Bleacher Report - Articles by Tim McClellan

The Jacksonville Jaguars Deal With the Microwave Effect

Tim McClellan — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:38:02 -0500

With so many things going on in the world to distract us, it is a tall order for anything to crack the attention of most Americans. Unemployment, elections, war, and disaster (natural and man made) tend to get the spotlight.

Americans look for an escape, so they take up hobbies and other distractions to keep their minds occupied in hope of avoiding the inevitable slide into insanity accompanying a full time obsession with the news wires in the world today.

In Jacksonville, a popular source of distraction is the Jaguars. When they are winning, it is certainly a pleasant deviation from all the ills of the world. When they lose, this is not the case.

With wildly inconsistent performances through the first seven games of the season, fans suffer mood swings ranging from nearly orgasmic to possibly suicidal, and it happens from week to week.

When the Jaguars laid an egg in Nashville over the weekend, the team once again disappointed fans in a game where the Jags should have been able to take care of business but did not. Only a few weeks removed from completely dominating the Titans, the Jaguars had already shown they were the better team.

All they needed to do to complete a sweep of their oldest division rival was to show up, play fundamentally sound football, limit mistakes, and all would be right with the world.

Unfortunately, the team forgot how to tackle, took bad angles, and missed numerous opportunities.

The end result: another disappointing division loss.

It is no wonder the Jacksonville Jaguars are struggling to get the attention of their fan base. When the team has a difficult time cobbling together consistent performances from game-to-game, it makes the challenge even more difficult.

Fans never know what to expect, and rather than suffer through the possibility of another disappointing loss, they opt to sit on their hands not purchasing tickets, and not going to the games.

It is a shame because they also risk the possibility of missing a very good football game where things appear to be clicking on all cylinders, and the team is living up to expectations.

It is this Jekyll and Hyde mindset with the Jaguars which makes the team a tough sale to local fans.

Yes, it is still the NFL.

Yes, there are always bright spots to latch on to which make attending the games worthwhile for the die hard fans.

But, for the NFL novice, or the casual Jaguars fan, these inconsistent performances leave them wanting for more, and unwilling to invest in the team until they see some tangible, consistent improvement.

Everyone has an idea of what the team needs to do in order to fix the problem.

You hear the chorus howling for the head of the coach, or the quarterback, or the defense, or a host of targets depending on the outcome of the game.

People who had realistic expectations for this team understand the process at play here. The Jaguars are a rebuilding team despite the denials from the stadium. Any time you turn over half your roster, you are clearly in rebuilding mode regardless of what is being said.

Normally, for a team rebuilding, a .500 record would be considered a major victory providing hope for a turnaround in the near future.

But, when the fans set unrealistic expectations for the team, a .500 record is considered unacceptable.

The Jaguars were 5-11 a year ago, and gutted their front office, coaching staff, and roster at the conclusion of the 2008 season. What exactly should fans have expected at that point?

This is a young roster. Inconsistent play is simply part of the landscape for a team in transition from one era to the next. There were a lot of holes to be plugged, and one offseason is not enough to right the ship and suddenly become a legitimate playoff contender. Not with the turnover that took place under the guidance of Gene Smith.

What started off as a promising plan as the team built up for the season turned south quickly as the Jaguars began losing. For a certain segment of the fan base, the bloom was off the rose for Gene Smith before he had even finished a season at the helm.

What began as quiet excitement for the moves Smith made has quickly turned into a finger pointing session where Smith is being targeted as being a part of the problem by a segment of the fan base.

"In Gene we trust" has quickly transitioned into "Smith drafted another first round bust."

With such a lack of patience, you would think the Jaguars had a winning tradition which made it unacceptable to slip, but that is hardly the case.

The demands of fans can be ridiculous, and in the age of Madden where everyone with a game console and a controller can play general manager, the logic and understanding of how rebuilding a roster is a long, methodical process is tossed aside for immediate results.

Every time the team loses, the phone lines light up for sports talk radio shows in Jacksonville calling for Del Rio to be fired, or Garrard to be benched in favor of McCown.

Fans are passionate, and they care about the team. However, they do not understand what is required in order to build a roster, and they do not subscribe to the mindset that it is a long process. Not when joystick general managers can make a roster change and see immediate results with the simple flick of the thumb.

The Jaguars are not a playoff team in 2009. They are a young roster trying to find an identity. There are going to be good and bad games along the way, but the path they are following will hopefully lead them back to prominence.

It is a process requiring time and patience.

At a point in time for the franchise where the sense is that neither of these commodities is an abundant resource, fans must find a way to man up and become more savvy about the NFL and what is involved in building a quality roster. It will not happen overnight, or with the punch of a few buttons.

This is not a frozen dinner requiring a couple of minutes in the microwave oven. It is a complicated process to build a roster where the chemistry and talent blend perfectly to produce a successful team.

The Jags will get better. Fans simply need to be patient and realistic. Respect the process. Instant gratification never leads to long term success or satisfaction.

Strong fan bases stick it out through the tough times in hope of being there when the team turns the corner, and that is going to happen at some point.

Ignoring the team between now and then does little besides sending a message to those outside of the Jacksonville market that the locals do not care about the team, and that is not the case.

Just tune into talk shows after a Jaguars loss and the passion is syrupy thick.

Jacksonville Jaguars Endure Slow Fan Surrender

Tim McClellan — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:09:24 -0400

The Jacksonville Jaguars were challenged to prove the skeptics wrong when the city was awarded an NFL franchise nearly 16 years ago.

As the smallest media market aside from Green Bay, fans were being asked to overachieve in order to sell tickets and keep the franchise profitable as it navigated the early years. For the most part, the fans delivered on that challenge, and for the first few years everything was fine.

The cracks started to emerge as early as 1999. Coming off a 14 win season that concluded with the Jaguars losing in the AFC Championship game in front of a home crowd, the team was already starting to see a portion of their fan base peeling away.

It really does not matter what the team has done to stem the tide either.

When fans grumbled about Tom Coughlin being so much of an authoritarian he was running ticket holders off, the team pressured the head coach to take on a kinder, gentler approach.

Still, when the team struggled during the 2002 season, it was not acceptable to use the legitimate reason that the team was rebuilding after being devastated by salary cap abuse. The same fans who demanded and got Coughlin 2.0 sharpened their attacks on the head coach, and forced Wayne Weaver to make a move to dismiss him and move in a different direction.

The fans got what they wanted.

When Jack Del Rio was hired, most fans embraced the move and were excited about the prospects. He said all the right things, and made it clear there was a new sheriff in town, and things would be different.

In addition to the coaching change, Wayne Weaver went on the offensive, hosting town hall meetings throughout Jacksonville where they solicited feedback from the fans, trying to figure out what the team needed to do in order to reignite the passion within the community for the team they worked so hard to secure.

Fans came out in droves and expressed many reasons for not buying season tickets.

There were certainly legitimate beefs, but there were also many complaints which bordered on the ridiculous.

Fans used the fact that water fountains did not dispense chilled water, or the lack of escalators to the upper decks made them hesitant to buy tickets.

No matter how mundane the complaint might have been, the team listened, and changes were initiated.

It made very little difference to the one thing that really mattered: ticket sales.

The team was still scrambling to sell out the stadium, and was forced to resort to Winn Dixie giving away tickets in 2003.

At the conclusion of the 2004 season, after dealing with sagging ticket sales and 11 blackouts over the previous two years, the Jaguars changed their strategy and decided to "shrink" the stadium. The plan was intended to bring it more in line with the average size of other stadiums around the league. In tarping nearly 10,000 seats, the team felt they would be able to reduce the inventory and increase the demands.

At the same time, the Jaguars also streamlined the pricing structure for their tickets, eliminating dozens of different price points and making it less confusing for the fans. There was some pricing increase as the team attempted to get more in line with the average ticket price in the league, but the Jaguars still were able to boast the second lowest ticket prices in the National Football League.

The plan worked well in 2005 as the team avoided blackouts. It helped that the Jaguars won 11 games and made their first playoff appearance since the end of the 1999 season. It appeared all things were moving in the right direction.

Then the team stumbled down the stretch in 2006 and missed returning to the playoffs by losing their final three games of the season.

2006 was a great home schedule, including Dallas, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Washington, NY Jets, and New England. No matter what happened, there was little doubt the team would avoid blackouts with a schedule this chalked full of star power.

But, the late season collapse left fans with a new excuse for why they would not buy tickets moving forward: Byron Leftwich.

He was the lightning rod in a quarterback controversy along with David Garrard. Fans fell into one of two camps following the 2006 season, either backing Byron, or supporting David. There was little gray area for many fans. One of these players had to go because the controversy was ripping the base apart.

The team responded to fan criticism by cutting Leftwich prior to the start of the 2007 season, putting their hopes behind David Garrard.

He delivered with an efficient performance and the team managed to get back into the playoff mix, actually winning their first post season game under Jack Del Rio.

Still, things were hardly rosy with ticket sales.

With the prospect of a 2008 home schedule lacking the type of star power of previous seasons, there was a real concern inside the stadium that blackouts would return. The playoff run eased some of the concerns, but did not alleviate them completely. Sales were sluggish as the economy started to take a downward turn. The numbers were close enough for Wayne Weaver to make the decision to buy up the remaining ticket inventory to prevent blackouts.

He was not helped by the fact that the team literally fell apart last season, posting five wins.

Fan apathy grew each week as the team stumbled and bumbled through the season. What made matters worse was only two home wins, and the six losses they posted in the regular season included some real stinkers.

Off the field, players were struggling with all sorts of legal issues, and it appeared the team was in complete disarray.

Fans jumped off the bandwagon in droves, leaving the team with the prospect of facing blackouts for 2009 despite the reduced stadium size and other efforts.

With the economy in free fall, and the team focused on rebuilding, it became obvious there was going to be trouble with ticket sales in 2009. Wayne Weaver confirmed this when he mentioned during interviews prior to the start of the season that the entire home schedule for the Jaguars was more than likely blacked out.

The team had lost 17,000 season ticket holders following the 2008 debacle, and there was no fresh blood coming in to replenish the losses.

With the expectation clearly stated by Wayne Weaver, the Jaguars have struggled to crack 40,000 fans for their home games so far this year. The numbers were trending upward until the team went to Seattle and got hammered on the road. Fans expressed their displeasure by making the game against the winless St. Louis Rams the worst game of the year for ticket sales.

It has been a long journey to get to this point, but it appears as if the constant relocation talk and the floundering team have taken a toll on the psyche of the Jaguars fan base. Rather than rise up to quiet the critics as they have done in previous years, they are finally throwing their hands up in surrender.

With the news that Los Angeles has received the blessing from their governor to build a new stadium, the talk of relocation has once again amped up, and as is usually the case, the Jaguars are on the list of possible suitors being targeted.

While it may not be too late to stop the process and turn things around, momentum is a funny thing. Once it starts moving in a certain direction, changing courses can be a monumental task.

City leaders sense this, and have initiated an effort to get local companies to step up and show a little civic pride by supporting the team.

Fans sense this, and they have set into motion initiatives aimed at trying to drum up additional ticket sales.

Even those inside the stadium recognize this. Vic Ketchman, Senior Editor for Jaguars.com has been speaking repeatedly about the fact that fans need to step up and buy the team.

The sense of urgency with which he reports the situation may fall on deaf ears, but the message being sent is a clear one for anyone paying attention. Either fans support the team, or they will lose it.

If not Los Angeles, London may be calling soon enough.

How much longer can Wayne support a product in a market that does not recognize the gem they have in their grasp?

He has made it clear he is committed to the city, but at some point that dedication will wane. When the for sale sign goes up for the franchise, no new owner in their right mind will look at Jacksonville as a viable base for a product they just spent nearly $1 billion to purchase.

The lease agreement the team has with the city does offer some protection, but it does not assure the long term viability of the team in Jacksonville. Any new owner with a good team of lawyers could find enough holes to drive a Mayflower truck through if they desire.

Fans need to wake up.

Orlando Jaguars? Take a Deep Breath, O-Town

Tim McClellan — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:31:01 -0400

Wayne Weaver has sparked speculation about the Jaguars possibly playing some regular season games in the shadow of Wally World by mentioning Orlando being a target market for the Jaguars to grow their fan base in an interview with a local newspaper. In turn, one columnist chided city leaders in Orlando to take this as an opportunity to lure the NFL to relocate a team to the town permanently.

Settle down! The Jaguars are not pulling up stakes to move down I-4 to central Florida.

The Jaguars are repeatedly mentioned as one of the most likely relocation candidates in the mainstream media.

When the owner of the franchise muses with a reporter about the possibility of trying to lure new fans in the Orlando market, he chose his words very carefully.

He spoke about the league expanding the regular season from the current format, adding two games to the regular season and shortening the preseason. He framed his comments within the parameters of this change happening.

From my perspective, it sounded like Wayne was trying to generate some buzz in Orlando, a market even he agrees has been practically ignored in the Jaguars efforts to bolster their ticket and merchandise sales.

It is indeed imperative for the Jaguars to find ways to make inroads into secondary markets like Orlando. They provide the team with an expanded pool of potential fans, nearly tripling the target audience from the 1.3 million residents of the Jacksonville metropolitan area to almost 4 million.

As I mentioned last week, by reaching into the Orlando market along with going north into Charleston, SC, and west to Tallahassee, the Jaguars should be able to generate the necessary buzz to draw in new fans interested in attending games in Jacksonville.

Expanding the marketing efforts to turn the team into more of a regional draw will reduce the burden currently carried by the Jacksonville faithful residing within earshot of Duval County.

Weaver is sending a clear message to Orlando football fans that he wants them on his bandwagon. If his comments create a little interest from potential fans in the Orlando area, they served their purpose.

But, let's put this notion that Orlando is getting an NFL franchise to rest once and for all.

They are not going to get a team.

First, The Citrus Bowl is a dump, and the city has no intentions of building a new facility to accomodate any professional franchise.

There have been plans in place to renovate the existing facility, but the money to pay for these renovations was expected to be derived from taxes imposed on tourists in the form of a bed tax. Earlier this year, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer put any talk of renovating the stadium on hold because tax revenues had taken such a serious hit with the downturn in the economy that it could be another five years before anything can be done to pursue updates.

The current Citrus Bowl might be a quaint place to host World Cup soccer, college bowl games, or the occasional outdoor concert, but it is not nearly adequate to handle the demands of an NFL franchise. Based upon current plans to renovate the stadium, even after the facility is upgraded, it will not have enough luxury suite capacity to entice an NFL team to call the stadium home.

Second, Tampa Bay is not going to allow any team to be dropped less than 80 miles away from their home market.

The Bucs have played second fiddle to the Miami Dolphins for more than thirty years in Orlando. Their success over the past decade has allowed them to make inroads with the fans. The recent improvements could be undermined by another franchise claiming the market as home.

Third, Orlando is not a very good professional sports town. They tout the Magic and their sellouts this past season, but when the team struggled, it was not just on the court. They had a difficult time filling half of the Amway Arena in Orlando when the team was losing, and that venue holds just a tad over 17,000 fans.

It took several years and multiple attempts to finally get the Magic a new facility in Orlando, and the tax payers resisted every step of the way before finally caving in and building a new arena.

We will not even discuss the minor league baseball franchise that no longer exists because of a lack of fan support.

Wayne Weaver understands he needs to expand his market and generate buzz for his team. He sees the Orlando market as a target of opportunity to draw fans into Jacksonville for games. Dropping teasers indicating he might be willing to play some home games there will perk the interest of local fans, and possibly sell some tickets.

Weaver also knows better than most that Orlando does not particularly care for or about his team. It was a Dolphins town before the Jaguars arrived. There are NFL fans in the town who still hold a good deal of resentment for the Jaguars because Orlando became a secondary market for Jacksonville when they arrived on the scene, forcing the area to watch Jaguar home games when they are televised.

The tactic of floating a suggestion to get fan interest is something the owner has become quite adept at lately.

Wayne did the same thing a couple of weeks ago by throwing the Tim Tebow bandwagon a bone. In carefully chosen words, he gave Tebow fans in the Jacksonville market the sense the Jaguars would certainly be interested in drafting Tebow. He never really committed to the idea, but expressed intrigue in the prospect.

To Tebow followers and Gator homers, his words created a lot of excitement in the Jacksonville market. But, the probability of the team spending a high draft pick on Tebow, or any draft pick at all, is unlikely. The mere suggestion was intended to get fans excited enough to possibly sell some tickets in anticipation of any personnel decision regarding the Gator quarterback.

It certainly got the attention of pundits around the country, and created a much debated topic for over a week in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars almost certainly got the attention of potential season ticket holders in the process. Securing these fans and actually getting them to buy tickets will be the next challenge.

It is not far fetched to think we can expect Wayne to find something that will entice fans in Georgia and South Carolina to give the Jaguars a look.

Based on recent events, would it shock anyone to hear Weaver giving an interview to a Georgian publication where he is asked about possible future head coach options and he floats a guy like Mark Richt as someone he has a great deal of admiration for?

That is a name which will certainly get Bulldog fans excited.

Wayne Weaver is a savvy marketing guy. He built his fortune selling women’s shoes. Finding the right button to push for his target audience will almost certainly help the bottom line.

Sure, the Jaguars might be willing to hold a portion of their training camp in Orlando. They might even be interested in playing a preseason game there to attract fans. But, the likelihood of the team packing up the U-Haul and heading to Orlando is slim.

Nine Lives: Ways the Jacksonville Jaguars Can Kill Relocation Rumors

Tim McClellan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:54:46 -0400

It has been 15 years since the Jacksonville Jaguars took the field for the first time, but in many ways, they are still considered to be the new kids on the block. Often dismissed, and mostly ignored, the Jaguars have lived their entire existence in relative obscurity as a result of being located in the smallest media market in the National Football League.

The only time the Jaguars get consistent attention from outside of the local market is when blackouts start to become a fact of life, or players wind up on the wrong side of the law.

While most media "experts" focus on the negatives, predicting the demise of the franchise in the undeserving Jacksonville market, few if any take the time to look at the problem and offer solutions.

Being a fan of the team, I have a vested interest in keeping the Jaguars in Jacksonville. I understand the value this franchise has to the city. Rather than fixate on the gloom and doom surrounding the current situation, I want to look at what is needed to assure the long-term viability of the team in Jacksonville.

I cannot guarantee my suggestions will provide the ingredients which will assure the team remains in Jacksonville for generations to come, but I am fairly certain the current strategy deployed by the team is not working, especially in difficult economic times.

The team can only use the economy as a crutch for so long. There needs to be a concerted effort to begin focusing on the market itself, trying to find new and creative ways to expand their fan base in a town that is not growing quickly enough to sustain the necessary season ticket base.

So, I offer this five-step plan to help the team navigate through these difficult times with the hope someone will read it and possibly act upon the suggestions.

First, the Jaguars need to stop thinking locally and start marketing the team regionally.

