by Fresh from Florida. It's always in season.
This score that, this score that.
Welcome back to jack Exam today. We're gonna have rookie mini camp at the end of the week. Voluntary workouts still have been going on for a while and Brian don't have the exact number count, but it's pretty good turnout so far.
That generally happens in a year where you get a brand new coaching staff. Guys want to come in and take advantage of the opportunity to get ahead before OTAs, plus the excitement and energy level with a new young staff. It can't hurt.
Well, it almost always happens in Florida anyway, as Brian alluded to with the new staff and frankly with this bunch. Look, they're voluntary, but I can list maybe six seven guys who I know will start. I can't listen any more than that, So I'm sure there is a little bit of a psychological thing. If you're competing, even for an offensive line position, might be a good idea to get there, and I be in front of the coaches, even though the coaches can't say do anything yet.
Yeah, listen, I think especially if you're talking about an off line position, because that's a group that's inder great scrutiny, and they brought in a bunch of players and drafted some as well. And I don't think either of the tackles, either Walker Little or Anton Harrison, has distinguished himself enough to be clear of competition. So I think that group in particular is going to be under some scrutiny.
We're going to talk about a couple of things when we talk about competition and what we're looking at in terms of roster construction. On the defense, we saw some additions. I think at this point we've seen most of what they're going to do for the roster. Maybe a free agent here or there. But where's your concern lie on the defensive side of the football.
Obviously, there was.
A lot of breakdowns in the secondary last year, not a ton of push from the defensive line, which one of those is a focus you think needs to be this offseason to be better next season.
Like safety, I mean, we saw so many big plays down the middle last year and I realized and Francisco had a poor year and he's now in New York. But john it seemed, especially when Dewey Wingard was down, that they just didn't have any answers. Antonio Johnson did not rise to the occasion, at least not in that scheme last year, despite at the end of the year prior showing a lot of skill. It just seemed like
they had no solutions at safety whatsoever. I know they've addressed that both in free agency and the draft, but that's the area, the middle of the field that I'm most concerned about.
Well, I'm so little concerned at corner. You know, Travis Hunter is a good I mean, obviously an incredible ad. I believe Jordan Lewis will go outside some and Travis Hunter will play there. I still want to see what that looks like. Although I think they think they or they have addressed corner and secondary, I still wonder if some defensive line stuff isn't still to come. I think you could still see them add edge tackle whatever. I'm not sure they're done there. In terms of veterans, you know.
For his sake, I hope that Mason Smith is working his butt off. I mean, there's so much, there's so much being placed on his shoulders. You know, a second round pick a year ago, a guy with immense potential, and if he's right, if he's good, kai, I mean, they've got a major issue in the middle of their defense solved. But if he's not and he's a disappointment, then they've got an issue that they're gonna deal with all season long.
I think the big thing there is they would love him to be what the last regime drafted him as, because I think that gives you what you know is gonna be for twenty six and twenty seven. If I'm getting the years right after this, it's hard to see
Eric Armstead being here after this year. So they would love to have Mason Smith moving in ascending Mason missing me a big part of rotation this year, but to be the guy in there, Boy, would that be something they wouldn't have to address in the draft in a premium area.
Again, let's switch to the offensive line. Obviously, we talked a ton about the additions they've made to that room, how different it's gonna look. We know there'll be at least two new starters just by way of Mitch Morse's retirement and Brandon Sheriff not being here anymore. So center and right guard will be different this year, but there'll be more than two new starters to this offensive line this year.
John will yeah, and I couldn't tell you which one, Brian, But I think I mean every position and even the guys they brought in are competing. But left tackle, right guard is absolutely a competition with Wyatt Mile. I'm coming in to push as I'm sorry, I've got that left guard right. But the reason I guess I said it that way, I don't know that there's a position that I would bet my house where I know the starter.
I think it'll be little. You know, the guys were sort of projecting, but I bet I don't bet one hundred percent if I picked it right now. I think the competition is that real.
Well, I think that the two guys we talked about in the outside both have a leg up because they're the most athletic, they're the most capable guys. But because this new coaching staff does things so differently, I wouldn't put it past anybody to be well. I even mentioned to somebody, well, certainly Hainsy the sentiment that they bring in from Tampa. He knows the coach, he knows the scheme. And I said, somebody say, don't bet on it, right,
I mean, he's gotta go earn it. So yeah, I mean there's some guys that are probable that you think they just make sense. But the offensive line is going to be the storyline of training camp beyond the quarterback in Travis.
Absolutely.
Now let's turn our focus to the running back room. Another crowded room when we look at two editions from the rookie class, plus obviously undesignated free agents as well. But looking at that room, who do we think will have at the end of the season the most cares for the team?
