Team Report: Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars

By Andy Benoit, www.NFLTouchdown.com

Predicted: 2^nd

2007 Record: 11-5 (2^nd AFC South)

Head Coach: Jack Del Rio (6^th year)

Roster Quick View

*rookie

**new veteran

Offense

QB: David Garrard
Became far and away the
highest-paid Jaguar in history over the offseason. Deserving of the fortune, but
what he is, really, is a superstar caretaker.

RB: Fred Taylor
Who would have ever
believed that 'Fragile Freddy' would still be gaining over 1,200 yards well into
his thirties?

FB: Greg Jones
More athletic than a
traditional fullback––which figures considering he was drafted as a tailback.


WR: Jerry Porter**
Few realize he’s never had 1,000
yards in a season. That could change this year.


WR: Troy Williamson**
If he couldn’t catch in
Minnesota, why would he be able to catch here?

TE: Marcedes Lewis
Jacksonville
overestimated his raw talent when they drafted him in Round One, but he’s still
a very solid starter.

LT: Khalif Barnes
If football were only
about talent, he’d be fine. But football’s also about character, endurance and
leadership. That’s why he’s fending off Richard Collier for his job.

LG: Maurice Williams
Former OT who is
clearly a better fit at G. Must avoid mental letdown after signing a new 4-year
contract.

C: Brad Meester
Awareness and technique
make this aggressive veteran a cog in the middle.

RG: Vince Manuwai
Moving over from the
left side; the hope is he’ll boost the right side’s run-blocking power.

RT: Tony Pashos
Uses size to his
advantage, and approaches one-on-one matchups well. Not a standout, but above
average.

---------------

QB: Cleo Lemon**
Great name, so-so game.
A mild upgrade over Quinn Gray.

RB: Maurice Jones-Drew
A de facto starter. One
of the game’s best playmakers. Stubborn on contact and absolutely lethal in the
open field.

WR: Dennis Northcutt
The football equivalent
of a Benihana chef who shows nifty utensil tricks but makes mediocre food.

WR: Matt Jones
God gave him great size, great
speed and absolutely nothing else.

TE: George Wrighster
A receiving TE who
caught only 17 passes in 2007 before tearing his ACL in November.

OL: Dennis Norman
The consummate utility
backup inside. Can start at G or C when needed. Won’t invigorate your front
five, but will help keep it functioning.

Defense

LDE: Derrick Harvey*
They took out a small
mortgage to get this guy. Simply put, they need him to record lots of sacks.

DT: John Henderson
Playing without
sidekick Marcus Stroud won’t be a problem. A dominant run defender at his best.

DT: Rob Meier
Starting opportunity came
about two years too late. Still, can be effective at the front-end of a
rotation.

RDE: Reggie Hayward
Faces very long odds at
holding onto his starting job in the long haul now that Quentin Groves is behind
him.

LOLB: Justin Durant
Tremendous athlete who
has only okay speed. Football instincts are almost otherworldly; he’ll be a good
starter for many years.

MLB: Mike Peterson
Elite veteran player
when healthy. Closing quickness is superb, and instincts are impressive.


ROLB: Daryl Smith
Quintessential role
player who can be good at all 3 linebacker spots. Won’t make you win, but
you need guys like him in order to win.

CB: Rashean Mathis
Take tackling out of
the equation and he’s for sure a top-10 CB. He’s probably top-10 anyway. But
goodness, he sure is a wuss against the run.

SS: Reggie Nelson
Questionable idea to
move him from FS to SS, but he can still thrive. Must continue development. Good
progress to date, far from done.

FS: Brian Williams
Moves from CB to
centerfield, where he’s a slightly better fit.

CB: Drayton Florence**
Doesn’t get burned all
that often but doesn’t discourage quarterbacks from challenging him either.

---------------

DL: Quentin Groves*
Fast player who was
thought to perhaps be a better fit as an OLB in a 3-4. This tells you what kind
of pass-rusher he can be.

LB: Clint Ingram
Good tackler who could
start for a lot of teams––including this one.