There are only so many bodies in the immediate market footprint for the Jaguars to draw from, and if they only brought their fans from this area, the requirements to assure consistent sellouts would mean one in every twenty residents must own a season ticket. That ratio is one of the highest in the league to assure seats are sold.

The Jaguars first step should be to take a more expanded marketing approach to turn the team into a regional presence.

By growing the Jaguars marketing footprint to take into account fans in areas where they are already drawing from, they could expand their pool of potential fans from the current 1.3 million residents in the immediate market to more than 3 million fans regionally.

Fans attending Jaguars games currently come from as far north as Myrtle Beach, west from Tallahassee, and south from the Orlando area. Few of the fans traveling to Jaguars games were not lured to purchase tickets because of slick marketing. Still, they come to support their team, planting the seeds that should be a sign the Jaguars could become a regional draw with minimal effort or investment.

Imagine what an aggressive marketing campaign might do to bring in new fans.

The second step the Jaguars should do to grow the fan base is to get businesses in the region to buy into the idea that partnering up with the Jaguars will benefit their bottom line.

Get out in the business community, not only here in Jacksonville, but also in secondary media markets like Savannah, Tallahassee, and Orlando. Take players, coaches, cheerleaders, and administrators and reach out to established businesses in these markets and offer them a partnership of sorts. The exposure from being associated with an NFL franchise has global implications regardless of the size of the local market.

A more visible presence in the business communities in Jacksonville and the surrounding media markets will lead to more sponsorship dollars. The fiscal security of the team is what will determine the city identified with the team over the long haul. By partnering up with businesses in the region, it will give the Jaguars the revenue flow required to rebound quickly and squash relocation talks.

The third step in the process of building up the Jaguars fan base is to reach out to the kids.

The team does a fairly good job of getting out locally and sponsoring events with schools here in Jacksonville, but they do not do enough to really lock these kids in as lifelong Jaguar fans.

One of the most effective ways to bring a family into the fold is to get the kids first. The parents will follow.

Expand the current outreach, and get the more visible players out in the regional schools so the kids can meet the stars and form a connection. The Jags cannot just send out the long snapper or special team guy to schools. The front-line players need to be part of the process as well.

Send players on a bus tour to schools in Orlando, Daytona, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Savannah, and Myrtle Beach. Get them out visiting schools, signing autographs, giving away memorabilia, and offering free tickets to the kids to attend Jaguar games.

The fourth step in the recovery effort needs to be focused on drawing in fans from the fringes of the new expanded market. Offer enticements like travel packages and discounted hotel rates for fans coming from these areas to attend Jaguars games.

If people feel they are getting a bargain travel package offering a weekend getaway including tickets to an NFL game, they will jump at the opportunity.

By partnering up with local hotels and restaurants, the Jaguars can block off rooms and offer discounts to purchase ticket packages including hotel and meal vouchers. It would help the team and it would give a boost to the local hotel and restaurant business as well.

Finally, the Jaguars need to think big.

The goal for any strategy to turn around the fortunes of the team should be focused on expanding the fan base to the point where the stadium can be filled on a regular basis. The games need to be sold as an event people will not want to miss, win or lose.

Growing the fan base will cost money, and the team cannot do this cheaply. But the reward for investing more effort into thinking regionally will have a significant impact on the bottom line if the team approaches this with the right mindset.

By marketing the team regionally, partnering up with businesses in the region, getting the kids to buy into the team, and finding ways to bring people to Jacksonville for a major league event, the Jaguars can very quickly shift away from worrying about blackouts and fan apathy to removing the tarps and proving once and for all that Jacksonville is deserving of an NFL franchise.

The time to act is now. The old approach clearly is not working. It is time to think outside of the box, and outside of the market to find ways to fix what ails the team.

All that Jag: The Amazing Maurice Jones-Drew is Jacksonville's One-Man Band

Tim McClellan — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:59:25 -0400

Maurice Jones-Drew assumed the lead role for the Jacksonville Jaguars rushing attack, and ascended to take on the task of being a leader on the field, in the locker room, and in the community. When he accepted the challenge of replacing Fred Taylor as the premiere back, he probably did not anticipate being the lone offensive weapon on a team struggling to find a spark.

Jones-Drew answered the challenge in the season opener by racking up 97 yards on 21 carries, padding his statistics with five receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown.

The 4.7 yard per touch average against Indianapolis was significant in helping the Jaguars keep the game close, but it was not quite enough to nudge the Jaguars to victory.

When Arizona came to town for the home opener on Sunday, Jones-Drew was expected to be one of the major contributors in helping the Jaguars earn their first win of the 2009 season in front of the smallest season opener crowd in franchise history.

The Cardinals set the tempo early and took the Jaguars offense out of their plan. The running game became secondary once the team was down by four touchdowns at the half-time break. With the running game taken out of the equation, Maurice Jones-Drew was nullified as a legitimate threat because the team was forced to throw the ball to try to get back in contention.

Even in a diminished role, Jones-Drew was able to put up more than 80 yards in total offense.

There have certainly been speed bumps along the way for Maurice to overcome.

First, he is not a player willing to shy away from contact. Because he will take the offensive in initiating a hit, he takes an unnecessary beating.

His mentor, Fred Taylor, had worked with Jones-Drew to avoid taking the big hits in an effort to prolong his career. Fred knew all too well the dangers of taking too many shots, and he paid the price by being tagged as a fragile player early in his career. When he started to be more aware of his own limitations, he was less inclined to take on a defender, opting to get what he could with an eye on the next opportunity.

Until Drew starts to understand just how short the career of an NFL running back is, he will continue to seek out contact. As these big hits start to pile up, it will begin to take a toll on his ability to remain a home run threat for the Jaguars.

With no viable alternative on the roster to offer respite from the beat downs he receives, the eventuality of Maurice missing playing time due to injury becomes more realistic.

The other obstacle for Jones-Drew to overcome is the lackluster performance of his offensive line.

He has been able to generate decent statistics despite the best efforts of his line to undermine him. With two rookie tackles, and one player returning from the Injured Reserve, the challenges presented to Maurice just to get back to the line of scrimmage can be as daunting as climbing Mt. Everest at times.

As his offensive line starts to show signs of cohesiveness and improvement, it will ease the burden he currently carries in making plays where none exists, and it will allow him to become the explosive weapon the team is confident he will be.

Jones-Drew is worthy of the feature back tag, but he needs another running back to split carries effectively in order to keep him fresh during games. The hits he has absorbed through two weeks would certainly cause lesser men to stumble, and despite his claims of being super human, he is not.

Great players certainly rise to the top and assume the role of leader, and Jones-Drew has done this with a high level of aplomb, saying and doing all of the right things. He is indeed a rising star in the National Football League, and the new face of the Jacksonville Jaguars around the country.

All Maurice Jones-Drew needs to figure out is how to preserve the momentum he currently enjoys to make it last as long as he possibly can. He is the star of the franchise, and their greatest offensive weapon. Flaming out early is not an option.

Maurice Jones-Drew is a confident and competent player. As his fortunes continue to rise, so do the fortunes for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

That is certainly a lot to put on one player. Drew has proved he is more than capable of carrying that burden. He just needs to know when to pick a fight, and when to ease up in order to play another down. In turn, the team needs to do Jones-Drew a favor and find additional players to take on the burden of being play makers on an offense sorely lacking in that department.

Jacksonville Jaguars Coach Finds New Target for Bus

Tim McClellan — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:49:46 -0400

It is a curious thing. Following a disappointing loss in Indianapolis, Jack Del Rio has once again started up the coach speak bus, put it in gear, and targeted another veteran player to be his press conference speed bump.

Del Rio has used the media in the past to motivate veteran players. Most recently, John Henderson found himself squarely in the headlights of the "Jackliner" as it rolled down the road.

The one exception is Henderson, who actually did flip a switch and appears to be playing with a higher level of intensity than he did previously.

Aside from the Henderson situation, players who have become the proverbial deer in the headlights of the Del Rio bus have wound up on the short end of the stick, eventually winding up on different rosters.

Byron Leftwich, Deon Grant, Mike Peterson, and Marcus Stroud have all felt the wheels of the bus, and none of them came away from the experience wearing teal.

It has become almost formulaic.

It starts with a brief comment alluding to an issue with a player during a Del Rio press conference. That seed, once planted, begins to sprout. As it takes root, speculation begins to heat up about player X being caught in the cross hairs of the head coach. The story simmers quietly and never quite disappears from the periphery.

Suddenly, the player in question sees his play count starting to dwindle, and the next thing you know, he is gone.

Perhaps Jack is feeling the heat in a year of rebuilding. Rarely does he say something in the press that gives some room for misinterpretation. If anything, Jack has become a masterful technician in the art of coach speak, usually offering very little in the way of content while speaking volumes.

A skilled forensic grammarian can find the nuggets in his comments, but the tedious process of finding the content can often be frustrating.

There are times when candor slips out, making life easier for people tasked with interpreting Jack's commentary.

That happened yesterday afternoon during his press conference with the local media as Del Rio cranked up the Jackliner, tossed the bus in gear, and punched the pedal. When he was done, the latest victim of the magic fairy dust bus excursion was his starting quarterback, David Garrard.

The seeds have been planted.

For the first time in the media, Del Rio actually called out his quarterback.

Perhaps he waited this long because he did not have a viable alternative previously?

Maybe he has just grown tired of seeing his quarterback making mistakes usually attributed to other guys?

Regardless of the motivation behind the hit and run, it is clear Del Rio has finally come to the realization that the NFL is a quarterback league and his team is never going to get to the next level if his starting signal caller continues to languish in mediocrity.

Garrard apologists flare up immediately any time someone dares to point out even the most blatantly obvious flaws in his game.

Last season, when his poor decision making was called into question, the usual litany of responses included blaming the receivers, the offensive line, the running game, and the play calling. Not once did this group of Garrard supporters deign to admit the possibility their guy might have been part of the problem.

Based on the quantity of excuses used over the past season to explain away David Garrard's flaws, you would think he was a high ranking member of the Obama administration.

At some point, one of these apologists will declare George W. Bush to blame for David missing a receiver or taking a sack when throwing the ball away would have worked just fine.

The era of passing the buck appears to be winding down with Del Rio beginning to show signs of fatigue in defending his quarterback.

In his press conference yesterday, Jack finally pointed out the simple fact that his quarterback missed open receivers. He felt compelled to mention it more than once during the discussion.

The message was crystal clear.

This team is not going anywhere unless they get better play from the quarterback position.

Are we witnessing the first seeds of discontent growing between Del Rio and Garrard?

Is Jack firing off the first test balloons signaling the impending end of the Garrard era?

There is precedent for this tactic being deployed previously, and the careers of several former Jaguars were ended once the bus was returned to the yard for storage, awaiting the next target.

David Garrard has benefited greatly from following a particularly unpopular player in Byron Leftwich.

He rode this good will masterfully in 2007 by playing an efficient brand of football that landed the Jaguars in the playoffs, and filled his bank account with $18 million in guaranteed money.

When he struggled throughout the 2008 season, the explanations for his struggles usually centered on what others were doing wrong and rarely focused on the mistakes he was making.

One game into the 2009 season and everything has changed. Now, even the head coach is starting to point fingers at his hand-picked quarterback.

That does not bode well for Mr. Garrard and his long-term future in Jacksonville.

That old diesel is warming up, and the Jackliner is rolling out of the parking lot.

Troy Williamson Emerges As a Star in Jacksonville Jaguars Pre-season Home Opener

Tim McClellan — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 13:42:26 -0400

The score may not have been in their favor when the game ended, but the home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers provided Jaguar fans some hope.

It did not take long for Jacksonville's first-team offense to step up their game and show skeptics the vertical passing game is an option. In the process, the receiving depth chart has begun to gel as players jockey for roster spots.

Troy Williamson has emerged as the unlikely star of the passing offense, putting up one of the most impressive performances by any receiver during the Jack Del Rio era, breaking big plays of 74 and 61 yards.

He set the tone for his night on the first play from scrimmage by running through the Tampa secondary and hauling in a David Garrard bomb for a touchdown.

Williamson has put extra effort in this year to resurrect his career, and the work appears to be paying off. With Mike Walker and Mike Thomas both missing playing time, Williamson has taken advantage of the opportunity by becoming one of the more reliable targets for David Garrard.

While Williamson was having a career night, seventh-round draft pick Tiquan Underwood was probably wishing he were somewhere else.

The promising training camp for the rookie receiver became a distant memory as Underwood muffed two catchable passes, and he missed a chance to haul in a touchdown during the fourth quarter.

Marcedes Lewis has been working on improving his drop situation, but on his first pass attempt, Garrard hit him squarely between the numbers, and the ball fell incomplete. While the defense was right there on the play, the pass should have been caught.

Lewis did make a difficult grab later in the game in traffic, but it is the drops that continue to be a lingering issue.

After registering a season where he had the most drops for any tight end in the league, every pass thrown his way that winds up on the ground is going to draw attention.

The offensive line showed marked improvement in providing better protection for Garrard, but there were still issues with penalties and protection breakdowns.

Vince Manuwai showed signs of rust allowing a defender to sneak by and sack Garrard. But it was silly procedural penalties by Uche Nwanderi and Tony Pashos which be a continual cause for concern.

The defense had a mixed performance. With former Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich starting for Tampa, there was a certain expectation for the pass rush to have a good night.

However, the closest the team came to a sack came when Reggie Hayward chased Byron out of the pocket for a short gain.

The defensive backfield struggled to cover Tampa receivers and tight ends throughout the night. The middle of the defense was exposed repeatedly as Tampa picked apart the secondary.

Sean Considine and Reggie Nelson appeared to be struggling with a communication breakdown on the first Tampa touchdown, as Nelson arrived late on the play and Considine was unable to keep up with Jerramy Stevens on the 17-yard score.

The performance by Troy Williamson aside, the Jaguars offense struggled to do anything with any level of consistency.

The running game continues to be a concern, as the depth chart did little to inspire confidence they can step up and help Maurice Jones-Drew in carrying the load.

Despite concerns about the offense and defense, both units appear to be headed in the right direction for a team in rebuilding mode.

The biggest worry for the Jaguars continues to be the dismal performance by the special teams unit.

Against Miami, the kicker lead the team in special team tackles. Last night, not only did the Jaguars struggle to contain Tampa's return game, but also suffered mental mistakes by Brian Witherspoon leaving them with terrible field position.

In the second half, Witherspoon fielded a kick that appeared to be headed out of bounds. When he hauled in the kick along the sideline, he stepped out of bounds immediately, and the Jaguars were forced to start their drive in the shadow of the goal post.

Boneheaded mistakes like these are usually reserved for rookies. However, Witherspoon should know better.

The Jaguars head north to face the Eagles in Philadelphia for the third pre-season game. Roster spots will be gained or lost based upon what happens this week.

Jacksonville Jaguars Search for Answers in Miami

Tim McClellan — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:56:24 -0400

The Jacksonville Jaguars take the field tonight in Miami for the first time this preseason against the Miami Dolphins. For all of the change taking place during the past six months, this is the first time where any real understanding of how these manipulations will impact the team on the field in 2009.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be a much younger team in transition. Youth and inexperience can be found all over the roster, and these youngsters get their first taste of life in the National Football League tonight against the Miami Dolphins.

There are certainly plenty of areas of concern, and the preseason is the time where these issues can be fully identified and then addressed. This shakedown period allows the team to determine just how effective their personnel moves will be in turning things around quickly for the Jaguars.

For the Jaguars to find success quickly, the team is going to have to rely upon rookies at skill positions on offense, as well as in critical spots along the defensive line and secondary.

No doubt, there will be kinks for the team to work out.

The receiving corps will be the most watched group in the first preseason game. Mike Walker will not participate due to an ankle injury. This leaves Torry Holt and Troy Williamson as the only receivers on the field tonight who have actually caught a pass during a game at this level.

With Holt limited to protect his knee, the rest of the receivers on the roster are going to get an opportunity to show what they can do against NFL caliber defensive backs.

The first team offense may run with Torry Holt on the field for a drive or two, but the focus on protecting him from injury is far too great to risk having him out there for any extended repetitions during the game. He has nothing to prove, and his roster spot is secure.

Mike Thomas, Jarett Dillard, Tiquan Underwood, and Nate Hughes are going to be under intense scrutiny as they encounter their first true game situations against an actual opponent under the lights.

For the rookie class, this is the time to show they can quickly assimilate their skills at the NFL level. For a player like Hughes, who has been through a training camp previously, it is an opportunity to make the plays which could allow him to land on an NFL roster.

The Jaguars receiving corps is a blank slate tonight. None of the players taking the field wore teal in 2008. These receivers represent the most significant change on the roster, replacing what was already an underachieving group. There are high hopes for this group to show significant strides over what was seen previously.

Rashad Jennings draws the dubious distinction of being tasked with proving he has what it takes to adequately replace Fred Taylor as the running back splitting carries with Maurice Jones-Drew. His path will not be nearly as difficult as the receiving corps, but any time you are being brought in to replace a legend there is a heightened level of expectations.

Jennings has shown up well during training camp, but the challenges escalate significantly with a different colored jersey on the other side of the line. They will not be playing touch football out there tonight, and how he responds to being hammered by defensive linemen, linebackers, and defensive backs will tell quite a bit about how effective he will be as a rookie.

Jennings appears to have the skills to be a contributor quickly. It will not take long to determine if that is indeed the case.

One of the most significant areas to watch this preseason offensively is the depth behind quarterback David Garrard.

The general consensus for the majority of NFL teams is if the starting quarterback goes down with an injury, the team is going to struggle significantly. The Jaguars do not hold an exclusive with regard to the concerns surrounding their backup quarterback situation.

If Garrard sustains any sort of injury requiring extended down time, their options are the aging Todd Bouman, and a wildly inconsistent Paul Smith.

The team did put feelers out prior to the draft indicating their desire to acquire another quarterback, but they steered clear of selecting one during the draft. This was not as much a ringing endorsement of the talent currently on the roster as it was an indication there was not adequate talent available for the team to pull the trigger on a signal caller.

Even with younger experienced options in free agency, the team stayed away from picking up another veteran quarterback, opting to stick with the aging journeyman and the young project.

The front office has to be monitoring this situation very closely. With one eye on their backups, and another eye on the rosters of 31 other teams, the Jaguars will no doubt be hoping to find someone landing on the waiver wire that would be considered an upgrade from the current situation.

How the backups perform during the early portion of the preseason will dictate how the team maneuvers when players do start to find their way to the street.

On defense, the question marks in search of answers reside in two critical areas.

First, in the defensive secondary the competition for the starting job at strong safety and cornerback opposite Rashean Mathis will be worth watching. If Derek Cox can continue to impress with his strong play, and Sean Considine holds on to the starting job at strong safety, the Jaguars could be forced to make a decision with Brian Williams.

If Gerald Alexander makes strides during the preseason, he could push Reggie Nelson for the starting job at free safety.

Both positions appear to be open for competition.

It is doubtful both Nelson and Williams could be sent packing, but the potential does exist for the team to move the veteran Williams if the younger, cheaper Cox wins the starting job at cornerback, and Considine retains the top spot at strong safety.

