NFL Team Previews: Jacksonville Jaguars
WIth the second team in the AFC South, I will be doing the Jacksonville Jaguars, coached by Gus Bradley and with David Caldwell as general manager. It's been tough for the Jaguars ever since they entered the NFL, and every year it seems Jaguar fans believe they are close to taking the next step to get in the playoffs. Especially this season, after a wild and aggressive offseason (and a Denard Robinson car accident http://deadspin.com/cops-find-denard-robinson-passed-out-asleep-in-his-car-1783172943 ) and a not so good AFC South, they believe they will make the playoffs. I think they are still one year away, however.
DRAFT RECAP: The Jags offense was good last season, but their defense was still relatively porous. Which leads me to draft day, where they finished upgrading their defense to what appears to be a middle of the pack type. To start, they took one of the best players, if not the best, with the 5th overall pick in DB Jalen Ramsey. He should be starting anywhere in the secondary except where Jonathan Cyprien is, not to say it's bad, but he's just that good. Then, they went on to take another potential top 5 player in the draft in LB Myles Jack in the second round. Many teams were scared off by his knee issues, but he could turn out to be a steal in this draft if he plays from day one and plays like he was projected to prior to injury. I also like the pick of DT Sheldon Day to help fortify the offensive line.
FREE AGENCY: The Jags spent a lot of money this offseason (and last offseason), and they really hope they don't become the Miami Dolphins. To start, they signed Super Bowl Champion DT Malik Jackson to help fortify the defensive line, and FS Tashaun Gipson from Cleveland and CB Prince Amukamara from the Giants to help newly drafted Jalen Ramsey fortify the secondary. They also brought in LT Kelvin Beachum on a huge contract from Pittsburgh, and a backup lineman from Dallas's vaunted line in Mackensy Bernadeau. They also brought in running back Chris ivory from the Jets, who rushed for over 1000 yards last season and should form a nice combination with second year pro TJ Yeldon. P Brad Nortman, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, is one of the best punters in the league as well.
PLAYERS LOST: They let DE Chris Clemons go back to Seattle, swapped out punter Bryan Anger for Nortman, and reshuffled the offensive line, headlined by letting G Zane Beadles go to the San Francisco 49ers. The Jaguars appear to not have lost much, and they also seem to have upgraded everywhere. It looks like they had a good offseason.
STRONGEST POSITION: Receiving core. WR Allen Robinson and WR Allen Hurns were the best WR duo in the NFL last year, as each got at least 1000 yards and 10 TD. The only team to do that the year before was the Packers, with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. The Allen's aren't as well known as they should be, but to be in company with Nelson and Cobb is definitely praise. After missing some games last season, TE Julius Thomas had a bit of a down year, but he came on strong toward the end. He's a redzone touchdown machine, and is a great complement for these receivers. The football Gods must really feel bad for Jacksonville after the whole Justin Blackmon situation, giving them 3 dominant pass catchers.
WEAKEST POSITION: The whole point of spending a lot of money in free agency and drafting well is to make it look like there are no shortcomings on the roster. However, the offensive line is full of question marks at the moment, and it's because no player on the roster started all 16 games on the offensive line last season. They have some solid players, but with inexperience and injury history, problems could potentially arise there.
FIVE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYERS TO THE JAGUARS SUCCESS: QB Blake Bortles, TE Julius Thomas, LB Myles Jack, DT Malik Jackson, S Jonathan Cyprien. Blake Bortles is still who the Jags are built around, and he has his two great receivers around him, but Julius Thomas needs to be productive for a full season to help the Jaguars take the next step. DT Malik Jackson was brought in from Denver to anchor an average at best defense, and he better after he is getting $85 million dollars over the course of the contract. Despite all of the new additions, especially Jalen Ramsey, it is still Jonathan Cyprien's secondary, and he needs to continue to be solid as well as molding all of the new faces together into a cohesive unit. LB Myles Jack may not have much of an impact due to injury, but if he plays up to his potential this defense will take a massive leap forward.
PREDICTION: I think the Jaguars are still a year away, but they could definitely have a shot at making the playoffs in a weak AFC South. I will go with 7-9, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do better. I'd only be surprised if they do worse with all of the talent they brought in this offseason.
