**Jacksonville Jaguars** *2014 Record: 3-13, 3rd in AFC South* Before I begin with the Jaguars portion of this review series, I want to send a shout-out to /u/skepticismissurvival for allowing me to post on behalf of the Jaguars. I also want to thank all of the Jags fans who recommended me to write this post; it was a lot of work, but I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you guys enjoy reading this very extensive breakdown (albeit, a lengthy one at that). Additionally, thanks to all of you guys who have been commenting on and supporting the Hall of Fame series. For me, at least, its speeding up the boring offseason; I hope its doing the same for you guys. Because I am a writer and write a lot, there was no way that this was all going to fit in one giant text post. The first two sections alone came dangerously close to the 40,000-character limit, and in total, this came out to over 40 pages on Microsoft Word, single-spaced (along with over 125,000 characters). For that reason, Im using this as a hub post, and making comments the sections. Apologies in advance for the length, and apologies to the NFL Video Converter Bot (youre gonna have a lot of work on your hands with this one). Thanks again for all of the support, and I hope this post gives you guys some good information about the state of the Jacksonville Jaguars as they try to make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Enjoy! **Coaching Changes** The Jaguars had quite a few coaching changes to kick off the 2015 offseason. The first order of business was announced shortly after the conclusion of the 2014 season, and that was the firing of offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch. Simply put, Fisch had to go. Most Jags fans wanted him out, and the only legitimate argument to keep him around as offensive coordinator was that you dont want to change things up for Blake Bortles too much; you dont want an Alex Smith-type situation where youve got a new offensive coordinator every season. However, there were too many things that went wrong under Jedd Fischs watch. Blake Bortles was regressing towards the end of the season, and there were reports of Fisch belittling Bortles in practice. Obviously, if Bortles is your franchise quarterback (more on that later), you cant have that type of environment. Bortles mechanics, which were not that bad at the start of the season, got worse as the year went on; in the final game against Houston, he was repeatedly throwing off of his back foot. The offense didnt exactly improve from 2013 to 2014 (and considering the fact that Gus Bradleys message is to Get Better, thats not a good thing), and the offensive game-plan that the Jags ran was incredibly predictable. When I can predict with 90% accuracy what play call the Jags would run on any situation, thats the sign of a not-so-good offensive coordinator. For some inexplicable reason, Fisch would call running plays between the tackles on the outside for Toby Gerhart, and

would call running players between the guards on the inside for Denard Robinson. The only thing Fisch was good for was trick plays that worked with a stunningly high success rate, such as [this throw by Cecil Shorts III against the Texans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc-SkcHhEP0), [this throw by Ace Sanders against the Texans a year earlier](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap2000000293181/WK-14-Can-t-Miss-Play-Ace-in-the-hole) and [this throw by Maurice Jones-Drew in 2013 against the Browns](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap2000000290421/WK-13-Can-t-Miss-Play-MJDoing-it-all). Other than that, Fisch was useless. The search was then on to find the next offensive coordinator. Some thought that the Jags would pick up Marc Trestman or Adam Gase, and both of those candidates were interviewed. Instead, the Jags did the logical thing- replace the second-worst offensive coordinator in the league last year with the worst offensive coordinator. This was a head-scratching move for seemingly everyone when the Jaguars hired Greg Olson to be their offensive coordinator. Olson was the QB coach for the Jaguars in 2012 (the one year where Blaine Gabbert had a few games, most notably against Minnesota, Oakland and Green Bay, where he looked like a legitimate quarterback; of course, that was very short lived), and then burned bridges when he coined the phrase Blame Gabbert on his way out of town. Two years later, hes back. A questionable move for sure, but it could be argued that Derek Carr was the best quarterback of the rookie class last year. Olson likely had a big reason to do with that, so hopefully, hell have the same success with Blake Bortles. [This article from Big Cat Country](http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2015/1/22/7874851/what-does-greg-olson-bring-to-the-jaguars) does a very good job of explaining what Greg Olson brings to the Jaguars, and what packages/schemes to expect from him. It does a much better job than I could do of explaining the situation in-depth, so give that a read when you get a chance. There were also a few other coaching changes of note. While there were zero changes defensively, there were some offensive changes that got some headlines. For starters, in probably the biggest coaching step backwards in recent memory, the Jaguars got Doug Marrone as their offensive line coach. Marrone was the head coach of the Bills last year and opted out of his contract, thinking that he would get a head coaching job elsewhere. Instead, nobody hired him to that position, or any position remotely close to it. Marrone is not only the offensive line coach, but he is the assistant head coach. How big is the Doug Marrone acquisition? The Jaguars had one of the worst offensive lines in NFL history statistically-speaking last season. In total, the Jaguars allowed **71 sacks** last season- 55 to Blake Bortles and 16 to Chad Henne, including a staggeringly high total of 10 in one game against Washington (probably one of the worst performances in the history of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and, without a doubt, the worst performance of the 2014 season). Part of that was due to poor play from the guys on the offensive line, part of that was due to the team having lots of youth at that position (more on that later), and part of that was because the Jaguars **did not have a legitimate offensive line coach last year.**

Thats right- the Jags did not have a legitimate offensive line coach. George Yarno was the offensive line coach in 2013, and looked like he was going to be the offensive line coach last year; however, he was diagnosed with cancer and couldnt coach. In a class move by the Jaguars, [Yarno is still under contract with the team](http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/159600/class-move-by-jaguars-to-keep-george-yarno-under-contract); that being said, at least they have a legitimate coach this year in Doug Marrone. Luke Butkus coached the offensive line last year (he got promoted from assistant offensive line coach to offensive line coach after the news of Yarnos cancer), and hes back as an assistant offensive line coach this year. With the acquisition of Doug Marrone, he was able to lure a few of his former staff members over. Frank Scelfo was the QBs coach last season, and while hes coming back this season, it will be as a senior offensive assistant and not as the QBs coach. The new QBs coach is Nathaniel Hackett, who was with Marrone as the offensive coordinator at Syracuse and with the Buffalo Bills. Terry Richardson is out as running backs coach and has been replaced by Kelly Skipper, the former halfbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders. Considering how inept our halfbacks were last season, Skipper is a good hire; he helped get Rashad Jennings a huge contract (something I didnt think was possible after how poorly he played in 2012 for us), he has coached some very good halfbacks in Oakland such as Darren McFadden and Latavius Murray, and hes obviously got the chemistry with offensive coordinator Greg Olson. One of the controversies came in terms of the coaching changes that the Jaguars *didnt* make, and that was with Mike Mallory. The special teams coordinator from last season is back, and for opposing teams, that is a very good thing. Last season, **five** kicks and punts were blocked, including the game-winning kick against the Tennessee Titans in week six (which is another controversy in itself, considering the fact that they [didnt have the k-ball ready](http://espn.go.com/blog/jacksonville-jaguars/post/_/id/8758/scobee-upset-about-fg-attempt) by the time Scobee lined up for the kick). When youre holding your breath every single time your kicker/punter lines up to take a kick in fear that its going to get blocked thats never a good sign. It also doesnt help that Ace Sanders had a yards-per-punt-return average of 7.1, which is abysmal. The blocking, the returning everything was just awful last season on special teams. Mallory is back as the special teams coordinator, and if this upcoming season is anything like last season in that department, then hes getting a pink slip. **Free Agency- Players Lost** I had to break this up into multiple posts, simply because there was too much text and too much going on in free agency on both sides of the coin for the Jags (and because I like to write a lot). For the Jaguars in free agency, while the team did lose some players, the net gain in the end was fantastic. Entering the offseason, Jacksonville had $63 million in cap room. While they didnt spend all of it, the

portion of the $63 million spent went towards making significant upgrades at positions of need. Lets start with the losses. Player | Position | New Team --------- | --------- | --------------- Jordan Todman | HB | Carolina Panthers Will Taufoou | FB | Free Agent Cecil Shorts III | WR | Houston Texans Red Bryant | DE | Free Agent (released by the Jaguars) Geno Hayes | LB | Free Agent JT Thomas | LB | New York Giants Alan Ball | CB | Chicago Bears Will Blackmon | CB | Seattle Seahawks (released by the Jaguars) Sherrod Martin | S | Chicago Bears All of the players in the table above either started for the Jaguars or played a significant amount of time for the Jaguars last year. Im going to break it down player-by-player, analyzing what each player brought to the team and then saying whether or not it was a good move. **Jordan Todman**- Todman was signed by the Jaguars in 2012 but flashed onto the scene in 2013, when he led the AFC in rushing yards in the preseason. Once considered to be just a camp body, he was able to find a significant role in Jacksonvilles offense over the past two seasons. If you watched any Jags game and saw a questionable halfback draw play on a third-and-long situation, it was likely that Todman was the man running the football on that play (good riddance, Jedd Fisch). His ability to run the football wasnt necessarily great; take out [this 62-yard run of his against the Tennessee Titans last season](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Wk-16-Cant-Miss-Play-Todman-62-yard-TD-run/7950537a-ca6f-479c-a2dc-08e8c2f96e05) (which was a nice run, and helped Jacksonville go on to win the game in the greatest Thursday Night Football game ever), and his YPC average on the season was 4.0 with no touchdowns. So, why am I somewhat sad to see Jordan Todman go if hes not necessarily valuable as a halfback? Because hes valuable as a kick returner. He was eighth in the league last year in yards-per-return average; in 2013, his average was 27.4 YPR and last year, it was 25.6. He was also extremely consistent, and would always run forward (take notes, Ace Sanders); very rarely would the Jags start drives inside the 15-yard line when Todman was returning. He never fumbled on kickoff returns, routinely got to the 25-yard line or better, and was just a reliable guy. Carolina signed him in free agency, so hes no longer with the Jaguars. How will we replace Todman on kickoff returns? Look for Denard Robinson to have an increased role and learn how to field kicks now that hes been relegated to the #2 halfback. Instead of Denard Robinson running back with his hands held high to the air preventing Todman from returning a kick in the end zone (I dont have a clip of this, but most Jags fans will know what I mean when I say that; anytime Todman fielded a kick in the end zone, even if Todman had momentum and couldve easily

