By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

In sports the question ‘will this be the year’ associated with particular fan base is always comes up right before the beginning of a new season.

In these parts, you can ask this question in regards to the Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Florida Gators, Atlanta Falcons, and the list goes on.

Today we are going to ask this question about the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coming off a draft where the Jags added Leonard Fournette to spice up the running game and Cam Robinson to shore up an offensive line you start asking yourself why can’t this be the year for Jacksonville?

How many teams in the NFL have a more talented defensive depth chart than the Jacksonville Jaguars? Answer is not many maybe a handful if that.

Dante Fowler, Malik Jackson, Myles Jack, Jalen Ramsey, and the list goes on. This defense could be sick in 2017 and this unit alone could lead the Jaguars to the playoffs in a watered down AFC South. I picked this team to win the division last year and go to the playoffs and get reminded of that a lot by my friends.

On offense, you have the two Allen’s, and a deep WR group, Fournette, and a re-tooled offensive line.  This team should be winning and making the playoffs.

Then you have the big question everyone is asking what about Blake Bortles? After throwing for 4,400 yards and 35 TD’s in 2015, I like many thought 2016 would be the year where Bortles established himself as a top 10 QB in the league.

Then in 2016 Bortles had a down year and got most of the blame for a dismal 3-13 season. Fact of the matter is Bortles throws too many interceptions; 51 in his short three year career. If Bortles has another rough season do the Jags go in a new direction?

So, will this be the year for the Jaguars? I am going to say yes. The defense will be among the best in the league and the offense with the addition of Fournette will take off.

Fournette will be a beast for Jacksonville and #27 jerseys will sell like hotcakes in the River City. With the addition of a running game to take pressure off of Bortles the QB has a bounce back year and becomes the future in Jax.

This team will win the AFC South in 2017 and make the playoffs and will set the tone by going to Houston in week one and beating the Texans.

They will come home and beat the Titans and then travel to London to beat the Ravens.

The 3-0 Jags then go to the Big Apple and whip the Jets to go 4-0. Then a loss at Pittsburgh, come back home and beat the Rams.

The 5-1 Jags have a brain fart at Indy and lose to the Colts and then come home and beat the Bengals and Chargers.

The 7-2 Jaguars travel and beat the Browns and then lose on the road to the Cardinals.

Sitting at 8-3 the Jaguars will host the Colts in a sold out Ever Bank Stadium and drill Indy at home to go 9-3.

Then the Seahawks come in and the Jaguars don’t measure and they lose at home. Sitting at 9-4 the Jaguars beat the Texans at home travel to San Francisco and beat the 49ers, and lose in the final week at Tennessee to finish 11-5 and host a playoff game.

Would that not be a great scenario Jaguar fans? I think I’ll go out and buy me a #27 Jags jersey. I’m on the band wagon, again.