NB: Scott Starks
The one key defensive
contributor who might make Jaguar coaches and fans a little nervous.

Players Acquired

QB Todd Bouman (FA)

CB Drayton Florence (SD)

DT Jimmy Kennedy (Chi)

QB Cleo Lemon (Mia)

WR Jerry Porter (Oak)

S Pierson Prioleau (Was)

WR Craphonso Thorpe (Ind)

WR Troy Williamson (Min)



Players Lost

CB Terry Cousin (Cle)

CB Aaron Glenn (NO)

QB Quinn Gray (Hou)

S Sammy Knight (NYG)

DE Bobby McCray (NO)

G Chris Naeole

LB Shantee Orr (Cle)

DT Marcus Stroud (Buf)

S Lamont Thompson

RB LaBrandon Toefield (Car)

WR Earnest Wilford (Mia)

The Jaguars made good use of the $30-plus million they had in cap space. They
spent a lot of that money on locking up David Garrard. Then, they bought Garrard
some receivers. Porter is an alright addition. His attitude is questionable, but
he’s better than anyone they’ve had here since Jimmy Smith. Trading for
Williamson shows wishful thinking, though Jacksonville only gave up a
sixth-round pick to get him. Lemon is an upgrade over Gray, and Florence is an
improvement over Cousin. It was a big move to trade Stroud––symbolic if nothing
else. Naeole was let go because of injury. Knight hasn’t slowed down as much as
they think, but they can live without him.

Draft

2008 - Jacksonville Jaguars

Rd Sel # Player Position School

1 8

Derrick Harvey
DE Florida

2 52

Quentin Groves
DE Auburn

5 155

Thomas Williams
LB USC

5 159

Trae Williams
CB South Florida

7 213

Chauncey Washington
RB USC

Think the Jaguars weren’t bent on improving their pass rush? Harvey was
productive in the SEC and, not having played football until his senior year of
high school, he’s still very much a work in progress. If he pans out, he’ll be a
star. Jacksonville traded a pair of third-rounders and a fifth-rounder just to
move up 18 spots to get him. Groves can be a havoc-wreaker. Thomas Williams
wasn’t even a starter in college, but he provides special teams help. Trae
Williams is a playmaker who gives them depth. Washington could maybe be groomed
as Maurice Jones-Drew’s replacement for when Jones-Drew takes over Fred Taylor’s
job.



2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Preview Report

The Jacksonville Jaguars are just going
to have to win a Super Bowl. That’s the only way they’ll get people to like
them. Nothing else seems to be working.

In a sense, there’s a certain pureness to this. Almost like, isn’t this how it
should be? Perhaps. But it’s not how it is for the 31 other teams in the NFL. If
we are to believe the polls and statistics, all 31 of those teams are more
popular than the team from Duval County. Despite having won 31 games since 2005
(tied for fifth most in the NFL), and not having finished below .500 since 2003,
Jacksonville has ranked dead-last in size of fan base each of the past three
seasons.

The Jaguars themselves have done nothing wrong. Poll Americans to find out which
teams are most despised and you wouldn’t see Jacksonville’s name anywhere near
the top of the list. But herein lies the problem. There is a cruel sense of
apathy toward this team. Almost as if the Jaguars were in the NHL. Or even the
WNBA. Rooting for Jacksonville has become like protesting discrimination against
women at Augusta National: many appreciate the idea, but whatever.

Some NFL teams have generation-long waiting lists for season tickets; the
Jaguars have long had an embarrassingly low season-ticket renewal rate. This
season, the team set a record with 84 percent renewals––a respectable number and
nine percentage points higher than the previous year. But division rival
Indianapolis had a 99.7 percent renewal rate. And Indy’s ticket prices are
closely aligned with the league average; Jacksonville’s are about 10 percent
below that.

The Colts also have a 20-year stadium naming rights agreement in place with
Lucas Oil. The deal pays them $120 million. The Jaguars, on the other hand, have
been searching two years for a stadium sponsor.