That would leave Williams to compete with Scott Starks for the nickel position. It does not seem likely the Jaguars would invest heavily in keeping Williams for this diminished role when Starks has proven to be capable of playing the spot, and doing it more cheaply.

The biggest area of concern to keep an eye on during the preseason will be the re-tooled line. With 2008 first-rounder Derrick Harvey assuming the starting role at defensive end, and Reggie Hayward moving to the other side of the line to replace Paul Spicer, the line will have a much different look this year.

The primary worry for the defensive ends is tied to the progression Harvey has made from his rookie season to now. If he makes the expected strides in improving his level of play, the Jaguars will be in a position to show improvement with their pass rush. But, that will require Harvey to have truly improved his technique.

He has bulked up and appears to be intent on being an every down defensive end. How that translates to game situations remains to be seen.

On the interior of the defensive line, the once proud group is an area which has come under a great deal of scrutiny. With the obvious decline in the play of John Henderson over the past couple of seasons, the Jaguars lack the premiere defensive tackle which had become their trademark when Henderson and Stroud lurked as the twin towers in Jacksonville.

Lining up alongside Henderson no longer carries the same swagger as he does not draw double-teams or strike fear in the hearts of offensive linemen the way he did in his prime. Granted, he could rebound and return to form, but the expectations for Henderson tend to favor a leveling off of his play in the best case scenario. The worst case would be a significant decline in the quality of play from the defensive tackle.

Henderson's line mate remains a mystery. The Jaguars did draft Terrance Knighton to fill the role, and he has had a solid camp. However, it remains to be seen how that translates to game play, and a lot of questions here will begin to find answers in Miami.

Emerging hopeful, Atiyyah Ellison has been turning heads in training camp with his play. How he carries over to real game situations will give the Jaguars a very good sense of how the interior of their line will hold up during the course of the season.

The third year player has never quite lived up to expectations, and is getting his fourth shot at sticking on a roster after spending time in San Francisco and Baltimore after being selected in the third round of the 2005 draft by the Carolina Panthers.

Ellison has shown flashes in training camp, but these camp wonders have become all too familiar to Jaguars fans. They rise to the top in these practices only to disappear when the pads go on and the plays are live.

The Jaguars are going to look very different when they take the field in Miami. The uniforms are new, and so is the attitude in the locker room. The youth movement on the roster is one which will take time to develop. The team will face a good bit of adversity before things will really start to rebound if history is the guide.

How quickly the development of the young players happens will determine how fast and how high the rebound will be for this bunch.

It all starts tonight in Miami.

Jacksonville Jaguars Scrimmage Exposes Potential Problems

Tim McClellan — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:11:03 -0400

It is the 800 pound gorilla in the room nobody in Jacksonville wants to discuss openly. It lingers in the minds of coaches and fans alike. It stirs spirited debate any time the subject is touched upon, even in passing.

What is the issue?

The Jaguars passing game.

It is one of the two major areas where there is legitimate concern about how improved things will be in 2009 for a team struggling to regain some traction in a division that appears to be pulling away.

Is David Garrard going to rebound and return to 2007 form or will it be 2008 all over again?

Will Torry Holt's knee hold up to the rigors of a full training camp and a season of pounding?

Will Zach Miller give the team a legitimate weapon in the passing game?

Will Mike Walker find a way to remain healthy?

Will the horde of young receivers including a rookie trio find a way to overcome the traditional struggles to be significant contributors this year?

What about Troy Williamson?

The list of questions about the passing game is almost as long as the number of new names trotting around on the field catching passes during training camp.

David Garrard is the poster child for the tale of two quarterbacks. Leading up to 2007, Garrard had proved to be an adequate career backup who was prone to make mistakes. His foibles landed him on the bench at the end of the 2006 season, replaced by Quinn Gray as the signal caller.

He rebounded in 2007, earning the starting job and forcing out the Jaguars 2003 first-round selection, Byron Leftwich.

He responded in 2008 with a sub-par performance.

The reason behind his decline was attributed to the offensive line failing him miserably, which is indeed the case.
It was also partly blamed on a sub-standard receiving corps lacking a deep threat, or a true number one guy.

The assertion was true, but somewhat misleading. This was the same receiving corps which had helped him earn the starting job in 2007. Nothing about the group changed other than the addition of the poison pill, Jerry Porter.

While Porter spent most of 2008 not on the field because of injuries, the receivers who did contribute previously were suddenly inadequate to run the Jaguars offense. Garrard was insulated from his own mistakes by a complete collapse around him.

But, the very reasons given for why Garrard struggled were the primary factors in why he was given the job to begin with. His mobility was touted as the main reason why he was a better fit for the offense in Jacksonville. It allowed him to evade the pass rush, extending plays and allowing him to keep things alive long after a less mobile Byron Leftwich would have been able to accomplish.

The problem was Garrard had nowhere to run. He did indeed take a beating last year, but not all of it could be blamed on the offensive line. Even when the line did their job, there were times when David simply lacked the trust to stay with a play. The gun shy nature was obviously a byproduct of the hits he had taken, but the one thing which made him a good fit for this offense was suddenly more of a liability. Running was not helping keep plays alive.

With a rebuilt offensive line and a younger rushing attack, the hope is Garrard will return to form, but what exactly is that form everyone expects him to return to?

Was 2007 a true indicator of how good David is, or was that the anomaly?

This question will be answered this year, and the answers are already starting to formulate. During the scrimmage on Saturday night, Garrard threw two picks. Critics were quickly told it might have been the receivers running the wrong routes, or cutting off routes.

But, Garrard's performance so far in training camp has hardly been laser sharp. None of the quarterbacks are dazzling the masses with their accuracy, and this trickled over to the scrimmage.

Garrard can be an efficient operator of the offense if all things are clicking. The effort put into making sure things around him do indeed operate as expected has been monumental, and the outcome will reveal itself once the team takes the field against a legitimate opponent next week. When they face their first test, a lot will be known about which David Garrard the Jaguars will be playing behind this season.

One certainty about the passing game for the Jaguars in 2009 is the addition of one of the best receivers in the business and the level of professionalism he has brought to the Jaguars. Torry Holt is the consummate professional, and he has taken it to task to serve as a mentor to the very young receiving corps he leads.

But, Holt is only practicing half the time, trying to limit the wear and tear on the knee which has been a problem for a couple of years now. Hopes are high he will remain healthy and avoid the pratfalls of aging which have ended the careers of many great players over the years.

When he is on the field it is clear just how much better than the rest Holt truly is. The effortless precision in his route running, and the quiet way he goes about making plays is an impressive display for observers. It is also a great guide for the youngsters who are pushing for roster spots.

However, what happens to the Jaguars passing attack if Holt misses any playing time when it matters?

The effect could be devastating with such a lack of depth on the roster at wide receiver.

The one bright spot so far in training camp is Zach Miller, who has proved to be a quick study, picking up the passing game and giving the team a good bit of hope he will provide the team with a weapon in the passing attack the Jaguars have not had in several years: a play making tight end.

There have been a few minor struggles with dropped passes, but overall Miller has been on the fast track to earn significant playing time when the games matter. It is encouraging to see Garrard already targeting him on a regular basis.

Mike Walker is expected to be a major contributor this year, but he is already dealing with the first injury of the year coming out of the scrimmage. The lower leg injury does not sound severe, but is it a sign of things to come?

Walker got off to a slow start in training camp, and he has yet to rise above the difficulty to show flashes of what many hope will be a breakout year. If the sputtering start continues to be an issue, the team may be forced to rely upon a rookie to fill the role he vacates.

That is a scary prospect.

With Mike Thomas missing time in training camp due to an injury, the Jaguars will lean more heavily on Jarett Dillard and Tiquan Underwood to fill those roles. Nate Hughes also gets tossed into the mix as a legitimate deep threat.

The youngsters certainly look like an interesting group of talented athletes so far in training camp. But, with no fear of real contact, these receivers have been able to put on a show. With the first preseason game on the horizon, they will find their first true test facing legitimate NFL defensive backs and linebackers. How they respond to the challenges will speak volumes about where the team is headed with the passing game this season.

Should these rookies struggle as most do, the team is going to have to lean more heavily on familiar targets like Maurice Jones-Drew and Marcedes Lewis. If they do not create enough attention for defenses to respect their skills, it will make it a more difficult challenge for Torry Holt to do his job.

The Jaguars passing game was given a pop quiz on Saturday night during the scrimmage. The standing grade is a C based upon their first performance under the lights. The real test will begin on Monday night in Miami when they get their first taste of live action.

How they respond to the challenge when the contact is live and defenders are not being held back will go a long way toward answering questions about the passing attack this season.

It will either be business as usual, or the Jaguars will show signs of new life in the passing game.

Jacksonville Jaguars Training Camp: 8/7/09 PM Session

Tim McClellan — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:37:42 -0400

The Jacksonville Jaguars took to the practice field tonight in shorts and shells. The new focus on more lively drills was readily apparent from the start of the evening session tonight.

Some of the more notable injured players who did not participate tonight included Terrance Knighton, Mike Thomas, Vince Manuwai, and Chauncey Washington.

Things on the field were very business-like tonight as the first week of training camp came to a close under the lights on the practice fields at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

11 x 11 (Part No. 1—two minute drill)

The first drill of the night was a quick one as the team was getting into gear for a long night.

The 11 x 11 session started with Maurice Jones-Drew punching the ball straight up the middle for a five yard gain. John Henderson and Justin Durant were able to slow, and then stop the running back from breaking the ball into the secondary.

David Garrard targeted Jones-Drew going over the middle, but the first pass of the night was overthrown and Marlon McCree had a better shot at the ball over the top than Drew did as the targeted receiver.

After Jones-Drew carried the ball for another short gain, Garrard tried to launch a deep post pass intended for Jarett Dillard. Derek Cox made a nice play batting the ball down incomplete.

Garrard dumped a short pass up the middle off to Maurice Jones-Drew, but Derek Landri had broken the play up and tackled Drew for a short gain.

Greg Jones took a sweep to the left side for a gain of nearly ten yards before being run out of bounds, and then followed up on the next play with another five yards.

Todd Bouman went over the middle on a deep post route intended for Zach Miller. The pass was slightly behind Miller, but it was still very catchable. It caught Miller on the shoulder pad and fell incomplete. On the play, Miller had exploited the seam in the secondary and would have taken the pass for a big gain had he caught the pass.

Montell Owens had an opportunity to get a carry off the right side for a double-digit gain showing some nice speed in the process.

Bouman ended the drill by finding Nate Hughes who was towing Scott Starks in coverage when he broke off the route and turned a hook. Starks was unable to recover quickly enough and Hughes hauled the pass in easily.

Individual Drills (The Receiving Corps)

Because of where I was situated, I had a chance to really watch the receivers as they ran through a variety of routes including corners, posts, slants, outs, curls, and fades. Each of the receivers looked solid out there with one exception. Troy Williamson really struggled to hang on the ball during individual drills. Of the seven passes targeting Williamson, three of them fell incomplete, and none of them was a bad pass.

There were other receivers who had drops, including Jarett Dillard, Nate Hughes, Clarence Denmark, and Todd Peterson. However, their drops were actually justified as the passes were not on the mark.

For Todd Peterson in particular, it almost appeared as if he was channeling his inner Matt Jones on a pass well overthrown in his direction. He went up after the pass, but tried to haul it in with one hand much like the Arkansas Armadillo tried to do on many occasions.

It caught the ire of Todd Monken. The international symbol for “two hands” was followed by some barking in his direction as he scurried back to the group.

Two X One

During the two x one drill, the receivers were working on their red zone technique. Their focus was on beating the coverage and getting into the end zone.

Troy Williamson started the drill, running a crossing route along the goal line. Brian Williams was tight in coverage providing a buffer to keep Williamson out of the end zone. The pass from Garrard was delivered on target, but Williamson was prevented from doing much more than falling where he caught the ball, inside the one-yard line.

Garrard hit Mike Walker on a post route for a touchdown in front of Derek Cox who was right there in coverage.

Nate Hughes ran a similar route, toting Derek Cox in coverage. Garrard’s pass was errant and the ball was overthrown incomplete.

Garrard tried to hit Todd Peterson on a fade route, but the ball was badly overthrown again and wound up incomplete. This was a common occurrence any time the fade route was called for with Garrard. On a couple of occasions he actually put the ball where it was supposed to be, so the fade is still not a part of his arsenal.

Torry Holt ran a double-move on poor Brian Witherspoon, leaving him searching for his jock strap as Holt walked away from him in the end zone for an easy touchdown from Garrard.

Kennard Cox made a nice play tipping away a pass intended for Tiquan Underwood from David Garrard, getting a hand on the ball as Underwood was making the catch.

11 x 11 (Part No. 2)

Derrick Harvey showed he is growing more adept at handling the run. On the first two plays from scrimmage during this drill, he held Maurice Jones-Drew to no gain, and then stuffed him for a short loss on the next play. He also forced Drew to stretch a running play to the left all the way to the sideline, keeping him from getting any positive yardage on the play.

It was a nice series for Harvey.

Paul Smith showed why, at best, he is destined for the practice squad. On his first opportunity from scrimmage, he muffed the snap so badly it shot through the line of scrimmage and was scooped up five-yards downfield by a very surprised Tim Shaw.

Todd Bouman was dealing with his own struggles, mostly with trying to get away from the pass rush while throwing on the run. He may have a big arm, but if he has to move and throw it is one of the uglier displays to witness. His sidearm delivery on the run may pay homage to Brett Favre, but it does very little to actually hit the mark.

On a pass play intended for Tiquan Underwood, Bouman was forced to move away from pressure in the pocket. His intended target was along the sideline when Bouman tried to force the pass into him. Scott Starks made a great diving attempt on the ball, and it would have been a highlight interception had the pass not been thrown slightly out of bounds.

Maurice Jones-Drew took a nice bit of footwork changing the intended direction on a play and turning a broken play into a big gain.

11 x 11 (Part No. 3—two minute drill)

David Garrard targeted Marcedes Lewis as they switched to two-minute mode on a deep cross. Justin Durant jumped the pass and probably should have intercepted it but was unable to get a handle on the ball allowing it to fall incomplete.

Torry Holt gave Derek Cox a lesson in route running as he took the rookie for a little trot, suddenly made a cut on a quick slant, and left the rookie in his dust. David Garrard hit Holt in stride for a big gain.

Garrard nailed Jarett Dillard on a nice deep cross. However, on the play, Reggie Hayward had broken into the backfield and clearly would have logged a sack as he blew by Garrard with hands up.

Quentin Groves, who has been struggling to figure out how to get by Tra Thomas, continued to discover how difficult the task is tonight. On several plays, Groves was completely stumped when he went up against the veteran left tackle. However, on one play he did find a way to get around Thomas using his speed, chasing Garrard out of the pocket and forcing an incomplete pass.

David Garrard tried to go over the middle to Greg Estandia. Once again Justin Durant was in the right place at the right time, picking the pass off and actually hanging on this time around.

11 x 11 (Part No. 4)

David Garrard hit Nate Hughes on a go route over the top of Derek Cox. The play went for a long touchdown as Hughes pulled away from Cox giving him a nice cushion for the score.

Todd Bouman hit Rashad Jennings on a little dump off pass that would have been relatively insignificant had it not been for the fact that Clint Ingram flattened Jennings as he turned the ball up the field. It got a lot of howls from the other players as the rookie had to scrape himself off the turf after the hit.

Marcedes Lewis has reportedly been working hard to shake the issues he has had with his dropped passes. It sure did not look like that on one specific play where pass, perfectly delivered by David Garrard, clanked off his chest and fell incomplete. On the play, Lewis had gotten separation from Tim Shaw when the pass hit him in stride. He simply blew the catch as the ball got to his pads.

Garrard went back after Lewis on the next play, but missed badly as his sight line was blocked as Derek Landri walked Maurice Williams back into his face, obstructing his view.

On what had to be the play of the day, David Garrard threw a deep corner at Nate Hughes. The ball was slightly under thrown, and appeared to be tipped away by Tyron Breckenridge. However, Hughes never lost focus and was able to snatch the ball before he went down making a nice circus catch on the play.

Maurice Dupree showed some nifty footwork on a little out pattern, taking a pass from Paul Smith and walking the tightrope up the sideline for a ten-yard gain before being pushed out of bounds.

Todd Bouman attempted to go deep down the sideline to Zach Miller. He was flushed out of the pocket and threw the ball on the run. The poorly targeted pass wound up being picked off by Reggie Nelson.

11 x 11 (Part No. 5—Red Zone):

The practice wound down with a little red zone action to conclude the night.

David Garrard hit Greg Estandia on a great diving catch on a post pattern. Estandia showed some serious focus making the play in traffic.

Maurice Jones-Drew was able to make a couple of jukes on a little dump off pass, finishing his trot in the end zone for a touchdown.

Todd Bouman tried to demonstrate his prowess for running, and it was not pretty. It was however successful as Bouman’s jaunt wound up in the end zone.

Paul Smith connected with Zach Miller for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone as Miller made a terrific effort to keep his feet in as he pulled the pass down. It was one of two scores Miller had during the drill. Later in the session, he snagged another touchdown in the corner of the end zone courtesy of David Garrard.

The practice concluded with Maurice Jones-Drew sneaking into the end zone on a run up the middle.

Final impression

This was a good practice for the Jaguars. While reports indicated the team had a sloppy morning session, the team looked crisp and focused tonight. The grind of training camp is certainly starting to show signs of creeping into the equation, but they appear to have been able to overcome that to a certain extent.

The players have to be chomping at the bit to get on the field for the scrimmage tomorrow night.

More later.

Jacksonville Jaguars Training Camp: 8/3/09 AM Session

Tim McClellan — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:34:42 -0400

The Jaguars took the field this morning for the first session of training camp in preparation for the 2009 season with a renewed sense of energy, a new look to the roster, and a reconfigured practice facility aimed at getting the fans closer to the action.

The weather was typical for an August morning in Jacksonville with hot temperatures, high humidity, and the hint of a breeze coming off of the St. Johns River.

The players donned their traditional opening day garb, shorts, shirts, and those fabulous glitter helmets for a non-contact session to kick things off.

The much touted increased physical approach to practices, even in the unpadded sessions, is readily apparent. There is more action happening in the trenches, and more contact along the line during 11x11 and 7x7 drills. How that will translate as practice proceeds remains to be seen.

The review on the new bleacher setup is mixed. Yes, you are closer to the action, but you cannot attain the elevation to get a real good look at the field, as these bleachers are about a third as tall as the permanent structures at the facility. It also offers less capacity for fans to sit and watch practices, as the permanent bleachers at the facility are significantly larger.

The bleachers they traditionally had set up on the north end of the practice facility are no longer there. It almost appears as if these temporary units were just moved from that area to move fans forward.

The crowd at the practice session was solid for a weekday morning session. From my perspective, there were probably around 1,000 fans attending the morning practice, with a larger crowd expected for the evening session.

