NFL Whirlwind Previews: Jacksonville Jaguars

The 2007 Jacksonville Jaguars scared the then-perfect Patriots in the divisional round of the playoffs. Now, a season and record inversion (they went from 11-5 to 5-11 in '08) later, they're practically back to the drawing board.

Or are they?

Yep, Jax seems to have taken on the classic "build from the trenches" mode, but that doesn't mean all the important parts of their most recent successful iteration are gone.

But will the combination of remaining talent, signed veterans, and drafted building blocks result in a return to the postseason? Let me answer that in roundabout fashion.

Offense: Something Old (That's Still Pretty New) and Something New (That's Kinda Old)

To get the obvious out of the way: You done good, Jags, by locking up one Mr. Jones-Drew. Maurice may look diminutive, but boy, has he proved himself at the pro level.

Yes, when he was drafted it wasn't a sure thing that he could be a feature back. And yes, mentor and franchise-face Fred Taylor is now gone, but I think it's pretty clear MJD, at the ripe old age of 24 (how can he still be that young?), is the future.

Besides, he's still running behind Greg Jones, who might just be the best fullback in the league. But beyond that killer duo, we've got question marks.

Quarterback is set, though not everyone is necessarily satisfied with the decision; David Garrard is still your Black and Teal signal-caller despite last season's rocky performance. Not that there's any real competition for him (Cleo Lemon and Todd Bouman are the backups), but Garrard must look more like himself of two years ago.

Good thing all reports through spring have been that he's nailing it. Guy's always had a plus arm, but he even more than other QBs needs time and competence around him to execute.

Receiver is, as usual, an area of concern as well. The Jaguars for years relied on the draft to acquire their catching threats and, though they definitely won't abandon that strategy, they are now pulling in veterans with increasing frequency. The Jerry Porter experiment is over after one season, but Jax is giving it another go with a greybeard wideout. This time, it's Torry Holt.

So that's the change necessary?

OK, so it doesn't look a whole lot different. Yet there are reasons to believe this corps will be better.

Word from OTAs is that Holt has inspired Dennis Northcutt and the field-ready Mike Walker. Hopefully, Troy Williamson can find ways to contribute, too. Perhaps Garrard will have just enough legitimate targets to keep defenses from keying on Jones-Drew.

Meanwhile, the line looks solid, though it faces pressure at both ends of the age spectrum. Freshly signed Tra Thomas, set to start at left tackle, has played 12 years already (most of them stellar campaigns with Philadelphia), while freshly drafted Eugene Monroe, Thomas' potential competition (but likely backup for now), is remarkably talented but needs a tad bit of seasoning.

Too bad both of the trenchmen taken in the draft (Eben Britton of Arizona was the team's second-round pick) have predominantly played the left side to this point, as the right could use some patching. Looks like Tony Pashos will be at right tackle again unless Britton fully commits to switching; solid Maurice Williams mans the RG spot.

At least Brad Meester is still at center and Uche Nwaneri provides great depth.

Now, seems like I'm forgetting something...

Oh yeah. Tght end Marcedes Lewis, please show up! At this rate, rookie Zach Miller could be pushing you.

Defense: Recapture the Magic

Seems like it should be easy, considering ten of the projected starters were on the roster last season.

But the scheme changes on this side of the ball make returning to the dominance of '06 tough, as does the turnover at the coordinator position. This year we'll see Mel Tucker man the spot as the third man in as many years. He makes sense as a candidate, considering his experience with secondaries and the strength of that unit on the Jags.

See, Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams have formed one of the best corner duos in the league for years running now. Free safety Reggie Nelson needs a little kick in the pants after a bit of a down second year; good thing Sean Considine was signed from the Eagles to man the strong spot and fuel the fire of his complement.

The linebacker rotation took a huge hit with the loss of team tackling leader Mike Peterson. No if's, and's, or but's about it: His departure for Atlanta makes the 'backing corps worse.

Of course, a step up from Justin Durant (who still is criticized for not playing to his tremendous athleticism) could do a lot to make up for it. In all likelihood, he'll be next to Daryl Smith, a guy who manages to get everywhere, and opposite Clint Ingram, who plays aggressively, getting two sacks in limited downs last year.

But even more than Durant's play, it will be the "four" in the "4-3" that determine the play of the "three," or the entirety of the D, for that matter.

The team can't get around the fact that longtime stud tackle Marcus Stroud is now in Buffalo, but the front can create the pressure and plug the holes as effectively if John Henderson steps up.

Yes, your mate is a million miles north, man, but now you've got draftee Terrance Knighton to create competition at the spot beside you, where Derek Landri, Attiyah Ellison, and even incumbent Rob Meier are already battling. Use the extra energy from there to your advantage!

Heck, maybe you'll further inspire one of those second-year ex-SEC ends (Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves) to continue their second-half improvements from last season. Or maybe Reggie Hayward will see another vet picking up the slack and want to pitch in.

In my mind, the D-line need only realize what they're capable of as a group, and the Jacksonville defense could experience a resurgence.

Overall Outlook: The Stars Could Align

It would take Thomas defying his years or Monroe stepping in right away.

This team would need Henderson to play as though his old buddy were still there or the rest of the defensive front four immediately rising to their potential.

But the Jaguars could return to the playoffs. They're similar enough to Jacksonville 2007, and if you don't trust in "The Suit" (Coach Jack Del Rio), you must not trust your own father.

More likely? The team goes 6-10 and finally decides they need to draft a quarterback.

But Garrard and the rest have one opportunity to bounce back.