returned it, Denard Robinson came flying towards him with his hands up, warning him not to return the kick), he will now be returning the kicks. Well see how that works out when all is said and done. **Will Taufoou**- Greg Olson is not going to use a fullback this year. Thats all that this came down to. Taufoou had the hardest name on the Jaguars to pronounce (although there are some this year that are even harder), but he was about as average as fullbacks come. Jack-of-all-trades, master of none is how I would describe Taufoou. He survived in 2014 due to Bradie Ewing, who was the favorite to get the starting fullback job by some fans, going down with an injury, but he couldnt survive another year, through no fault of his own. The Jaguars will not carry a fullback this year, so there was no need to keep Taufoou around. Looking back on it, Taufoou wasnt bad; he just wasnt very good, and when youre following Greg Jones, who was with the Jaguars for more than a decade and is a borderline (emphasis on the word borderline) Pride of the Jaguars candidate, its a tough act to follow. **Cecil Shorts III**- The third greatest wide receiver in franchise history left the Jaguars in free agency this year. Thats a sad statement in terms of how inept the Jaguars have been at wide receiver throughout their two decade history, but its true- Jimmy Smith was #1, Keenan McCardell was #2, and then, Cecil Shorts was #3. Who else would you put there? Mike Sims-Walker? Mike Thomas? Reggie Williams? Youre not dealing with too much talent at wide receiver in Jacksonville historically. Anyways, Im a bit divided on Cecil Shorts III moving on, especially to division rival Houston. The main reason why I didnt want Shorts III gone is because of fear of the youth movement. I love what Caldwell is doing in trying to make the team younger, but you need *some* veterans who have been in Jacksonville and know what its like. The top four wide receivers for the Jaguars now will be, in no particular order, Allen Robinson (entering his second year), Allen Hurns (entering his second year), Marqise Lee (entering his second year) and Rashad Greene (entering his first year). Part of that is a bit worrying for me. Shorts wouldve been entering his fifth year with the Jaguars, and had a chance to be one of the best players to ever play on the offensive side of the ball for this team. That being said, it was probably the right move. Shorts was fantastic in 2012 and 2013, but last season was relatively poor by his standards, recording just 557 yards and one touchdown receiving (although, he did have [this touchdown pass against the Texans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wc-SkcHhEP0). On top of that, hes got a huge injury history. Hes seemingly never healthy for more than 4 games at a time. Whether or not he can stay healthy for Houston is going to be a huge question mark, because that seems unlikely considering his history. However, that being said, even though getting rid of Shorts III was likely the right move (even though I am sort of scared about the youth movement, he isnt better than either of those three second-year receivers), I am going to miss him, if purely for what he did for the Jaguars in the past. There was [this catch in 2012 against the Colts which won the game](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000064758/Cecil-Shorts-III-80-yard-touchdown), [this catch in 2013 against the Browns which won

the game](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000290629/Cecil-Shorts-20-yard-touchdown-catch), and my personal favorite, [this catch in 2012 against the Vikings which gave the Jaguars the lead and shouldve won the game if it wasnt for Mel Tucker deciding to play a prevent defense and Blair Walsh hitting a 55-yard field goal at the end of regulation](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap1000000059968/Wk-1-Can-t-Miss-Play-Never-coming-up-Shorts). We wont forget you, Cecil. **Red Bryant**- Of the players in the table, this is the only one who was outright cut. Bryant was solid for the Jaguars last year, especially in terms of stopping the run. However, after signing Jared Odrick, there was no need to keep Bryant around, unless it would be as a backup. Considering how stacked our defensive line is already, its not exactly a huge blow in terms of depth to lose Bryant. Its a bit surprising that nobody has picked him up yet, as he is a valuable asset to a team and a defensive line, but this cut was coming. My personal favorite play of his in a Jags uniform came in the preseason, where he took down not one, [but two Bucs offensive linemen](https://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/2909728/red_bryant_smash.0.gif). Good player, just no need after our free agent signings. **Geno Hayes**- Of the three linebackers that started for the Jaguars at the end of the 2014 season, two of them were not re-signed by the team. One of those moves make sense, while the other one was the most head-scratching decision of the offseason in terms of free agent losses. This one makes sense. Geno Hayes wasnt necessarily bad, but he was invisible at times last season. He recorded just 51 tackles, and didnt do much else. While he wasnt the guy that made mistakes, he didnt do anything good either (with the exception of his strip-sack of Eli Manning this year). He was just on the field and thats about it. Nobody has signed Hayes yet, and while I think hell find some work as a camp body, it was the right move letting him walk. **JT Thomas**- What was David Caldwell thinking by letting Thomas walk? This was probably the worst decision of the offseason for me. The Giants got a lot of flack for their free agency spending this year (in particular, signing Cole Beasley to a relatively big contract) but this was a great pickup by Tom Coughlins team. To start off, hes relatively young; hes 26 years old and played well last season. He had 84 tackles last season, was good in terms of covering tight ends (once Paul Posluszny got hurt and JT Thomas assumed the role of inside linebacker, tight ends were relatively limited against the Jaguars), and was a very reliable tackler, very rarely missing tackles. It was very surprising when Caldwell didnt even make an offer to re-sign him, even if he would just be depth at linebacker. Right now (and Ill get to this more later), the Jaguars have three solid linebackers- Telvin Smith, Paul Posluszny and Dan Skuta. If one of them goes down, then there is no depth at that position. This was a mistake on Caldwells part.

**Alan Ball**- When the Jags signed him in 2013, the general consensus was that it was an awful signing, considering how bad he was with both Dallas and Houston (especially Houston in particular). However, he was a pleasant surprise, especially in 2013, when he recorded 14 passes defended. He was a solid #1 cornerback for the Jags, and while you certainly could do better, you could do a heck of a lot worse, especially considering the fact that we were coming off of the days of having Rashean I Cant Tackle Mathis as our #1 cornerback (he was very good in the mid-2000s, but after 2008, he just went on a continuous downward spiral; good to see him revive his career somewhat with the Detroit Lions, though). However, last season, he got injured, and now, theres no real need to keep him around, especially considering the fact that hell be 30 years old. The Bears picked him up, and while its sad to see him go (because he played relatively well for us), the move was expected. With Demetrius McCray, Aaron Colvin and Davon House as the top three cornerbacks (and Dwayne Gratz as the #4 option, who is there purely because of potential), theres no real need to keep Ball around. **Will Blackmon**- He struggled last season, and because of his age (30 years old) and the newfound depth at the cornerback position, there was no real need to keep him around as the nickel cornerback. That being said, he was very good for the Jaguars in 2013 (much like Alan Ball), so if he can return to that form, then Seattle wouldve picked up some nice depth in the secondary. His claim to fame with the Jaguars was one of the greatest individual defensive plays maybe of all-time, when he did [this](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap2000000279302/WK-10-Can-t-Miss-Play-Blackmon-strips-away-a-win) against the Titans. For those who cant watch the play for whatever reason, a quick synopsis: In 2013, the Jaguars were leading the Titans for their first win of the season, but Ryan Fitzpatrick and company were trying to get the game-winning drive started. Thats when, on third down, Will Blackmon blitzed, got into the backfield, sacked Ryan Fitzpatrick, forced the fumble by taking the ball away from him, and then scored the touchdown to seemingly end the game. Im never gonna forget you, #24. **Sherrod Martin**- Good riddance. This guy was a liability in coverage. Thankfully, the Jaguars got some secondary upgrades at the safety position, both in the NFL Draft and in free agency. Why the Bears signed him, I have no idea. If there was a blown play on a deep ball, there were only two possible culprits- Dwayne Gratz and Sherrod Martin. The Jaguars didnt re-sign him for obvious reasons. **Free Agency- Acquisitions** Again, the Jaguars had $63 million in cap room to work with, and they targeted five players in particular. In the end, the Jags got three of those guys. As Meatloaf always said, three out of five aint bad or something like that. They couldnt sign Devin McCourty or Randall Cobb, two of their targets (and I will never blame a general manager for not being able to sign a player who chose to stay with their original team, especially at a hometown discount), but they got the other three big fish in the

