Jacksonville Jaguars Preseason: Week 3 Stock Report

With two games and a good amount of training already surpassed, it's almost surprising how quickly the preseason seems to be moving for the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the passing of time comes the changing of the players' "stock," and the Jaguars have quite a few moving up and down the ranks.

Preseason is where the rest of the world outside of each respective training camp gets to see the progress and changes firsthand. It's not quite the regular season's full package, but it's a very important time for the team and each individual player.

Starting jobs, roster spots and rank are all decided in the preseason, which creates a hectic, but useful, environment. It's get the players performing at their top level considering there is always metaphorical stock on the line.

The Jaguars' personnel certainly knows this, which is why we've seen standouts in the later parts of preseason games an questioned those who are underperforming. It's all part of the final countdown to the regular season.

Stefen Wisniewski Wins the Starting Job, Sees a Spike in Stock

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Stefen Wisniewski sounded relieved, proud and excited when news broke that he had won the starting center job. The free-agent signing from the Oakland Raiders came into the squad expecting to compete and hopefully win the starting job, and now he can finally say he has.

As the Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran reported, the Jaguars made the call after deciding that "Wiz's" experience and familiarity with offensive coordinator Greg Olson would be the deciding factor. He was the Raiders' starting center the past two seasons, and his connection to the coordinator has already shown its benefits.

Head coach Gus Bradley was part of that decision and had this to say about Wisniewski's accomplishment, per O'Halloran: "The consistency that we saw from Wiz. It was a very difficult decision because of the way [Bowanko] was playing. Just for the team’s sake and where we’re at and how we felt when we watched it, Wiz had the edge."

Luke Bowanko, who starred at center as a rookie last year, has not done anything to lose the job, and you can't help but feel bad for him. However, he will be ready to take back his job at a moment's notice, and Wisniewski can't misstep due to that.

The battle at center is probably the finest example of the newfound depth and competition in the Jaguars squad. The Jaguars could only pick one of two viable options, a problem they haven't seen recently. The team is improving, and this is just another update that's proof of that.

Andre Branch Squanders Chances, Sees Drop in Stock

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Defensive end Andre Branch didn't have Chris Clemons, or anyone for that matter, in front of him this past Saturday night against the New York Giants. An opportunity like that needs to be taken advantage of, but Branch couldn't meet it with proper action.

Branch failed to make an impact this past Saturday night, and so did many of his teammates on the defensive line. Giants QBs Eli Manning and Ryan Nassib often had time to throw, and neither faced much in the way of the defensive line.

Branch was part of that group, and not only did he fail to make an impact, he failed to get on the stat sheet. He didn't register one tackle, according to ESPN's box score, an awful showing for someone who continues to find hype in the Jaguars community.

The "Leo" role Branch plays calls for an agile and instinctive DE who can make plays and get to the QB. Branch did neither of those things and seemed absent most of the game. 

While his fellow competitors in Chris Smith and Ryan Davis were able to notch a sack and two tackles for loss between them, Branch couldn't muster anything. Branch doesn't necessarily need to worry about his place in the team, but his stock has fallen, and he'll need to rebound this Friday night against the Detroit Lions. 

Tyson Alualu Is Paving the Way for RBs and an Increase in Stock

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Who needs a fullback when you have Tyson Alualu? That was the question the Jaguars posed this season by not putting a FB on the roster and instead trying out Alualu this past Saturday night against the Giants.

It'd be one thing if Alualu went out and did an average job, but when he came out on the field, he made his mark. He set incredible lead blocks to help pick up three separate first downs, with RB Toby Gerhart carrying the ball.

Meanwhile, on Alualu's natural side of the ball, he registered a solid two tackles, with one for a loss. You often see players playing "both ways" in high school, but in the NFL? It's a rare occurrence, and it coming in the form of Alualu makes it even rarer.

However, the Jaguars needed a blocking FB with the guys they have on the roster, and Alualu has seemed to pick it up fairly quickly. It's not often something like this happens, but Alualu is proving his value on both sides of the ball, and that means a nice rise in stock.

James Sample's Stock Is Back on the Market

John Raoux/Associated Press

After an agonizing wait, James Sample is finally healthy and ready to get back on the field. The free safety must be happy to put his arm injury behind him and get back to what matters: football.

The rookie out of Louisville may be coming back to the Jaguars as the backup to Sergio Brown, but that doesn't mean he can't snag the job eventually. The preseason's final weeks and the early regular season will be Sample's opportunity to show off his spectacular ball skills.

Sample's four inteceptions in 2014 at Louisville were overshadowed by Louisville teammate Gerod Holliman's unbelievable 14 picks, but Sample seems to be the better all-around safety. After all, he is playing for the free safety spot in Jacksonville, different from the box safety role he played in Louisville.

Sample's versatility and ball skills will keep him in the picture for this entire season, and deservedly so. He has a lot to offer to the Jaguars, and they'll want to develop him as quickly as possible in the coming season.

Sample's stock isn't really rising or dropping, but it's back on the market. Being injured leaves players out of the conversation more often than not, but now that Sample is back, he can finally make the proper first impression.

Corey Grant's Speedy Returns Draw Attention and a Bump in Stock

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Corey Grant didn't have his best game when the Jaguars took on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first week of the preseason. He was third on kick-return averages and didn't do much at the running back position either.

Well, that must've awakened the beast, because he looked stellar in the second preseason game against the Giants. He returned two kicks for an average of 38.5 yards, with the long being a 42-yard streaking run to set up the Jaguars offense nicely.

His performance as a kick returner against the Steelers was legitimately impressive, and it may have been the much-needed performance to prove he's a legitimate threat as a kick returner. He'll need to excel against the Lions, but last weekend's showing was very promising.

It's not an easy life for undrafted free agents, and Grant may not end up getting a roster spot. However, his stock is on the rise, and that kind of momentum is all a player needs to make the final push for a roster spot.

All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.

Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter @evanreier.