Tooting will by the end, I just think they drafted him to give them that explosiveness. I'll kind of pull back on that a little bit. Will you have the most carries? I think so? Will he have the most impact? Will he be the guy you're talking about the most? I think I'd be surprised if he wasn't, because of how they see him fitting. And it's not out of the question that he starts.
He's there, Bucky Irving, you know, he's the guy that comes in as a rookie and they believe can transform the way the running game works. I think more interesting is who's going to have the second most I mean, is Travis Etn going to be a part of the running back rotation or is he going to be more of an offensive weapon, a guy that they line up in the slot they move around, more of a third
down back. And we talked last week about the opportunity, a distinct one that exists for Travis in that role. I think Tank is going to be the guy who has the second most carries.
Yeah, and don't sleep on Lequent Allen, Yes, seventh round pick. I'd be very surprised if he's not a factor. So it's as much as we talk about the offensive line, it sort of feels from outside like, well, Tank Bagsby and Travis Atn have been the guys to sort of default. Not at all. This is everything's on the table wide receiver. You feel really good about knowing the three, and then Parker Washington is the fourth that feels right. Quarterback feels right.
Beyond that, it's going to be interesting to see how roles play out.
I think any order, I would believe you at this point. I'm not quite sure, but that's what makes it fun. Stay with us. We'll talk a little bit more about what's coming up to the rest of the week. Move the freight, Move the freight. Magellan Transport voted the coolest office space in Jacksonville. Apply online at Magellanlogistics dot com. John Os're so kind to answer all the fanned questions every day as you do.
So we're going this is sort of a part of me, really is that's one.
Of the top the scriptures I would use. Yeah, and fashionable and funny.
Wow, keep going, you'll.
Hit one, all right, let's do. Bill from Hawthorn Woods, Illinois says any insight on potential discussions to bring the NFL Draft to Jacksonville after stadium completion, Green Bay worked, so I have to believe that jack could support.
It as well, Right, think more about you know, if there's discussions. I haven't heard, you know, any official, but I would be very surprised if it's not a thing that they you know, not only one get it's a fit.
It's a lever that the league uses for the non Super Bowl cities, right, I mean, there's like nine cities that are going to host the Super Bowl all across the South into California, but places like Green Bay. When they completed Title Town, which was a public private partnership sort of like we're seeing out here. Green Bay was given the opportunity to host the Draft. They use it suites, stadiums,
these sorts of things. And my guess is that the reason it's going to Washington in twenty twenty seven is because they've got the deal done for the new stadium there. I can't imagine that when the Commissioner came down and met with the mayor when they were talking about the stadium two years ago, that this was not on the table. And I believe you'll see it here. They'll probably give the stadium a year or two for everything to finish up construction wise, and to work their way through the
punch list. But I would guess by twenty thirty Jacksonville will be in the middle of the conversation. And it's worth noting when they first moved it from New York and took it to Chicago back in twenty fifteen, it was a very simple affair. They had a setting a grant park with a stage with the team tables, and now it's become like a Super Bowl. I mean, it stretches and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
So they may want to give it a couple more years to make sure that the hotels and the infrastructure are in place here. But I believe you'll see it here twenty thirty, twenty thirty one.
But you've been at the last couple drafts, and it can smaller market.
Obviously, green Bay did it right. Green Bay did Nashville. It was. It started in Chicago and it was simple, and then it went to Philadelphia and they closed up the Ben Franklin Parkway and made it a bit bigger, and then Nashville. Well, then went to Dallas. It was in the stadium. Then Nashville took it a different level. I mean they took Broadway all the way down. Uh, it went to Vegas. Vegas is Vegas. Cleveland didn't do
much with it. Kansas City did a big deal on the on the lawn in front of the Union Station at the Liberty Memorial. Detroit did it in Cadillac Square. Green Bay was completely different. They did it around the stadium. So I think it'll be an interesting mix. I'm interested to see you know when they start talking about this, how they do it, because I would imagine they'd want something at the beach, they'd want something downtown here, they'd want to blow it up, so to speak. Jacksonville can
absolutely do it. They just need more here downtown, which is what they're working on right now.
That's the plan. I will be very happy with the traffic that weekend. R I'm used to being able to get right in and get and get out.
Yeah, you'll be taking a shuttle somewhere. That's that's the way it works. No, you'll tell you you'll have Green Bay. Nobody got anywhere near it. It's become a Level one national security event to tell you what the draft has become.
So absolutely all right, John. Another one, Steve from Nashville, said, you have probably covered enough region changes regime changes in the NFL to know if this one feels any different than all the rest. But those I feel different so far.