On the field, some of the notable players who did not participate included Torry Holt, Vince Manuwai, Sean Considine, Todd Boeckman, and Scott Starks.

The session itself started off with several individual unit drills. There was not much in the way of real action during this portion of the practice, and the younger fans that came to see the Jaguars were immediately bored.

The three quarterbacks (Garrard, Bouman, and Smith) were fairly accurate with most of their passes during individual drills. Smith appeared to have the most difficulty bringing his passes down as he was consistently high on his delivery throughout the practice session.

The two receivers who really stood out during the individual drills were Mike Thomas and Jarett Dillard. Both players made some nice grabs on some slightly errant passes showing athleticism and adjustments we have not seen from Jaguar receivers in quite a while.

Dillard showed great vertical ability in going up after passes without breaking stride. Of course, this type of performance, particularly in shorts and helmets, is something we have grown accustomed to seeing at this point in camp. How his abilities translate once the pads go on remains to be seen. But, for a first blush he was the most notable of the rookie receivers.

Among the tight ends, Richard Angulo appeared to be struggling to hang on to the ball, dropping a couple of very catchable passes during the individual drills.

Now, let’s get on to the drills since this is where most of the real action happened.

11x11 (Part #1):

David Garrard opened up the first drill of training camp by going to Maurice Jones-Drew over the middle on a quick dump off. Daryl Smith got a finger on the ball and knocked the pass away incomplete.

Greg Jones looked outstanding for the first practice session. He appears to have regained some of the burst he has been struggling to find for a couple of seasons now. He is running with command and with a very aggressive nature when he is given the ball.

On one particular play, Jones broke to the outside sidestepping the defense and muscling by a couple of defensive backs before breaking into the secondary where he had a foot race with the safety, hand fighting down the field the entire time. It was one of the more entertaining moments in the first practice for fans.

One play in particular where we got a glimpse of what to expect from Thomas, Garrard hit Thomas going over the middle with two linebackers and a defensive back surrounding him. It was a nice throw into traffic, and an impressive display of concentration for Thomas as he was smothered as soon as he made the grab.

Rashad Jennings continues to impress with his smooth, effortless play on the field. The guy is like silk out there whether he is taking the ball out of the backfield or making a catch. Everything about his style of play is smooth.

Garrard looked rusty at times, especially on the deeper passes. In one particular instance he attempted to go deep to Tiquan Underwood on a deep post, and the ball was badly overthrown.

It is nothing more than a timing issue for now, but he had some accuracy problems during the practice session, including a pick by Marlon McCree on a deep cross that was thrown slightly behind his intended target.

It is the first practice session, and he was not the only quarterback struggling with accuracy so no alarms are necessary at this point.

Jarett Dillard made a great catch in traffic on a deep crossing pattern on a well delivered pass from Todd Bouman. Dillard had to go up after the pass and was able to haul it in and continue for additional yardage after the catch. Once again, his display of athleticism was impressive.

There were a ton of bubble screens to Maurice Jones-Drew, Chauncey Washington, Greg Jones, Alvin Pearman, and Rashad Jennings. Since this is the bread and butter of our offense, there is not much that needs to be said about this. All of the backs showed good receiving ability coming out of the backfield, and turning it up field after the catch.

Jones-Drew actually looks a touch quicker this year. I know he dropped a few pounds and he is sporting a beard for training camp. He has clearly followed the advice he was given by Fred Taylor to take care of himself, and it is showing on the field.

7x7:

Garrard nailed Maurice Jones-Drew streaking over the middle on a mid-level crossing route. Drew showed some nice acceleration after making the grab to pad the yardage.

Tiquan Underwood showed some terrific footwork and awareness on a quick out from David Garrard. After making the catch along the sideline, Underwood was able to stop his momentum and turn up field to get a few extra yards before being forced out of bounds by Reggie Nelson. The coverage was right there, but the cut was so precise it froze Nelson briefly.

Todd Peterson made an impressive catch over the top of Tyron Brackenridge on a quick out, muscling for position to make the reception.

Troy Williamson was relatively quiet throughout practice. The only time he was even noted to be on the field was on a quick out from David Garrard that went for six yards. He is clearly being outplayed by his younger competition, and it appears his roster spot is going to be filled by someone else.

Marcedes Lewis looked improved in the pass catching department, making a few grabs during practice including one particularly tricky catch in coverage going over the middle on a slant. Garrard’s pass was slightly off target, but Lewis made a nice adjustment to make the catch.

David Garrard targeted Mike Walker on a deep out, but the ball was tipped away by Rashean Mathis who was stuck to Walker like glue.

Regarding Walker, something that was noted by many of the folks at practice today including myself was the more muscular appearance. He looks a lot bulkier than in previous years, and it may have had an impact on his speed. He looked slower than most of the young guns, and rustier, dropping a few passes during the practice session. When he was on the field, he was struggling to shake coverage.

He did have one solid reception on a deep out in front of Pete Ittersagen, but he did not get separation as much as he got better position on the ball delivered by Todd Bouman.

Tyler Lorenzen showed some good concentration going over the middle into triple coverage with Ittersagen, Brackenridge, and Alexander in coverage. He split the three defensive backs and hauled in the pass from Todd Bouman for a solid gain.

11x11 (Part #2):

Mike Thomas is clearly being used as more of a slot receiver, and it appears there is some good logic behind the move. The guy is fearless going over the middle with no contact expected. We will have to wait and see how that translates once the pads go on and he is anticipating a hit after the catch. But, his scrappy play in traffic was fun to watch.

David Garrard attempted to go to Nate Hughes deep over the middle, but the pass was thrown short and was almost picked off by Derek Cox who was stride-for-stride with the receiver on the play. It was one of the few times they actually threw in his direction.

Jones-Drew blew up a short dump in the flat and turned it into a significant gain by hitting the burners when he hit the corner and running right by the linebackers into the secondary. He made them look silly on the play.

Greg Jones took a pass in the flat from David Garrard and high stepped his way down the field. As mentioned earlier, he has clearly gotten his stride back and is running with both speed and force. He is never going to evade a defender with his crafty footwork, but he might outrun one or two guys. I pity anyone that gets in his way.

Final Thoughts:

It was as expected for a first practice session. There were no earth shattering developments, and there were no players that appeared to be laboring at any point during the practice. Avoiding injuries on day one is a good thing, and the team is half way there.

The more physical nature of the practices is something we can debate, and things will amp up as camp goes on. It was definitely more spirited than in previous years. That is a good thing.

The crowd was significantly smaller than we have seen in previous years, but that has more to do with camp starting on a Monday. With the reduced bleacher capacity, maybe that is a good thing.

The fans in attendance were somewhat subdued. I think the attitude at practice today for the fans mirrors the attitude they are taking with every aspect of the 2009 season. Everyone is very much in wait and see mode.

More later!

Change, Hope, and the 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars

Tim McClellan — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:36:16 -0400

The Jacksonville Jaguars take the field for the first practice session of training camp in less than 72 hours. With players scheduled to report for work on Sunday, the dead zone for the National Football League will come to an end in Jacksonville. With so many questions searching for an answer, it is time to see where the team is on the field and not just on paper.

Regardless of your political viewpoint, the hope and change mantra has been a clever and well-worn bit of phraseology beaten into our heads for the past several months. Some people find joy in these words while others just gristle at the mere suggestion.

So it is with the coaches, players, staff, and fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As the Jags get ready to report for the 15th training camp in franchise history, the same tags become the predominant theme for 2009.

First, there is the change.

A lot of change has happened since the end of the 2008 season. Like a cleansing shower to wash away the stench of a hard day’s work, the Jaguars worked quickly to shed the pungent funk of one of the most difficult seasons in franchise history.

From roster upheaval during the off-season, coaching staff additions and subtractions, or front office shuffling, significant change has been one of the main themes for the Jaguars in 2009.

When the Jaguars open the 2009 season, the team could have four or even five players starting at different positions on offense from the starters listed on opening day in 2008. Even more dramatic, there could be as many as seven players starting on the defense in positions where other names were attached on opening day a year ago.

The roster turnover was the necessary byproduct of a five-win season. For a team to stumble to a disappointing finish in the manner the Jaguars did, a good purging of the roster was the only option.

The chemistry which had been attributed as a major factor in much of the team’s success in 2007 failed them completely in 2008. All it took was a couple of bad apples being brought into the mix and things came apart quickly.

The purge targeted those problem areas with the intention of wholesale repair in very short order. The team tried to eradicate these weak links with surgical precision. The strategy appears to have worked extremely well, at least on paper.

The change seen with the coaching staff is expected to bring the philosophical approach more in line with what Jack Del Rio would prefer. The coaches who did not subscribe to his mindset have been replaced with guys who should be more simpatico with the boss.

The plan is to get back to basics, focusing on the fundamentals, with an eye on regaining the physical, punishing style of football that became the trademark for Del Rio’s teams here in Jacksonville.

It is not pretty or glamorous football, but it wins games and it is more in sync with what Jack Del Rio prescribes. The change is more of a return to what worked previously, undoing the changes which allowed the team to slip and get off track.

Then there is the hope.

There is the hope that the changes in the front office will reap big rewards. The corresponding philosophical shift in the approach the Jaguars are taking with both player acquisition and retention will quickly return dividends for the team.

There is the hope that these roster changes allow the team to rebound from a disappointing slide, eliminating the distractions and the attitude problems which bubbled up several times during the 2008 campaign.

There is hope that Jack Del Rio has finally found the right blend of coaching mindsets to compliment his own.

There is hope the team will spark enough interest from the fans locally to get the tickets sold to avoid at least some blackouts.

There is the hope these roster cuts have found the correct targets, and the players who were brought in to fill the void will do so seamlessly and successfully.

There is hope for one major change being the catalyst to spark a renaissance for the Jaguars in 2009. The release of Fred Taylor and the installation of Maurice Jones-Drew as the premiere back for the team is hoped to provide the impetus for a turnaround. Jones-Drew is the one player on the current roster with legitimate star power. If his fortunes continue to rise, the hopes of the franchise ride on his shoulders.

That is a lot of pressure for a young athlete, but Jones-Drew appears to be adapting well to the change, willing to carry the torch of hope.

The good news in all of this hope and change is the fact, unlike the leadership guiding this country, the group guiding the ship for the Jaguars is working responsibly to assure all of the adjustments made are done while practicing fiscal constraint.

The Jaguars are quickly getting the rookie contracts buttoned up, with the big ticket players remaining on the agenda. The crown jewel in the 2009 draft class, Eugene Monroe, appears likely to be the only player not under contract when the team takes the field on Monday morning. There is still hope a deal gets done, but with each tick of the clock it becomes less likely it will happen before camp begins on Monday.

The first-round draft picks around the league are starting to get their contracts ironed out, and the Jaguars have seen what other teams are doing. Oakland gave wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey $23 million in guaranteed money with the deal agreed upon yesterday. As the seventh pick in the draft, he received a 20 percent bump over the same deal signed by defensive end Sedrick Ellis last season.

A similar type of increase for the Jaguars would amount to a signing bonus on the plus side of $21 million for Eugene Monroe. Last year, when the Jaguars negotiated with Derrick Harvey, they stuck to the 10 percent rule which has traditionally been the expected bump from year to year for first-rounder picks. The Jaguars will more than likely take a similar position this year.

Harvey secured a $17.1 million signing bonus. This was in line with what the eighth pick in the 2007 draft received with the traditional annual bump. So, if the Jaguars stick to their standard approach, Monroe's signing bonus should be in the $19 million range.

This is the one area where change would be a bad thing for the Jaguars. The team dug in their heels last season when they negotiated the Harvey deal. Their approach should be exactly the same this year. Paul Vance and the front office staff have already shown in the past they will not bow to trends in the current salary patterns. They will adhere to their fiscally responsible approach.

It may not seem that significant to quibble over a million here or there, but these dollars add up quickly. The Jaguars are a small-market franchise already struggling to maintain a competitive balance with the more cash rich big-market teams. These deals have to fit their model in order to keep the team on an even footing. If the team does make a change and begin bending to get a player signed, it starts the team down a slippery slope that is difficult to escape from.

No hope is required for the final contracts to get done, and no change should be part of the equation in the approach the team is taking with their negotiations. The deal should come together fulfilling the expectations for the player, but also protecting the bigger financial interests for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

In the end, both sides need to come together and say, "Yes we can!"

With a fresh perspective and a preseason full of change, the Jacksonville Jaguars hope they have found the right mix with all of the moves they have made to get the team back on track quickly. The faster they can accomplish the task of getting back to winning, the more likely it is the fans will wake up and embrace their home team.

At least that is what the Jaguars hope will happen.

Jack Del Rio Talks Vick Rumors, Prospects for 2009

Tim McClellan — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:03:08 -0400

Rarely do the Jacksonville Jaguars have anything concrete that proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that the national media simply ignores the franchise. This week, with the Michael Vick reinstatement, the Jaguars have been consistently mentioned as having interest in the troubled quarterback, and it has become crystal clear just how little attention the team gets.

On ESPN, Herm Edwards, a friend of Jack Del Rio, was the first to float the suggestion that the Jaguars might pursue Vick. Since then, the suggestion mushroomed into a full-blown rumor, and sparked conversations in every possible manner about the best approach for the Jaguars.

At that time, Jack Del Rio was asked directly about the rumors swirling regarding whether the Jaguars had any interest in Michael Vick during his first weekly radio show of the 2009 season on WOKV AM 690 in Jacksonville. Jack Del Rio simply said, "No."

The Vick dismissal was only the first point Del Rio discussed. He was practically gushing for the remainder of his show about the direction he sees this team headed right now.

He went on to elaborate on the point by focusing on the players the team brought in this year. He said that part of the process was to purge the roster first, eliminating some of the bad elements that had started to develop. Then, they identified new core players the city would be proud of as they ascend to new roles as primary leaders on a team lacking any true star power.

Maurice Jones-Drew was one of those core players Del Rio mentioned. He was approached by fans during a recent golf tournament on the west coast and asked about his new primary running back. These fans were fantasy wonks that had Maurice on their roster, so they were trying to pick the coach's brain to find out what he expected from his back. Del Rio pointed out that Jones-Drew was also on his fantasy team, so he had very high expectations for his guy.

Jones-Drew is the one Jaguar player generating a lot of interest outside of Jacksonville. In the short time he has been on the franchise and in the NFL, he has become one of the biggest stars the Jaguars have ever had on the roster. People are taking notice, which Del Rio said was much deserved. The Jaguars are trying to leverage his celebrity to get people paying attention to the team as a whole.

He also spoke on how underappreciated he feels David Garrard actually is. Garrard has the ability to make plays with his feet, mind, and his arm according to Del Rio. By providing him with better protection, playmakers on the receiving corps, and a more effective running game, David should be able to take the next step in his career progression and rebound from a difficult year.

Vince Manuwai's return was mentioned by Del Rio as a critical piece in the revitalization of the Jaguars roster. The entire offensive line has been extremely upbeat with Manuwai back on the field participating with the starting unit.

According to Jack, Marcedes Lewis has had a great off-season, and is poised to have a productive 2009. He is in the best shape of his career working with the new training staff, and he is focused on overcoming a less than stellar 2008. Lewis has been putting in extra effort to validate the trust the staff has in him.

On defense, Jack feels the linebackers are poised to have a big year. Much of what they want to do defensively will be funneled through them. Based on the spring, the core three—Daryl Smith, Clint Ingram, and Justin Durant—are ready to take their game to the next level.

Jack said he expects all of them to take a step forward, but most of all Clint Ingram. They want him to be more involved in blitzing. Jack referred to him as a "hunting dog" because he is a guy who "likes to go strike people."

Justin Durant is the middle linebacker now, with Smith and Ingram anchoring the outside. Del Rio feels that this will allow each player to play to their strengths.

Right now, if Jack was to set up the depth chart for the defensive backs, Sean Considine and Reggie Nelson would wind up being the starters at safety. But, he said that there is an open competition, and if either Marlin McCree or Gerald Alexander win the starting jobs, he would be fine with this.

Jack talked about the freshness and anxiety he feels about this team. Because of all the changes, he is eager to get started so the coaches can mold this young team into something the city of Jacksonville can be proud of.

Del Rio talked about the huge amount of effort the team embarked upon to fix those things that needed attention. He said that their focus is not on expectations right now, but the rebuilding process itself. They want to get to work to develop these young players, and have them all pull together unselfishly and see where things wind up in the fall. They are focused on reinstating the family vibe the team lost track of last season.

Jack was asked about the three veteran free agent acquisitions: Torry Holt, Tra Thomas, and Sean Considine. Jack felt all three of the players are consummate pros who appreciate the NFL and the opportunity to play in the league. Each has come to Jacksonville to help this team win.

Del Rio was quick to point out that these are not necessarily mentors in the traditional sense. They are there to win the starting positions, and in doing so, lead by the example. By seeing this, the hope is the young players will develop the right habits as they mature as professional athletes.

Regarding the issues with John Henderson, the indication was this is being overblown. Jack feels Henderson has responded well to the challenges issued to him during organized team activities. He is keeping his weight in check and focusing on his conditioning.

Jack discussed Rob Meier and how he really needs to go back into more of a situational role. He said they simply asked too much of Rob last year and it showed. By putting him back into a situation where he can rotate in for 20-25 plays per game, he should return to the high level of play he embodied prior to 2008.

Terrance Knighton is a defensive tackle Jack is high on because he's a guy with a solid base and good athletic ability. They want to see him in pads to determine how his game translates with contact. But, if he continues to impress, he will be competing for a starting position.

Defensive tackle Attiyah Ellison is another guy the coaches expect to compete for not only a roster spot, but significant playing time as well. The unheralded off-season acquisition has shown flashes during the spring, and the coaching staff is eager to see if these will continue when the pads go on during camp.

Jack said they have more depth at defensive tackle than most think. He did say they need John to get back to his Pro Bowl level this year, and they hope this will happen.

Derrick Harvey has bulked up to shed the notion he is a situational player. He is working hard to become an every down defensive end, and not just a guy who comes in on passing downs.

When Jack was asked when the team plans to have their annual rite of passage, the Oklahoma drill, he was somewhat evasive. The first night in pads is expected to be Wednesday night. The first padded practice is traditionally the session where these drills happen. Del Rio joked that he needed to consult Jaguars.com Senior Editor, Vic Ketchman to determine when the drill would happen, and who the matchups would ultimately be for the evening.

The head coach expects the Oklahoma drills to be "spirited" because there are several natural matchups, particularly between the top draft picks from last year and this season. He said there will be some legitimate competition in the drill this year.

On Rashad Jennings, host Brian Sexton gushed about his size, speed, and intelligence. Jack tried to dial it down saying the enthusiasm has to be tempered until they get a look at Jennings in pads to see how he responds to contact.

"After 25 years in the league, you just have to temper it a little bit in the spring until you see it in pads."