The small market of Duval County is partly to blame for Jacksonville’s woes. And
horror stories from national media outlets and reports just like this one tend
to paint a bleaker picture than what reality holds. But the bottom line is, the
Jaguars are a good team––a damn fine organization––and still, no one cares.

Well guess what. Neither do the Jaguars.

Owner Wayne Weaver has been smart enough to understand that his on-field
product is not the source of his team’s lackluster popularity. Thus, Weaver has
wisely refrained from the temptation to stir things up and has instead only
solidified his franchise’s core principles. (Think of the Jags as the nice but
unnoticed kid in high school who chooses not to chase cheap popularity through
hard partying.)

In March, Weaver rewarded quarterback David Garrard with a six-year, $60
million contract, making the 30-year-old by far the highest paid individual in
franchise history. Garrard certainly deserved the largesse––his 102.2 passer
rating was third best in the NFL last season, and his poise in the playoffs was
noble, particularly in the Wild Card win at Pittsburgh. That said, his
consistency and character do not outweigh the vanilla style of play that makes
him forgettable in the fantasy-loving Madden EA Sports–adoring minds of
typical football fans.

But God be with the individual who ever tries to explain this to Weaver. Or head
coach Jack Del Rio. The longtime NFL linebacker subscribes to the type of
rigid values that embody the idea of doing things your own way. Del Rio doesn’t
care what they think. (Who? Anybody.) If he did, he never would have abruptly
cut a former No. 7 overall draft pick (Byron Leftwich) after anointing a
career-long backup (Garrard) the starter last year.

Del Rio cares only about winning games––and it shows in how he goes about his
business. His relationship with Weaver has been rocky at times. And he’s butted
heads with VP of player personnel Shack Harris and the front office
before. However, hasty firings have been eschewed, and egos have been put aside
in Jacksonville.

After working under a fairly non-committal contract for the better part of six
years, Del Rio accepted a five-year extension from Weaver this past the
offseason. It’s a testament to Del Rio that, prior to the security of an
extension, he had been willing to surround himself with creative and experienced
assistant coaches. Gregg Williams is the latest example. Once presumed to
be the next head coach in Washington, owner Dan Snyder instead fired Williams
out of fear that the defensive guru’s presence could jeopardize the authority of
Jim Zorn. Del Rio, himself a defensive expert, quickly brought Williams to
Jacksonville.

Last season Del Rio hired his buddy Mike Tice, the former head coach of
the Minnesota Vikings. He also added prominent ex-college head coaches Dirk
Koetter (offensive coordinator) and Mike Shula (quarterbacks).

A lot of the assistant coaches have changed in recent years, but Jacksonville’s
style of play has not. Conservative and smash-mouth––it’s what’s worked for
them. It’s boring. Even when it’s exciting, it’s boring. The Jaguars don’t care.

And because they don’t care, they now find themselves in legitimate contention
for a Super Bowl run in 2008. Is Jacksonville the leading contender in the
top-heavy AFC? No. But this is a team that went 11-5 a year ago, and got better
over the offseason. In Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves they
added the potentially dynamic pass-rushers that their stellar but never sexy
defense has long been missing. In Jerry Porter they brought in a talented
veteran receiver to fill the enormous void still remaining from Jimmy Smith’s
retirement.

Should none of these additions work out, the Jaguars will simply be left with
the same young team that a year ago ranked sixth in offense and tenth in defense
(in terms of scoring). This team is rock-solid. Not that anybody really cares.

Offense

David Garrard
is The Man in Jacksonville, but the fulcrum of the offense is the rushing
attack. It ranked second in the league last season thanks to its star tandem of
Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Both players are thrilling
home run threats who thrive on speed and elusiveness. Taylor, once bestowed with
the dubious moniker Fragile Freddy, has produced the most unlikely of
late-career surges. At 32, he heads into his 11^th season fluid and
healthy. He averaged a career-high 5.4 yards per carry last season, due in part
to his league-leading four runs over 50 yards. He makes up for the half-second
he’s lost in speed with outstanding vision and an innate understanding of how to
use his blocks.

