Jagsonville

Check out this awesome video of time-lapse photography taken by...

xgilx — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:58:56 -0400

Check out this awesome video of time-lapse photography taken by Paul Figura beginning 2-hours before kick-off.

This gets me so pumped. Are you ready for some Jaguars Football?

It’s GO time…

Oh Hai, Jagsonville!

xgilx — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 09:04:47 -0400

After a ridiculously long sabbatical, we’re back.

And in case you weren’t aware, Jaguars Football is back too!

The Jaguars’ 2011 season kicks-off this Sunday at EverBank Field against the Tennessee Titans, on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. A few months ago, when the lockout was in full-swing, it seemed like this day would never come.

It’s here. And we’re ready.

The most recent and significant piece of Jaguars news is obviously the release of quarterback, David Garrard. After 4 years as the starting quarterback and a less than impressive 2011 pre-season, General Manager Gene Smith decided it was time for the Jaguars and Garrard to part ways. Luke McCown was then elevated to the starting position, with Blaine Gabbert backing him up.

To say I was surprised would probably be an understatement. Not so much at the move itself, but rather the timing - 5 days before the regular season opener. That’s crazy, isn’t it? But crazy or not, ready or not, the Jaguars still have to play on Sunday. And they’ll have to do it against a divisional opponent that always presents a tough, physical match-up.

The Titans play a similar brand of football to the Jaguars. They’ve got a new veteran starting quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck, and they’re a run first team, that leans heavily on one of the best (and now highest paid) running backs in the league in Chris Johnson. Recent reports suggest that Johnson will be “limited” in carries and “monitored” on Sunday, due to a hold-out that ended just a few days ago and concerns over his conditioning. However, I still expect the Titans to try to establish the run early.

All in all, this should be the perfect game to open up the 2011 season. A tough, divisional rival at home, combined with the heightened emotion of remembering a day when we all bled together as a nation. The unabashed love, hope and aspirations for a sports team juxtaposed with extremely humbled perspective. I can’t wait to join my friends in the stands and watch the city come together in support of the Jaguars and in support of this great nation.

Here are some match-ups and things to watch for during the game:

The Jaguars’ Defensive Line vs. The Titans’ Offensive Line: Can the Jaguars pressure the quarterback? It’s been a focus all off-season and pre-season. Is Aaron Kampman fully healed and able to ignite the line once again? Tyson Alualu looked like a man possessed during training camp and pre-season. He seems poised for a break-out year. Alualu’s dominance seems key to the Jaguars pressuring the quarterback.
The Jaguars’ Offensive Line vs. the Titans’ Defensive Line: As an area of inconsistency in the pre-season, particularly on the left side with Eugene Monroe and rookie guard Will Rackley, can offensive line provide adequate pass protection for Luke McCown. Starting for the first time in several years, he’s bound to have some butterflies. A solid pocket will help him settle down.
Luke McCown: Gene Smith and Jack Del Rio have said it, and no doubt believe it. Now it’s time for Luke to show that he gives the Jaguars the best possible option to win on Sundays. He was undoubtedly the best quarterback in training camp. But going against 1st stringers on opening day is quite different than practice against your own teammates and pre-season against back-ups. He seems to take more chances and be more aggressive in the passing game than his predecessor. In today’s NFL, this is a must. Let it fly, Luke.
Maurice Jones-Drew: He’s the catalyst. As MJD goes, so go the Jaguars. It’s important to get him going early, but off-season knee surgery and limited involvement in camp and the pre-season has people wondering if he’s ready to go. I have a feeling MJD wants the first people that find out the answer to that question to be the Titan’s linebacking corps. It will also be interesting to see the kind of workload he gets. There was a lot of talk in the off-season of limiting the wear and tear on Jones-Drew with the hopes of having him more fresh late in the season. With Rashad Jennings out for the year, the Jags will turn to Deji Karim to spell Jones-Drew and play the “change-of-pace” role with home-run potential.
The Jaguars’ Receiving Corps: Mike Thomas and Jason Hill are the starters but didn’t show too much in the pre-season. Rookie Cecil Shorts III showed flashes of play-making ability, but also showed that he’s still a rookie. Can they gain separation and make life easier on McCown? Will a new quarterback keep them grounded or give them new life?
The Jaguars’ Back Seven: The Jaguars spent a lot of money in free-agency to try to improve a defense that ranked at the bottom of the league last year. He’s not exactly Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers, but Matt Hasselbeck has shown the Jaguars that he can light them up (See Week 5, 2009). On paper, the Jaguars are much better on defense than they were then.
Deji Karim, CS3 and the Return Game: Although often overlooked, you can win or lose a game on special teams. The Jaguars were very good on special teams last year. They’ll be good again this year. It’s a phase they are capable of winning every game. Cecil Shorts will be handling punt returns and Karim will be fielding kick-offs. Karim has consistently shown his explosiveness and almost returned a kick-off for a touchdown this pre-season against the New England Patriots. With kick-offs moved up to the 35-yard-line, it seems like he’ll get less opportunities. However, when an opportunity does presents itself, the Jaguars should capitalize and give McCown a shorter field.

