NFL
Best Case Scenario
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I’ve mentioned before how little faith I put into mock drafts and after this year’s first round you can see why. If there was a NFL Draft Bracket, similar to March Madness, predicting the events of Thursday night would’ve been like predicting South Carolina to make it to the Final Four.
Well, I put about as much stock into the post-draft grades as I do the mock drafts. So, rather than give each team a grade that will surely come back to bite me at some point, I’ve listed each team, along with the best and worst outcome they can expect from their drafted players. Some of these may or may not be realistic. I’ll let you decide.
Jaguars Draft
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Jaguars came into the 2017 NFL draft on the heels of a very disappointing 3-13 season. The poor 2016 season was preceded with a 5-11 record in 2015 and 3-13 in 2014. You get my point right?
There were high expectations coming into last season as far as improving the team. Several free agent signings and a couple of really good drafts made things look as if they were improving. That did not happen, at least not in the sense of wins.
Head Coach Gus Bradley was fired and Doug Marrone has been named the full time coach after filling in as the interim. The Jaguars also hired former Head Coach Tom Coughlin as Team Vice President and now are applying pressure to starting quarterback Blake Bortles to turn the corner.
With all of that going on the Jaguars entered the 2017 draft with some glaring needs on the field as well. Jacksonville needed a serviceable running back, and to upgrade the depth on the offensive line. However, I guess when you are 3-13 there are really needs all over the place.
NFL Draft Quarterbacks
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Every year there are NFL teams who are in dire need of finding that franchise quarterback to lead them to the promised land.
A tradition unlike any other, the Cleveland Browns are yet again in that same category, and this year they will be joined by other teams such as the 49ers, Texans, and Saints.
AFC South Draft Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The AFC South has been one of the weaker divisions in the NFL over the last few years. The Indianapolis Colts have dominated since its inception but recently the Houston Texans have taken over. Let’s check the first round draft picks and see if anyone can change that.
SEC To Dominate NFL Draft
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I put about as much stock in mock drafts as I do in preseason rankings. They’re great to talk about and they do happen to give you at least a sense of what may take place on draft night, but there are way too many variables that could alter the outcome.
NFC South Draft Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2017 NFL Draft in Philadelphia is on the horizon. We get to see where future stars will land and get to see if teams will address their needs. I’m going to take a look at the NFC South and look at some possible landing spots for the 1st round of the draft.
Falcons To Fall Off In 2017?
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
For any Atlanta Falcons fan, last season must have felt like a romantic dramedy. You know the one: boy meets girl; boy falls in love with girl; boy spends entire movie trying to win the girl over; girl falls for boy; boy gets hit by a bus; girl ends up with boy’s worst enemy.
Falcons Sign Dontari Poe
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
NFL free agency is still ongoing, but the Atlanta Falcons have likely completed their shopping in the market after the big move of reeling in Dontari Poe.
Jacksonville Jaguars Draft
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Yes, I’m the guy that picked the Jacksonville Jaguars to in the AFC South last year.
I bought into the hype surrounding the Jags as they dove deep into the 2016 Free Agent pool and spend a lot of money but did not get a lot of return.
I don’t think defense is the problem in Jacksonville, as you read rumors that the Jags may go after some high profile Free Safeties in this year’s free agent pool to sure up the back of that defense. Myles Jack has Pro Bowl written all over him and I read where Jacksonville will make him an every down LB.
When you look at what is holding Jacksonville down; then look no further than the offense. Critics put the blame on the shoulders of Blake Bortles, but for Bortles to develop into a next level QB he needs OL help. The Jags OL needs some major upgrades.
Bortles is always one of the most sacked QB’s in the NFL and a QB cannot continue to take those kind of shots weekly.
We are going to focus on a major problem for Jacksonville and that is running back. The Jaguar running game is pathetic ranking 22nd or higher in the NFL for the last five years. You cannot win in the NFL consistently without a running game, and this is where the culture shift must start in Jacksonville.
Look no further than the transformation of the Dallas Cowboys in 2016 and that started when the Cowboys selected Ezekiel Elliott with the fourth pick and Elliott was the best RB who led the league with 1,631 rushing yards.
Jacksonville holds the #4 pick and they need to select one of the top two backs on the board. The two best backs in the draft are Leonard Fournette and Dalvin Cook.