Taylor receives approximately two-thirds of the carries, though that number
could decrease as the Jags focus on getting the rock more in the hands of the
23-year-old Jones-Drew. An ’06 second-round pick from UCLA, Jones-Drew is
already one of the elite playmakers in the NFL. At 5’7', 212, he’s a bowling
ball between the tackles. His reliability in the passing game (40 receptions a
year ago) makes him the optimum third-down back. Jacksonville, of course, uses
him on all four downs.

The health of both Taylor and Jones-Drew is crucial to the team’s success. The
only other running back on the roster is seventh-round pick Chauncey
Washington. Fullback Greg Jones carried the ball at Florida State,
but he has evolved into a genuine lead-blocker since turning pro.

A dominant ground game is what allows a second-tier star like Garrard to excel.
Also, not to be overlooked is the value that offensive coordinator Dirk
Koetter has brought to the table. The man originally behind the high-flying
offensive movement at Boise State arrived last season with a playbook rich in
creativity (compared to what this organization had grown familiar with, anyway).
Koetter’s relationship with Garrard is fantastic––especially now that they’ve
had a true full offseason to work together.

Garrard does not boast amazing raw tools. He’s mobile, sure, but his arm
strength shows its limitations when defenders get in his face. Last season, the
quarterback threw for a modest 2,509 yards. His rating was escalated with 18
touchdowns against only three interceptions. Such statistics are the sign of a
conservative passing attack.

Indeed, Koetter’s not stupid; he knows his personnel. For years, the Jaguars
have lacked quality wide receivers like Evander Holyfield has lacked quality
financial advisors. Former first-round picks Reggie Williams and Matt
Jones have been busts (Williams on a moderate scale; Jones on an
overwhelming one). Both are on the cusp of losing a roster spot in 2008. If not
for health issues surrounding last year’s third-round pick Mike Walker
(knee), or the shilly-shallying by the coaching staff in trusting
seventh-rounder of a year ago John Broussard, Williams and Jones would be
gone already.

You can’t help but chuckle when realizing that needing to replace their
underachievers, Jacksonville went out and acquired Troy Williamson and
Jerry Porter, two poster children for the underachievement movement.

Minnesota drafted Williamson seventh-overall in 2005, hoping he’d be a
replacement for Randy Moss. Sadly, the speedy ex-Gamecock forgot how to catch.
(Imbalanced eye strength, it was determined by vision specialists at Nike, could
be partly to blame.) Tight end coach Mike Tice, who was Williamson’s
first head coach in Minnesota, vouched for the receiver to come to Jacksonville.

Few head coaches would ever vouch for the puerile Porter. But with as much speed
and body control as the 6’2', 220-pounder has, a poor reputation was not enough
to prevent Shack Harris from guaranteeing him $10 million in a six-year,
$30 million contract. If Porter can fulfill his potential––and in a new
environment that is almost as far away from Oakland as possible, it’s probable
that he can––then Garrard will have his first true go-to receiver.

Porter’s arrival moves Dennis Northcutt to the slot, a role the shifty
ninth-year veteran is better suited for. It also opens things up for tight end
Marcedes Lewis. Jacksonville’s late-first-round pick from three years ago
has progressed decently thus far. While a somewhat maladroit runner, Lewis
(6’6', 265) shows extremely soft hands, making him viable as a short-to
medium-range receiver. His blocking is up to par, though the Jags will need him
to continue to improve, as backup tight end George Wrighster is more of a
pass catcher and back-end reserves Greg Estandia and Richard Angulo
are too restricted athletically.

Jacksonville’s offensive line is without a standout blocker. But collectively,
this unit is big, gritty and consistent. Center Brad Meester anchors the
middle and does a spectacular job with the line calls. He shows the kind of
consistency that Jaguar coaches fear will vanish from Maurice Williams
now that the tackle-turned-guard has signed a new four-year, $16 million
contract. Williams showed a less than enthralling output during the OTAs.
Coaches actually toyed with the idea of benching him for Uche Nwaneri or
Dennis Norman.