Mayor Alvin Brown has a message for Jacksonville Jaguars Fans....

xgilx — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 08:27:09 -0400

Mayor Alvin Brown has a message for Jacksonville Jaguars Fans. 2011 Half Packs are now available! If you haven’t got your tickets yet, what are you waiting for?? IT’S GO TIME!!

There is a pulse

jonloesche — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 22:38:46 -0400

Sorry for the absurdly long length between posts, but Jagsonville will be alive and kicking in the near future

-Jonathan Loesche

Draft Podcast

jonloesche — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 21:45:49 -0400

Join us as we talk about the Jaguars selecting Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=92904&cmd=tc

It's Alive!!

jonloesche — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 19:19:31 -0400

Wow, it has been a little while between posts hehe. Anyway, the Jagsonville Podcast returns as we discuss the Jaguars draft plans with Adam Stites of the Jaggernaut.com

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/talkCast.jsp?masterId=92904&cmd=tc

Talking with Canal Street Chronicles

jonloesche — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:28:12 -0500

Sorry for the lack of content recently. I’ve been really busy with other projects. Anyway, Jon Banks from Canal Street Chronicles asked me a few questions about the Jaguars and I wanted to share my answers with you.

1. The Jaguars gave the Colts a run for the division, what kept them from moving in for the kill?

1. December collapses are nothing new under Jack Del Rio. 8 seasons, the Jaguars have entered December 6 times with a solid chance of winning the division or a Wild Card. The Jaguars have had 2 playoff seasons in those 8 years. This year, the team simply wasn’t that good particularly in the secondary and QB position. The Colts regressed and the Jaguars were seemingly the only team in the AFC South that didn’t regress as well.

2. Name an MVP and LVP of the Jaguars.

2. The Jags MVP is without a doubt Maurice Jones-Drew. The man played on a bum knee all year and still almost won the rushing title. The LVP is a tie between David Jones and Don Carey (Surprise two secondary players.) According to Football Outsiders, a hole in zone coverage does a better job defending a WR than David Jones did. As for Carey, he was the subject of an infamous roster move GM Gene Smith made. To put it lightly, Carey was terrible and wouldn’t start for any other team in the league.

3. The Jaguars pass defense was one of the worst in the league, was this on coaching, players, or execution?

3. For now, I’ll go with talent. The Jaguars secondary was a revovling door of DBs and they were all varying degrees of bad. Rashean Mathis is still a solid starting corner, but clearly not the elite corner he was from 2004-2007. Derek Cox managed to play well after getting out of Del Rio’s dog house. However, the safety position has to be addresses quickly. Courtney Greene is a solid SS from a run stuffing standpoint but leaves something to be desired as a pass defender. If the Jaguars don’t make a play for Eric Weddle, alot of people will be disappointed.

Also, the Jaguars LB corp shares some responsibility for the terrible pass defense. Kirk Morrision and Justin Durant were consistently being targeted by teams with good receiving TEs.

4. What were your preseason expectations? Did the Jaguars meet, surpass, or fall short of them?

4. 8-8 was my expectation and the Jaguars played to that level. However, obviously, no one figured the Colts would regress like they did and the Jaguars would enter December leading the AFC South. In that regard, the Jaguars fell short yet again.