pond- Julius Thomas, Jermey Parnell and Jared Odrick. The team used the money saved for McCourty to sign Dan Skuta, Sergio Brown and Davon House when they realized that McCourty was heading back to New England. Heres my assessment of the big free agent signings by the Jaguars, as well as some other notable ones that might be able to make an impact for the team both in 2015 and beyond. Player | Position | Old Team | Contract Details --------- | --------- | ------------- | --------------------- Jeff Tuel | QB | Buffalo Bills | 2 years, $1.1M Bernard Pierce | HB | Baltimore Ravens | 1 year, $660K Arrelious Benn | WR | Philadelphia Eagles | 2 years, $1.42M Bryan Walters | WR | Seattle Seahawks | N/A (no details anywhere) Julius Thomas | TE | Denver Broncos | 5 years, $46M Jermey Parnell | T | Dallas Cowboys | 5 years, $32M Brennan Williams | T | Houston Texans | 2 years, $1.01M Stefan Wisniewski | C | Oakland Raiders | 1 year, $2.5M Jared Odrick | DE | Miami Dolphins | 5 years, $42.5M Dan Skuta | LB | San Francisco 49ers | 5 years, $20M Davon House | CB | Green Bay Packers | 4 years, $24.5M Sergio Brown | FS | Indianapolis Colts | 3 years, $7M **Jeff Tuel**- Acquired later in the offseason, this is a pickup that makes tons of sense, even if Tuel has little chance at making the final 53-man roster. For one, hes got a good connection with new QBs coach Nathanial Hackett, who was the QBs coach for the past two seasons with the Buffalo Bills. In 2013, Tuel had 309 passing yards on 44% completion percentage for 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions, and didnt play a single game in 2014. [This throw in a Bills practice](http://www.buffalobills.com/video/videos/Cant-Miss-Play-Jeff-Tuel-TD-pass-to-TJ-Graham-/96992aac-4770-4f07-b02e-8da7171f4f7e) is a good example of what Tuel can do when hes on his game. If he has little chance at making the roster, then why is he featured? Because hes better than Stephen Morris. The only reason that Morris was signed as an UDFA by the Jaguars last season was because of his connection with Jedd Fisch, who used to be the offensive coordinator at Miami when Morris was the starting quarterback. Even there, Morris was relatively inaccurate; now that Fisch is gone, theres no reason as to why Morris should be on the roster or on the practice squad. In the fourth quarter of preseason games, youre playing fringe guys. Its important to have, at the very least, a competent quarterback who can give receivers a chance on the ball. Considering the battle for the fifth wide receiver spot is up in the air between guys such as Ace Sanders, Neal Sterling, Damian Copeland and Arrelious Benn, and considering the fact that those guys will likely be playing in the fourth quarter of most preseason games, its important to have a QB with the ability to get these guys the ball. Stephen Morris didnt do that last year, Mike Kafka didnt do that the year before you get the idea. If all goes well, expect Tuel to stick around on the practice squad as the third quarterback.

**Bernard Pierce**- After getting [arrested for a DUI](http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/ravens-insider/bal-bernard-pierce-dwi-marks-ravens-third-arrest-of-offseason-eighth-in-past-year-20150318-story.html), the Jaguars picked Bernard Pierce up off of waivers. Well see whether or not he takes on a Marcel Reece-type role in this offense. The move has no risk involved whatsoever, as hes on a one year, very cheap contract. Hell be fighting for a roster spot alongside halfbacks Corey Grant, Storm Johnson and, to a lesser extent, Toby Gerhart. [This blog post](http://twentyfoursports.blogspot.com/2015/04/bleedin-teal-edition-clxxxi-bernards.html?view=flipcard) does a pretty good job of explaining everything you need to know about Bernard Pierce and how he fits in with the Jaguars. **Arrelious Benn**- The man hasnt recorded a reception since the 2012 season, and hasnt recorded more than 5 catches since 2011. Hell be fighting for the #5 wide receiver spot, but is likely on the outside looking in. His height (62) will give him an advantage over other guys competing for this roster spot, such as Ace Sanders (57), but considering the fact that Benn hasnt really done anything since 2011, dont expect him to be anything more than just a camp body. **Julius Thomas**- For the first time in the history of the Jaguars, they have an elite tight end. Kyle Brady was good and Marcedes Lewis has been good, but the Jags have never had a player quite like Julius Thomas. Theyve got a legitimate red zone threat and a pass catcher at tight end. While the contract does seem like a lot at more than $9 million per year, it was still a fantastic signing. For one, cap room is not an issue. Unless youre throwing the franchise tag at a guy like Blaine Gabbert and are smart with your signings and the players that you pick up, then with $63 million in cap room, you can spend your money however you want to. Spending it on one of the top three tight ends in the league is not a bad way to do it. While Thomas isnt a great blocker, thats what the Jaguars have Marcedes Lewis for. Lewis isnt a great receiver, and sometimes, has stone cold hands; that being said, Lewis knows how to block. He acted as our right tackle in the red zone when we had guys like Guy Whimper playing that position (note- Guy Whimper stunk), so Thomas wont have to block at all with the Jaguars. Thomas has 24 touchdowns in the past 2 seasons (12 each in 2013 and 2014); for perspective, Blake Bortles had 11 last season. Hes going to benefit greatly from this. If Thomas can put up numbers similar to what Marcedes Lewis put up in his 2010 fluke year (the year where he caught everything and the coaches decided to organize a game plan to actually get the 67 tight end the football crazy concept, I know), then hell be worth the money. **Jermey Parnell**- Many Jags fans wanted the team to pick up Bryan Bulaga in free agency; however, when Caldwell said that the Jaguars werent targeting him and when Bulaga returned to the Packers, that wasnt going to happen. At right tackle, the Jaguars now got the 29-year old right tackle from the Dallas Cowboys. On one hand, he has only started 7 career games for the Cowboys; on the other hand, in the time that he spent on the field, he was very good, recording a better rating according

to PFF than Doug Free. The Cowboys chose to keep Free and let Parnell test free agency, and as a result, Parnell is now a Jaguar. Austin Pasztor played the right tackle position last year after Cameron Bradfield stunk up the joint in the game against Washington, and he was below average. He played like a solid backup, and now, will assume the role of the swing tackle. Parnell gives the Jags a formidable right tackle for the first time since the early years of David Garrards starting tenure with the team; for a team that allowed 71 sacks last season, upgrading the offensive line was a huge need, and they did just that with this pickup. **Brennan Williams**- The big pickups on the offensive line were Parnell and a center from the Raiders who is coming up next. However, this one flew under the radar and could potentially be a good pickup. In 2013, the Houston Texans chose tackle Brennan Williams in the third round of the draft, but cut him last July after he [had microfracture surgery on his knee](http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/02/20/jaguars-sign-former-texans-third-round-pick-brennan-williams/). If he can stay healthy, then essentially, the Jags got a free third round pick (although it seems as though the entire 2013 NFL Draft for the Houston Texans was awful). Williams will be fighting to make the roster as the ninth and final offensive lineman against Josh Wells, and its going to be a good camp battle, to say the least, to see who can be the fourth and final tackle on the roster (if the Jags decide to even carry four tackles at all). **Stefan Wisniewski**- Last year, Jacksonvilles starting center was Luke Bowanko, their sixth round pick out of the University of Virginia. Bowanko was supposed to be fighting for a spot on the roster, but when Mike Brewster forgot how to snap the football in the preseason (he mustve had at least five botched snaps in about four quarters of work) and Jacques McClendon decided that this season was a good time to do his Will Rackley impersonation, the Jags threw Bowanko in there at center. He was okay, especially for a sixth round pick, but there were still questions as to whether or not he could be the answer. With this pickup of Stefan Wisniewski from the Oakland Raiders in free agency (who has a connection with offensive coordinator Greg Olson), there is little risk with an extremely high reward. If Wisniewski plays well, then considering his age (26 years old) and his potential, then the Jaguars just found their next franchise center to fully replace Brad Meester. If Wisniewski doesnt play well, then Bowanko isnt necessarily a bad option at center; on top of that, the Jags can cut Wisniewski with a minimal cap hit. Good signing all around. This camp battle between Bowanko and Wisniewski will be extremely close to call, and will likely take all three of the important preseason games to determine a winner. **Jared Odrick**- Switching gears to the defensive side of the ball, this was the marquee signing that the Jaguars made on defense. This was the move that allowed the team to release Red Bryant. Despite finishing sixth in sacks last season, the Jaguars had the fewest number of pressures. It was critical that the Jaguars got some more consistency with the defensive line, and with Jared Odrick, they have that. [This article from Big Cat

Country](http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2015/4/6/8348519/jared-odrick-position-jacksonville-jaguars) does a good job at explaining Odricks role with the team as the big end and what to expect out of Odrick this year. **Dan Skuta**- The Jaguars picked up Dan Skuta, otherwise known as the only 49ers linebacker to not retire this offseason. Last year, Skuta started 10 games for the 49ers, and will likely be starting on the outside alongside Telvin Smith in the 4-3 defense that Gus Bradley and Bob Babich run. Apologies if this seems lazy, but [Big Cat Country had a fantastic article on what Skuta brings to the Jaguars, with gifs and everything](http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2015/6/2/8691783/jaguars-film-room-breakdown-dan-skuta). Give that a read; it does a much better job at explaining what he brings to the team than I could ever give, as well as some insight as to the premise behind the OTTO position (well get more into terms such as LEO and OTTO in the schemes portion of this post). **Davon House**- Probably the most surprising free agent signing was the pickup of Davon House. Not only was it somewhat unexpected that he left Green Bay, but it was thought by many that the top three cornerbacks for the Jaguars going into next year would be the young trio of Demetrius McCray, Aaron Colvin and Dwayne Gratz, with some reinforcements coming via lesser free agent signings and some late round draft picks. Instead, the Jags went full-guns blazing signing Davon House, and if Jeremy Harris makes the roster at the #5 CB spot (which is likely at this point), then the Jaguars will have two cornerbacks from New Mexico State on their roster. House is only 25 years old, so he is just beginning to enter the prime of his career. Over the past 2 seasons, House has defended 22 passes. Even though the signing was a pleasant surprise, it makes sense why the Jaguars would sign Davon House; he has the physical frame that Gus Bradley likes. Dwayne Gratz is 511, Demetrius McCray is 62, Aaron Colvin is 60 and Jeremy Harris is 62. Bradley and Caldwell have made it a point to get cornerbacks that are 511 or taller; this is not a coincidence by any means. [Heres a film breakdown from Big Cat Country on Davon House](http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2015/3/25/8252603/jaguars-film-room-breakdown-davon-house) that is very similar to the breakdown done to Dan Skuta (its by the same author- give it a read). **Sergio Brown**- You might remember Sergio Brown from the [2 claps and a Ric Flair](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwYmcd8gZQU) celebration he did after the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round of the playoffs last year. You might remember Sergio Brown as the man [who got absolutely destroyed by Rob Gronkowski](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzxm3Gt126w). However you remember Sergio Brown, he is now a Jacksonville Jaguar, and will be competing for the starting free safety spot alongside Josh Evans and fourth round pick James Sample. Brown started eight games for the Colts last season and recorded six defended passes, and apparently, is a very good asset on special teams. In good news for him, hes spent this offseason [getting his MBA at the University of Miami](http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/sports/2015/06/29/sergio-brown-