Well, I think they all sort of feel different in different ways. To give an awful answer, but I think when I answered the question, I think what he's looking
for is does this feel more right? I think the uniqueness about this one is the transparency that they're acting with and it's important to all of them to bring the fans into the experience and Brian, it's it's hard to put it into words, but there is a common sense, especially with Piselli and Gladstone, who've gotten to know a little bit better than I have Liam, but I think they all share it this. They look at something and think, is that the right way to do it? Yeah, okay,
let's do it that. You know, that sounds very easy, but so many regimes you've been around sort of try to overcomplicate things. So overall, the thing I'm encouraged about is the communication ability between Gladstone to sell and Liam Cohne to be on the same page. I wish I could describe it better, but I have great faith in that as moving the organization in the right direction.
Well, I mentioned earlier, I was at an event with all three of them last night, and I'm a big body language guy. I kind of watched that and so I was sitting in one stool at the end, and then the three of them were together. It's distinct, Yeah, I mean they finish each other's sentences. They kind of look at each other. They've been together nine weeks for goodness sakes, and yet it's very clear that they have developed a strong cohesive bond between the three of them.
If I could put it into words, I would say the transparency is the issue. I think people have seen the clip of Tony and James walking on the practice field and talking about the move. You realize they let them shoot that weeks in advance, when very few people knew. The level of trust that is in this organization right now has never never been seen before, which goes to show you that they are they are trying hard to bring the fans into the building as much as they can. Well,
that's never happened before either. It's it's unique, it's remarkable. Choose your adjective. We've been excited about regime changes before, and there have been reason to be excited about regime changes before, but there's never been anything like this.
And there's also a combination. Look, you got to win and Trevor's got to improve. That's the base is there. But there is a combination of boldness and confidence. It's impressive. And as soon as I say that, I hear people saying, whether he can be bold and confident on you want? What if they're just too cocky. I don't. I don't sinse that. I think it's it's a boldness based on we know what we're doing. We've seen this operate before, and we have to be the changes organization, so there's
never any guarantees in life or in the NFL. But I feel better about this than anything I've I have felt probably since I've been back in twenty eleven. And well, I hope I'm right. I'm enthusiastic about it. I'm an old cynical hack so I always have you know, I always pull back on everything. But I think these guys got to go in the right direction.
I'm not cynical. I tend to be more optimistic, but I'll take you this. I go all the way back to the beginning of this franchise, and other than Kauughlin, I have not been as excited about what I'm seeing going back thirty one years. That just doesn't exist.
John.
I'm a little cautious as well, just because of all the new things. We never really know what we're going to get. But when I talk about that boldness and you talk about that boldness, a lot of it comes from understanding how they want to operate in the sense where a lot of people go through the motions. Sometimes we talk about, oh, this is the way it's done, and this is how you do it, you know, with thirty thirty visit, you do whatever, and they're like, no,
this is how I want to do it. And whether that's right or wrong, they live with those consequences, but they understand how they want to do things and they're not just going along with status quo.
Yeah, I think I think it's a really good point when, for instance, it's very unusual not to do the thirty visits. It's a little unusual not to talk to players face to face. I've talked to some assistance of these guys, and the Jaguars really haven't talked to some of the assistants you'd usually talk to. But you could tell by the draft they're drilling down and they're finding out about the guys that they want. And then when you talk to James Gladstone about it, there are reasons and sound
reasons when they do different things. It's not just for the sake of being bowler, sake of this or sake of that, so they think about it a little differently. But the different way of thinking is still rooted in very sound football principles.
Love it all right. Question is gonna be robed from Duval? And he says, would it makes sense to just give Travis Hunter a specific player to cover when he's on defense? Time management seems pretty mind bogging unless they find a way to simplify the game plan on defense, saying you have this number seems pretty simple. Might be good enough to trace some really good players.
Well, I don't know that you want to. Hey, you're gonna play offense in defense and you're gonna take away the best receiver on the other team, and we're gonna carve you a bust right now, like slightly tall task. Let him earn that role. I think people are because it's not necessarily out there and they haven't seen it yet. Yes, the time management is going to be a challenge, Ryan,
but they haven't planned for it. And it's basically, he's gonna work seventy five percent of the time on offense, twenty five on defense, and they're gonna give him enough packages on defense to understand on that day. So that's the plan. And I know people say, well, what about this, what about this? What about this? That's what they're going to do and I think if if they need to
tweak that as you go forward, they will. But that's the plan start now, so it's not all that mind boggling to figure out it's gonna.