Jennings is picking things up quickly. How he responds to Justin Durant coming over the middle looking to throttle him remains to be seen. According to Del Rio, he had a fine spring and Jennings is definitely one of the players they are eager to watch.

Coach Del Rio discussed rookie tight end, Zach Miller, and how they are looking for ways to get him involved. Jack focused on Miller's ability to run and what a tremendous asset his speed will be.

"He's a competitive guy. He's got a lot to learn in terms of playing the position and being a complete player. The one thing he can do is run," he said.

Jack has a sense of excitement about this team. For the first time in a few years, he seems almost eager to get back on the field to see what they can mold this young group of players to become. He will not allow distractions to be a part of the equation, which is encouraging.

Jacksonville Jaguars Should Just Say No To Mike Vick

Tim McClellan — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:57:55 -0400

Following a brief statement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did what was expected yesterday by initiating the process of reinstating quarterback Michael Vick. There were certain stipulations put in place to continue the evaluation process, including the assignment of Indianapolis Colts head coach, Tony Dungy, as his personal mentor.

The league also withheld a final decision on granting full reinstatement by establishing an evaluation period. The commissioner will issue a final ruling on Vick's reinstatement within the first six weeks of the regular season.

Vick can now begin the process of finding an NFL team interested in his services so that he can begin earning again. With the terms of a bankruptcy agreement looming, Vick now has to find a way to generate enough income to pay off his mounting bills totaling more than $20 million.

Once signed, Vick can participate in training camp and in preseason games. He will be forced to wait for Goodell to issue a final ruling at some point during the first six weeks of the season, but he can practice with the team during that period.

So, Michael Vick is getting a second chance in the National Football League.

Should it matter to the Jacksonville Jaguars?

The debate has been a lingering discussion over the past few months as fans endure the infamous dead zone of the NFL calendar year, as they are waiting for training camp to begin and football to return.

The discussions pop up any time a talking head who knows little to nothing about the Jaguars decides to throw their name in the hat among teams that should be interested in his services.

One of their biggest points supporting the idea is ticket sales. Somehow, Michael Vick is going to generate this rush for ticket sales and magically make the blackout issues disappear.

These puppets obviously know very little about the Jacksonville market or how signing a player like Michael Vick would impact the Jaguars in the Jacksonville community.

What would signing Michael Vick really do for the Jaguars?

It would impact the team in one of three different ways.

First, it could potentially fracture an already fragile fan base.

Fans that might be teetering on the fence over their ticket purchases might be more inclined to bail on the team if they see the front office bringing in a player with the mediocre resume and the epic criminal record.

Second, it could rattle the confidence the fans have in the front office.

During this offseason every move made has been focused on ridding the roster of distractions and restoring character as a primary factor in player acquisition. Bringing in Vick would undermine all of the work done by Gene Smith in rebuilding the roster, and paint him as a hypocrite.

While he has certainly paid for his crimes, there is still a significant stigma associated with the Michael Vick brand.

Finally, any team that takes a gamble and signs Vick will deal with the fallout with the weekly protests at games and the hecklers in the stands for open practices. The team will contend with potential boycotts, and bad press surrounding the past mistakes made by the player.

Whether that is fair or not is irrelevant. The bottom line here is the fact that the Jaguars are already a team struggling to build a following. Signing a player with the type of baggage that Vick brings to the party could introduce a lightning rod that could blow up in their face.

For a team already playing it so close to the margin right now, this type of move carries far too much risk from a business perspective.

This is nothing against Michael Vick. It is simply a prudent approach for a team trying to create a positive identity in the Jacksonville community.

Having an athlete the caliber of Vick would be wonderful for any team if he was capable of getting back to the level he was at previously. However, he has been away from the game for two years. His training regimen has been focused on avoiding deep knee bends in the shower in recent years.

Overshadowed by the hoopla of Vick being reinstated is the fact that he was nothing more than a marginally average quarterback with outstanding scrambling abilities. His career completion percentage barely cracks fifty percent (53.8%), and his quarterback rating is a dismal 75.7.

If the Jaguars are looking to make an upgrade at the backup position for quarterback, this is probably not the best approach. There were better options for finding a more effective passer if the intent is to improve the position. Vick would be more of a curiosity and a media focal point than an improvement over the current situation.

The negatives surrounding the return of Michael Vick to the NFL far outweigh the benefits for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The front office should continue to focus on building the team the right way, identifying talent that fits with the big picture mindset.

That means players need to be quality individuals both on and off the field. The team should not deviate from this blueprint established under general manager, Gene Smith. The effort should be allowed to run its course to see if the strategy allows the team to rebound quickly from previous struggles.

No doubt, Michael Vick should get a chance to resurrect his NFL career. It just needs to happen somewhere other than in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville Jaguars' Front Office Hits Crunch Time

Tim McClellan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:48:05 -0400

With training camp starting on Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a hectic agenda ahead of them to get all of their draft picks in camp on time. The flurry of activity this week in the front office should border on frantic as the team tries to button up the contracts on their 2009 draft class.

The big ticket players, Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton, will more than likely wind up being the final two players to agree to terms with the Jaguars. They will continue to monitor the contract situations of other draft picks to get a sense for their market value. Neither player is going to race to sign a deal.

Ideally, the Jaguars would love to have all of their draft picks in camp when players report this Sunday. They would even settle for having their picks under contract before they hit the practice field for the first time on Monday morning.

But with only five first-round picks signed a week from the official start of training camp, the odds of having all of their guys signed, sealed, and delivered is beginning to look a little unlikely.

In the past decade, the Jaguars have had two of their first-round selections miss a significant portion of training camp as they held out to get their rookie contracts completed.

In 2003, Byron Leftwich sat out 19 days of training camp while the team worked out the particulars on his contract. The missed practice time did create a significant obstacle to Leftwich's development as a rookie. He did finish the season as the starter, but it was because of an injury and not because he outplayed Mark Brunell by a significant margin.

Last year, Derrick Harvey sat out 33 days waiting on a deal to get done. His holdout cost him all of training camp, and slowed his progress as a rookie. He only started to hit any sort of a stride late in the season when the team was already in free-fall.

Because agents know there is a possibility that a rookie salary cap could become a reality as part of any new collective bargaining agreement, they are scrambling to maximize the contracts this year in anticipation of heavy restrictions moving forward. The end result is one of the slowest signing seasons for high draft picks in league history.

The Jaguars are in a great position to handle any sort of holdouts with their top two picks.

Eugene Monroe is expected to compete for the starting left tackle position immediately. But, if he does hold out and miss training camp, the Jaguars have an insurance policy in free agent acquisition Tra Thomas. The team has a solid starter ready to go in the event of a holdout.

With Eben Britton, the situation is even less of a concern for the team. Tony Pashos has reportedly outperformed the rookie tackle during the spring, so the Jaguars have a starter at right tackle should he be another late signer.

The local media is already starting to spin this as if there is a critical situation developing if the team fails to get their top-two draft picks signed in time for camp. Realistically, it would be more of a problem for the players than for the team if these contracts do not get done in a timely manner.

It will hamper the development of the rookies and hurt their chances of earning starting jobs early in the process.

The lack of a deal will certainly provide a distinct advantage to the veterans currently holding these positions as they develop chemistry with the starting unit and become more fluent and familiar with the playbook.

As we saw last season, practicing in a hotel conference room with stationary chairs does not equate to the same level of exposure a player gets by being involved in the minutiae of two-a-days.

Derrick Harvey may have been able to sack a conference room chair with relative ease. But, that did not allow him to hit the ground running when he finally did arrive on the scene after a 33-day holdout.

The good news is the team will be fine regardless of what these top-two picks do contractually. With quality veteran talent already on the roster, the pressure is squarely on the players to get a deal done quickly so they can compete for those starting positions.

Jacksonville Jaguars' Troy Williamson Is The Forgotten Man

Tim McClellan — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:13:15 -0400

The only time you ever hear about certain players on the Jacksonville Jaguars' roster is when they are signed, cut, or get in trouble. They are the forgotten few on a team already lacking household names. Some of these players will be embroiled in high-profile position battles during training camp.

Still, they barely show up on the radar screen when discussing these battles.

Some players are so invisible they almost need to get their picture on the side of a milk carton to gain any sort of recognition.

One such player is wide receiver and former first-round selection, Troy Williamson.

When the Jaguars traded for Williamson last year, the investment was minimal. In return for the former top ten draft pick, the Jaguars gave up a sixth round selection in the 2008 draft.

The hope was that a change of scenery would do Williamson a lot of good.

Unfortunately, the speedy receiver, panned as a guy with blazing speed and hands of stone wound up struggling to get on the field for most of the season as a result of a leg injury. He finished the season with only five receptions and 30-yards of receiving to his credit.

The predominant expectation for Williamson entering 2009 was that he would not be on the roster for very long.

Jerry Porter, Reggie Williams, Dennis Northcutt, and Matt Jones were all sent packing following a disappointing 2008.

Somehow Williamson survived.

Perhaps the team was practicing some level of patience.

Coming out of South Carolina in 2005, Williamson was one of the more highly touted receivers in the draft. He struggled for three years trying to overcome an issue with dropped passes before the Minnesota Vikings had grown weary of his unfulfilled potential.

He was not a receiver known for dropping passes in college. In fact, as a junior he led the Southeastern Conference in receiving touchdowns (7) and receiving yards per game (83.5). He tied an SEC record with a 99-yard touchdown reception, and was named first team All-SEC in his final year at South Carolina.

When Williamson arrived in Minnesota, the expectations he had to live under were more than he could deal with. He landed on the Vikings roster as Randy Moss was being dealt to Oakland. The team gave Williamson a tremendous vote of confidence by inserting him as Moss' replacement immediately.

Anyone with even the most casual knowledge about the history of the NFL is aware of how difficult it is for receivers to become productive members of a roster entering the league. Most rookie wide outs have a tendency to struggle, and these challenges are only exacerbated by the escalated hopes that come with being a first-round selection.

Williamson did not deliver, and the fans turned on him very quickly.

The blazing speed was never a question. Williamson could fly. But, no matter how open Williamson might have gotten because of his speed, the prospect of throwing the ball in his direction was usually accompanied by a collective cringe as people waited to see if he actually held on to the football.

On far too many occasions a wide open Williamson would finish a play trotting back to the huddle after muffing a catch.

When the Jaguars and Vikings reached an agreement on trading a late round pick for Williamson, Jacksonville felt it had gotten the better end of the deal. With his speed, Williamson would immediately offer the team a deep threat and a return specialist. That combination would be an absolute steal if he panned out.

Unfortunately, just when he was given the opportunity to turn his career around with a fresh start in Jacksonville, the injury happened.

The injury took away the one asset Williamson brought to the table that landed him on the Jaguars to begin with: his speed.

Without the speed, he was just another guy with suspect hands.

His slow recovery only made things worse.

As the team struggled through a disappointing season where the receiving corps was a leading contributor to the 5-11 record, Williamson was nowhere to be found.

When the roster purge began, Williamson had to be avoiding phone calls from the 904 area code. He must have felt his time in Jacksonville was coming to an end. But, the call never came.

Entering mini-camp and organized team activities, he was still on the roster.

He was now faced with many new faces. With only Mike Walker still wearing teal, Williamson has been forced to jump into an open competition with three rookie draft picks and two free agents for one of five or six roster spots.

The odds of Williamson making the team seem unlikely, unless of course he rediscovers his speed and, more importantly his hands.

It is situations like this where good players rise to the occasion, and disappointing players fade into the background.

Williamson is finally in a position where the pressure to live up to expectations is gone, and he can focus his energy on trying to make the roster.

No matter what happens with the Jaguars, his speed is going to be a real lure for some team. Speed always gets a lot of attention in the NFL. The hope is that he becomes the most productive sixth-round draft pick in franchise history, but at this point with the level of young competition he has to face, the more likely scenario is that he gets some quality video to take with him as he departs Jacksonville in search of a new team.

The time has come for Williamson to leverage his veteran experience, and his physical talents to win a roster spot. Nobody is expecting him to make noise or compete for a roster spot, so a nice run in training camp and the preseason could make him the comeback player for the Jaguars.

It all rests on those hands.

Jacksonville Jaguars' Gene Smith Becomes Focal Point of Turnaround

Tim McClellan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:36:12 -0400

The Jacksonville Jaguars are now less than a fortnight away from the start of training camp. Once they return, a lot of questions will find answers, as the players prepare for the season on the practice fields at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

For now, Gene Smith appears to be making all of the right moves.

Whether he knows it or not, the weight of the franchise rests firmly on Smith's shoulders as he takes on the burden of rebuilding a roster which stumbled to a 5-11 season in 2008.

It is one thing to have the pressure of simply turning things around on the field. It is exponentially more challenging to be tasked with reversing the misfortune on the field while trying to find the right mix to turn around the struggles with ticket sales and the revenue stream.

When he accepted the role of general manager earlier this year, Smith may not have known what a challenge he was facing.

Obviously, he understood the roster needed significant retooling to get things back on track.

But he probably did not know his moves would have the potential to help turn things around for the franchise at the ticket window, and with their cash flow.

With the Jaguars already announcing the blackout of their home preseason games, the franchise is preparing for an uphill battle to get things right, on and off the field.

That climb has been made more difficult by a lagging economy, 11-percent unemployment in Jacksonville, and no realistic prospects on the horizon to get naming rights sold for the stadium.

The Jaguars need some good news, and they may find that once training camp starts and the team can return to the primary focus of playing football.

Once they do take the field, fans will get a good idea of what they can expect from the team this year, and they may be willing to come off their wallets and buy tickets.

Will it be enough to turn things around quickly this year?

That probably will not be the case. But, if things are moving in the right direction, fans might be willing to go along for the ride.

With a season ticket sales deficit of more than 15,000 seats, the Jaguars are likely looking at the potential of having eight or more home games (including the preseason) blacked out this year.

That is a black eye that leaves a sting as talking heads and columnists continue to bang the drum for Los Angeles to snag a franchise. It is not the type of stigma a small-market team like the Jaguars wants to contend with right now.

If the team continues to struggle on the field, fan apathy will only grow. People will find other things to occupy their time on Sundays if they are unable to watch the games on television, and they are unwilling to invest their ever shrinking entertainment dollars on NFL football.

If that happens, the team is in real trouble.

As difficult as it would be to get out of the lease, it is not impossible. Should a new owner come into the picture with deep pockets, the team could be in jeopardy of moving westward over the next few years.

That is why it is imperative the Jaguars must turn things on a dime and get back to winning quickly before the current bleed they are experiencing becomes more of a hemorrhage.

Teams can endure difficult times if they have a loyal and sound fan base supporting them. The Jaguars have a passionate fan base, but that does not necessarily equate to an increase in ticket sales or revenues.

So, while Gene Smith is focused on bringing in quality individuals to rebuild the roster, he has to be cognizant of what the underlying impact of every move is on the overall bottom line for the franchise.

Good guys are wonderful to have in the community. But, if they do not bring more wins to the equation, the team runs the risk of really falling into a deep hole that it simply cannot be retrieved from.

Every roster move matters right now. In fact, the decisions Gene Smith is making between now and the start of the season could be some of the most critical in franchise history as far as Jacksonville is concerned.

The fans are looking for some hope, and they want to embrace the team. If the quality individuals Smith is bringing in to restock his roster prove to be equally adept on the field, and signs of improvement steadily grow as the season progresses, then the future looks bright for the Jaguars.

If the Jaguars stumble, there is a legitimate chance that the team will never fully recover.

That is a tall order for a guy who would simply prefer to study game film and evaluate players.

In two weeks, we will start to come to some conclusions about whether he is up to the task or not.

Jacksonville Jaguars' Philosophy at Wide Receiver Takes a U-Turn

Tim McClellan — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:49:04 -0400

If there was a need for a visual representation of the dramatic changes taking place with the Jacksonville Jaguars roster this offseason, one would only need to look at the rebuilt receiving corps to see how significant the change in philosophy has been.

You do not need a trained eye to recognize how different the unit is from last season, and with a little additional digging, it is clear that the shift is more than just cosmetic.

First, a history lesson is in order to give some perspective on just how difficult it has been to find the right mix of receivers for the Jaguars.

Rolling back the clock to the Tom Coughlin era, the quest to build a solid group of receivers was an epic project that seemed to have no end under the former head coach and general manager.

Jimmy Smith, the greatest receiver to ever put on teal, was a player who spent his first year as a street free agent on the roster as a return guy. He was a special teams player. It was not until the Jaguars' second year in existence that Jimmy emerged from the pack to begin his phenomenal string of nine 1,000-yard seasons over 10 years with the team.

Smith's ascension would have been held back even further if not for an on-field feud between Mark Brunell and receiver Andre Rison. Rison's selfish attitude forced the Jaguars to waive the player who was expected to be their star receiver after only 10 games of the 1996 season.

When Smith took over as the starter, he never looked back.

On the opposite side of the field, the Jaguars had acquired Keenan McCardell from Cleveland. The unheralded receiver was actually one of the leading receivers in Cleveland.

When the two receivers were paired together, they became one of the most prolific tandems in the league, although they were unheralded for this accomplishment because of where they played.

Even with the dynamic duo of Thunder and Lightning as their receiving combination, Coughlin was on a constant vigil to find that elusive third receiver. The endless parade of players pegged to either replace Keenan, or to fill the slot position for the Jaguars to complement the other two, culminated with the disastrous selection of R. Jay Soward as the first-round selection in the 2000 NFL draft.

The decision to draft Soward, and his subsequent failure to meet even the lowest of expectations, signaled the beginning of the end for Coughlin. It was one of the most high-profile personnel mistakes of his tenure in Jacksonville.

The Soward pick is still considered one of the biggest draft blunders in franchise history.

Within a couple of seasons Soward was out of the league because of substance abuse problems, and the Jaguars never did find that third receiver.

When the Jaguars allowed McCardell to leave for Tampa prior to the start of the 2002 season, the receiver carousel cranked up in an effort to find his replacement. Over the past eight seasons, it has not stopped.

No matter what has been attempted, and no matter who has been pulling the trigger on the moves, nothing has come close to matching what the Jaguars had with Smith and McCardell.

The team tried to draft their way back to success, grabbing two receivers in the first round.

In both cases, the team put a high draft value on what turned out to be nothing more than possession receivers.

When Reggie Williams was selected in the 2004 draft, he was considered a reach. While he did have a productive college career, the Jaguars had better options for big play receivers in the draft to select from. They chose the biggest, slowest, youngest receiver of the bunch.

His lack of maturity and inability to shake coverage at the NFL level were a constant problem for Williams. Despite setting the franchise record for receiving touchdowns in 2007, he never came close to providing any sort of value for the first-round pedigree he rode into the league.

Off the field, Williams was an enigma. His bizarre comments in the press were only matched by his behavior when the cameras were not present. After a traffic stop and drug arrest in 2007, Williams' long-term prospects in Jacksonville dimmed.

Setting the franchise touchdown mark in 2007 only prolonged the inevitable. The Jaguars were not going to give Williams a blockbuster extension to remain in Jacksonville, and when he was arrested twice during the offseason this year, any hope of returning to the Jaguars disappeared completely.

