Jacksonville Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew Not Getting New Deal, According to GM

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Gene Smith essentially laid the gauntlet down for Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew on Monday, when he confirmed that Jones-Drew indeed wants a new contract, but will not be getting one, according to an ESPN report.

Jones-Drew has yet to attend any of the the team's offseason workouts, but has not done so the last three seasons, based on the report. 

His chances of cashing in after a career year seem to have all but disappeared if Smith sticks to his guns. 

Jones-Drew has two years left on his current deal and, according to the report, makes less than Arian Foster, Chris Johnson, DeAngelo Williams, Steven Jackson, Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch—all guys that Jones-Drew beat out for the rushing title last season.

Needless to say, this is the last thing the Jaguars need at this point. 

Jones-Drew was the team's only weapon on offense last season and still led the league in rushing yards.

He won his first rushing title with virtually no passing game and opposing defenses knowing he was getting the ball 20-to-25 times per game.

Depending on how staunch Jones-Drew is in his stance for a new deal, this could get very ugly for the Jags.

It has already been a bit of a rocky offseason for the Jaguars. First, they fire their head coach, draft a punter in the third round, and their first-round draft pick gets arrested for the second time in two years, and now, their disgruntled star running could hold out.

In the event that Jones-Drew does hold out into training camp, and possibly the season, it won't be an ordinary hold out. 

Most holdouts involve a guy whom the team could feasibly play without. That is not the case with the Jaguars. They need Jones-Drew to be on the field and happy come Week 1 in the worst way. If not, they will have to hand the ball off to a bunch of guys that not even the most die-hard of Jaguars fans could name off the top of their heads.

It will not only hurt on the field, but off the field as well. For a franchise that struggles to put butts in the seats on a consistent basis, having an unhappy star player that puts points on the board will definitely have a negative effect on business.