continues-educational-journey/29450261/), so hes clearly got his life set off the field. On the field, he should be a valuable player, especially on special teams, which is where the Jaguars have been lacking in recent years. Heres a good way to prematurely judge a free agent signing- go to the opposing teams forum/blog and see how they react to the news. If the general consensus is sadness, then youve got yourself a good player. [This was the reaction over at Stampede Blue, the SB Nation blog of the Colts, when the signing was announced](http://www.stampedeblue.com/2015/3/10/8183671/report-sergio-brown-will-sign-with-the-jaguars). If Brown doesnt win the starting free safety job (James Sample might win it in 2016 because he wont have too much of an offseason this year due to a broken arm sustained in mini camp because Jaguars), then at least hell be a stud on special teams. Good pickup, especially at the price in which the Jags got him at (just over $2 million per year). **Draft** Round | Number | Player | Position | School -------- | ----------- | -------- | ----------- | -------- 1 | 3 | Dante Fowler Jr. | DE | Florida 2 | 36 | TJ Yeldon | HB | Alabama 3 | 67 | AJ Cann | G | South Carolina 4 | 104 | James Sample | S | Louisville 5 | 139 | Rashad Greene | WR | Florida State 6 | 180 | Michael Bennett | DT | Ohio State 7 | 220 | Neal Sterling | WR | Monmouth 7 | 229 | Ben Koyack | TE | Notre Dame Remember the dark days of the Jaguars under Gene Smith? Remember when he used to draft players from the most obscure FCS and non-power 5 schools and assembled his team like that? He found a gem in Cecil Shorts III, but he also found a lot of busts like Larry Hart, Rod Issac, Deji Karim, Zach Miller, Scotty McGee you get the idea. David Caldwell has taken the opposite approach in his tenure with the Jaguars, heavily going after the top schools. Looking at that draft, seven of the eight players come from very good football schools (with Neal Sterling from Monmouth being the obvious exception). Heres the telling stat about the differences in philosophy between Caldwell and Smith- Caldwell has spent 7 picks in his first 3 drafts on players from the SEC (Luke Joeckel, Ace Sanders, Josh Evans, Chris Smith, Dante Fowler, TJ Yeldon, AJ Cann). Gene Smith spent **zero** picks on the SEC. Moving away from Gene Smith and onto David Caldwell, many critics lauded this draft, calling it one of the best draft classes in franchise history. The general criticism for the draft came from reaching on TJ Yeldon, but critics praised the pickups of AJ Cann, Rashad Greene and Michael Bennett as big-school steals in the later rounds. Heres a breakdown on every single pick and how each pick will factor into the plans for 2015 and beyond (emphasis on beyond for our first round pick).

**Dante Fowler Jr. (DE, Florida)**- This was the guy that Caldwell was targeting from day one. There was nobody else that the Jags were going to take, because, as Caldwell said, the draft class next year for pass rushers was not that good, Leonard Williams position was already occupied by Jared Odrick, and its easy to find good receivers later on (why the Jaguars didnt take Amari Cooper; even though I think the Jags made the right pick, I think Amari Cooper is going to be the offensive rookie of the year and will be one of the best receivers in the league for years to come). What Dante Fowler has is a high motor. He would consistently get into the backfield and would give 110% to every play, whether it was a big game against Alabama or the lowly, unimportant Birmingham Bowl (tangent rant- no bowl games, with the exception of the championship, should ever be played after January 2). He has relatively good speed for an edge rusher (4.61 40-yard dash time), and is going to be the LEO of the future. Theres only one notable flaw that I could find with Fowler, and that was this: While he routinely got into the backfield and was in a position to make the play, he would either over-run the play or miss the tackle completely, giving the quarterback or halfback new life. Its a flaw that can be fixed, and if it is fixed, then youre looking at the most dangerous pass rusher to ever play for the Jaguars (it seems like a lofty statement with high expectations until you consider the fact that the best pass rusher of all-time for the Jaguars is Tony Brackens; from there, theres a *very steep* drop-off). ~~Hes going to have an incredible season this year. I predict 15 sacks, a Defensive Rookie of the Year award, and on top of all of that, a~~ Oh yeah. The season-ending ACL injury in the first 30 minutes of rookie minicamp. I forgot all about that. Because Jaguars. Fowlers not going to play this year unless he makes a miraculous recovery and the Jaguars can somehow get deep into the playoffs. Chris Clemons will be the LEO for another year, and while Clemons wasnt necessarily bad last year, he wasnt as impactful as I thought he would be when we signed him in free agency from the Seattle Seahawks in 2014. The Jaguars still gave Fowler the max deal, acting in good faith. Expect Fowler to take over the starting LEO role in 2016. Theres nothing positive about this news, though; even after ten listens of [Monty Python](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Wx230gYJw), I cant find the positive in losing your first round pick to an ACL injury. Hoping for a speedy recovery. **TJ Yeldon (HB, Alabama)**- There were reports of the Jaguars trying to trade back up into the first round for either Todd Gurley or Melvin Gordon should either of them have fallen into the later part of the first round. While I wouldve loved to have Gurley (he was my top rated halfback on the board), I wouldve hated the Melvin Gordon pick (my brief reason- too many fumbles, too many runs for little yardage, leading to an inflated YPC average). In the end, the Jaguars got the second halfback on my board when they chose TJ Yeldon out of Alabama (I wouldve liked Jay Ajayi before the news came out about his knee). Heres [my take](http://twentyfoursports.blogspot.com/2015/05/bleedin-teal-edition-clxxxix-critiquing.html?view=flipcard) on the Yeldon pick. If Yeldon can limit the fumbles like he did in his senior year, then the Jaguars got a very good halfback. The last time that the Jaguars drafted a halfback in the second round was in 2006, when they

chose Maurice Jones-Drew. If history even slightly repeats itself, then this will be a fantastic pick. Hes a complete halfback and played against the toughest competition on a weekly basis. Halfback was a position of need in terms of finding a three-down guy (because Denard Robinson, even despite a successful though injury-shortened sophomore season, is not a three down halfback), and from all indications, Yeldon will be that three down guy. The idea of this draft was that whenever there was an opportunity available, you load up on the offense and give Blake Bortles help. Picking up a halfback like TJ Yeldon does just that. **AJ Cann (G, South Carolina)**- For the first time in ages, the Jaguars have depth on the offensive line. Nobody on the offensive line last year, with the exception of third round pick Brandon Linder (who was the sixth best rated guard according to Pro Football Focus), played relatively well. Zane Beadles got better after a rocky first few weeks with the team, but he was somewhat of a disappointment all things considered. He wasnt Will Rackley (so that was a good thing), but he certainly wasnt the anchor on the offensive line that the Jaguars needed. Its only a matter of time before AJ Cann becomes the starting left guard, whether that be this year or next year. This is a [brief-but-to-the-point article about why Zane Beadles makes sense for the Jaguars, courtesy of Big Cat Country](http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2015/5/5/8547487/how-a-j-cann-fits-on-the-jacksonville-jaguars). The Jags got a second round talent in the third round; any time you can do that, its a very good thing. Fun fact- the Jaguars have spent three of their last five third round picks on guards: Will Rackley (2011), Brandon Linder (2014) and now AJ Cann (2015). **James Sample (S, Louisville)**- The Jaguars traded down one spot with the New York Jets in the fourth round so that the Jets could pick up Bryce Petty. With their new selection, the Jags chose James Sample, the free safety out of Louisville. Most of the attention in terms of Louisville safeties was focused on Gerod Holliman, who recorded 14 interceptions for the Cardinals and got drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers later on in the draft. Sample is very versatile, as he can play both free safety and strong safety. Johnathan Cyprien is going to be the starting strong safety, and hes been solid for the Jaguars ever since being drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by David Caldwell. At free safety, youre going to have a giant camp battle between Josh Evans, Sergio Brown and James Sample, with all three of them likely making the final roster. Sample is going to miss some time (in June, it was a reported 10-12 weeks) due to a broken arm injury, so hes going to be behind in terms of winning the starting free safety spot. However, when he gets healthy, dont be surprised if he claims the starting free safety spot away from Sergio Brown. The Jaguars needed a free safety after Josh Evans below average performances over the past two years (and thats being somewhat generous); now, theyve got two competitors in Brown and Sample. Creating that culture of competition is what Gus Bradley has wanted ever since coming to the Jags two years ago; especially with the picks of Yeldon, Cann and Sample, they truly have that environment now.