A year after drafting Williams, the Jaguars went back to the well again, selecting a quarterback-turned-receiver in Matt Jones with their first-round pick.

There is always an innate risk in any high draft pick, but gambling that a player coming from the college ranks who is also switching positions will be the missing piece you have been looking for is about the same as putting all of your money on a three-legged horse winning the Kentucky Derby. While it could happen, the odds of it becoming a reality are long.

Jones was a gifted athlete who looked like a man-child against the competition he faced at Arkansas. Even that would not have warranted a first-round pick. His performance at the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine had the Jaguars infatuated with his measurables.

Despite his physical attributes, he lacked the heart and the desire to play the game. He also lacked the type of discipline required to be a professional wide receiver.

When he was arrested in Arkansas prior to the start of training camp last year, he appeared to come back more motivated. However, his off-field antics and inconsistent production had already taken their toll.

When he was arrested for a violation of the terms of his parole for the drug arrest, the Jaguars were done with the experiment.

Much like Williams, Jones was another possession receiver who struggled to shed coverage. He did a poor job of running routes and at times appeared to be simply going through the motions on the field. Jones was never able to fully establish himself at the professional level as a legitimate receiving threat.

When the draft proved to be a no-go for fixing the receiving situation, free agency was the next option. Unfortunately, the mixed results were similar to what the team saw from their draft picks.

Dennis Northcutt was brought in to provide the team with veteran presence. For the most part, he did his job as expected, and his production was solid. However, his entire tenure in Jacksonville has been defined by one play and by the level of compensation he received.

During his time in Jacksonville, Northcutt established himself as a preferred target for David Garrard. Working out of the slot position, Northcutt was able to develop a rapport with Garrard that none of the other receivers were able to craft.

He became the clutch outlet in many situations for Garrard.

He might still be filling that role in Jacksonville if it was not for a dropped pass during a playoff game in New England in 2008, when the team was driving to get back into the game. On the play, Northcutt came open going over the middle inside the five-yard line. Garrard spotted him and threw a strike. Northcutt sensed the safety coming up to remove his head from his body and subsequently short-armed the ball.

It was a monumental mistake for Northcutt that could have changed the entire dynamic of the game.

He spent much of the past season in the doghouse because of the drop.

When he did get back on the field, he was productive. But by then, it was simply too late.

Because he did not represent an upgrade over the younger talent brought in by the Jaguars in the draft and free agency, Northcutt became expendable.

The more high-profile free agent acquisition to fix the receiving corps was Jerry Porter. When the Jaguars made him the centerpiece of their free agent choices prior to the start of the 2008 season, there was a leap of faith involved in the decision.

Porter had proven to be a malcontent in Oakland, sparring with his coaches in the media and on the sidelines. The hope was that a change of scenery would be all that was required, and the Jaguars would have a talented receiver focused on resurrecting his career.

It did not take long to determine the scope of the mistake made in giving Porter a signing bonus in the $20 million neighborhood.

A hamstring injury early in the preparation process for the 2008 season sidelined Porter and required clean-up surgery to address. When he did finally return from the injury, he had already created a stir in the media by openly expressing his frustrations over his lack of production.

When his production did not show any signs of improvement upon returning to the field, the calls for his dismissal mounted.

When Gene Smith took over as general manager, the move to cut Porter was as swift as it was expensive. However, it was necessary for a team trying to rebuild itself with players who were capable of being productive on the field while also being good citizens away from the gridiron.

Once the roster purge was completed, the first move the Jaguars made was signing veteran receiver Torry Holt.

Holt provides the team with a player with some of the strongest credentials of any player the Jaguars have ever had play receiver for them.

Despite his age, he has maintained a level of production and professionalism that is paralleled by very few inside the league. There is a concern about a lingering knee issue hampering Holt, but he played with this injury for the entire 2008 season and still put up solid numbers.

His veteran leadership will play a pivotal role in the development of a very young core group of receivers. With Mike Walker and Troy Williamson the only other receivers on the roster to have caught a pass in the NFL, this is a corps ripe for development.

Their draft selections this year exemplify how different the mindset is for the Jaguars.

Unlike years past, the Jaguars waited until the middle of the second day of the draft to select a receiver. When they did pull the trigger, they selected Mike Thomas out of Arizona.

As the all-time leader in receptions (259) in the Pac-10, Thomas was a productive grab in the fourth round. What made it unique for the Jaguars was how different he was from the last few receivers drafted by the team. At 5'8" tall, he is a full 10 inches shorter than former first-round pick Matt Jones and eight inches shorter than Reggie Williams.

Thomas' selection made the trade of Dennis Northcutt a reality. Since he can handle return duties and will more than likely work out of the slot, it created a situation where the veteran receiver became the odd man out.

His reliable hands and 4.4 speed will help him to become a big play threat for the Jaguars. Comparisons to Steve Smith in Carolina might be over the top, but he has the potential to be a significant contributor to the Jaguars' offense.

With their fifth-round selection, the Jaguars went back to the well and grabbed Jarett Dillard.

Dillard is another smaller receiver (5'10" tall), and not quite as quick as Thomas (4.57 in the 40-yard dash). But he has proven to be one of the most prolific receivers in college football history with 60 touchdowns during his career at Rice, setting a new gold standard for the NCAA.

He will not run away from anyone, but he has good field vision, runs crisp routes, and has excellent hands.

He will more than likely find himself competing with Mike Walker on the outside because he has the ability to deal with press coverage. Dillard will be a project of sorts, but he shows great potential to be another productive option for the Jaguars over the long haul.

In the final round with their last pick, the Jaguars snapped up Tiquan Underwood. Underwood represents the biggest of the draft picks at 6'1" tall, and he has outstanding straight-line speed, giving the Jaguars a deep threat with reliable hands.

Underwood is not going to dazzle anyone with his route-running skills. Much like Matt Jones, he is a long strider. Unlike Jones, he is an experienced receiver capable of breaking free from coverage and making plays down field.

What makes each of the rookies on the roster unique from former first-round picks Williams and Jones is the fact that all three are solid men. Each of them has managed to avoid trouble while doing good work in their communities.

For example, Underwood was actually named to the AFCA Good Works team for his extensive charity work in the community while he was at Rutgers.

Even more important than their community efforts, Thomas, Dillard, and Underwood have shown a desire to dig into the playbook and work with their coaches to get up to speed quickly. They are showing a work ethic that at least Jones could never be accused of having and a level of maturity that Williams never achieved here in Jacksonville.

The times are changing. It remains to be seen if these selections will give the Jaguars the fix that has eluded them for nearly a decade, transforming the receiving corps from a liability into a reliable asset.

This is something that has proven to be a difficult task to accomplish, but the team might finally be on the right track.

Rashad Jennings of the Jacksonville Jaguars: The Big "If"

Tim McClellan — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:53:04 -0400

When the Jacksonville Jaguars selected running back Rashad Jennings in the final round of the draft this past April, they were thrilled to land a quality player at a point in the draft when most of the options are long shots to make a roster.

What they did not realize is that they had drafted a player who was not only a special talent, but a true renaissance man.

The path Jennings took to get to this point in his football career is not the traditional road map most players follow.

It is part of what makes Jennings the quality individual he is.

Coming out of high school, the running back had a few offers to play college football. He chose the Pitt Panthers because he felt it was a good fit for his style of play, and because there was a fifth year senior starting he felt he could learn from.

Not only did Jennings learn from the veteran player, but he replaced him as a true freshman. In eight games, Jennings managed to generate more than 400 yards rushing, which was good enough for second on the Panthers' roster.

To even the casual observer, it would have been readily apparent that his arrow was pointing upward. So, it came as somewhat of a surprise when he decided to transfer to Liberty College after his freshman season.

For those who knew Jennings, it was hardly a surprise. In fact, it was what they expected.

In a recent interview with Jaguars Radio's color analyst, Jeff Lageman, Jennings offered some insight into the type of man he is, giving people a unique view of what makes him tick.

During his freshman season, his father suffered serious health issues that became a distraction for the player. As a long-time diabetic, Jennings' father was forced to have a leg amputated as a result of the ravages of his disease.

Jennings made the decision that his family came first, and without hesitation requested a transfer.

Liberty College was a small Christian school only a few minutes from his family home. They offered the curriculum he was interested in, and allowed him to continue his football career with some hope that he could take his game to the next level eventually.

Most important, it allowed him to be there to support his family.

He pursued a double-major in Sports Management and Business Administration with a minor in Biblical Education.

He also established himself as one of the best running backs in the country at Liberty, earning honors as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, as an All-America first-team selection by NFL Draft Report, earned an All-Big South Conference first-team pick, and was named as the Offensive Player of the Year in the conference.

He was ranked fifth in the nation with his 1,500 yards rushing on 263 carries and 17 touchdowns. He averaged more than 136 yards per game on the ground in 11 games.

Because Jennings does not smoke, drink, or party, he had to find creative ways to entertain himself during his college days.

He and a group of classmates at Liberty decided to take up different hobbies each semester, attempting to master the skills as quickly as possible. He tried the piano, writing left-handed, and even card tricks.

When he decided to take up the guitar in his senior season, he fell in love.

He continued to develop new skills playing the guitar, writing songs, and having fun jamming with his friends.

When he reported to rookie camp, he was not given much information about what he should bring along. Unsure of what he needed to bring precisely, he decided to wing it. He packed underwear, socks, shirts, pants, shorts, his computer, and his guitar.

With all of the time requirements surrounding playing football and obtaining a degree, Jennings still found enough time to start writing a book with his brothers.

The working title, The "If" in Life, centers on the decisions people make in their lives as they follow their path. Some of the decisions are the right ones, and others are not.

He and his brothers also started a ministry at their church to put into practice what they had learned while putting the book together.

For this rookie, he is making all of the right moves both on and off the field.

He is a diverse, interesting guy.

He is a pretty good football player, too!

When Jennings arrived for rookie mini-camp after the draft, he immediately went about the business of getting himself acclimated to the NFL, and it was an impressive first-time effort.

Jennings showed that he can be the complete back, showing good instinct in carrying the football, allowing lanes to clear and following his blocks. He also showed outstanding hands as a receiver coming out of the backfield.

His performance was impressive enough that he has gone from a possible special team contributor to a player who could wind up getting up to 15 touches per game, splitting duties with Maurice Jones-Drew.

He could quickly become a fan favorite if he can prove to be productive on the field. He is a guy who exemplifies what the new era of Jaguars football is about under Gene Smith.

In a town where fans love to root for their blue collar, family oriented players, the community will be eager to embrace Jennings. He is a great story for a franchise looking for stars.

As a seventh round pick, he comes to Jacksonville as an underdog worth rooting for.

For the Jaguars, he is the big if.

If he can step right into his role as the primary backup for Maurice Jones-Drew, he will be able to establish himself as one of the best seventh round draft picks in franchise history.

If he can take advantage of this opportunity and become a productive outlet for the Jaguars, he will help this team turn things around quickly.

As the Jaguars continue the process of rebuilding this roster, he is one of the players who could become the foundation for a new wave of success for the team.

He is the "if" in life, moving forward for the Jaguars.

Jacksonville Jaguars' Eugene Monroe Should Take a History Lesson

Tim McClellan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:06:22 -0400

This is the time of year in the NFL when teams send the players off to rest and prepare for training camp. It is the stretch on the calendar where endless speculation fills the void left by little in the way of actual news.

To fill that empty space, fans enter what is referred to as "hand wringing season."

The premise of this particular season is that fans focus on their favorite team, speculating about when they will get their rookie draft class signed.

They speculate endlessly over how much each player will get, and how far their perspective team is willing to bend in order to get signatures on contracts.

It is no different in Jacksonville.

The musing began within a few days of the draft concluding, and it will continue until the last player signs.

Much of the concern this year swirls around first-round selection Eugene Monroe. Will he be in camp on time? Will he hold out and create problems? Should the team just up the ante and get the deal done to avoid a protracted absence?

There is an argument for getting a deal done quickly. The faster the two sides can come together, the more time the rookie offensive tackle will have to work with the team and develop his skills at the NFL level.

That is certainly a logical approach.

But, should the team deviate from their negotiating approaches and soften on fiscal responsibility in order to get the deal done sooner?

Not a chance.

For a small-market team dealing with a tight financial situation already, tossing aside the model they have used since Paul Vance, vice president and general counsel for the Jaguars, inherited a team in salary cap Hell would be ill-advised and completely illogical.

Under Vance, the Jaguars have been able to reverse a financial mess brought on by early abuse of the salary cap. The salary cap hole the team was in when he arrived in Jacksonville was bad enough that the team was forced to jettison many of their popular players in order to just get things moving in the right direction.

Poorly negotiated contracts and deals given to players that simply did not pan out devastated the Jaguars financially, forcing them to take a different tact once they regained control.

Since his arrival, Paul Vance has become a tactical negotiator, establishing a firm position for the team in all dealings. The team has been willing to take a stance when necessary in order to maintain their control over the salary cap.

That does not mean they are cheap. The Jaguars are willing to work with agents to assure that players are fairly compensated. But, the team is not going to overspend on a player for the sake of getting a deal done more quickly.

Last year, the Jaguars ran into a situation with Derrick Harvey involving the overall dollar amount and the term of the contract. Because the two sides could not come together quickly, the negotiations spilled over into training camp, and Harvey did not sign a deal until just before the season began.

His agent, Ken Kremer, was looking for a deal that was in line with the draft picks ahead of Harvey. That was understandable, considering the fact that the market had been thrown into complete chaos by the deal the New York Jets agreed to with defensive end Vernon Gholston. It blew the expected slotting out of the water.

In normal years, player contract values are loosely based upon what the player in the same draft position received the year prior. But there are always exceptions based upon the position the player plays. Quarterbacks traditionally receiver bigger contracts, so if a defensive end is drafted in the same spot that a quarterback was the year before, the deal will be adjusted accordingly.

Last year, the Jets handed Gholston a contract that would have been warranted for a player being selected in the top 5 with an incredible $21 million guaranteed. That reset the contracts for picks following Gholston in the mind of Ken Kremer.

The Jaguars had a different viewpoint. They were looking at the eighth pick in the 2007 draft to determine what they intended to use as their starting point.

They had good reason to use this as their starting point. The Atlanta Falcons selected Jamaal Anderson and signed him to a five-year contract that was just shy of $31 million with guarantees in the $15 million range.

This is where the Jaguars wanted to begin the negotiations.

Kremer had different ideas because the team had traded up to get Harvey. He felt that this maneuver warranted consideration in sweetening the pot for his client, since the team was willing to give up additional picks to grab Harvey.

He felt he had the necessary leverage to push the team into a deal more in line with the picks ahead of Harvey.

The Jaguars did indeed up the ante in the negotiation, but then sat on the offer as the calendar continued to roll.

By the time the deal was finalized, the Jaguars gave Harvey a deal much closer to their original offer than the one that his agent envisioned. Kremer blinked first.

Still, it was not a bad haul for the agent and his client, as Harvey's deal came in at $33.4 million, with half of that guaranteed.

Fans were rattled by the protracted talks. They wanted their draft pick in camp. There was little tolerance for the business side of the process, and they expressed their displeasure on call-in shows, on message boards, and in the media at every opportunity.

Still, the blame was divided equally.

With the Jaguars sitting in the same position with Eugene Monroe, the grumbling has already begun.

Fans want the team to soften on their stance to get a deal done quickly for the big offensive tackle. They do not want to see a drawn out contract negotiation impact the development of another player in the same manner it did with Harvey.

The Jaguars have been formulaic in the approach they have taken, and they will not be swayed by the opinion of fans. It is always going to be about the bottom line for the team, and the deal that is finally signed will be more to the liking of the team regardless of how long it may take.

The lesson learned from the Harvey negotiations is simple enough: The Jaguars' front office will not be pressured by what is happening ahead of or behind them with players drafted. Their only focus will be on what was spent last year in relation to the draft position they are in currently.

Since they know this number intimately, it should be simple enough to determine what they plan to offer.

No matter what, Monroe will wind up a very wealthy man. He will wind up leaving the table with somewhere in the range of $20 million in guaranteed money in his pocket. Whether he is willing to hold out to make a point over a few extra dollars remains to be seen.

If his agent does decide to push back, he will not have leverage in demanding too much from the Jaguars.

They have an insurance policy to assure this with Tra Thomas.

The Jaguars currently have a starting caliber left tackle on the roster. Should Monroe take the approach of holding out for more, he will discover very quickly the Jaguars will not bend.

The team will not be intimidated by the threat of a holdout. They will make their offer and wait to see what they get in return. No matter how long it takes, the negotiations will look very familiar to anyone watching this process last season.

Ultimately, it falls upon the shoulders of Monroe and his agent to reach some sort of agreement that everyone is happy with, and to do it as quickly as possible.

Marcedes Lewis: Ready To Shine for the Jacksonville Jaguars

Tim McClellan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:18:56 -0400

Marcedes Lewis has to be feeling the heat. After watching his fellow first-round draft selections fall by the wayside over the past few years, he must be squirming a bit knowing that he could be next.

The discomfort he might be feeling is especially relevant now that the general manager has made it crystal clear that he will not be swayed by draft pedigree or contractual obligations. He is going to do what is best for the sake of the team—even if that requires some short-term sacrifice.

Byron Leftwich, Reggie Williams, and Matt Jones are all gone. Each player was considered a disappointment based upon where they were selected by the team. Leftwich was the only one of the first-round selections that was actually released by the same personnel guy that brought him into the league.

The other high-profile cuts came from "Guillotine" Gene Smith as he did his player evaluations and subsequent roster purge.

It is not that Marcedes has been a bad player, or caused any sort of distractions for the team with his off-field antics. In fact, Lewis has been one of the better citizens over the past few years here in Jacksonville.

His numbers have just not lived up to the expectations attached to where he was drafted. The bar is always set considerably higher for first-round draft picks, and Lewis has struggled to meet the standard.

He was dealt a bad hand as a rookie when he suffered a serious high ankle sprain early in the year. It hampered his ability to become more integrated into the offensive scheme and caused him to struggle as a rookie.

The highly touted pass catching tight end was relegated to a secondary role as a rookie. This was not a role that he was familiar with coming out of UCLA. As the winner of the 2005 Mackey Award, he was considered one of the top collegiate tight ends in the country.

This is not a guy that was accustomed to any sort of struggles on the gridiron, but his transition to the NFL had a slow, sputtering start.

Upon arriving in Jacksonville, the Jaguars focused on improving his blocking skills. This was the weak link in his game, and a critical component in the offense that the Jaguars like to operate. His pass catching abilities were never questioned, but probably should have been more of a focus as he struggled at the NFL level.

He started to round into form in 2007, as he shook off his injury issues as a rookie and started all 16 regular season games and both playoff games.

He seemed to have hit his stride, as he helped the Jaguars rushing attack compile nearly 2,400 yards. He contributed significantly in creating the lanes that both Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew enjoyed in 2007 on their way to the second best rushing attack in franchise history.

