Kathy from Jacksonville
The reference to Urban Meyer giving second chances makes him sound more understanding and compassionate. Hopefully, this extends to players, too. I don t necessarily think fans would be included. Even though he extended the second chance to a hire, I m glad that the organization also recognized the strong concern of others about the hire. I really hope Meyer is a person who gives second chances to change for the good. My concern lies with the third, fourth, fifth . etc. chances. I had hoped that general manager and Jaguars Owner Shad Khan would have had more input pre-hire, but glad they did post-hire. I believe the Jaguars need them, even though Meyer has been given a lot of authority in the decision making. He needs someone to check him.
KC from Orlando, FL
KOAF, what are your impressions of the new coaching staff? I get the feel that Coach Meyer is promoting it like a college coach would try to recruit a five-star high school senior at a university – i.e., promoting the experience of joining the team would enhance the player s talent and value while promoting a winning atmosphere. I feel that Coach Meyer s approach is genuine, but will it really matter much to a professional athlete? Certainly everyone wants to win, but it is still a business with a short career span for most athletes. Do you think it will entice free agents to come to Jacksonville?
John from Jacksonville
I didn t see kitchen sink being listed as part of the coaching staff. They hired just about everything else.
I have received a few emails like this poking fun at the size of the Jaguars coaching staff, and because the entire list was announced in one day – Thursday – it did seem like
a lot of names. But the Jaguars as of Friday have 27 coaches including Head Coach Urban Meyer; offense; defense; special teams; and strength and conditioning staff. Is 27 a bit much? Perhaps. And it s certainly different than when the 1974 Pittsburgh Steelers won the Super Bowl with seven coaches plus a strength coach and a flexibility coach. But the two teams in the Super Bowl earlier this month – the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – both list 29 coaches. This isn t a Jaguars thing. It s not a Meyer thing. It s an NFL thing, and this Jaguars staff is right in there with the norm.
Charles from Riverside
Hello, John. Could you help us with the pros and cons of the 3-4 and the 4-3 defense? And also, is there a particular player physical profile that is needed for either scheme? Thanks.
Offensive and defensive schemes vary somewhat based on personnel and coordinator, so any discussion of pros and cons is by definition a bit vague. But vaguely speaking, a 3-4 utilizes three linemen and four linebackers – with the number of linebackers having the advantage of giving the offense more looks than a four-lineman, three-linebacker set. Four linebackers theoretically mean more blitz options. The 3-4 theoretically might not be as strong against the run as the 4-3 – unless it has a dominant nose tackle. A 4-3 because of four linemen is theoretically stronger against the run and more dependent on down linemen to rush the passer – as opposed to a 3-4 scheme, in which outside linebackers typically are the edge rushers. A couple of things to remember: the 3-4 and 4-3