**Rashad Greene (WR, Florida State)**- I wanted the Jags to take this guy in the third round. Cann was a good pick, but I was disappointed when they didnt take Greene. Then, Greene was somehow on the board in the fourth round, and I wanted the Jags to take him. Dont get me wrong- Sample was a good pick, but I was disappointed when they didnt take Greene. Against everything that I believed was possible, Rashad Greene was on the board in the fifth round and the Jags finally took him. At this point, I was going crazy (I was at the NFL Draft in the square and was acting like a lunatic when they made this pick; I was also the same guy that got to go up on stage in the seventh round for answering a trivia question about the 1964 NFL Draft correctly but thats another story for another day). This was my favorite pick of the entire draft that the Jaguars made. For one, hes third all-time in ACC receptions, and hes first all-time in ACC receiving yards. He was Jameis Winstons primary target, and was incredibly productive at Florida State. Why does the pick make sense? The Jaguars needed some wide receiver depth; the combination of Lee, Robinson and Hurns is a very good 1-2-3 punch, but after that, theres nothing. They needed a fourth wide receiver who can line up in the slot, and Rashad Greene will do just that. He adds much-needed depth to the wide receiver position, and it also helps that he can come up clutch. [This video shows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38vF4Ix7_A4) that when it was crunch time, there was nobody better to throw the ball to than Rashad Greene. Great pick, especially for the value in which the Jaguars got him at. **Michael Bennett (DT, Ohio State)**- There were some draft boards that had this guy as a second round pick. To get him in the **sixth round** of the draft is remarkable. [This ESPN article](http://espn.go.com/blog/jacksonville-jaguars/post/_/id/13057/michael-bennett-fits-jaguars-scheme-could-be-one-of-drafts-big-steals) is a pretty good read into what Michael Bennett is going to bring to the Jaguars, highlighting the fact that he is very good at getting into the backfield from the interior part of the line; he had 25.5 tackles for a loss over the past two seasons combined. This pick adds to a stacked defensive line, and you can never have too many top quality defensive linemen. On the interior of the line, alongside Michael Bennett, youre going to have Abry Jones, SenDerrick Marks, Roy Miller and Ziggy Hood. Talk about depth. **Neal Sterling (WR, Monmouth)**- This was the only pick that the Jaguars made that was a real head-scratcher. What was the logic behind this pick? Apparently, hes going to be used as an H-back and play the role of a receiving tight end who doesnt block, if that makes sense. It was the only player chosen by the Jaguars who came out of a small school. Unfortunately, there isnt too much film on him, so I dont even know that much about Sterling. Its going to be interesting to see how the Jags use him in the offense. Hes 63 and is listed as a wide receiver, so he could have a height advantage on opposing cornerbacks if he gets his opportunity. It wouldnt surprise me to see the Jaguars stash Sterling on the practice squad while they try and figure out how in the world theyre going to use him in the offense.

**Ben Koyack (TE, Notre Dame)**- If youve never heard of the name Ben Koyack, then you probably remember [this catch against Stanford that he made to win the game](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkqcowwA3XY) (skip to about the 40 second mark for the catch). The Jags spent their final pick in the draft on a player who will likely make the roster as the fourth tight end, should he beat out Nic Jacobs (something that shouldnt be too daunting of a task, considering the fact that outside of a nice touchdown grab against the San Diego Chargers early in the season, Jacobs didnt really do anything else of note). For a team that never had depth at tight end, the Jaguars now have an abundance of them. Koyack is going to play the role of the fourth tight end, behind Julius Thomas, Marcedes Lewis and Clay Harbor. Last season, Koyack was solid at Notre Dame, with 30 receptions for 317 yards and 2 touchdowns. Im not quite sure how much time hes going to see on the field considering the logjam at that position, but it wouldnt necessarily surprise me if he became the #2 tight end next year should the Jaguars decide to cut ties with Marcedes Lewis at the end of this season. **Everything Else From the Offseason** What else happened in the offseason that was of note, both in terms of the important things for the team, the important things for the city and everything else in between? - Maurice Jones-Drew signed a one-day contract to retire as a Jacksonville Jaguar. He was, without a doubt, one of the greatest players to ever play for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and I hope to see him in the Pride of the Jaguars soon. In honor of his retirement, here are some of my favorite moments of Jones-Drew as a Jaguar: [this block on Shawne Merriman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvUEgjqKLFA), [this play against the Jets where he takes a knee on the 1-yard line with the Jaguars losing, in what has to be one of the smartest plays in recent memory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3fVn8TE2XM), and [the longest kickoff return in playoff history that didnt go for a touchdown](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_WIZ8itfak), with apologies in advance for the bad music. - Greg Jones also announced his retirement with the Jaguars. After not re-signing with the team following the conclusion of the 2012 season, he spent a season with the Houston Texans and then spent some time with the New Orleans Saints before he decided to hang up the cleats for good. Good luck to him as he pursues a coaching career. - In Jacksonville professional sports news, the Jacksonville Armada began play in the NASL for the 2015 season, and have been averaging crowds of more than 8,000 per game at Community First Park at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. Their first game was played at EverBank Field and attracted a NASL attendance record of more than 16,000 fans. Im willing to bet that the Armada have the record for the fastest goal scored in soccer history (not in a game, but all-time), considering the fact that

in their first game against FC Edmonton, they scored **12 seconds into their franchises existence.** [Heres the goal in all its beauty](http://www.armadafc.com/news/2015/04/09/play-of-the-week-jemal-johnsons-12-second-goal). - The NFL announced that the upcoming game between the Jaguars and the Bills will be streamed on Yahoo. Yipee Lets just say that I am very against this and leave it at that. - Curtis Dvorak, the man who played Jaxson de Ville (the mascot of the Jaguars since 1996), announced his retirement. The greatest mascot in sports is gone. Gone are the days of him pieing Titans fans in the face. Gone are the days of him ziplining and bungee jumping off of the stadium. Gone are the reminders that Terrible Towels do, in fact, carry Ebola. Gone are the antics and gone is the original man who played the mascot that made every gameday fun. This news hit harder than anything else from the offseason for me, and that included Dante Fowlers season-ending injury 30 seconds into rookie minicamp. Id put Curtis Dvorak in the Pride of the Jaguars and either change Jaxsons jersey number from 00 to something else, or just start over completely. [Goodbye, Jacksonvilles rose](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoOhnrjdYOc). [This music is also appropriate for the situation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-PUW6y4F6c). - In a feel-good story, SenDerrick Marks took Khameyea Jennings, an 18-year old cancer patient, to prom this offseason. Jennings died a few weeks later, but it was an incredibly touching gesture by Marks to give this girl a prom to truly remember. Another reason why Senderrick Marks is my favorite player currently on the Jaguars. - Heres one final feel-good story courtesy of Jaxson de Ville: a golf shot made on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass that landed [4 feet away from the hole. In the suit](http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2015/4/17/8447935/jaxson-deville-jaguars-mascot-golf-shot-closest-to-the-hole-challenge-video). Gone, but will never be forgotten. - After installing the worlds largest scoreboards and pools last year, did someone say more renovations to EverBank Field? If so, it looks like [youre going to get your wish](http://www.news4jax.com/news/new-changes-to-everbank-field/31290740). The clubs at EverBank Field are going to get a somewhat needed renovation. But wait it gets better. - Anyone who has been to Jacksonville knows about the Shipyards- the empty grass lot that sits along the riverfront next to downtown and the stadium. For years, its sit empty in prime space. Earlier this year, Shad Khan unveiled plans to [build on the Shipyards](http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2015/2/17/8052205/shad-khan-presents-jacksonville-shipyards-project) in a project thats expected to cost over half a billion dollars. If this proposal gets done, then expect Jacksonville to get some

Super Bowl hosting spots and some major events (including the College Football Playoff) in the future. This is a game-changer if all goes well. - Last but certainly not least, Bold City Brigade is doing something remarkable this year thats never been done before in NFL history. Over 1,700 Jags fans are traveling from Jacksonville to Tampa Bay for the week 5 matchup against the Buccaneers. Its so big that there are multiple sections along the pirate ship reserved solely for Jags fans embarking on the Tampa Takeover. If youve ever seen an away section at a soccer match and wanted the NFL to do something like that this is as close as youre gonna get. [More information here for anyone interested](http://www.boldcitybrigade.com/away-trip/). **Projected Starting Lineup- Offense** **QB: Blake Bortles**- For the first time since the 2010 season, there is no controversy at quarterback. This is extremely rare territory for the Jaguars. Everyone knows that Bortles is going to be starting this year, and in all likelihood, Chad Henne is going to be the backup. If you want a preseason full of excitement at the quarterback position in terms of camp battles, then find another team to follow. Blake Bortles wasnt necessarily very good last season, but he showed enough to make you believe that he could be the franchise quarterback. He had a lot of bad interceptions last year due to poor mechanics; [this interception thrown in the second game against the Colts](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap3000000432469/Blake-Bortles-intercepted-by-Vontae-Davis) is a good example of Bortles throwing off of his back foot, and his mechanics coming back to bite him. However, he made some plays that resembled Ben Roethlisberger; [this play in Bortles first start against the San Diego Chargers to Clay Harbor](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Jacksonville-Jaguars-quarterback-Blake-Bortles-spins-and-fires/28b01a97-76a4-4714-b96c-2b04f8dc24b4) is one of the best plays any Jags quarterback has ever made in the post-Garrard era, and highlights every positive about Blake Bortles. What would success be for Bortles this year that would make me feel confident about him as our starting quarterback going forward? Simple- break the all-time touchdowns record in franchise history. Seems daunting on paper, until you realize that the record was set by David Garrard in 2010 when he threw for 23 touchdowns. To break that record, Blake Bortles must throw for 1.5 touchdowns per game. Not exactly challenging. If he can do that and cut back on the interceptions (anything under 0.75 per game), then Id consider this year to be a success for the UCF grad. Hes got the starting job locked up for 2015, though, and hell have to undergo a massive regression to not have it locked up for 2016. **HB: TJ Yeldon**- The halfback battle is going to come down to second round pick TJ Yeldon and Denard Robinson. And, to my surprise, Yeldon is running away with the competition. Hes been so impressive at camp that while the original plan was to use Yeldon on first and second down (and Denard Robinson on third down), the coaches are now heavily considering just making Yeldon a three-down halfback. If