Well, that's the key is it's it's gonna be work in progress, right. I mean, they're gonna work in the extra meeting time for him with the offensive and defensive coordinators throughout the course of the day. They're going to figure out what he's able to do. And Liam said it the other evening that you've got to have him working extra on his own outside of the building. So
they're gonna they're gonna figure out. They're gonna have a plan, and they're gonna figure out what he can do and what he's willing to do, and they're going to work their way through it and they'll make adjustments. I don't think you can make a Harden. We haven't seen this since the sixties. We haven't seen it in an offensive defensive you know what I mean. We just haven't seen it. So they're gonna have to give him a lot of room to grow and then reined in where they need to.
I think it's a good point you made there's a students. My understanding is they were rased.
I've been told that as well.
But the students like me did enough to get by during the week. Travis Hunter will need to be an a student. He'll need to be the guy that I looked at when he's going to the library and what are you doing. He'll need to be that sort of motivated to make this work, because that's the sort of mental dedication it'll take. He wants to do this, so that's what he'll do. They think you will, all right, stay with us.
We can. We will tell you the schedule for the rest of the week and what you can expect to hear and from.
Whom that went fast. That went fast.
So I do hope that maybe, now, reflecting on the warp speed of two months, life doesn't continue to go that faster, that I get to pause a.
Little bit more. I think.
So much this day is about pressing the fast forward. But and I'll look to try as often as I can to press the pause button and just root myself. I think I'll be mindful of that for sure.
Has been a whirlwind two months for the start of things for a general manager, James Gladstone, who was on the Ozone podcast, and if you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend it because we finally got a little bit of a toned down version. But he's not going at one hundred miles an hour, so it can kind of reflect a little bit. With you, John, I thought it was an enlightening conversation.
Yeah, I think we talked. It was a little longer than the usual of the Zone podcast, and as you can imagine, Ryan I could have gone two hours. It was fascinating to talk to him. We didn't get super super deep into the details of the draft because frankly, that's going to be seen in the hunt, so we talked more about sort of him a little bit. And
he's a very interesting guy. And I would recommend anybody who wants to understand sort of how this is moving the direction, why it's so easy to trust in this leadership group, I would recommend watching it was.
It was a lot of fun, Tony, Butshelley told me a story about their interview with him. It was four hours long and said that for the first two hours they didn't even talk football, So I mean it's yeah, he's a fascinating guy and he's a deep thinker, and he's fun to listen to.
And I could see I mean, if you're doing an interview process and you get to the end, I could easily see how when they were all done, they were they got to the point where they were hoping they would get him. He's that sort that I would imagine once everything sort of filtered out and they were sitting around the room, it was a pretty easy decision. We got to go get this guy. So I really I'm really happy he's here, and I would be very very
surprised if he's not successful. And by nature, the you know, extension, the organization are good.
Let's talk a little bit about this week where manicamp kicks off Friday, I believe is the first day on the field. They'll get here on Thursday, John, and then we'll get to talk and see all of them on Saturday.
Yeah. And it's as we talked about the top of the show, the theme around here until it's not is the Travis Hunter experience. I mean it's and I think you always get a little worried and say that about a rookie. You know, he's the theme. But from everything you hear, you can handle it. You guys have been around him little more than I have. I've had a chance to
sit out and talk with him, you guys have. It seems like this is a guy who understands that's what it is, but can walk a humble walk through that if you will.
He's a superstar. This franchise has never had that. Never I mean, I guess you could say Trevor. They've they've had big players before, I mean Fred and Jimmy, but that was in an era where he had a different meaning altogether. Now, in the social media world, his reach is unbelievable, So I fully expect there to be a circus with this guy waiting. He put his feet on the ground in London, for goodness sakes. I mean, he's he's.
Got that sort of appeal and it's confidence, not arrogance, which is also kind of cool to see it Nowaday and Age, because obviously you want to have belief in yourself without coming across that way, and as talented as he is, you assume that could kind of come across in a you know, braggadocious way. But you know it's worth saying very quiet confidence as well.
Having met him for the first time as you did this, that Draft weekend. I kind of expected there to be a little of that, I think, especially with the you know, he says Dean Sanders is a father figure to him, Right, So I kind of I figured there'd be at least a touch of it. I sensed nothing. Nothing in his body language, nothing in his verbal nothing. He just seems to me to be a unicorn.
Right. I would be interested if ar I get a chance to meet some of the people who influenced him growing up, his fam because for him to be as humble as he appears with being a tik Took, it's still TikTok rights that were the cool kids. That for him to be as big as a star on a level as he is and to walk with the humility that he evidently does, it's tough. Uh So, I'm excited about seeing this the t h E the Travis Hunter experience.
Oh I love that we are too. We'll get to see a sneak peek of it this weekend for Minikimp and we'll tell you all about it next week here on jack Zam. Have a good one,