Jacksonville Jaguars
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.
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.
Who Will Jaguars Take In NFL Draft
By: Drayton Hogarth
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
While the Jacksonville Jaguars were no where near the playoffs this season, they have continued to be in the news as they finally made the call to show Gus Bradley the door.
Now, Doug Marrone will take the helm of the Jaguars franchise. Marrone served as the interim coach toward the end of the 2016 season, and Shad Kahn saw enough to make the call to give him the head coaching job.
While, Marrone likely doesn’t excite the masses, what should get the fan base in an uproar is the upcoming draft. The Jaguars yet again have a top five selection in the upcoming draft and are poised to add a big-time difference maker to the roster. Who should that difference maker be? Let’s take a look at some potential options that the Jaguars should be considering.
Dalvin Cook is a major running back prospect from Florida State. Jacksonville has a dire need for play makers on offense. As well, if Blake Bortles is to ever become the quarterback that he was drafted to be, he must have someone he can simply turn and hand the ball off to that can take it to the house at any time.
It also wouldn’t hurt the season ticket sales bringing in the Florida native, and someone that played for a school that has a massive fan base built in Jacksonville already. As most should know by now, it doesn’t matter who is at quarterback or running back if they are behind an offensive line that is unable to take care of the line of scrimmage. This leads me to the next candidate that the Jacksonville front office should consider drafting, Cam Robinson.
Cam Robinson is the massive offensive tackle prospect out of the University of Alabama. Robinson has the prototypical build for an NFL tackle, and has been a three year starter in Tuscaloosa since his freshman season.
While he may not have quite the footwork to remain at left tackle, Robinson can move to right tackle and be the dominant piece along the Jacksonville offensive line. The biggest concern for Jacksonville, or any NFL franchise looking to select Cam Robinson, most likely will stem from off the field issues; before teams dole out millions of dollars to a rookie, they want to be as certain as possible of that player’s decision making.
If the Jaguars and their general manager, Dave Caldwell, feel comfortable in Robinson’s character and off the field choices, his on the field abilities could allow him to be a cornerstone for the franchise for the next decade or so.
Under former coach Gus Bradley, one thing that the Jaguars did do well was to draft good defensive talent. Jalen Ramsey and Dante Fowler the last two seasons have become stalwarts for the Jacksonville defense, especially the ultra talented Ramsey.
The Jaguars could fortify the secondary, by pairing Ramsey with another playmaker in Jamal Adams out of LSU. Adams shows a rare combination of physicality and ball skills that would help round out the Jacksonville secondary. The Jaguars will likely be allowing longtime safety, Johnathan Cyprien, to leave in free agency, so Adams would make a lot of sense for a myriad of reasons.
As you can see, the Jaguars have several ways that they can go in this year’s upcoming draft. Many feel like they have gone so defense heavy the last few years that a boost on the offensive side of the ball is necessary.
In particular, now that an offensive minded coach is in charge with Doug Marrone, the team needs to bring in some help for struggling quarterback Blake Bortles.
The best route that the Jaguars could take could end up trading down in the draft and accumulating more picks to boost the overall talent of the roster. It is much needed.
Tom Coughlin To Jaguars?
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Ok Jaguar fans Tom Coughlin interviewed for the vacant head coaching position in the River City on Wednesday. Why not go back to man who made you into contenders in the 1990’s?
Coughlin, 70, previously coached the Jaguars from 1995-2002, leading the team to a 68-60 overall record and two AFC Championship games. Recently inducted to the Giants’ Ring of Honor, Coughlin is best known for two Super Bowl victories, in 2007 and 2011, while amassing the second-most wins in team history.
This would be a homerun hire for Jacksonville. You have a man who is loved by the masses in North Florida and South Georgia and has two Super Bowl rings. One thing you can say about Coughlin is that he runs a tight ship.
If you have watched the Jaguars play this year you will not notice a lack of talent, but some sloppy play on both sides of the ball which communicates a lack of discipline that Coughlin will clean up quick, fast, and in a hurry.
Coughlin, I believe still has a home in Jacksonville and does a lot of charity work in North Florida. I think he could come in and make the playoffs in year one of his return to Jacksonville. The biggest mistake Wayne Weaver made as owner of the Jaguars was firing Coughlin back in 2002.
Fast forward to his time with the New York Giants where two victories over Tom Brady and the Patriots earned Coughlin rock star status in the Big Apple.
Super Bowl XLII took place in Glendale, Arizona on February 3, 2008. The game pitted Coughlin’s New York Giants (13–6) against the undefeated New England Patriots (18–0) coached by Bill Belichick. The Patriots were favored by 12 points. The underdog Giants beat the Patriots 17–14 in one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. Many were calling the 2007 Patriots the greatest team of all time.
Coughlin developed a young Eli Manning into a Super Bowl winning QB. Blake Bortles took a huge step back in 2016, and maybe a veteran championship coach like Coughlin can get him on track and playing up to his vast potential.
The pieces are in place in Jacksonville for a coach of Coughlin’s caliber to come in and win immediately. The AFC South is not a tough division and with the right man running things the division could be there for the taking. Coughlin would attract a proven offensive coordinator, and certainly with the talent on defense someone would follow him and have that unit peaking in 2017.
Previously under Coughlin, the expansion Jaguars made the playoffs in year two of its existence and made it all the way to the AFC title game, and made the playoffs 4 straight years from 96-99, and the AFC title game twice. Led Jacksonville to 14 wins in 1999.
The current state of this franchise is one that has lost 11 or more games for 6 consecutive seasons. This team is about as low as it can go. It is time to bring back the only man to have led Jacksonville to a division title twice. No other head coach for this franchise has accomplished that.