Yeldon can become a 1,000-yard halfback (thats an average of 62.5 yards per game; if the Jaguars rely on their running game like they have done in previous years, then thats not an impossible task by any stretch of the imagination) while maintaining a YPC average of 4.0 or better, then consider this pick a success. All signs point towards Yeldon being the starter when all is said and done. **WR: Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson**- Last season, the Jaguars became the first team in NFL history to have 3 rookie receivers record 40+ receptions in the same season. Theres no reason as to why these three receivers wont start this year, especially after the team decided to let Cecil Shorts III walk in free agency. The real star in this equation is former Penn State wide receiver Allen Robinson. [This SB Nation article](http://www.sbnation.com/2015/6/24/8836279/jaguars-allen-robinson-breakout-season-blake-bortles-fantasy-sleepers) has tons of breakdown of why Robinson could be the best receiver the Jaguars have had since Jimmy Smith. The hype is real; in a recent practice, he made [this catch](https://twitter.com/MadeByTim/status/609392907334864896) and [this catch](https://twitter.com/MadeByTim/status/609393937971851264), using his 63 frame to his advantage. The Jaguars have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Jimmy Smith in 2005, but this might be the year that they have one in Allen Robinson. Before he got injured against the Dallas Cowboys midway through the season, he had 48 receptions and 548 yards. Not bad for a rookie, all things considered. Marqise Lee had a somewhat disappointing rookie season plagued with some injuries and some invisible games, but there were plays like [this touchdown against the Giants](http://www.giants.com/videos/videos/Jaguars-wide-receiver-Marqise-Lee-exits-the-building-after-a-30-yard-TD-catch/9a8da3ba-bdfa-48a8-b269-e360186fa92d) and [this touchdown in the final preseason game against the Falcons](http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000385011/article/blake-bortles-finishes-preseason-with-long-touchdown) that show why this guy was a second round pick and was a projected first round pick by many in 2014. If he can stay healthy, then the future is bright for Lee. As for Allen Hurns, the UDFA out of the University of Miami was superb last season considering the fact that the Jaguars didnt even have to spend a pick on him. His hands were inconsistent at times, but hes got a nice height advantage with a good physical frame, and he can make adjustments on his route, such as when he did so on [this touchdown catch against the Cincinnati Bengals](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap3000000421288/Hurns-40-yard-touchdown-catch). He also recorded two touchdowns on his first two receptions [against the Philadelphia Eagles](http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2014/9/7/6117983/allen-hurns-chad-henne-eagles-jaguars). This is a young trio, but its a core of wide receivers with an incredibly high potential. Expect all three of these guys to start; the only way one of them doesnt start is if Rashad Greene plays in the preseason like Allen Hurns did last preseason. **TE: Julius Thomas**- You dont spend $9 million a year on a tight end for him to ride the bench. This free agency pickup was the one that started it all for the Jaguars; once the Jags got Julius Thomas unofficially on that Sunday a few days before the

start of free agency (remember the fun of the legal tampering period?), you knew that this was going to be a good offseason for Caldwell and company. Thomas recorded 12 touchdowns in 2013 and 12 touchdowns in 2014 for the Denver Broncos; if he can even record 8 this year, then Id consider this to be a success. Hes the red zone threat that the Jaguars desperately need, and is the first true receiving tight end that the Jaguars have had in a while (Marcedes Lewis is a blocking tight end). **OL: Luke Joeckel, Zane Beadles, Luke Bowanko, Brandon Linder, Jermey Parnell**- Predicting the starting lineup for the offensive line is difficult. In two of the five positions, it could go either way. Lets start with the certainties, though, beginning at left tackle with Luke Joeckel. Joeckel was Caldwells first ever pick that he made in the 2013 NFL Draft, and hes been somewhat disappointing thus far. In 2013, he started out at right tackle; when Caldwell traded Eugene Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens (a trade that has seemed to work out well for both sides), Joeckel switched to left tackle. A quarter into Joeckels career at left tackle, he tore his ACL against the St. Louis Rams and was out for the remainder of the 2013 season. He came back in 2014 and was routinely overpowered by other defensive linemen. This offseason, Joeckel put on a good fifteen pounds, so he should be able to improve off of last seasons poor play. I cant see Joeckel losing his starting job this year, but if he doesnt play well, then it wouldnt be entirely surprising to see Caldwell draft a tackle high in next years draft. At right guard, this is a certainty- Brandon Linder is starting. The third round pick from last year was, as mentioned earlier, the sixth highest rated guard in the league according to PFF measurements. He was the only consistently good player on the offensive line last year. It wouldnt surprise me to see Linder make an All Pro team in the coming years, whether that is as a member of the first or second team. And, at right tackle, Jermey Parnell is going to be starting. Much like the logic used for Julius Thomas, you dont spend over $6 million per year on signing a tackle if hes not going to start. Parnell was good in the limited time that he saw with the Dallas Cowboys, and probably couldve started on any other team if it wasnt for the fact that the starting five of the Dallas Cowboys might be one of the best offensive lines in NFL history. Hes still in his prime for at least the next two years, and he gives the Jaguars a real option at right tackle for the first time since Eben Britton in 2009 (back when Britton was actually good). The other two positions are left guard and center, and this is where the camp battle comes into play. Im expecting Zane Beadles to start at left guard this year over AJ Cann for a few reasons; Beadles played much better at the end of the season last year, and is not a bad option at left guard whatsoever. On top of that, Beadles has that chemistry with Luke Joeckel that AJ Cann currently does not have, and thats very valuable to have consistent left guard play. Cann will probably get the job next year, but unless Cann blows everyone away or Beadles just flat out blows in the preseason, then Im expecting Zane Beadles to hold down the starting left guard spot. At center, youve got a real toss of the coin between Luke Bowanko and Stefan Wisniewski. In a coin flip, Im taking the guy who started last year, and that was Bowanko but this could go either way. No option would surprise me; heck, moving Brandon Linder to center and starting AJ Cann at right guard while both Bowanko and Wisniewski ride the

bench wouldnt even surprise me. The tackles seem to be locked in with regards to the starting lineup. On the interior of the line, though, its anybodys guess. We likely wont know what the starting offensive line is going to be until the final game of the preseason; its that close of a battle. **Projected Starting Lineup- Defense** **DE: Jared Odrick**- The Jaguars didnt just give Odrick over $8 million per year to have him ride the bench. Defensive end is the one spot on the defensive line that is completely set in stone in terms of who is starting and making the roster; no way that Odrick isnt starting, and no way that Tyson Alualu isnt backing him up. As long as we get to see Odrick [do this dance in Jacksonville](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000064734/Odrick-channels-Pee-Wee-Herman), then Im gonna like this guy. **LEO: Chris Clemons**- This was originally going to be Dante Fowler until, you know, the ACL thing-a-ma-jig happened. Chris Clemons was signed last year by the Jaguars in free agency and recorded 8 sacks and 37 tackles. It wasnt necessarily a fantastic season (especially considering the fact that in the final 2 seasons of Gus Bradleys tenure with the Seahawks, Clemons put up 22.5 sacks), but he got the job done. Clemons is going to turn 34 in the middle of the season, so this is likely the last season in which he is able to perform at a relatively high level. However, all of that being said, Clemons isnt locked into being the LEO (and when we get into schemes, Ill talk more about what that means). One of the criticisms of Gus Bradley is that Ryan Davis never sees the field; however, when Davis does get onto the field, he is routinely making plays, working at a high motor and recording sacks (almost like a better version of John Chick). He averages about 10 snaps per game, yet, found a way to record 6.5 sacks last season. Davis also has [this interception against the Texans in 2013](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap2000000286786/WK-12-Can-t-Miss-Play-Ryan-Davis-game-ending-interception) working in his favor. It wouldnt be entirely surprising if this was the season in which Davis took over as the LEO for Chris Clemons. Some starting lineup projections even have Davis, not Clemons, in this role. Considering his potential (26 years old compared to 33 years old for Clemons), his production whenever he gets onto the field and what he has shown in the opportunities presented to him, I wouldnt be against that one bit. **DT: SenDerrick Marks, Roy Miller**- Theres a real chance that sixth round pick Michael Bennett is starting in place of SenDerrick Marks at the start of the season, simply because Marks might not be ready to go by week one (in week 17 against Houston, because NRG Stadium has a playing surface thats worse than most middle school football fields, Marks tore his ACL). However, once Marks is ready to go, hes the starter. Hes the best defensive player on the Jaguars, hes the first Jaguar to ever make it onto the Top 100 list that the NFL does every year, and hes an absolute beast. Roy Miller is the other starter; after an impressive 2014 campaign where he