5. What is the biggest need for the Jags this offseason?

5. The Jaguars need to get a QB for the future. We know what David Garrard will give you and he’s already 32. The Jaguars haven’t drafted a QB since taking Byron Leftwich in 2003 (the longest current streak in the NFL.) The current QB crop isn’t the blockbuster class many anticipated, but I still believe several quality starters can be found in this year’s draft.

6. What is the biggest hope for the Jaguars moving forward?

6. The biggest hope is the continued support from the community. Former Jaguar Tony Boselli led the Team Teal efforts that resulted in every Jags home game being on TV. The team and the city can’t afford to rest on those laurels. The next step has to get the regular seats sold out on a season ticket basis and (more importantly) getting the Jaguars club seats filled.

Sixteen guys I like for the Jaguars at Pick 16 v2.0

jonloesche — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 07:39:50 -0500

About a month ago I gave an initial list of 16 players who I would’ve liked to see the Jaguars get with the 16th pick in the draft. Why 16? As Vic Ketchman would say, if you’re picking at 16 you better have 16 guys you like.

1. Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU

Peterson is the best corner prospect in the draft and tied with Von Miller for the best overall defensive prospect. His chances of being at 16 are slim and none, but he would be great for the Jaguars.

2. Cameron Jordan, DE, Cal

As you can tell, I really like Jordan. I think he can play anywhere on the DL and would help the Jaguars immediately. Plus, he isn’t a one year wonder like a Da’Quan Bowers.

3. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri

Gabbert’s Pro Day will be huge since he was the only major QB prospect to not throw at the combine.

4. Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

Miller is a special player. He might not fit best in a 4-3 scheme, but he would make any defense he was in better.

5. Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

Amukamara’s stock has been sliding as of late and I can’t figure out why. He would immediately become the Jaguars best secondary player.

6. Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA

Some are going to be turned off my Ayers’ 40 time, but I’m still a big fan.

7. Da’Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson

I’m just always leary of guys who are athletically gifted but one year wonders in college

8. Nate Solder, OT, Colorado

Mayock described Solder as “Tony Boselli talent, journeyman technique”. Perhaps move him to RT for a little while and kick Britton to guard?

9. AJ Green, WR, Georgia

This would be the shock of the draft for more reasons than one, but Green is a rare first round worthy WR

10. JJ Watt, DL, Wisconsin
Just love’s Watt’s motor and play making ability. Bit of a tweener in a 4-3, but he’s the kind of guy who could make it work.

11. Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State

I wouldn’t be opposed to taking Ponder at 16, but there would be very few options left on the board for that pick to make sense.

12.Colin Kapernick, QB, Nevada

No QB has helped themselves more in the draft process than Kapernick

13. Jake Locker, QB, Washington

Locker is uber-talented, but still needs a lot of work.

14. Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa

Looking at his Jr tape, Clayborn is a beast of a DE. His Senior tape, even when factoring in double teams? Not so much.

15. Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri

Raw, but definitely talented. Still not a believer though.

16. Martez Wilson, LB, Illinois

A new guy on the radar, Wilson had an impressive combine.

What is David Garrard's future in Jacksonville?

jonloesche — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 10:03:00 -0500

With the Jaguars announcing they have signed Luke McCown to a contract extension, another piece has been added to the Jaguars QB puzzle. The other two pieces will come during the Draft and whenever a new CBA is announced. The Jaguars will take a QB early in the draft, perhaps with their first round pick. Whoever that pick will be, they will be the future of the position and should be the starter by 2012.

The NFL’s labor situation will also play a huge role in how the offseason is handled. If a new CBA isn’t reached until September then practically every rookie will be behind the eight ball. That would make veterans who would otherwise be expendable harder for teams to cut.

What does all of this have to do with David Garrard? Simple. Depending on how those two factors go, he may have already played his last game for the Jaguars.

David Garrard is scheduled to make over $8 million dollars in salary in 2011. For a team like the Jaguars, that is a big financial commitment to make. Over the long run, has Garrard shown he is worth that? Personally, I don’t think so.

While the terms of McCown’s contract haven’t been released, I’m sure it is a fraction of what Garrard would be scheduled to make. McCown has been with Jacksonville for two years now, so he should know the offense. In addition, had McCown not suffered a torn ACL vs. San Diego, it is likely he would’ve been named the starter at some point in the season.

