Jacksonville Jaguars
5 Small School Prospects The Jacksonville Jaguars Should Target In NFL Draft
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Gene Smith leaves no stone unturned when searching for later round draft prospects. In the three previous drafts under Smith, the Jaguars have shown an affinity for prospects from small schools.
Just last year alone after taking Blaine Gabbert in the first round, the Jaguars took a bunch of small school guys like Will Rackley (Lehigh), Cecil Shorts (Mount Union) and Chris Prosinski (Wyoming).
It is an almost certainty that the Jaguars will once again look at small school prospects in 2012. Here is a look at five guys who could be in a Jaguars uniform next season.
Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE
Don’t expect Jacksonville to draft Trent Richardson
Trent Richardson will be a great running back for one NFL team, but that won’t be the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Yesterday, I linked you to various early mock drafts around the internet. Many of those mocks have the Jaguars taking either Quinton Coples or Dre Kirkpatrick, both legitimate selections in my mind. Another mock (the only one with trades mind you) had the Jaguars trading down to the Bengals’ 21st selection and taking Kendall Wright. That makes good sense because the Jaguars may want extra picks and Wright comes at a position of need (WR).
Then there was the Optimum Scouting mock draft. It was the only one of the bunch I thought was way off base. Here’s what it had to say,
“7 . Jacksonville Jaguars – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama-Maurice Jones-Drew is inching closer running the tread off his tires (Jacksonville’s fault), and they’ll need to replace him. Heard a rumor that if Richardson is here, the Jaguars WILL take him.”
No, no, no, …
Jaguars Free Agent Targets Part 4
The Jacksonville Jaguars will enter free agency loaded with cap room, cash and needs to fill. We will examine 10 players from the Scout.com/Fox Sports database and examine whether they would be good fits for the Jags. We move on to the players from 11-20.
NFL team logo’s re-imagined Into vintage styles
For teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers, we have no classic style logo to look back on and revel in the history of it. Hell, for most teams in the NFL, the logo you have is the same one you have always had. But the website Gridiron league went and made a vintage style logo for each individual team that all look pretty snazzy. Personal favorites for me include the Patriots, Rams, Giants and biasedly the Jaguars. Head on over to Gridiron League to see the rest of the logos…
Aaron Kampman likely out in 2012
One of the most likable guys on the Jaguars’ roster won’t be with the team much longer. You can take that to the bank.
Aaron Kampman is coming off another injury shortened year for the Jacksonville Jaguars after, by all accounts, doing everything he could to get back on the field and stay there. The problem isn’t a lack of work ethic, lack of drive, or any other problem that involves the word “lack.” The problem is that he’s not on the field, and he’s becoming very expensive.
Kampman is set to make $4.975 million in 2012, a number I can’t imagine the Jaguars paying him considering there’s nothing resembling a guarantee that he’ll be on the field. He’s just too expensive to keep around, and considering that he’s been sidelined primarily by knee injuries, he’s become a financial liability for the team.
If and when the Jaguars do cut ties with Aaron Kampman, it won’t be because he didn’t give the team enough effort. Let&…
Jaguars Free Agent Targets Part 3
The Jacksonville Jaguars will enter free agency loaded with cap room, cash and needs to fill. We will examine 10 players from the Scout.com/Fox Sports database and examine whether they would be good fits for the Jags. We move on to the players from 21-30.
All about Blaine Gabbert for the Jaguars in 2012
In 2011, Blaine Gabbert didn’t look very good most of the way. He was inaccurate and had poor pocket presence. With that said, he did show improvement as the season progressed, especially over the course of the last 4 games. Gabbert more or less had a free pass in 2011. He was playing for a lame duck coach, had no consistant receivers, and he was the youngest starting quarterback in the league. That free pass ends in 2012.
At one point last season, I was preparing for the possibility of the Jaguars being forced to draft another quarterback in 2012. That possibility was dispelled completely when Gabbert and the Jaguars clubbed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-14. That, to me, was the game that Gabbert took a big leap forward and never really took a big step back the rest of the season. To me, he showed in that game that he had what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Jacksonville Jaguars Should Attempt To Trade Down In NFL Draft
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a chance to do something that they have rarely done in their existence this April and trade back out of the top 10 picks and pick up some extra selections later in the NFL Draft.
Jaguars general manager is always searching for the best value he can get in the draft, and I think this year the Jaguars can afford to move out of the top 10 and still be able to select one of the prospects that they are targeting.
If you look at the Jaguars biggest needs this off-season, the most glaring weak spot on their roster is at wide receiver. However, I do not believe that there is a wide receiver in this draft class worth the seventh overall pick. Jaguars fans have had dreams of seeing Justin Blackmon in Jacksonville next season, but most draft experts expect him to tumble down draft boards after he runs his 40-yard dash. Someone will ultimately select Blackmon in the top 10, but he is more of a sure-handed possession receiver who relies on his ability to run after t…
All about Blaine Gabbert for the Jaguars in 2012
The Jaguars season in 2012 will ride on Blaine Gabbert’s right arm.
In 2011, Blaine Gabbert didn’t look very good most of the way. He was inaccurate and had poor pocket presence. With that said, he did show improvement as the season progressed, especially over the course of the last 4 games. Gabbert more or less had a free pass in 2011. He was playing for a lame duck coach, had no consistant receivers, and he was the youngest starting quarterback in the league. That free pass ends in 2012.