was very good at stopping the run (him and Odrick, who is very good at stopping the pass, will contrast nicely), the Jags re-signed Miller to a 4-year deal worth $16 million. Good business move, all things considered. Rotating with Marks and Miller, who could be the next version of the Twin Towers (Marcus Stroud and John Henderson), will be Michael Bennett, Ziggy Hood and Abry Jones, all of whom are very good players or have high ceilings; well see if any of those guys are fighting for a roster spot or if the Jaguars recognize this and decide to carry five defensive tackles going into 2015. **LB: Dan Skuta, Telvin Smith, Paul Posluszny**- This is set in stone. Id be shocked if any of these three linebackers does not start in 2015. Well start on the outside with Telvin Smith, who was one of Jacksonvilles two fifth round picks from the 2014 NFL Draft. Last season, Smith had over 100 tackles and played in all 16 games. At times, he was inconsistent and streaky, but when Smith was on his game, he was as good as any linebacker out there. He shined in particular in Jacksonvilles first win of the season against the Cleveland Browns, with [this play](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap3000000413446/Hoyer-intercepted-by-Smith) practically sealing the game and showing what Smith can do in pass coverage. If I had to bet on the next Jags player to make it to the Pro Bowl, Telvin Smith would be my pick. Paul Posluszny was hurt for most of the 2014 season, but two seasons ago, made it to the Pro Bowl after a superb 2013 season in which he recorded 162 tackles. Posluszny is the only good free agent signing made by Gene Smith (another reason as to why Gene Smith was a horrible general manager), and while he is a very consistent and reliable tackler, his major weakness comes in the form of covering tight ends. His pass coverage is a liability, and its one of the reasons why I wouldve re-signed JT Thomas if I was Caldwell (again, New York Giants, you got yourself a very good linebacker). Posluszny will turn 31 this season, and recently, signed a new 3-year contract that makes his cap hit after this season come out to around $5 million. Dan Skuta was signed in free agency from the San Francisco 49ers in what had to be the worst offseason in NFL history for any single team that didnt involve relocation. I spoke a bit about Skuta earlier in the free agency portion of this post, but the general consensus from 49ers fans was that they just lost a good player, but that the Jaguars overpaid (which, when you have $63 million in cap room and are looking to acquire talent any way possible, is fine by me if it requires overpaying). Skuta will slide into the OTTO position, which Ill get more into later in the schemes portion of this post; oddly enough, the OTTO position was created last season for Dekoda Watson, who we signed in free agency from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; however, it was abandoned after the Jags cut Watson due to injuries and poor play. Lets hope that Skuta isnt going to wind up in the same position. These three linebackers are in the starting lineup not just because theyre good players, but because theres nobody else behind them. The Jags didnt sign anyone else notable in free agency at the position, and they didnt draft anyone (even though I rated a few guys later on in the draft, such as Kyle Emanuel out of North Dakota State and Zach Vigil out of Utah State). Theres not much depth at the position; the best linebackers outside of the

starters are Jeremiah George and LaRoy Reynolds, neither of whom are that good. Skuta, Smith and Posluszny starting is about as set in stone as possible. **CB: Davon House, Demetrius McCray, Aaron Colvin**- Often times, teams will play with three cornerbacks on the field, so Im going to call the starting three cornerbacks for the upcoming season. The Jaguars signed Davon House in free agency, and I already went over what to expect of him and what he brings to the table in that section, so go check that out for more of an insight on that. With Demetrius McCray, the seventh round pick out of Appalachian State from the 2013 NFL Draft might be Jacksonvilles best pick. Once Odell Beckham Jr. was getting covered by McCray, the Giants offense was shut down. That defensive switch was a big reason as to why the Jaguars were able to come back and win that game. McCray has that tall physical frame that Gus Bradley cornerbacks have (62), and even though he hasnt recorded any interceptions in his entire career, hes a very good shutdown corner. Pro Football Focus ranked him eighth out of 73 cornerbacks in terms of his coverage ability. Hes going to be starting this year, as will Aaron Colvin. Colvin was a projected first round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, and was invited to the Senior Bowl, where he was on the Gus Bradley-coached South team. However, after tearing his ACL in practice, his stock dipped dramatically (unsurprisingly). When Colvin passed Bradley in the halls of Ladd Pebbles Stadium, Bradley said to him, Were coming for you. In the fourth round, thats exactly what happened, when the Jaguars chose Aaron Colvin, knowing that he wouldnt be able to play for the entire 2014 season. However, with an incredible recovery, he was in the lineup in November, and played exceptionally well in his six games with the team. His most notable contribution to the Jaguars in 2014 was [this fumble for a touchdown against the New York Giants](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap3000000436475/Wk-13-Can-t-Miss-Play-Jags-defense-their-best-offense). As long as Dwayne Gratz is out of the equation (the man who cant tackle or cover), then the top three cornerbacks for the Jaguars look to be a good trio. The only problem is that despite Colvin and McCray being very good cornerbacks with lots of potential and high ceilings, they have combined for a grand total of zero interceptions. That has to change if the Jags are going to have that very good secondary for the first time since the early days of Jack del Rio in the mid-2000s. **FS: Sergio Brown**- This is really a two-horse race between Sergio Brown and fourth round pick James Sample out of Louisville, both of whom are new acquisitions made by the Jaguars. However, that broken arm injury that is going to keep Sample out of practice for the foreseeable future is going to hinder his ability to take the starting job away from Sergio Brown. After the bye week, it wouldnt surprise me if Sample became the starting free safety, but just because of experience and good health, Im giving the edge to Sergio Brown. Give me two claps and a Ric Flair for that one. **SS: Johnathan Cyprien**- Johnathan Cyprien had very high expectations placed onto him when he was drafted out of Florida International in the second round. Many compared him to the next Donovin Darius in terms of a hard-hitting, box-to-

box strong safety. However, his career, while not bad, has been a bit of a disappointment. In two seasons, Cyprien has recorded one interception, and last season, only recorded three defended passes. Hes been beat occasionally and hasnt been as consistent of a tackler as is sometimes needed. That being said, hes still a solid player, and will be starting this year at strong safety alongside whoever wins the free safety job. With better free safety play and cornerback play, though, it should help Cypriens game out, as he can afford to be more aggressive now that the talent around him is better and more reliable. **Projected Starting Lineup- Special Teams** **K: Josh Scobee**- [This was the kick that changed Josh Scobees career and made him a Jacksonville legend](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/09000d5d81b0a1d4/Scobee-drills-59-yard-game-winning-FG). Ever since hitting that kick against the Indianapolis Colts in 2010, his career has been on the up. In 2013, Scobee was incredible, only missing two field goals; one of those kicks was blocked by none other than JJ Watt, and the other kick was a 60-yard field goal at the end of the first half against the Arizona Cardinals. Last season, though, Scobee struggled a bit, as due to poor play by the offensive line, a lot of his kicks [got blocked](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap3000000390433/Scobee-36-yard-field-goal-blocked). In terms of flat out misses, he missed two last season; his field goal percentage of 76.9% was the worst since the 2009 season. As long as the offensive line does their job, Scobee is as good as they come in terms of kickers. **P: Bryan Anger**- [Who needs Russell Wilson when youve got Bryan Anger?](http://www.jaguars.com/media-gallery/videos/Jacksonville-Jaguars-fake-punt-shovel-pass/7b528c86-623d-4876-a43d-bd6839eb8b01). Fun fact: Russell Wilsons passer rating is 98.6. Bryan Angers is 118.7. Russell Wilsons completion percentage is 63.4%. Bryan Angers is 100. Russell Wilson has thrown 26 interceptions. Bryan Anger has thrown zero. I think its clear who the better player is. All kidding aside, Anger is going to be the punter for the Jaguars this year, and he had a solid year in 2014, averaging 47.5 yards per punt (first in the league). In his short three-year career, hes averaged 47 yards per punt, which is second all-time (again, a short sample space, but it shows that hes a really good punter). He just has to cut back on the touchbacks a bit and work on directional punting down in opposing territory. If he can do that, then you could be looking at an All Pro punter. **LS: Carson Tinker**- I know we joke about long snappers on this subreddit (I was the one that posted the Beau Brinkley thread, simply because it was offseason news; I had no idea of the monster that I would create shortly after), but [Carson Tinker has an inspiring story](http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/writer/bruce-feldman/24535810/former-alabama-ls-tinker-shares-inspiring-story-after-tragedy) about overcoming tragedy in wake of the 2011 tornadoes that ran through Alabama, leaving the state in ruins. Hes the only long snapper on the 90-man roster