Where the Jaguars take QB will also play a role in that decision as well. If the Jaguars do take a QB at 16, besides Jake Locker, there would be little justification to not starting that player right away. If the Jaguars wait until the 2nd round, then obviously expectations will be lowered accordingly. Even if the rookie QB sits a year, is it worth paying Garrard $8 million to essentially be a caretaker QB for one more year?

All of this is mute though if the NFL and NFLPA don’t hatch out an agreement in the near future. If the lockout drags on until August/September, teams will have little choice but to use the same rosters they had in 2010 plus rookies. In that scenario, that rookie QB of the future won’t have seen a Jaguars playbook until a few weeks before the start of the season. If that happens, you can make a good case for keeping three QBs on the roster.

No matter what, David Garrard’s future in Jacksonville is drawing to a close sooner or later. Whether he gets one more year or not will likely be due to forces beyond his control. Like the rest of us, he’ll just have to sit and wait to see what happens.

-Jonathan Loesche

In Gene We Trust?

jonloesche — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 15:03:46 -0500

With the NFL Combine kicking off, this is the time of year when Jaguars GM Gene Smith should be at his best. Widely regarded amongst his peers as one of the best scouts in the business, Smith will be entering his third draft season as the team’s GM. Some fans have built him up into a mythic figure with a Midas Touch; but how has his tenure gone so far?

His 2009 draft was solid when it happened and in some ways has gotten better with age. As teams shed more and more high picks from 2009, most pundits have pegged that year as one of the weakest drafts in a decade. The Jaguars managed to find five full time starters and several other contributors out of that group. Terrance Knighton is a budding All-Pro DT. Derek Cox has played well when he hasn’t spent time in Del Rio’s Doghouse. LT Eugene Monroe has been criticized by some, but I think he has played well. RT Eben Britton has been bitten by the injury buy (a recurring problem in “Gene” guys in seems).

His 2010 draft was given a “F” by practically every draft site on the net and the verdict is still out on that one. Smith was somewhat vindicated by Tyson Alualu’s rookie season. However, when 1/3rd of your draft goes down to season ending injuries before the year starts you will have problems. KR Deji Karim dazzled and dumbfounded equally, but it appears he has a bright future. However, DE’s Larry Hart and Austen Lane failed to make an impact.

Outside of the draft, Smith has had something of a mixed bag. Torry Holt and Tra Thomas were solid stop gap veterans who stayed on for one season. Aaron Kampman looked like he was worth what the Jags were paying him until he was sidelined with yet another ACL injury. And of course the infamous Don Carey debacle which led to speculation about whether Gene Smith had been “blackballed.”

Do I believe Gene Smith is an improvement over his predecessor? Yes. Do I think he can do no wrong? No. Let’s not forgot Smith was the head of scouting through out the Shack Harris era. The same era that was plagued with such bad drafting that it left the team with a major rebuilding job. Whether or not Shack simply ignored what Gene was saying, or Gene played a part on that, is anyone’s guess until more evidence comes into the fold.

If free agency occurs this offseason, next season will be “Gene’s Team.” Almost every player who will be starting will either be a Gene Smith pick, free agent, or a holdover that most teams would want (Maurice Jones-Drew, Daryl Smith, etc.) If the team fails to perform, Shack Harris won’t be there to blame anymore.

Jaguars Mock Draft Round Up Version 3.0

jonloesche — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 17:11:00 -0500

It has been a little bit, but here is the third edition of the Mock Draft Round Up.

Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue: Jon Dove (MTD), Optimum Scouting, Walter Football, NFL Mocks v2, Rob Rang

Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri: Don Banks, Mel Kiper, Chad Reuter

Cameron Jordan, DL, Cal: AOL Fanhouse, NFL Mocks, Matthew Fairburn (MTD)

JJ Watt, DL, Wisconsin: NFL Draft 101

Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska: Draft Zoo

Jimmy Smith, CB, Colorado: Sideline Scouting

Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa: New Era Scouting

The two guys who are leading the pack for the Jaguars aren’t major favorites of mine. I was on the Kerrigan bandwagon for awhile, but his less than impressive Senior Bowl made me sour on him. After watching the Quentin Groves experiment fail so badly, I would be leary of another tweener DE.

