8 Jacksonville Jaguars Who Need to Step Up in 2012

Free agents and rookies are not the only players the new Jacksonville Jaguars staff will be concentrating on this offseason and regular season.

There are plenty of players who need to show they are still a part of this team and improve their game so they can stick around for a while.

Call it transition or playing for pride, or even playing for a roster spot. But there are some Jaguars who need a strong preseason and regular season to warrant playing time.

Sure, some of these players are on this list due to injury or crowded positions, and maybe a new regime will give them a new lease on life in the NFL. Whatever the reason, there needs to be better play from these guys, or we may not see them in north Florida much longer.

Derek Cox

When Derek Cox got hurt in the season opener, it was a sign of things to come not only for him, but for the Jaguars secondary.

Cox was a player people scratched their heads over when the team made him a second-round pick three years ago, a player the team traded up to select.

While he has had his moments, he has also been in Jack Del Rio's dog house. Will he find a better fate playing for a new head coach and in a new atmosphere this season?

Eugene Monroe

Eugene Monroe played well last season, but he was not spectacular.

Monroe is coming into his fourth season in the NFL. By now, he should be a complete package.

There are times when Monroe looks the part, and times when he gets manhandled. He looked a little light last season. But if you are grading based on effort from last year, he probably gets a B-.

He needs to take that next step into the NFL's elite if he is going to be the cornerstone of this offensive line.

Aaron Kampman

Can we just admit that Aaron Kampman's knees have failed him?

Kampman was everything the Jaguars hoped he would be when they first signed him, but an ACL injury ended those hopes.

Now, without playing much in the last two seasons, he becomes a huge albatross for this team. And if the Jaguars cut him, the team still takes a huge salary cap hit.

What do you do with excess baggage like this?

Eben Britton

When Eben Britton was drafted in the second round in 2009, the Jaguars thought they had their bookend tackles for the next decade.

I had Britton rated higher than Monroe in the 2009 draft. But back issues and injuries have curtailed his progress. So much so, that he was placed on the injured reserve again last year.

How will his back hold up this season, and can he finally prove, with Monroe, to be the tackles the Jaguars thought they would be when they were both drafted in 2009?

Blaine Gabbert

Blaine Gabbert signed a four-year, $12 million contract. He gave the team $12 worth of performance last season.

Gabbert is a work in progress, and before we judge him, let's see what he does with a new coach and coordinator.

If he improves, then the Jaguars have a future. If not, then get him out of here and start over with a proven commodity.

Either way, this is make-or-break time for Gabbert in Jacksonville.

Tyson Alualu

This is not an indictment of Tyson Alualu as a player.

He has played well and has played through injuries. But when you are the 10th selection in the draft, you need to play at a higher level and show more progress.

Maybe Alualu's bad knees are the reason.

Whatever the reason, he is a good fit for the Jaguars defense. But when this pick will always be linked to Tim Tebow, then the need for him to stand out is that much greater.

Marcedes Lewis

Is there anyone in the NFL that's been the poster child for failure as much as Marcedes Lewis was last season?

After a Pro Bowl season and a holdout for a new contract, Lewis fell apart and could not deliver for the team.

New season, new coach, new offense. New chance to deliver.

There were other tight ends who proved to be better fits for the Jaguars offense last season. Lewis needs to find that 2010 form, or he could be playing elsewhere.

Cecil Shorts

In practice and in the preseason, Cecil Shorts caught everything. In real games, he looked like a timid little kid.

There has to be some middle ground.

I still believe in his ability, maybe not as a punt returner, but as a slot receiver. He deserves one more season to prove what he can do.