Fournette was a 235 pound monster at LSU and has a blend of power and speed that many in the SEC have not seen since Herschel and Bo. Fournette only played 3 years at LSU and rushed for 3800 yards and had his last season cut short by injuries.
The SEC is the major talent pipeline to the NFL right now and Fournette would be ready immediately to step in day one and be the Jags number one back. He can catch the ball out the backfield as well.
TJ Yeldon could then be converted to a third down option which he is best suited for. Fournette is a work horse and needs 20-25 carries a game. A good running game will take a huge load off of Bortles.
Dalvin Cook is the best RB to ever play at FSU. Cook has better numbers in college than Fournette and was more durable. Cook has 4500 rushing yards at FSU in 3 seasons and 46 TD’s and he carried the ball almost 700 times in Tallahassee and seemed to get better deeper in games.
Cook plays at 210 pounds and is an excellent receiving option out of the back field. The ACC was the best conference in college football last year. Cook did not get the press he deserved, but this guy is a beast and has home run speed.
The Jags must take one of these studs with the 4th pick. Jacksonville has to get better fast in the running game and you have to have the horses to accomplish this.
If the Jaguars pass on either Fournette or Cook then how do you get better on offense in 2017?
What Jaguars Got For Julius Thomas
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are still a couple of weeks away from the official start for NFL free agent signings, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have been the talk of the NFL offseason so far.
The Jaguars have wasted no time in making two separate but related trades with their in-state counterparts, the Miami Dolphins.
The deal basically works as follows: Jacksonville sends tight end, Julius Thomas to Miami for offensive lineman, Brandon Albert; along with an exchange of late round draft picks. Miami sends their pick in this year’s draft, while Jacksonville’s pick won’t switch until next season.
Two seasons ago, the Jaguars made a huge move in free agency by signing Julius Thomas, the tight end who was highly productive for the Denver Broncos; back to back seasons of 12 touchdowns lead to big time contracts.
Thomas was never able to live up to the signing and never became the touchdown target for Blake Bortles that the Jaguars envisioned. The Dolphins have a plethora of quality offensive tackles on their roster, so many in fact that they have had to move a couple of them inside to play guard. It is kind of a play your best five mentality.
Brandon Albert will be entering his ninth season in the league and could provide the Jaguars a much needed protector for Bortles, as well as a road grader to help an anemic running game. This trade is truly a win-win on paper for both teams.
I mentioned earlier that Julius Thomas was a big time touchdown magnet while in Denver. Well, his offensive coordinator was Adam Gase. Gase just so happens to be the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Thomas and Gase’s familiarity with each other should provide the spark that Thomas needs to regain that double-digit touchdown form that he achieved in the Mile High City.
As much as Jacksonville needs an offensive tackle, as we have seen, Luke Joeckel and Kelvin Beachum have not lived up to their potential, or more so have been so injury prone that they have been salary cap nightmares for Jacksonville.
Although Albert’s career has not been without injury, the Jaguars have to hope that him missing extended time in all three of his Dolphins seasons is a thing of the past. The Dolphins should be able to handle the loss of Albert by shifting the young Laremy Tunsil, who will be entering his second season out to be their new left tackle.
This trade for Jacksonville and Miami helps set up both franchises for the rest of their offseason focus. Jacksonville will now be allowed to look to the draft to bring in playmakers and not take a chance on another possible lineman bust from the draft.
The Jaguars can bring in the proven lineman and allow rookie playmakers, possibly Florida State’s Dalvin Cook, to play behind the improved offensive line.
Miami needs a red zone target for quarterback Ryan Tanneyhill, and the history that Julius Thomas and Adam Gase have together is too much to overlook.
As well, Miami, who is likely closer to a deep playoff run, will free up about $45 million in salary cap room once Albert’s contract is off the books. Look for the Dolphins to take a run at DeSean Jackson, or possibly another interior offensive lineman, as this will be a very deep class in free agency at that position.
Often sports trades are one-sided. In this situation both franchises and players can be seen as winning with this deal. Sometimes it is just a matter of a change of scenery that can help restart productive careers.
One gets a sense that for both Julius Thomas and Brandon Albert this may be that exact case. Both players and their new teams should see immediate returns on this deal. In an offseason that is sure to be full of trades and free agent signings, keep this deal in mind for these two teams as big deals that happened early in the process.