I’ve seen several Jags fans begin to get most interested in Aldon Smith, but Smith has almost the same measurables as Kerrigan.

The guy who I have fallen in love with is Cal DL Cameron Jordan. He could play any position on the defensive line besides Nose Tackle and do it well. The big question will be if he is going to be at 16 or not.

The Jaguars are still fine without Tim Tebow

jonloesche — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:53:30 -0500

Coming home today, I was listening to the radio. I guess Gene Frenette’s Q&A with Tim Tebow has reignited Tebowpalooza as people were calling in spouting the usual rhetoric for both sides. However, what got me was the argument being made that the Jaguars should have taken Tebow in hindsight. Well, it wasn’t said outright. Instead, it was put as “Well, the main argument against the Jags taking Tebow was that the 2011 class would be so awesome.”

I swear I tried to not talk about Tim Tebow again, but after listening to that go on for twenty minutes, I need to say my peace. For one, I don’t remember that being the MAIN argument against Tim Tebow coming to Jacksonville.

I remember people questioning how Tebow’s game would transition into the NFL, particularly his throwing motion, ability to take snaps under center, and taking hits from NFL linebackers. Plenty of others pointed out how Tebow wouldn’t be a savior, just a terribly short sighted business decision. Sure, the 2011 class was brought up as a reason to not take Tebow, but it applied to Jimmy Clausen too.

For the Pro-Tebow crowd, have any of those questions been answered in his first few games in the NFL? I certainly don’t think so, and if the current rumor mill is correct the new regime in Denver agrees with me. He had one great highlight run vs Oakland and another good passing game against the only pass defense worse than Jacksonville in 2010.

I’ve seen plenty of people point out his game against San Diego as proof of future greatness. His stat line was 16-36 for 205 yards, 2, TDs, and 2 INTs. Sure, he ran the ball 13 times for 94 yards but a QB can’t do that every week in the NFL.

If a team is willing to bail on a 1st round pick, even as they are also considering trading their current starter, what does that say to his skills as a NFL QB?

Remember, coming into the year the last three home games had a considerable amount of tickets available. But thanks to the Jaguars getting into the playoff hunt, it helped make those a valuable commodity. Would 10,000 Gator fans come to Everbank just to see a 2-12 Jaguar team led by Tim Tebow? I doubt it.

As for the 2011 class, to say that it’s shortcomings would excuse the Jaguars taking Tim Tebow is just without merit. Is it the blockbuster class people were expecting? No. However, there are still quite a few solid prospects that could become starters.

If the Jaguars had taken Tebow, it could’ve been a move that would’ve likely sunk the franchise that much faster. Plenty of non-Gator fans would’ve seen the move as a bush league gimmick and abandoned ship. Once the novelty of Tebow wore off, all of those Gator fans wouldn’t have renewed their season tickets, causing the team to be back at square one. By then Weaver would likely be looking to sell the team actively and without any real fan presence off the Jaguars would go.

I have nothing against Tim Tebow. However, the Cult of Tim has made it so infuriating that it can spill over. The Cult of Tim has caused the “Us vs Them or “Jags vs Gators” mentality many Jaguar fans now possess.

At the end of the day, the main reason everyone pegged Tebow to the Jaguars was ticket sales. The Jaguars got every game on TV in 2010 and will be working hard to truly sell out the stadium in 2011. They will do so with a major cornerstone on the defense in Tyson Alualu. And most importantly, they will be selling the product on the field rather than what a guy did on another field a few years ago.

-Jonathan Loesche

Bob Sanders leaves without a contract, much adu about nothing?

jonloesche — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 11:05:00 -0500

So after a day of everyone in Jaguar land debating the merits of Bob Sanders as safety, he left Everbank Field and boarded a plane for Buffalo. Some think it simply means Sanders is exploring all of his options before committing to a contract while others think the Jaguars passed on his services.