Williams will play the left side which means guard Vince Manuwai moves to
the right. Manuwai’s short-area power should be more effective next to solid
right tackle Tony Pashos. At the almighty left tackle position, talented
but immature Khalif Barnes fell into a job competition with 358-pound
Richard Collier, a Valdosta State product who the team has spent the past
two years polishing for what they hope can be a shiny debut. Whether that debut
comes in earnest this season remains to be seen. Collier is far from a golden
child; like Barnes, he was once reprimanded by the team for a DUI arrest.

Defense

Longtime defensive coordinator Mike Smith
left for the head coaching position in Atlanta (by the way, have fun with that,
Mike), allowing for the arrival of heralded defensive coordinator Gregg
Williams. Williams has a unique ability to customize his approach to fit the
taste of his boss––in this case, Jack Del Rio––and the skills of his
personnel. When given his druthers, Williams employs a blitz-happy scheme
insured by stellar secondary play.

Though Williams focuses on winning in the offensive and defensive backfields,
his strategy actually hinges on the performance of the linebackers. The Jaguars
have four good ones: Mike Peterson, Darryl Smith, Justin Durant
and Clint Ingram.

When healthy, Peterson is among the best Mike backers in football. He has
outstanding speed and instincts, and he shows a jarring ferocity at the point of
attack. Of course, as the 'when healthy' qualifier implies, injuries have been
an issue. In 2006, Peterson missed 11 games with a torn pectoral muscle. Last
season, he sat out half of November and most of December with a broken hand. At
32, the next significant injury could undermine his career.

When Peterson is out, Darryl Smith moves from the outside to the middle.
His contributions are like a mid-length skirt: observers are appreciative but
not awe-struck. Smith’s versatility and acumen in pass defense––not to mention
his consistency––secure his starting spot. With Peterson healthy, this leaves
Durant and Ingram vying for the final position. Durant was a second-round pick
from Hampton last season. Assumed to be athletic but raw, he instead showed
remarkable instincts and intelligence, starting eight games (including the final
six). His speed is ordinary, but the rest of his natural attributes earn high
marks. Ingram shows superior quickness, however, he occasionally struggles to
get off blocks. And he’s not great in coverage.

More evidence of Jacksonville’s unwavering commitment to ignoring popular
opinion came when they axed half of their esteemed defensive tackle tandem by
trading the oft-injured and ostensibly distracting Marcus Stroud (they got
Buffalo’s third-round pick in the deal). The move leaves Big John Henderson
in a solitary star role, something he got accustom to during Stroud’s absence
last season. Henderson will be fine without Stroud. Yes, more double teams will
find him, but at 6’7', 325, his strength in run defense has always overridden
two blockers.

Ninth-year veteran Rob Meier has long been a consummate professional and
impactful interior presence. Many feel that he’s more than capable of starting.
He is, but you still want him working in a rotation. Meier excels in the
three-technique as long as he doesn’t have to first untangle from blocks.

Depth is an issue at defensive tackle. Derek Landri is a second-year pro
from Notre Dame who could change that. Armed with a quick first step and, when
properly positioned, an even better second and third step, Landri has the
potential to flourish as an interior pass-rusher. But with the only other
defensive tackles being little-used Tony McDaniel and serial
underachiever Jimmy Kennedy, the Jaguars may want to consider sliding
veteran Paul Spicer inside.

Spicer was the team’s leading sacker last season (7.5). But with the drafting of
Derrick Harvey in the first round and Quentin Groves in the
second, not to mention the pass-rushing prowess of specialist Brent Hawkins,
Spicer’s role on the team is destined to shrink. He knows this and doesn’t like
it. Angling for a new contract (he’s currently in the final year of his deal),
Spicer joined veteran Reggie Hayward, another disgruntled starter on the
verge of losing his job, in boycotting the OTAs during the offseason. It’s
unlikely that the pass-rushing rookies will both be equipped to immediately
handle the run defense rigors of the NFL. Spicer, an excellent run-stopper, is
therefore a very valuable piece to this puzzle. (For this year, anyway.)