At one point last season, I was preparing for the possibility of the Jaguars being forced to draft another quarterback in 2012. That possibility was dispelled completely when Gabbert and the Jaguars clubbed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-14. That, to me, was the game that Gabbert took a big leap forward and never really took a big step back the rest of the season. To me, he showed in that game that he had what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
In 2012, the Jaguars sh…
Jaguars GM Gene Smith and wide receivers
Since Gene Smith became the Jaguars’ general manager, we’ve seen exactly zero very good receivers wearing teal on Sundays. Is it his fault or was he just busy fixing other problems? Well, the answer, like many problems, is a little bit of both.
Gene Smith has repeatedly voiced the opinion that the Jaguars’ young receivers just need to step up and prove themselves, and the Jaguars have repeatedly suffered as a result. Jaguars.com former Senior Writer, Vic Ketchman used to say that good receivers are “a dime a dozen.” Frankly, I used to buy into that doctrine, but no longer.
Wide receivers are like any other position in the NFL. To get the best, you have to be willing to pay for them. The Jaguars have been sheepish about bringing in top-dollar receivers since the Jerry Porter incident of 2008. The Jaguars went for a big name free agent, and they got burned. That’s no reason to shy away from big name guys in the future. It’s just a reason to be more diligent and as care…
Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis Still Not 100 % Yet
Senior Writer for Jaguars.com, John Oehser, reports that CB Rashean Mathis has admitted that he will not be one-hundred percent healthy by the start of the free agency signing period. Mathis, a one time pro bowler in 2006, is still rehabbing to recover from a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) that he suffered during the second quarter of a game versus the Colts and hopes to be able to get healthy enough so he can return to the NFL. “I played for nine years, and aside from my groin, I never had a serious injuries – especially with my knees,” he said. “I got a reality check early. It’s not about why it happened, it’s how you react to it. How you overcome obstacles is what defines your character. My thought process is, ‘Get as healthy as you can and allow yourself to be as strong as you can mentally and physically. Then, whatever plays out, plays out.” Rashean Mathis is currently not under contract for next season and it’s not certain whether he will try to remain in Jacksonville or if he will test free agent market once he is cleared to resume football activity. Source: NFL Trade Rumors Attached Thumbnails
Jacksonville Jaguars Working On New Contract With Kicker Josh Scobee
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a few of their own free agents that they would like to lock up before they hit the open market on March 13 and it appears that they have opened negotiations with at least one of their free agents.
According to Tania Ganguli of The Florida Times-Union, the Jaguars have begun preliminary negotiations with their kicker Josh Scobee to reach a new long-term contract to stay in Jacksonville.
Scobee may be the Jaguars top priority of their own free agents this off-season after losing punter Adam Podlesh last August to the Chicago Bears. Podlesh’s departure left a massive hole in the Jaguars special teams as they failed to get the production out of that position that they had received in previous years. Losing Scobee would have a similar negative impact on the Jaguars special teams.
If the Jaguars cannot get a new contract with Scobee done before the end of February, they could use the franchise tag on him. A franchise tag contract for a kicker would be a…
Ex-Jaguars QB David Garrard Healthy After Back Surgery
Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard is nearing a return from back surgery and is intent on playing this season, his agent, Albert Irby, said Wednesday. Garrard was released by the Jaguars just before the start of the 2011 season, and he subsequently drew interest from several teams, including an offer from the Miami Dolphins, but was not able to come to terms on a contract. Garrard suffered a back injury in camp with the Jags, which required surgery and ended his chances of playing in 2011. Irby said Garrard is on track to return between mid-March and early-April, Irby also said his client was cleared to begin training several weeks ago, and several teams have inquired about Garrard’s health status. The free agent market for quarterbacks is very thin, and many teams are in pursuit of both starting and backup quarterbacks. “David is confident that he’ll be ready in four to six weeks,” Irby said. “He is open to all teams and any situation that makes sense for him and the team. He will take a backup position, or a starting position. It depends on the situation.” Source: NFL Network Attached Thumbnails
Jacksonville Jaguars Should Avoid Free Agent WR Randy Moss
The Jacksonville Jaguars are desperate for help at the wide receiver position, but how desperate are they?
I do not think they are so desperate that they will be making any phone calls to the recently un-retired wide receiver Randy Moss.
The free agent wide receiver class that is available this off-season is full of talented guys who are entering the prime of their careers and could be a big part of the Jaguars offense for the next five seasons. Moss, who is now 35-years-old, is entering the twilight of his career.
Even if Moss is capable of being the deep threat that he was before he took last season off, he is not worth the potential headache that he is well known for creating. His history as a malcontent is well documented, and even his former mentor Chris Carter came out this week and said Moss has a lot of quit in him.
To me, the negatives that Moss has showed over the years far outweigh the positives that he brings to the table at this advanced stage of his career. Plus, Moss …
Mike Mularkey Has Confidence In Coaching Staff, Ability To Turn Jacksonville Jaguars Around
Mike Mularkey has only been with the Jacksonville Jaguars for about a month, but that is not stopping him from envisioning success with the new era of the Jaguars franchise.
In an interview with Vito Stellino of The Florida Times-Union, Mularkey expressed great confidence in the coaching staff he has hired and for the Jaguars to have a quick turnaround in 2012 following a disappointing 2011 season.
“I think it’s going to work here. I really think it’s going to work now that I have this staff together,’’ Mularkey told Stellino. “This is an unbelievable bunch of people I hired. Great people, great coaches.”
The coaching staff that Mularkey assembled includes several familiar faces on the defensive side of the ball. One of the first decisions Mularkey made was to retain defensive coordinator Mel Tucker along with defensive line coach Joe Cullen and linebackers coach Mark Duffner. The defensive staff that worked with the Jaguars in 2011 was very instrumental in turning around a unit tha…