First, while it was a shock to most people that the Jaguars brought Sanders in, it isn’t without precedence in the Gene Smith era. The obvious situation that comes to mind is Aaron Kampman. However, few seem to remember the Jaguars had a scout present at the Pac-Man Jones workout that was canceled. Granted, I think Sanders still has a better chance of being a Jaguar than Jones ever did, but it is in keeping with the Gene Smith regime. Like Jones, Sanders is a once great veteran who could be had at a bargain price.

Remember, Aaron Kampman came to town and left without signing a contract initially. How did that work out?

I’m sure the Jaguars did all of their due diligence as far as Sanders injury history is concerned. If they found something they didn’t like, I doubt any serious contract was made. Even if they thought he could still play, his injury history doesn’t warrant breaking the bank.

Sanders is most likely just taking all of his options at this point. No reason to fuss Jaguar fans.

-Jonathan Loesche

Bob Sanders to Jacksonville?

jonloesche — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:37:16 -0500

Edit: Reposting this as it seems there was a problem formatting with Tumblr

With the news this morning that Bob Sanders will be in Jacksonville taking a physical, it has caused quite a stir in the Jaguars community. When Sanders was released by the Colts less than a week ago, most Jaguar fans simply shrugged. Sanders has the ability to be a game changer at the safety position, but his problem has always been injuries. As many have noted, since winning Defensive Player of The Year Sanders practically made a permanent home on the injury report.

Obviously, things are going to hinge on the physical Sanders will be taking today. If the Jaguars doctors find anything they aren’t 100% sure is fixable, I doubt the Jaguars will make any kind of serious offer. At the end of the day, Sanders hasn’t played a full 16 game season in his entire career and has played a total of 9 games in the last 3 seasons.

If however the Jaguars medical staff is confident that Sanders is healthy, then things will get interesting. Sanders has until the March 4th deadline before he gets stuck in limbo. Will he want to make sure he has a contract before any kind of deadline?

I would expect any team that offers Sanders to make him a contract low on guarantees and high in incentives. Sanders is still collecting on the big deal he signed with the Colts following his DPOY campaign, which will help offset the costs.

One thing that Sanders would bring is a sense of star power to the Jaguars defense. While some would argue Aaron Kampman has that, Sanders is still one of the most recognizable defensive players in the league. He was consistently in the Top 5 of fan voting in the Pro Bowl all these years for a reason.

As Adam Stites pointed out, the big difference between Sanders and Aaron Kampman is that Kampman had proven over 7 seasons that he wasn’t a major injury risk. Granted, that didn’t help out the Jaguars too much. But it did mean make giving Kampman $11 million in guarantees more sensible.

The other thing to consider is the ability to sign Eric Weddle. It seems the Chargers will be allowing Weddle to walk away. If that happens, Weddle is a younger player with just as much upside to the Jaguars. However, Weddle will demand a much bigger contract (at least in guarantees) that Sanders would.

At the end of the day, addressing the safety position is a must for the Jaguars. Since Deon Grant left following the 2006 season and Reggie Nelson bombed following his rookie year, the safety spot has always been a weak spot for the team. The team recognized that when they heavily pursued Darren Sharper. Don Carey didn’t show much, either.

Personally, if Sanders were to accept a deal that was heavily based on performance incentives and low on guarantees, it would be a win-win for the Jaguars. If Sanders manages to stay healthy and can get back to the player he was, he would still get some money and be able to eventually get a new deal. If he keeps getting hurt, it wouldn’t cost the Jaguars much to cut him.

There probably isn’t a more safety desperate team in the league than Jacksonville, which I’m sure is part of the reason they were the first team in the league to bring Sanders in. However, they shouldn’t simply try the first fix that becomes available. As I said before, do every medical check you can, and then see what Sanders wants. There are other fish out there.

-Jonathan Loesche

Jaguars Mock Draft Results

jonloesche — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 16:22:17 -0500

I participated in a live Mock Draft over the last two days and I wanted to post the results here. It was a 5 round mock, which is why there isn’t a 6th round pick.

16th Overall Pick: Akeem Ayers, LB, UCLA

With Cameron Jordan gone, my choices were Ayers, Jake Locker, and Ryan Kerrigan. My opinion of Kerrigan has declined since his unimpressive Senior Bowl and I felt Locker is still too much of a project. Ayers is a top flight LBer and would start immediately.