Coughlin had a 4-4 playoff record in Jacksonville. This team has not made the playoffs since 2007. Coughlin always packed the stadium in Jacksonville, and with his return you could probably say goodbye to the tarps in the upper decks that cover empty seats.
It is time to bring back the man who put the Jacksonville Jaguars on the football map.
Jaguars Fire Gus Bradley
By: JJ Lanier
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Christmas came a week early for some Jacksonville fans this year. Unfortunately, for Gus Bradley, that means his stocking is full of coal and a pink slip.
The NFL is not exactly synonymous with the word “patience” so it’s not very surprising that Bradley’s tenure in Jacksonville has ended. The timing of it may have caught a few people off guard, but I’ll give the Jaguars management some credit when it comes to this. If they had already decided Bradley was going to be gone at the end of the season they were right to just go ahead and end it now. No need to prolong the inevitable.
There are a variety of reasons Bradley lost his job. A terrible record this season (14-48, overall) is the first thing that tends to jump out at you. Being a defensive minded coach whose team can’t play defense is kind of like an Italian restaurant that has difficulty cooking lasagna.
No matter what list of reasons you want to give, there should be two words at the top: Blake Bortles.
Gus Bradley lost his job because the one guy he and the organization expected to take that next step, completely blew it. If Bortles took one step forward last year, he didn’t just take two steps back this year. Instead, he took two steps back, tripped over his own feet, rolled down a hill, and got blindsided by a train at the bottom.
Ok, so maybe that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but it’s not far off when you consider the hype Bortles had coming into the season. It’s a lot more difficult to break up the head coach/quarterback combo that every team looks for when, you know, the quarterback is actually playing well.
I guess the big question now is where does Jacksonville look next? Personally, I think they’d be out of their minds if they didn’t go with someone on the offensive side of the ball. At the very least they need to hire a head coach who can bring an offensive coordinator with him who has experience grooming quarterbacks.
There is actually a decent amount of talent on that side ball, certainly more than you’d expect in a team that has had its fair shares of issues scoring this season. If the real Bortles is more like his second season as opposed to this current one, and the Jaguars can find a running back (I am not a fan of TJ Yeldon) then they’ll be in good shape.
This kind of goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, you’d better make sure whoever you bring in has complete faith in Bortles, too. You don’t want a Jay Gruden/Robert Griffin III type situation. It’s easier to get rid of the incumbent starter when Kirk Cousins is your alternative. No offense to Chad Henne, but I don’t think anyone is chomping at the bit to see him take the field.
Look, I know I’m not saying anything new, but sometimes the right answer is the one staring you right in the face. Any head coaching hire is important, but this time around for Jacksonville, it’s imperative they make the right choice.
If not, then three years from now they may be looking for a new head coach as well as a new quarterback. Basically, all that means if they’ll be right where they have been for the better part of this millennium. If you’re a Jacksonville fan, we’ll, you’ve seen that lump of coal in your stocking a few too many years.
Time To Reset For Jags…Again
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
I almost hate to remind myself that I picked the Jacksonville Jaguars to win the AFC South and make the playoffs earlier this year. I would have been better off picking Jacksonville to be selecting in their customary spot in the 2017 draft which is in the top five.
I bought into the hype surrounding these Jags as they spent over $100 million in the free agent market in the offseason to upgrade a defensive unit that had been offensive in previous years.
While the defense has improved drastically into a playoff caliber unit the offense seems to have taken a few steps back. Blake Bortles is not playing like the QB we saw in 2015, the offensive line is horrible, and no running back has stepped up into the go to guy.
Sitting at 2-9 for the season with 6 straight losses with absolutely no shot at a playoff berth Jacksonville needs to fire everyone down associated with this train wreck of a franchise.
Many locals call it the curse of Tim Tebow. The Jags passed on Tebow and have been awful pretty much ever since. Former head coaches like Tom Coughlin leave and win Super Bowls and Jack del Rio is sitting at 9-2 right now in Oakland after being fired by the Jags.
The Gus Bradley experiment has failed with a 14-45 overall record. I’m not sure you pull the plug on Blake Bortles yet after 3 years in the league. The offense has scored over 30 points once this entire season. How is this offense so woeful? Talented receivers, QB, and RB’s make you wonder why this team can’t score points.
Before the loss to the Bills last week head coach Rex Ryan wondered how Jacksonville could be 2-8 at the time. I just cannot figure this team out. They seem to be in just about every game but just cannot figure out ways to close the door. All signs point to coaching as the issue in the River City.
Who could the Jags land as a new Head Coach in 2017? This team needs major help along the OL, and maybe draft a top-quality RB in the draft like a Leonard Fournette in the upcoming draft. The defense is solid. Fan support is horrible.
What if Jack Del Rio was to go on and win a Super Bowl in Oakland? That would mean the first two coaches in Jags history would have rings, but the Jags pulled the plug on both. It is time to start over once again in Jacksonville which has been a recurring theme as of late.
What would someone like a Bruce Arians do with the talent on the Jag roster? Could the Jags go out and bring back Coughlin at age 70 who is the only man who had the Jags sniffing a Super Bowl back in 1999? Would he come out of retirement? Would someone like John Gruden, or Tony Dungy be motivated to step back on the sidelines in Jacksonville with the talent assembled on that roster?
I just know it is back to drawing board again for the Jags, and they need a total house cleaning this time. If something does not change soon we could be looking at the London Jaguars in the near future. Time is now for big changes in Jacksonville.