He hit a wall in 2008, and his struggles mirrored the rest of the team. While he did manage to establish new career marks for receptions (41), total yardage (489), and yards per catch average (11.9), he also started to experience a problem with catching the football.

Early last season in a game against Minnesota, he dropped a touchdown pass. He was wide open on the play, and the ball was delivered perfectly. He just muffed it.

The following week against the Houston Texans, Lewis dropped four passes.

There were times last season where he almost appeared to be fighting off the passes. It was a source of frustration for Lewis, and a point in his career from which he now draws significant motivation.

He wants take away the necessary lessons from those mistakes and then erase those memories all together.

Granted, it was not all bad for Lewis.

He became a legitimate pass-blocking tight end. He had improved in this area to the extent that some analysts considered him to be one of the best in the league in this category.

It certainly is not considered a sexy aspect of the game for tight ends from the fan perspective. But, it is a critical component for a team that takes a great deal of pride in running the football.

At the end of the 2008 season, Lewis understood there was a level of dedication required to take his game to the next level.

The pressure to improve and become a complete tight end has clearly been a primary focus this offseason.

According to local media reports, Lewis has spent the entire offseason here in Jacksonville instead of jetting back and forth to his home in California. He also spent a significant amount of time at the stadium, studying game film, critiquing himself and watching tape on Tony Gonzalez.

His goal is to pick up the little nuances that make a good tight end a great one so that he can take that next step in his progression and meet expectations.

The hope is that this new dedication and attention to detail is going to serve him well in the passing game.

Entering 2009, Lewis has rededicated himself to regaining the pass catching skills that landed him in the first round.

During minicamp, he dropped one pass the entire weekend, and that was an errant pass he made a terrific effort to try to haul in. Aside from that drop, it has been reported that he has overcome his issues and is catching everything thrown in his direction.

That is encouraging.

With all of the upheaval on the roster, Lewis will undoubtedly become more of a focal point in the passing game.

At 6’5”, he provides quarterback David Garrard with a massive target who is easily found in traffic.

The concern centers on his reliability as a pass catcher.

His quarterback has a tendency to target those players more often with whom he has a certain level of trust. After his performance last season, rebuilding that relationship will be critical in regaining his status as a trustworthy outlet for Garrard.

By focusing on working with his quarterback during this offseason, Lewis is moving in the right direction in developing the chemistry and trust that can make the tandem far more effective when the passes matter most.

The coaching staff has every intention of getting him more involved. Based upon the amount of time and effort he is putting into becoming a more complete tight end, he could find himself being one of the unexpected stars for the Jaguars in 2009.

Jacksonville Jaguars Safety Spot Not So Safe

Tim McClellan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:26:09 -0400

If reports coming out of Jacksonville Municipal Stadium are accurate, there is brewing concern over who will be the starting safety tandem when the 2009 season begins.

Brian Williams and Reggie Nelson were the opening day starters last year, and the expectation all along was that Nelson would continue in his role for the foreseeable future.

That may not be quite the certainty most thought, after Nelson struggled in his sophomore season, and those issues have continued through mini-camp and organized team activities.

According to media reports, the Jaguars were extremely impressed with the performance of free agent acquisition Sean Considine. When the Jaguars grabbed the former Philadelphia Eagle special teams ace, it was seen as an effort to bolster the depth of the defensive backfield.

Nobody expected Considine to make a strong push for a starting job, primarily because he had always been a depth guy for the Eagles. But, that is precisely what has happened, giving the Jaguars the luxury of being able to move Brian Williams back to corner back while they develop Derek Cox.

It could also provide the Jaguars with roster flexibility by allowing the team to move Williams in a trade if Cox continues to impress with his performance.

While the strong safety competition was heating up, the Jaguars were busy shopping for another guy to add to the mix.

When Detroit floated former second-round draft pick Gerald Alexander as a possible swap for Dennis Northcutt, the Jaguars did not hesitate to pull the trigger.

In the 2007 draft, the Jaguars loved Alexander. If Reggie Nelson had not fallen to them in the first round, Alexander would have been their next option. However, Nelson wound up in the Jaguars' prize basket, and Detroit grabbed Alexander.

Now, fast forward two years and the Jaguars are disappointed in their first pick in the 2007 draft, and they have acquired the guy they were targeting by trading a player who was at risk of being pushed out of his position by a rookie.

To advance this line of thought, the Jaguars have been quite happy with what they have seen from Alexander since he arrived in Jacksonville. The concerns surrounding his neck injury are a non-starter. He appears to be returning to the form he demonstrated during his rookie year when he registered more than 80 tackles along with a couple of sacks and interceptions.

If Alexander continues to impress and Nelson continues to struggle, the Jaguars could be forced to make another difficult decision. Whether the team would be inclined to make a move to part ways with Nelson remains to be seen, and there is certainly enough time for him to gain some level of redemption. But, the pressure is definitely on for the free safety as he enters his third season.

It was obvious that the Jaguars were not satisfied with the performance they got from the entire defensive secondary last season. With the addition of new talent through free agency, trade, and the draft, the Jaguars have set a tone that change is necessary.

In addition to the personnel adjustments, the Jaguars dumped their defensive back coach, Donnie Henderson. He became the fall guy for a unit that played inconsistently throughout the 2008 season.

His departure was part of a more sweeping movement to gut the defensive coaching staff in hopes of making a quick rebound in 2009.

The Jaguars hired Mel Tucker as the new defensive coordinator to replace Gregg Williams. In reality, Tucker has been brought in to fix the secondary. Jack Del Rio will be crafting the defensive scheme for the team in similar fashion to what he did initially with Mike Smith. Tucker may be calling the plays on game day, but the scheme will be pure Del Rio.

So, with all of the changes taking place, it should come as no surprise that yet another first-round draft pick might be on the cusp of seeing his role diminished. The team is focused on fixing those issues that caused a dramatic slip in 2008, and the free safety spot was an area of concern throughout the year.

If the trend continues, Gene Smith will have a little more work to do with his role as the chief house cleaner.

Reggie Nelson needs to either get with the program or prepare to be the next in a growing list of players who have the title "former Jaguar" attached to their name.

Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jaguars' Superman, Gets His Cape

Tim McClellan — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:47:19 -0400

The torch was passed to a new generation on Feb. 16, when Gene Smith, Jack Del Rio, and Wayne Weaver hopped a charter jet and made their way to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. to meet with longtime running back Fred Taylor.

By the time the jet was wheels-up and headed back to Jacksonville, arguably the greatest Jaguar in franchise history was a free agent in search of a new team, and a new era had begun for the Jags.

The move had to be the most difficult decision in the very short tenure of new general manager Smith.

After 11 seasons with the Jaguars, Taylor had become the beloved veteran as he progressed up the list of all-time great running backs in NFL lore. He was given respect around the league and was a fan favorite at home. Fred WAS the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As good as Taylor was during his time in Jacksonville, the team had made the tough call to part ways in order to make way for the beginning of a new era. A young, dynamic playmaker was waiting in the wings, and it was his time to shine. The 33-year-old Taylor could no longer hold back the inevitable.

Rather than create an awkward transition, the team sat down with Taylor to hammer out an arrangement that would allow him a graceful departure. The release was one of the most amicable in recent memory. Taylor was given ample opportunity to say goodbye to the fans, and the community was able to express their well wishes.

Behind the scenes, the shift had happened toward the end of the 2008 season as Maurice Jones-Drew became the focus of the offense. His big-play ability provided the Jaguars with a home run threat that they had not seen since Taylor was in his prime.

Jones-Drew was now the centerpiece of an offense that prides itself on being one of the most potent rushing machines in the NFL. The team moved quickly to secure his future with the Jaguars, extending his contract a little more than two months after Taylor was released.

The new focal point for the offense had quickly entrenched himself as the face of the franchise over the past two seasons, as his highlight reel continued to grow. His demeanor and media savvy off the field made him a popular interview subject on a national level. His work ethic gained the respect of his teammates.

Maurice Jones-Drew is a dynamic player who has earned his stripes with the Jaguars. He may wind up being the best player acquired during the Del Rio era. We could find him being discussed along with Fred Taylor and Tony Boselli as one of the greatest Jaguars of all time when his career winds down.

At a time when the Jacksonville Jaguars need someone who can step into a lead role as the face of the franchise to get the fans excited about the future, Jones-Drew appears to be just what the franchise required.

The self-proclaimed "Superman" may very well be the guy that has the ability to pull the franchise back from the precipice and provide the necessary spark that will put to rest any concerns there might be about the team and its long-term future in Jacksonville.

When Jones-Drew came into the league, he arrived with a chip on his shoulder. He fell to the second round, passed over at least once by every team in the league. When the Jaguars drafted him with their second-round pick in 2006, he made his displeasure with being passed over known.

Usually this type of rookie bluster fades into the oblivion as players deal with the usual struggles rookies encounter. They hit the proverbial rookie wall and fade into the background.

With Jones-Drew, this never happened.

He set a standard as a rookie as the best running back selected in the draft. He produced better stats than his more highly touted draft mate, Reggie Bush, and finished second to Vince Young for Rookie of the Year honors.

Based on his production, he probably should have won the award, but Young had become the media darling during his rookie season. Jones-Drew was never able to get the type of media recognition to mount a serious campaign for the award.

This provided the running back with yet another bit of motivation.

From their inception, the Jacksonville Jaguars have always looked for a homegrown player who carried the star power necessary to become nationally recognized. The team has come close on several occasions but never quite hit the mark.

Maurice is a player with all the necessary ingredients to be a genuine star for the Jaguars.

His stature gave him the "little guy" tag.

His draft slotting gave him "underdog" status.

His personality gave him a marketable face and persona.

He has just enough swagger to let others know that he is confident, but not too much to come across as being cocky.

His performance on the field gave networks the type of film that high-profile players dream of having.

Maurice has become the face of the franchise and a legitimate star in the National Football League. That is a tall order for any player competing in a small market.

Jones-Drew has yet to find an obstacle on the field or off that he cannot run around, over, under, or through.

As he enters the 2009 season, he faces one of the most difficult challenges of his football career: taking the torch from a legend and carrying on alone.

If his responses to previous challenges have set any sort of precedent, it is probably safe to say that you do not want to bet against Maurice Jones-Drew in 2009.

For a franchise that truly needs a player to step up and bring the star power to the table, the Jaguars have found their Superman, and they have now handed him his cape. The sky is the limit for Jones-Drew.

Is QB David Garrard Good Enough for the Jaguars?

Tim McClellan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:00:24 -0400

The quarterback position has been one of the most scrutinized spots for the Jacksonville Jaguars going back to the days of Mark Brunell, when he was still in his prime.

This is not an unusual topic for NFL fans of any team lacking a legitimate elite signal caller.

It matters very little whose name is inserted into the discussion.

David Garrard enters his third season as the unchallenged starter at quarterback for the Jaguars. It is a position that took the veteran six years to achieve, as he waited patiently behind two separate starters hoping for his shot at the brass ring.

When the team released Byron Leftwich prior to the start of the 2007 season, Garrard finally reached his goal of starting in the league. He responded positively to the challenge, posting one of the most efficient efforts of any starting quarterback in the league with 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions.

His quarterback rating for the 2007 season was among the best in the NFL, placing him in the top 10 for the season.

His most important achievement was helping the Jaguars earn a playoff spot and, subsequently, their first playoff win under Jack Del Rio.

It was a heady time for the player who had nearly lost his opportunity altogether at the end of the 2006 season. He almost caused a complete meltdown at the end of the season by filling in for the injured Byron Leftwich and taking the team out of playoff contention. By the end of the season, Garrard had been replaced by Quinn Gray.

He dedicated himself to putting that dismal performance behind him, and over the next few months as he prepared for the 2007 season, he worked on improving the flaws in his game.

He addressed a hitch in his throwing motion that caused his passes to miss the mark, and he focused on trying to make better decisions.

With the help of his quarterback coach Mike Shula, Garrard started to make significant strides during training camp leading up to the 2007 season, and he earned the confidence of his head coach as a result.

Garrard silenced the critics and proved that he could be a quality starting quarterback (in the right situation) with his 2007 performance.

Then, he got paid.

When Garrard signed his contract extension prior to the start of the 2008 season, many wondered if the Jaguars had rushed into giving him a new deal. The contract was the most lucrative ever signed by a Jaguar, so the team was making an unprecedented commitment to a quarterback who had only performed exceptionally well for one year as the starter.

The contract put to rest any talk of finding a starting quarterback for the Jaguars. After years of controversy, they were confident that they had found their guy, and they were eager to pay him despite the fact that he still had another year left on his current deal.

Expectations were high heading into the 2008 season. The Jaguars were being touted as a Super Bowl contender in media circles, and the buzz was growing louder by the day.

Garrard, coming off of his 2007 performance, was a contributing factor to this talk. Everything appeared to be heading in the right direction for the player and for the team.

Then, along came the injuries and off-field issues that sent the team into a tailspin.

Prior to the start of the season, the Jaguars were dealt a series of blows that left the team off balance and reeling. Starting with the arrest of receiver Matt Jones for cocaine possession, followed by Brad Meester's serious injury, and then Richard Collier's shooting, things were not going well for the team.

Meanwhile, their big wide receiver, free agent acquisition struggled to get on the field. Jerry Porter was barely able to take the field before he partially tore a hamstring that required surgery. He never regained any sort of form that would allow him to get up to speed, and as a result, he never developed any sort of chemistry with Garrard.

On opening day against the Tennessee Titans, the Jaguars were dealt two of the most significant blows to the team when Maurice Williams and Vince Manuwai were both lost to season-ending injuries before the halftime break.

With so many things going wrong around him, Garrard was never able to follow up his 2007 performance with any meaningful effectiveness. He struggled to deal with a makeshift offensive line that could barely protect him. He was barely able to establish himself in the pocket before he was being flushed out.

When he did have time, the hits that he had sustained created an alarm in his head that had him uncomfortable in the pocket. This caused him to force passes into spots that he would normally avoid, and the end result was a 10-interception swing from 2007 to 2008, as he posted 13 picks.

It was not a good year for Garrard.

Entering the 2009 season, Garrard seems to be focused and ready to play. After dropping 20 pounds during the offseason, he looks to be in the best shape of his career. He appears to be confident and more comfortable in his role, and he has a new supporting cast around him.

The offense is being tailored to his style of play, and the personnel being brought in to help him are solid, quality players.

This is the year Garrard proves once and for all whether 2007 was a fluke or if 2008 was just a compilation of problems that created the perfect storm for a quarterback to stumble through.

If he returns to his 2007 form, will that be enough for the team to succeed, especially when there is so much change on both sides of the ball?

The 2009 season will be the most critical year for Garrard to prove himself. His fortune or failure will mirror the team.

If he flounders, there is no other option—the team struggles.

If he regains his swagger and can get back to what he does best, the team will thrive.

It is just that simple.

Most agree that David Garrard will never be considered an elite quarterback. He can be a solid and efficient manager of the offense, and he can certainly win plenty of games and generate solid statistics in that role. However, he is never going to be deemed one of the best in the league.

The question that should be asked is whether it is even necessary for Garrard to achieve elite top-tier status in order for the team to be successful.

While it would certainly be nice to have an elite quarterback at the helm (a common wish for every team in the league), the Jaguars are a team built to run the ball. The demands placed upon Garrard are not as over the top as they might be for a pass-first team.

What would be expected of Garrard would be a performance more in line with what was seen in 2007, where he minimized his mistakes and took advantage of opportunities.

The receiving corps has been rebuilt to better suit his needs to add a vertical component to the passing game. The addition of experienced veterans and young speedsters will give Garrard an opportunity to find receivers capable of shedding coverage when he goes through his progressions.

This was a tall order in previous years with bigger, slower receivers vying for his attention.

The offensive line has been beefed up and given adequate depth to assure that he will not run into the same type of situation that he encountered last season. He will have adequate pass protection, and the running game will not be hampered by poor blocking.

The running game took a hit with the loss of Fred Taylor, but Maurice Jones-Drew is a legitimate home run threat who can make any quarterback look good with his ability to break any play wide open.

The addition of Rashad Jennings should allow the Jaguars to maintain the two-headed attack that has become their trademark in recent years while providing Garrard with an outstanding pass catcher out of the backfield.

At tight end, the Jaguars have added competition with Zach Miller. The rookie quarterback-turned-tight end is a pass catching machine. If the ball is in his range, he is going to catch it. The Jaguars are working on packages that will allow Miller to be productive right out of the chute.

Garrard has a well-documented tendency to rely upon his outlet receivers, and Miller could benefit greatly from that in his efforts to make an immediate impact.

For David Garrard, the stars are aligned to have a good season.

Does he need to have a top-tier performance for the team to rebound?

Not really.

What he does need to do is settle into the mindset that he is the starting quarterback and that this is his team.

He needs to have enough confidence in the talent around him so that his sole focus is on making each play a success.

He does not need to be worried about whether he is going to be hit again or chased out of the pocket. He does not need to concern himself with receivers that are not getting open.

He just needs to focus on doing his job.

He does not have to be elite in his efforts. He just has to be good enough.

The rest will take care of itself.

Steve McNair Shooting Puts Gun Violence Back in Focus for the NFL

Tim McClellan — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:54:38 -0400

As the tragic events in Nashville unfold, former Titans quarterback Steve McNair has become the latest victim in a disturbing trend of current and former NFL players being victims of violence, especially with guns.

Since 2000, there have been a dozen incidents involving NFL players and gun violence.

The Jacksonville Jaguars felt the impact of this with the Richard Collier shooting last year. Collier did survive the encounter, but he lost a leg and was paralyzed in the incident. The shooting ended a promising NFL career.

Sadly, the most common outcome in violent incidents involving NFL players is death.

Sean Taylor, the talented safety for the Washington Redskins, was cut down during a robbery at his home in Florida.

Denver Bronco cornerback Darrent Williams was cut down in the back of a limousine in a drive-by shooting.

Plaxico Burress accidentally discharged a firearm in a nightclub in New York City, shooting himself in the leg and landing in hot water with the league and the city. He currently awaits his trial on two felony counts. The league has suspended him indefinitely.

Adam "Pacman" Jones was allegedly involved in an incident in Las Vegas that ended with a bouncer paralyzed when someone in Jones' entourage discharged a firearm in a night club.

The NFL is a violent game. It is also a sport where players become targets because of the amount of money they earn. For those who are unable to rid themselves of the thug element, the legitimate threat of being shot is just a fact of life.

For McNair it appears to have been a domestic issue. However, in 2003 while still with the Titans, McNair was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, and carrying an illegal firearm. The charges were later dropped because of a lack of evidence. But, it showed that even a former league MVP felt compelled to carry a gun.

Because NFL players are targets, many of them own guns for personal protection. They are within their rights to own a firearm. As long as they acquire them in a legal manner, receive proper training, and go through the obligatory background check, there is nothing to prevent them from owning guns.