49th Overall Pick: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State

With all of the talk about trying to trade up for Ponder in the real draft, it was nice to have Ponder fall to 49. No other options were considered.

80th Overall Pick: Nate Irving, MLB, NC State

Irving would play in the middle and try to help fill the gap left by Mike Peterson. Also, taking Irving would allow the Jaguars to let Justin Durant and Kirk Morrision walk.

I considered taking Robert Sands, the safety from West Virginia and Jaiquan Jarrett, S, Temple but felt I could find secondary help later on.

113th Overall Pick: Jake Kirkpatrick, C, TCU

Kirkpatrick is the 2nd best center in a poor center draft. In an ideal world, he’ll sit and learn behind Meester for a year while also putting NFL strength and conditioning to use.

120th Overall Pick: Marcus Gilchrest, S, Clemson

I like Gilchrest more than others who I’ve talked to. The Jaguars need to provide something other than Don Carey at FS and I think Gilchrist would suffice.

144th Overall Pick: Korey Lindsey-Woods, CB, Southern Illinois

No Jaguar mock draft is complete without the token FCS player. I think Lindsey-Woods is one of those guys who would be getting more attention had he gone to a bigger school. Could be a solid nickle guy initially.

Would having no salary cap/floor actually benefit the Jaguars?

jonloesche — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 12:11:39 -0500

With the player’s union looking like it will decertify if a new labor agreement can’t be reached, it will mean the death of the salary cap system for the time being. As the video I posted a few days ago noted, a league wide salary cap without union approval violates Federal Anti-Trust legislation.

Hypothetically speaking, if the union does decertify and the league goes on without a salary cap, how would that affect teams like Jacksonville? Would it cause the team to become the Kansas City Royals of the NFL? Would the Cowboys and Redskins be able to spend like crazy and simply buy up every Super Bowl? Not really.

First off, contrary to popular belief, a salary cap and revenue sharing aren’t tied in together. Despite Jerry Jones’ complaining, it would take a major force for the NFL to no longer divide most revenue equally between all 32 teams. TV money is still the biggest single revenue generator for ball clubs, and teams like Jacksonville will fight to keep that status quo.

The salary cap didn’t ever stop teams from going out and signing big contracts. Think about all of the high dollar free agents the Redskins have signed over the years. How has that turned out for them? Not to mention that the cap can be manipulated in who knows how many ways. Remember when the Skins managed to squeeze in $100 million in free agent contracts in 2000, despite a cap of just $63 million?

With the new CBA, salary cap hell became non-existent. What happened to the Jaguars and Titans would never happen again thanks to an ever increasing cap. That’s how teams like the Colts managed to not get decimated with back loaded contracts.

Looking at the uncapped year in 2010, it showed that being a thrifty spender isn’t a death sentence. The Chiefs, Jaguars, and Buccaneers all spent less on players than had their been a salary floor in 2010. The Chiefs won their division, the Jaguars led theirs until another late season collapse, and the Bucs won 10 games in the most difficult division.

Football players have a much shorter lifespan than their baseball counterparts. Albert Pujols will in his early 30’s, and yet is considered to be hitting him prime. If he was a football player, most would be concerned about his age. It’s alot easier to keep players around when you know they will only be getting one other major payday.

At the end of the day, the draft is still king. Look at the rosters of the Packers and Steelers. Besides Charles Woodson, you won’t see another major free agent signing between either team. Everyone else was either drafted or an occasional street free agent.

That is what the Jaguars have to do. They have to hit on their draft picks and then keep them signed long term.

Little political, but Reason does a good job showing the light...

jonloesche — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:29:40 -0500

Little political, but Reason does a good job showing the light to some of the lesser mentioned reasons for the current labor situation

NFL Labor Situation summed up by the Mises Blog

jonloesche — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:08:20 -0500

Great read by the folks at the Mises blog, who look at how the NFL ended up in the current mess it is in

Part I

Part II

The Jaguars need to focus more energy on the offensive line

jonloesche — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:31:14 -0500

With all of the focus being paid to the defense and QB position, I believe Jaguar fans are forgetting another area that will need repair work. The offensive line. It seems people are expecting Eben Britton to return and everything to be hunky dory with the group once again.