Whether Jacksonville’s secondary can meet Gregg Williams’s demands hinges
on how well newly acquired Drayton Florence performs as the No. 2
cornerback. Playing across from upper echelon cover corner Rashean Mathis,
Florence will undoubtedly carry a similar target on his back to the one he had
in San Diego. He does not surrender a lot of big plays, but he is susceptible to
giving up completions in bunches.

Mathis is chomping at the bit to elevate his interception total. After
registering 13 picks from ’05-’06, he had just one interception last season.
Though quarterbacks may shy away from him, Mathis’s risk-taking style of play
draws a fair number of balls to his side of the field. Generally, he comes out
the winner at the end of the day. However, penalties have been an issue at
times, as has the occasional long reception.

Brian Williams is too good to be a nickel back, which is why he’s moving
to starting free safety. His presence in centerfield shifts second-year stud
Reggie Nelson into Sammy Knight’s vacant strong safety position. Both
Williams and Nelson can handle their new jobs, though both might be playing a
hair out of position. Nelson is a good tackler but meek hitter, and his enticing
range in coverage will be mitigated on the strong side.

Depth at cornerback is suspect. Scott Starks has never dazzled, and rookie
Trae Williams is a project. Nelson, however, could play corner in a bind.
Experienced safety Gerald Sensabaugh (a likely starter before tearing
labrums in both shoulders last year) and Gregg Williams favorite Pierson
Prioleau (who was with the coach in Buffalo and followed him to Washington)
are both capable of dime duties.

Special Teams

Not a lot of kickers have injury-plagued
seasons, but Josh Scobey (hamstring) did in 2007. He was 12/13 on field
goals. Scobey is 100 percent heading into this season. Punter Adam Podlesh
is decent, but esteemed special teams coach Joe DeCamillis wouldn’t mind
having his punting unit face returns on only 40 to 45 percent of Podlesh’s
boots, rather than the 52 percent of last year. (It’s the little things, you
know?)

Dennis Northcutt remains a capable punt returner. Teams kickoff to
Maurice Jones-Drew at their own risk.

Bottom Line

It’s undeniable that this team is better than it was a year
ago. The offense is poor in style but rich in substance, thanks to the rushing
attack. The defense will hit you in the mouth (and, if Jacksonville’s young
players progress as hoped, you’ll bleed when it happens). Perhaps best of all,
Del Rio benefits from having some of the finest assistants in the business.
People may soon have to care about the Jaguars.

Myth Buster

John Henderson’s success is a product of playing alongside Marcus Stroud

It’s hard to fault people for this belief. After all, Stroud was a
three-time Pro Bowler who could destroy the run or pressure the passer. He
constantly attracted double teams, and Henderson constantly reaped the benefits.


However, the monster-sized Henderson thrived without his longtime running mate
for most of last season. When energized––which has been more often in recent
years––Henderson is an elite force. His powerful yet agile game enables him to
make plays against the run even when there are multiple blockers hanging onto
him. And his first punch in the pass rush––not to mention his long arms––makes
him a significant factor on third downs.

Henderson’s life may have been easier with Stroud next to him, but his impact on
Jacksonville’s defense is unchanged.



Open Thought

It’s remarkable the Jaguars have been able to survive the color teal like
they have. Besides a tie, name one item of men’s clothing that looks tasteful in
teal. You know teal is not a respected color––that’s why it gets mistaken for so
many other colors (aqua, turquoise, cyan…'blue-green' for those with limited
vocabulary).

What’s funny is that most would agree teal is a nice looking color. Yet, for
some reason, it’s not good when featured alone. It’s like the friend you only
enjoy hanging out with in a group.

Somehow, the Jaguars have sported teal jerseys for more than 10 years and have
looked good doing it. Having black to accentuate it has helped. (Imagine if the
team’s helmets were teal.) The Jags recognize the value of black––it’s
practically the color of their road uniforms. And, twice a year––usually on
nationally televised games––they’ll wear black jerseys.