Maurice Jones-Drew: Worry About Playing for the Jaguars, Not the Rushing Record

I am amazed at what NFL players have to say when they have time on their hands.

In the case of Maurice Jones-Drew, he would rather talk about breaking records than coming to camp under his current contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Jones-Drew has stated he wants a new deal worked out between his agent and the club, which still has two years remaining.

Jones-Drew believes he is underpaid considering the new contracts signed by current NFL stars Chris Johnson, Arian Foster and LeSean McCoy. Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing last season with 1,606 yards on a Jaguars team that finished 5-11 last season.

I have always been one to agree when the player who performs is not paid for his services, but I am not sure that is the case in this situation. If it were the final year of Jones-Drew’s deal, then I could see the need to renegotiate the contract that still pays him like he is a top-10 runner in the NFL.

And while Jones-Drew has proven to be a more-than-capable runner, receiver and return man in his time with the Jaguars since being drafted in the second round of the 2006 draft, he still has to prove he can be the man who can “carry” this team to the playoffs and beyond.

It’s a lot to ask of a man who was more than 46 percent of the team’s offense last season, but with the Jaguars’ supporting cast last year and the improvements made on the offense in the offseason through free agency and the draft, it can been expected that Jones-Drew may not be the only one to carry the offensive responsibility this year.

In a story written by Vito Stellino on Jacksonville.com, he states that Jones-Drew, while talking to the NFL Network, had other things on his mind besides coming into camp and playing for the team this season. At least at this point of the offseason.

Jones-Drew said he did not want to talk about his contract and holdout situation, stating, "It’s the business side of football. And every player is a businessman, and whatever you feel is best for you and your family, you have to do that sometimes. And so, like I said before, hopefully we can work on something and get something done."

But when asked about the NFL rushing record held by former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, Jones-Drew said he believed he could break it, stating it was something he believed he could achieve.

"I definitely think it’s doable,” Jones-Drew said when talking to the NFL Network, as Stellino reported.

Whoa, step back a minute. There are other things to worry about than whether this runner can break league records when he cannot even be at minicamp or OTAs to find chemistry with new teammates and help establish a rhythm in a new offense designed by new head coach Mike Mularkey.

Jones-Drew is 55th on the NFL's all-time rushing list and would need to average 1,500 yards over the next eight seasons to break the record.

But in the meantime, it is the belief of this writer that Jones-Drew needs to concentrate on his contract, which has two years left on the five-year, $31 million deal he signed in 2009.

The personal accomplishments are great, but in that respect, Jones-Drew is proving to be more of a me-first player than anything else and that is not helping the Jaguars.