While the league cannot prevent players from owning guns, it can offer additional training for players to give them a better understanding of how to avoid confrontations where guns may become a factor.

To a certain extent the NFL does do this during the rookie symposium as they attempt to teach their players how to deal with the business aspect of the NFL, and in how to contend with situations which may arise with difficult people.

Beyond the initial training, the NFL does not have a more comprehensive program to better prepare players for gun-related issues. Constant follow-up should become part of an all-encompassing effort to educate players on how to deal with any situation where the potential for violence may exist.

One tragic situation is too much. The league has been hit by at least one of these incidents on average per year over the past decade. In a culture growing ever increasingly violent, protecting the most important asset that the league has needs to become a top priority.

In turn, players need to be more aware of their surroundings and do what they must to avoid situations where they could be at risk of becoming a victim of violence.

As details continue to come out about the McNair shooting, there is a lesson to be learned about how dangerous things can become and how quickly they can turn tragic when guns are involved.

Will All the Moves Pay Dividends for the Jacksonville Jaguars?

Tim McClellan — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:09:37 -0400

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had quite a bit of roster movement for a team that insists it is not rebuilding. To date, 12 players who started at some point last season have either been traded, released, or allowed to leave through free agency.

That figure may continue to rise as younger, cheaper players compete with more expensive veterans at both offensive tackle positions, and at safety and cornerback.

When the dust settles, the Jaguars could see as many as 15 new faces starting for them on opening day.

It would take very little for the 2009 Jacksonville Jaguars to show improvement over last season. A record of 5-11 establishes a low threshold for improvement in 2009.

How the team fares this season will determine whether or not the critics will continue to hammer away at the team. It could also be a major factor in whether or not the head coach gets more time to continue his quest for a title in Jacksonville.

Most of the moves have received positive feedback and little criticism. Gene Smith has done a good job of establishing a standard for getting rid of players with the potential to serve as a distraction, replacing them with quality individuals.

Still, 15vnew starters is a lot of turnover for any team, and it creates a distinct set of challenges for a team trying to rebound from a disappointing season in one of the most difficult divisions in the NFL.

Character certainly counts for something, but in the end it is wins and losses that ultimately determine whether the moves were right.

With so much change, what will determine whether all of the effort was successful or not for the Jaguars?

Will one additional win be enough?

Will a winning season satisfy the critics?

Does the team need to return to the playoffs to make this a successful rebuilding effort in 2009?

And what if the Jaguars fail to show significant improvement in their record this year? Will the head coach still have a job? Will there be even more significant change to the roster and coaching staff as a result?

To the savvy football fan, any improvement over last season would be a welcome outcome even if it means another losing season.

There were many areas where the team simply broke down last year. Marked improvement in those areas may not make a dent in the wins and losses, but it will provide some hope things are moving in the right direction.

For those fans who are not quite as versed, the standard is different. Their expectations range from a non-losing season to a deep playoff run.

While that sounds great, it is hardly realistic to think this team could turn things around quickly enough to make significant strides.

In a perfect world, the Jaguars would find a way to leverage all of the changes into a winning record with a playoff berth. We all know things rarely go perfectly.

What is an honest expectation for the Jags as they enter 2009?

Because of the significant number of changes that have taken place on the roster, in the front office, and among the coaching staff, the Jaguars are a better team on paper.

But, paper does not always equate to success where it counts. The record will be the deciding factor in whether or not the changes worked.

Based on the moves so far, the Jaguars should see their fortunes improve. Still, it will be the type of improvement that will satiate the football purist but not the fair weather fan.

The Jaguars will begin the process of getting the situation under control. The end result will be a two or three win swing for the team. While that does not sound encouraging, it will be the way they end the season that should provide a great deal of hope for the future.

The team will steadily improve throughout the year as the younger players gain necessary experience and become more accustomed to the NFL.

As this improvement takes hold, the Jaguars will regain their position as one of the better teams in the league, especially on defense.

The team may not make it to the playoffs this season, but they will certainly play a deciding factor as to which teams will represent their conference in the post-season.

The Jaguars are still at least a year away from returning to the post-season, but the improved play will win over fans as the season progresses.

Will a .500 record be enough to provide Jack Del Rio with job security?

It all hinges on how the team shows improvement, and particularly how they finish the season. If Jack Del Rio can get the younger players to play up to their potential, the team should start to hit stride later in the season.

If that happens, it will go a long way toward assuring Del Rio of another season at the helm in Jacksonville.

Look for the Jaguars to find a way to get back to an eight-win team. It will not land them in the playoffs, or even get them out of the cellar in the AFC South. But, it will set a trend for the team that will set the table for 2010 and beyond.

Joey Z Talks Back: A B/R Interview with Jaguars Long Snapper Joe Zelenka

Tim McClellan — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 10:23:41 -0400

Joe Zelenka has been the Jacksonville Jaguars long snapper for the past decade. During that stretch, he has seen several special team coordinators come and go, and he has played for two head coaches.

Playing a position in the league that would normally command anonymity could not harness the personality, sense of humor, or the genuine humanity that Zelenka possesses. He is one of the good guys in the National Football League.

It is not very often that a specialist gets the type of attention that Joe Zelenka has received. But, he has become a part of the family here in the Jacksonville.

Joe has the distinction of being the only long snapper in the NFL to claim his own fan club.

John "Arrowman" Rezsonya, a Hall of Fame fan of the Jacksonville Jaguars, started the fan club several years ago, and the group has grown to include members from around the globe. You can see their presence at every Jaguars home game with the banner proudly displayed in the south end zone.

I wanted to gain some insight into what makes the player tick, and I was given the rare opportunity to pose the questions below to Joe. I am appreciative of the fact that he was gracious enough to actually answer them.

Enjoy!

BR: You're entering your 11th year. Did you ever see your career going this far?

JZ: Never. If you would have told me that I would be here a decade later I would have laughed you right out of the building.

My rookie year, I never unpacked my suitcase. I thought that every game was going to be my last, and that I would be on the next plane home. There were so many guys that I played with growing up that were so much more talented.

I never felt like I had any right to be here.

I guess in a way I still think that way. I still don't belong here, but at least I have unpacked.

BR: As the only snapper with a global fan club, do you have any bragging rights over other long snappers in the league?

JZ: Oh sure. Every year at the long snapper convention in Milwaukee, WI, I get the chance.

Who am I kidding?

No, I have no bragging rights. I am a long snapper. But, the fan club thing is so sweet!

It would be even sweeter if there really was a long snapper convention.

BR: Do you think it is time to ditch the TE label?

What and make me a real specialist? No way! I earned that distinction with some really awesome goal line play.

Sure you might be more likely to play TE than me now. But, please don't make me into a glorified kicker!

BR: If you weren't in the NFL, what would you be doing?

JZ: I would be the greeter at Wal-Mart. No, really. I would love that job. I love saying "Hi" to people.

BR: What are your plans for the future?

JZ: I thought I just told you a greeter at Wal-Mart, or a game show host.

My heart broke a couple of years ago when Drew Carey took over The Price is Right. That job was made for me. I have been grooming myself to take over for Bob Barker for the last 30 years. But CBS couldn't wait.

Oh well, there is always Wheel of Fortune.

BR: How important is it to maintain a relationship with the fans, and to leverage that to support causes that you are passionate about?

JZ: Jacksonville has the greatest football fans in the country.

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the fans spending their hard earned money to see the game. I am so grateful for all the people that I get to meet in this great city.

It is really cool to go to dinner and be recognized. It is never a burden to talk to someone about the Jags.

It is also so great to be able to help some of the charities in this city.

If I can use my name to give back to others, I am totally on board.

It just goes to show you how great the fans are in Jacksonville that they would support the long snapper.

I mean, how many fans even know what a long snapper is? And, I have people begging to get to the Joey Z Bowling Classic?

Jacksonville has the greatest fans!

Enough said.

In the Jacksonville Jaguars' Battle with the Economy, It's the Fans Who Lose

Tim McClellan — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:03:23 -0400

It matters very little where you look.

You can surf the Internet, thumb your remote to scan the news and sports channels, spin through the radio dial, flip through newspapers or magazines, or simply talk to friends and neighbors.

Things are tough all over.

Economic fragility can create a sobering reality in every facet of your life. As people assume a bunker mentality to contend with the current collapse of the global economy, sports franchises are dealt a double-whammy.

First, they rely upon fans to support their product. This reliance takes many forms. Ticket sales sit near the top of the pyramid. But television revenues, licensing, endorsement deals, and sponsorships are all tied to the economy.

Even iconic figures have felt the pinch.

Tiger Woods enjoyed major sponsorship support from General Motors, with Buick as a major product endorsement. They parted ways earlier this year as General Motors prepared to file for bankruptcy.

The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants have struggled to find ways to generate additional revenue for the new cathedrals they have spent billions erecting. Long time season ticket holders were squeezed out by massive price increases as the teams focused their sights on the almighty corporate dollar.

Meanwhile, corporate dollars were disappearing at an alarming rate as companies who had always been relied upon for sponsorship were simply unable to continue due to hardships of their own.

The New York Mets will be searching for a named sponsor for their brand new stadium next year as Citibank has opted to end the arrangement as they deal with significant pains from the banking collapse.

The New York Yankees, the big dog of all professional sports franchises, had to rework their ticket pricing to deal with the empty seats at home games in the new Yankee Stadium.

It stands to reason that when the elite are struggling to maintain in the current economy, trickle down to the smaller markets is inevitable.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been feeling the pinch for a few years now. With things continuing to wallow near recession levels, it does not appear things are going to get better in the near future.

The most visible way to get a sense for how a team is doing is to look at their ticket sales. When the Jaguars announced last month that they had sold a little more than 35,000 season ticket packages, the red alerts went up like a fireworks display on the Fourth of July.

Avoiding blackouts for the home season with such a large block of tickets remaining unsold is a monumental challenge for big market teams. For a small-market franchise like the Jaguars, it is practically impossible.

Jaguar fans and local media have openly discussed strategies that might help them weather the storm.

The stark facts are simple to understand.

When people fear for their personal future, they are less inclined to spend what disposable income they do have on things like tickets or merchandise.

They tighten their belts to ride things out, and as this trimming becomes more commonplace, franchises struggle to keep up.

There is no marketing strategy that can adequately contend with the perfect storm the Jaguars are in the midst of in 2009.

A relatively weak home schedule lacks the pop to draw attention.

The team is rebuilding after a dismal 5-11 season.

The lack of consistency on the field has created a sputtering effect in drawing fans to games.

Unemployment in Jacksonville hovers around 10 percent.

Taxes and fees are going up for homeowners while their real estate values continue to plummet.

How do you sell tickets when this is your starting point?

If there was ever a time when blackout rules should be revisited for the NFL, 2009 is the perfect opportunity.

The Jaguars are not alone in their struggles. The entire league is dealing with similar circumstances. In fact, the entire professional sports world is caught up in this, and there is little anyone can do to counter the impact.

Sports are a necessary distraction in difficult times. In many instances, sports have been the one thing that people lean upon when things are at their darkest. They can help to inspire recovery and motivate the masses.

The "Miracle on Ice" at Lake Placid in the 1980 Winter Olympics sparked a wave of national pride that guided the country out of a period of malaise that was similar to our situation today. That gold medal hockey team contributed to a swell in national pride that continued on for more than two decades.

When struggles are significant, finding an outlet to provide some joy is a great way to maintain sanity.

As football continues to grow in popularity, it has surpassed baseball as America's pastime.

For more than five months out of each year, people take solace in the fact that they have a team to root for regardless of their personal situation. For a few hours on Sundays in the Fall, they can escape from their woes and find hope on the gridiron.

Unfortunately, for teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars, escaping the reality of an economic recession is going to require people to tune in on their radios or buy tickets for home games because that is the only way they will be able to support their team and vacate reality for a short while.

At a time when people are being victimized in so many ways because of the current economic crisis, something has to change. The Jacksonville Jaguars hands are tied because of blackout rules leaving them with no alternative.

It is up to the league and our legislators to find some way to provide people with some escape from the current realities, even if it is only for a few hours on Sundays.

Jacksonville Jaguars Among NFL Franchises Longing for Rookie Salary Cap

Tim McClellan — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:24:42 -0400

It is the season where young men coming from the college ranks will discover new wealth at the professional level.

With nine draft picks to sign, the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be making a significant impact on the lives of many families.

This is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and dedication to a sport that can both financially reward players heavily and destroy them physically.

With news that the Jaguars closed a deal yesterday with their sixth-round draft pick, Zach Miller, discussions should start to heat up with the remaining players waiting for their moment in the sun.

The contract signifies their arrival as a professional athlete.

Realistically, not every player is going to put pen to paper on a blockbuster deal that will give them life-changing financial freedom or generational wealth.

In fact, the average NFL salary in 2009 is a little more than $750,000, and the average for rookies entering the league hovers around $400,000 annually.

It is not bad coin if you can make it, and for the late-round draft picks like Miller, these deals amount to significantly more than they would probably make leaving college with their degrees in basket weaving or physical education.

The NFL has become a gravy train for many athletes with enough skills to latch on with a team. Each year it seems as if rookies coming into the league are setting new standards for compensation, while veterans who have been producing sit back and watch these unproven entities cash in.

As the league and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) attempt to hammer out a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to avoid sheer chaos for a league that has enjoyed relative calm on the labor front over the past two decades, one of the major issues of contention is a rookie salary cap similar to what the National Basketball Association currently employs.

Equitable distribution of the salary cap would normally dictate that established players in the league would be more highly compensated than rookies just entering the NFL.

This scenario does eventually play itself out as veterans renegotiate their deals, but not before rookies get the advantage and establish the new bar.

Salaries border on the ridiculous, but under the current CBA, the league owners are obligated to designate 60 percent of league profits to the current salary cap.

Agents and players have taken this as an opportunity to cash in on the influx of cash, starting with the rookies and then trickling down to the veteran players.

Each year the salary cap expands significantly. Because there is currently no rookie salary, teams are annually raked over the coals by agents leveraging their draft picks to squeeze every penny possible out of the owners.

Something has to give.

Small market franchises are being pressured to keep up with big market teams. Rookie contracts continue to skyrocket, and with them the guaranteed money associated with these deals rises to the point where a $30 million signing bonus is not unheard of for rookies taken in the first round.

The lack of a rookie salary cap forces teams to spend an inordinate amount of energy negotiating these contracts.

In many instances, the negotiations drag on for weeks or even months. Players wind up missing valuable development time by holding out until a deal is reached.

The Jaguars dealt with this last season with their first-round draft pick. Derrick Harvey held out and missed training camp completely as he waited for finalization of his contract.

In the end, the Jaguars got the deal that they were sticking with, but Harvey missed training camp entirely and consequentially struggled to get up to speed. By the end of the season, he was starting to catch up.

In a league where expectations are almost instantaneous, having a player miss weeks of preparation for the upcoming season can be catastrophic to a team.

By implementing a rookie salary cap, the parties would be able to slot the draft picks and establish the compensation level for each spot. No negotiation would be necessary.

Players would know exactly what they were going to receive contractually the moment they were selected.

In turn, teams would be better equipped to deal with veteran contract discussions, and players would be in a position to fully participate in all training camp activities.

The NFLPA has resisted the suggestion of putting a rookie cap in place for obvious reasons. As they market themselves, they can use the ever-increasing salaries of rookies coming into the league to show that they are serving the better interest of the players.

In reality, they are driving the league into a crisis situation as teams struggle to keep up with the salary demands.

With the prospect of an uncapped season in 2010, the league, the owners, and the NFLPA should all be working together to develop a new CBA. Any new agreement must take into account that untested rookies should have their salaries predetermined based upon where they are selected in the draft.

It would take away some of the power that agents have over the league currently, and it will diminish the influence that the NFLPA has as well. However, it will assure that the league can survive fiscally for the long haul.

All parties will need to make concessions in order to assure the viability of the NFL.

Will the Jacksonville Jaguars Pursue Veteran Options at Wide Receiver?

Tim McClellan — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:26:22 -0400

By trading Dennis Northcutt to the Detroit Lions for safety Gerald Alexander, the Jacksonville Jaguars added much needed depth at one position while leaving another unit depleted of veteran talent. Behind Torry Holt, the Jaguars depth chart tends to get a bit murky.

Many fans applauded the trade because Northcutt was never embraced in Jacksonville. His inability to win the fans over was the result of one dropped pass in the playoff loss in New England back in 2007. Aside from the infamous drop, Northcutt proved to be a reliable receiver for David Garrard.

With Northcutt out of the picture, the second most experienced receiver currently on the roster is Troy Williamson.

Williamson was an afterthought last season, and it seems unlikely that he will ascend the depth chart in any meaningful way this year. The former first-round draft pick has never lived up to his draft pedigree. With less than 1,100 yards receiving over a four-year career, Williamson is the second most productive receiver on the team right now.

Those statistics hardly inspire confidence that things will be fine.

The only other receiver currently on the roster with a single catch in the National Football League is Mike Walker.

Sixteen catches for 217 yards. Those are career statistics.

It only gets worse from there as no other receiver has a single reception in the NFL.

With a serious lack of experience aside from Holt, the Jaguars will need to have an eye on the waiver wire to see what shakes out over the next several weeks.

The first player to come up on the Jaguars' radar is Roscoe Parrish.

If the Jaguars were to pursue Parrish, he would wind up being the third most productive receiver on the roster. Again, this is hardly the thing legends are made of. Trading for his services seems somewhat unlikely due to the fact that he will probably wind up being released at some point.

The Jaguars could certainly roll the dice and go with the current group of receivers. This seems to be the least appealing option for the team as they continue the rebuilding process. Putting everything on such an inexperienced wide receiver corps would be nearly the equivalent to surrendering the 2009 season.

Sure, the team might have struck gold with at least one of their recent draft picks. History tends to indicate otherwise as rookie receivers struggle more often than not to succeed initially. There are rare occasions when a rookie will arrive on the scene and immediately have an impact for a team.

Receivers normally require adequate transition time to get acclimated to the NFL. Adjusting to the speed and physical nature of the league can often be an obstacle too difficult to overcome. Williamson is a perfect example of a player struggling with the game at the next level.

Some players never make the move and wind up with pedestrian statistics and a bust label to show for their effort. Some rise to the challenge and find their way in the league. It is literally a roll of the dice.

So, putting high expectations on a young group of receivers to all hit the ground running for the Jaguars seems unrealistic. With Holt nursing a knee that will never be anything close to fully recovered, the team is putting a lot of pressure on young, inexperienced receivers to carry the burden.

History does not side with the Jaguars on this.

Trading Northcutt was a business decision based on a player being dissatisfied with his situation and hoping to get an opportunity elsewhere. Northcutt was certainly not a receiver that would be considered a play maker, but he was solid enough with his production that his presence will be missed for this group.

If Holt and Walker can both stay healthy and be as productive as the team hopes, things will be much better for the younger receivers. However, if either of the starting receivers stumble, the passing game could be in serious trouble in 2009.