FanHouse DougGabriel

You've got questions. I've got answers. If not, I'll make them up. Each Thursday at 1 p.m. EST, I answer your queries on all things related to the NFL. If you have a question, send it over to NFLMailbag@aol.com. Don't forget to include your name and location. Click here for the archives. Rock'n'roll.

How will the Jacksonvile offensive be affected by the loss of both starting offensive guards? Is the running force with Freddie and MJD gonna be slowed down?
- Michael Gus, Kissimmee, FL

It, um, doesn't really look good now that Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams have both been placed on the IR. I really like Fred Taylor, and was glad to see him get the recognition he's deserved last year, but he is 32, and he and Maurice Jones-Drew really struggled against a physical Titans team. Which is a troublesome sign, as the Jaguars have built an identity on being a physical team on both sides of the ball. But if you take away that dimension to their offense, things don't look very good, especially if Jerry Porter's bum hammy keeps rearing its ugly head. Do you really trust David Garrard to carry a team for an entire season if the Jaguars can't get their run game figured out? I certainly don't. And the Jags face some physical defenses this year in Buffalo, Tennessee again, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Chicago, Green Bay, and Baltimore.

(Hat tip: Mo Egger)

There has been some fuss this week about a Carson Palmer interview where he was wearing a Detroit Lions shirt. The interview was in the Bengals locker room and was mainly about the receivers (who they have, the departed Chris Henry, adding Doug Gabriel).

Some believed that it was a shout out to current Lions' quarterback Jon Kitna. Remember that Kitna was the Bengals' starter during Palmer's rookie year and became a mentor when Palmer took the starting gig in 2004. Since leaving for Detroit in 2006, the two have remained great friends.

However, that's not why he wore it:

But the shirt looks older than the 35-year-old Kitna. It looks like it may have been worn by former Bengals head coach Dick LeBeau in his heyday in Detroit during the '60s and '70s.

It turns out that Palmer has had the shirt longer than he's been a Bengal. He got it at the 2003 Senior Bowl, where the Lions staff coached his North team.

"Hey, do you care what's written on your shirt if you like it?" asked Palmer, pointing at the offending scribe.

Still, in an organization that can't keep its stars from voicing their desires to be elsewhere, it has to put a lump in the throat in the Bengals' faithful.