It is easy to forget Brad Meester is a year removed from having a terrible 2009 and with no guarantees of continuing his 2010 rebound. How many more years does Vince Manuwai really have left in him? If Britton goes down again, where is the player on the Jags roster that could fill in for him?

Considering the recent injury history and age of the group, the Jaguars will need to try and address the O-line.

Brad Meester is the undeniable leader of the offensive line and has been a rock of consistency since he joined the Jaguars. However, it is clear his career is coming to an end and the Jaguars will need to address that at some point. I know the Jaguars like UDFA C John Estes as a jar on the shelf player, but how likely is he really to become the future at the position?

If Penn St C Stefan Wisniewski is available in the second round, the Jaguars should take a long look at him. While not quite as good as the Maurkice Pouncey was coming out, Wisniewski would be able to start as a rookie if need be. Another player could be Florida State’s Rodney Hudson. Hudson probably wouldn’t fit as a guard for the Jaguars but played well at center during the Senior Bowl.

The guard position is going to be another area that needs to be looked at. Uche Nwaneri has grown into his role as a starting guard, but the other side definitely needs some attention. Vince Manuwai began to resemble his pre-injury self, but how much more gas does he have in the tank? There are several mid round guys who could be quality starters in this year’s draft. The main guy I like is Miami’s Orlando Franklin.

Finally, the tackle position will need to be addressed somehow. After seeing Jordan Black get consistently beat by opposing DE’s and then cut, the Jaguars depth at the position is practically non-existent. UDFA Kevin Haslam will likely be tapped with being Black’s replacement, but another tackle who could step in as a starter wouldn’t hurt. This would probably be left to free agency, if possible.

-Jonathan Loesche

Should the Jaguars trade back into Round 1 to get their QB?

jonloesche — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 10:51:00 -0500

Imagine this scenario for a moment. The Jaguars make their pick at 16. That pick is not a QB. It could be Cam Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, Akeem Ayers, or any other player you think would be a good fit at 16. Fearing their QB will not make it past all of the other QB needy teams in Round 2, Gene Smith decides to pull the trigger and trades back into the last few picks of Round 1.

I think this is a valid scenario to raise. With the way QB stocks are falling, I believe most QB needy teams will be passing on QBs in Round 1 in order to get their guy in Round 2. With the Jaguars picking right in the middle of Round 2, the odds of having their guy fall to them isn’t very high. What would it take to get back into Round 1?

This is a draft trade chart that comes courtesy of fellow Jags blogger Adam Stites (TheJaggernaut.com) The big thing that is different about this chart than from other charts you’ll see around the net is the lower values placed on 1st round picks and a higher value given to later picks.

The Jimmy Johnson trade chart everyone uses is sorely outdated with the skyrocketing cost of signing high end draft picks. When you use this chart to calculate all the draft trades over the last few years, suddenly picks that went for a “Discount” are now getting their accurate value.

Let’s set our sights on the 32nd overall pick. The Packers have a lot of young talent coming back and would probably be inclined to listen to trade offers. The Jaguars would then need to offer up 550 points worth of picks. The Jags have the 49th overall pick worth 344 points, so they need to make up another 206 points. They have the 113th and 120th overall picks, which combine for 144 points. To make up the other 62 points would probably require a 2012 3rd round pick.

Is a net loss of 3 middle round picks worth grabbing your QB of the future? IMO, yes. But if that isn’t your fancy, we’ll try another idea.

If the Jaguars were willing to part with their 2nd and 3rd round picks, then that could also be enough to satisfy pick value. However, then you are probably through with getting starters out of this year’s draft.

If you don’t want to lose any picks out of this year’s draft, there is another option. New England holds the 1st pick of Round 2. They have shown time and time again they’ll trade a current pick for a future pick in a higher round. Should the Jaguars offer up their 2012 1st to New England? And dare I say offer up a 4th round pick to sweeten the pot as well?

All of this being said, I’m just not convinced a QB worth taking as a starter will be there at 49. Newton, Gabbert, and Locker will all be 1st rounders. Ponder and Kapernick are rising fast, while Devlin and Mallett are in free fall. The Jaguars will be faced with two choices. Reach for their guy at 16 or try to make a move back into Round 1. You can’t put a price on getting a franchise QB.