right now, so dont expect him to give up that starting spot anytime soon, especially considering his age. **KR: Denard Robinson**- The Jaguars have to find a replacement for Jordan Todman, who was not re-signed by the Jaguars this past offseason and left to join the Carolina Panthers. Todman was a very solid and consistent kick returner for the Jaguars last season, and as I mentioned earlier, Im going to be sad to see him in a different uniform. Its only a matter of time before he takes one to the house. So, who is replacing him? The odds on favorite right now is Denard Robinson, especially since Denards role in the offense is going to be heavily reduced now that TJ Yeldon is the projected starter at halfback. Denards speed is well-documented, and now, were going to see that on special teams. **PR: Ace Sanders**- Take your pick here. It could be anyone. Tandon Doss, Bryan Walters, Denard Robinson, Rashad Greene, Marqise Lee you name him, hes probably competing for the starting punt returning job. In the end, its probably coming down to either Ace Sanders or Tandon Doss. Ill give the edge to Ace Sanders for now, only because Doss was injured last year and Im not sure whether he can return to the form that he had in Baltimore a few seasons ago when he led the AFC in punt returning average. This is Aces last chance to defend himself; the explosive South Carolina punt returner has yet to record a punt return touchdown (although he shouldve had one [in 2013 against the Rams which got negated for a phantom penalty](http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2014/6/29/5852128/50-best-plays-of-2013-jacksonville-jaguars-ace-sanders-punt-return-st-louis-rams), although the point still stands that he has been less than impressive in his two seasons with the Jaguars). **Position Group Strengths & Weaknesses** **QB**- The Jaguars havent had very good quarterback play since David Garrard, and they havent had consistent quarterback play since 2007, when Garrard went three and a half months without throwing an interception (although he still didnt make the Pro Bowl, getting beat out by Derek Anderson go figure). This position is led by Blake Bortles, who has shown the potential to be a franchise quarterback; that being said, right now, hes in the bottom quarter of starting quarterbacks around the league. Ill take him over guys like Geno Smith, EJ Manuel and Johnny Manziel, but is he in that tier of quarterbacks with Teddy Bridgewater, Nick Foles and Alex Smith? Not yet. If he can get somewhere to the median, then consider this season to be a success. Backing Bortles up is Chad Henne, who is more than a capable backup. Hes a good guy in the locker room, and while hes not necessarily a good quarterback, you could do a heck of a lot worse in terms of finding a backup. When your backup quarterback can make throws like [this](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap3000000390282/Henne-passes-deep-to-Hurns-for-a-34-yard-touchdown) from time to time, thats a good sign (it also helps that youve got a wide receiver like Hurns who can pull those balls in). If Bortles went down for a game or

two and I had to take my chances with Henne, its not the worst scenario in the world. Lets put it this way- if Bortles couldnt play the game against Tennessee, would I still think that the Jaguars could win with Henne at quarterback? Absolutely and thats all you want in a backup. **HB**- The backfield is very good in terms of depth. In terms of a top-level starter? Not so much. The top four halfbacks right now for the Jaguars are second round draft pick TJ Yeldon, Denard Robinson, Toby Gerhart and either Storm Johnson or Bernard Pierce. Is there a Pro Bowl caliber guy in that list? Not at all. However, Im sure that many teams would take one of those halfbacks as their backup. Its a backfield whose strength is in numbers. If TJ Yeldon plays like a second round pick and plays like he did at Alabama, then this backfield instantly becomes one of the deepest in the league. **WR**- The potential for this wide receiving group is insanely high. As I mentioned before, Allen Hurns, Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee all had at least 40 receptions last year as rookies, making it the first time in NFL history that a team had three rookie receivers record 40+ receptions in one season. Ask me this question in a year, and the answer probably differs dramatically for the better. The real question here is whether or not Allen Robinson can be a #1 wide receiver; based off of what we saw last season, we know that Allen Hurns can be a good #2 option, and that Marqise Lee, even despite his struggles, has a spot in this offense and can be a productive wide receiver. The question mark comes, much like the halfbacks, in terms of the top guy in the pecking order. Heres the key stat with Allen Robinson last year- he had one drop. His hands were very reliable, and there was a reason that Blake Bortles consistently fed him the football. If he can continue that up and play like a #1 wide receiver (being the first true #1 wide receiver that the Jaguars have had since Jimmy Smith), then this wide receiving core is in the top half of the league. Behind the top three guys, its a bunch of question marks; Rashad Greene could be a very good #4 wide receiver (and I loved him coming out of Florida State), but hes just a rookie and hasnt proven anything yet; Ace Sanders is the #5 receiver right now and only had 6 receptions last season despite having 51 in 2013, and beyond that, its unproven guys or washed up guys on their last legs. **TE**- Dare I say it, the Jaguars have the deepest tight end combination in the league. Starting at tight end is Julius Thomas, who might be one of the top three tight ends in the league. Thomas caught 24 touchdowns in the past 2 seasons and has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past two seasons. He left the Denver Broncos in free agency to join the Jaguars, and its a move that could pay dividends for Blake Bortles and a Jacksonville offense that has been notoriously bad in red zone situations. Backing him up is Marcedes Lewis, who has been on the Jaguars since 2006 and who is a very good blocking tight end; even though hes known as a good blocking tight end, hes still 66, and can still make plays in the red zone where he goes up and gets the ball, such as [this play against the Tennessee Titans in 2013](http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-highlights/0ap2000000301709/Marcedes-Lewis-4-yard-touchdown-grab). Backing

*him* up is Clay Harbor, a jack-of-all-trades, 63 tight end who had 26 receptions last season and 24 receptions the year before that. And, backing *him* up is Ben Koyack, Jacksonvilles seventh round selection out of Notre Dame. The Jaguars are four deep at tight end. **OL**- In a matter of one offseason, this went from a weakness to an apparent strength. The Jaguars have eight players on this offensive line who could start- Luke Joeckel, Jermey Parnell, Austin Pasztor, Zane Beadles, AJ Cann, Brandon Linder, Luke Bowanko and Stefan Wisniewski. Theres strength in numbers here. Of course, with the exception of Brandon Linder, every other player is a bit of a question mark in their own way, whether it be due to a lack of playing time, a new scheme or some inconsistent play. On paper, though, the offensive line is much better than it was last year. The goal for the offensive line is simple- dont turn Blake Bortles into David Carr 2.0. This group of players will probably be able to prevent that from happening. **DL**- The theme of this offseason seems to be depth, because for the first time in years, the Jaguars have legitimate depth across the board. There are going to be some hard cuts this year, and perhaps none are going to be tougher than on the defensive line, where the Jaguars are absolutely loaded. Theres not exactly an elite pass rusher on this line, but there are a lot of good players to rotate in and out, combined with an elite defensive tackle (assuming a healthy recovery) in SenDerrick Marks. On the defensive line, excluding Dante Fowler (who wont be playing this year): Tyson Alualu, Michael Bennett, Andre Branch, Chris Clemons, Ryan Davis, Ziggy Hood, Abry Jones, SenDerrick Marks, Roy Miller, Jared Odrick and Chris Smith. Not all of those guys are going to make the roster, simply because there isnt enough room. In terms of depth, this is one of the deeper defensive lines in the league, as from top to bottom, there are guys that can either get to the quarterback or make a difference on the interior. **LB**- The weakest group on the Jaguars has to be at linebacker. Theres no depth whatsoever, and each of the starters have some question marks about them. If the Jaguars struggle on defense this year, look to their linebackers as to why. Telvin Smith was very good last season, but he was inconsistent at times. He would have a game like the one against the Cleveland Browns where he would be making plays left and right, and then, have a game like the one against the Cincinnati Bengals where he would be making boneheaded decisions and would be getting burnt from time to time. Paul Posluszny is coming off of a torn pectoral muscle (look at that- a Jags injury that doesnt involve a torn ACL), and was a liability in passing coverage even when he was healthy in 2014. And, Dan Skuta only started five games for the 49ers last season, so we dont exactly know what he can do in terms of production for an entire season. Behind those three guys, theres no depth; Jeremiah George, LaRoy Reynolds, Khairi Fortt and John Lotulelei are likely competing for the final few linebacker spots, and based off of what Ive seen from those guys, I wouldnt want either one of them playing if a starting linebacker got injured and was out for a significant amount of time. You might remember LaRoy Reynolds from [this play in 2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_kZvZGIKmM), where the Jaguars

played the Colts and Reynolds made a tackle without his helmet. Admirable play, to say the least, but thats about the only good thing hes done in a Jags uniform to date. This is one of the weaker cores in the league, especially when it comes to depth. **CB/S**- If I had to judge the secondary after this offseason, Id put it towards the middle of the pack. Theres nobody elite in the secondary, but there is definitely some talent, and lots of depth to go along with it (especially at safety). The top three cornerbacks on the Jaguars are Davon House, Demetrius McCray and Aaron Colvin; all three performed relatively well (House for Green Bay), but combined for just one interception. There are a bunch of coverage, tall, physical cornerbacks on this roster, but there isnt a ball-hawk. Behind those three is Dwayne Gratz, who I still have some hope for considering the fact that he was a third round pick (I wanted Logan Ryan over Dwayne Gratz when the decision was made), and because he can be a solid nickel cornerback if he makes more plays like [this one against the Texans last year](http://www.nflrush.com/story/wk-17-cant-miss-play-look-what-gratz-found). As a fourth cornerback, hes not the worst option, but hes wildly inconsistent and cant tackle very well. After that, youre just looking at a giant camp battle for the #5 CB spot between the likes of Jeremy Harris, Rashaad Reynolds and Nick Marshall, which Ill talk more about in the training camp battles section of this post. **ST**- When you factor everything into play, Id put our special teams somewhere in the top half of the league. Bryan Anger is one of the best punters in the league, and even despite his somewhat low field goal percentage last year, Josh Scobee is still one of the better and more reliable kickers in the league. Everything else is where the special teams unit loses some points. Theres a major question mark at kick returner now that Jordan Todman is gone, theres a major question mark at punt returner since Ace Sanders has proven over the years that all he knows how to do is run horizontally, and theres a question mark with the blocking considering the