Post by wvumaryjane on Aug 14, 2007 9:14:08 GMT -5
(just for you Bump)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Aug. 11, 2007) -- The Jaguars rolled out the red carpet for my visit. I spent time with head coach Jack Del Rio, general manager James Harris, 17 players, a number of assistant coaches and even had a chance for a short conversation with owner Wayne Weaver. There is some genuine excitement about the new offense under the direction of coordinator Dirk Koetter and the special teams will improve with Joe DeCamillis coaching them.
It's easy to see what you want to see when you visit with the Jaguars. They can look as impressive as any team in the NFL. There is talent everywhere, yet they are also capable of finishing a season 8-8. As I travel around the NFL this summer, there are teams that have similar traits and as I think about it, the Jaguars remind me more of the Carolina Panthers than any other team I have visited with in 2007. The talent is in place, the expectations from the media and fans are lower than last year and the players really do have a chip on their shoulder.
Byron Leftwich seems to have his injury troubles behind him and ready for his first 16-game season.
The Jaguars still have the reality of being in the same division as Peyton Manning and the Colts. The players respect the world champions, but they certainly don't fear them. Last year they split the season series with Indianapolis and outscored the Colts by 20 points. But the dilemma with the Jags is best exemplified in their divisional play last year. They went 2-4 in the division, averaging 150 yards rushing per game and outscored their divisional opponents 129 points to 109. They were capable of putting up 44 points on the Colts, yet lost both games to the Houston Texans and only generated 17 points in eight quarters.
After my camp stop in Jacksonville, I think I have an idea of which Jaguars team is going to show up this season. With Byron Leftwich back under center, I would be very surprised if this team scores 41 points one week like it did last year against the Jets and then come back the following week and only manage seven points against the Texans.
HOT TOPICS
1. Byron Leftwich -- Leftwich is in the last year of his contract and has never completed a 16-game season. He knows there's risk trying to stay healthy for an entire season and getting the contract he wants for the future. I sat down and talked about it with him and he is in the best shape of his life. His weight is down and he's not worried about his contract. The risk in this situation could switch to the club if he gets off to a fast start.
2. The new offense -- First and foremost, the Jaguars are a running team. They were third in the NFL in rushing yards per game last year and there's no reason to think they will falter in '07. Fred Taylor looks great and Maurice Jones-Drew should give them a solid chance to have two 1,000-yard backs. The Jags will not replace the run blocking of tight end Kyle Brady, but they will get more out of TE Marcedes Lewis, who only caught 13 passes last year. Look for more spread sets with Lewis lined up away from the tackle.
3. Staying healthy -- Last year, the Jags finished the season with 15 players on the injured-reserve list, which was third worst in the NFL. The worst injury of all was to Leftwich, so I asked Del Rio if he made any changes to the team schedule in an effort to reduce injuries. He said the team did review everything it did in 2006 and there were changes to the offseason training program because he felt there were too many hamstring issues last year. Del Rio described it as getting back to some old-school principles. In talking with the players, they all confirmed things were different.
NEWCOMERS
Dennis Northcutt is expected to play a key role in the Jaguars' improved offense.
1. Dennis Northcutt -- Northcutt is the talk of the camp. He immediately fixed the punt return game and he has pressed the receiver group so much that he is listed as the starter. Leftwich has known him a long time and the trust is already there. The Jaguars defense is going to stop more opponents than the Cleveland defense did last year, so Northcutt will get many more chances to work on his 11.1 yards punt return average and he will easily surpass his 22 receptions for 228 yards.
2. Tony Pashos -- In order for the Jaguars to work a vertical passing attack and protect Leftwich, Pashos has to pass block well. It's one of the biggest questions that have to be answered this fall.
3. Reggie Nelson -- Del Rio has Nelson -- and all the other rookies -- listed as a backup. The former player in coach Del Rio knows better than to hand an unproven kid a starting job. But when I talked with Leftwich he said, "Reggie has an amazing ability to close on a deep ball." Donovin Darius was released and Deon Grant left in free agency, so it's only a matter of time before Nelson locks down a starting spot.
4. Justin Durant -- Durant is a young, talented linebacker drafted in the second round, has real speed and at times looks like a blur on videotape. He has several areas of fundamentals he needs to improve upon, but he reminds one coach of a young Derrick Brooks.
SCOUTING REPORT
Offense -- Every opponent has to drop a safety down into the box and defend the Jacksonville running game. With a healthy Leftwich, there's a real good chance the offense will take more shots down the field when the defense is in a run mode. With Northcutt and draft pick Mike Walker impressing everyone at practice, former first-round pick Reggie Williams found himself on the third string when the first depth chart came out. Williams did grab 52 passes last year, but the team clearly wants more out of him in 2007 if he's still here when the final roster is completed. Keep in mind, this team averaged 26.5 points per game in their final seven games last year without Leftwich and it should be even better this year.
The Jags are hoping Marcus Stroud will be a strong presence on the defensive front.
Defense -- Jacksonville does have the best defensive tackle tandem in the NFL with Marcus Stroud and John Henderson. They shut out the Steelers and Jets last year and the healthy return of defensive end Reggie Hayward will help the pass rush. Solid linebackers and a pair of good corners, led by All-Pro Rashean Mathis, should put this defense in the upper echelon of the league once again. Time will tell if the young safeties can hold up when they are confronted by personnel groupings and formations.
Special teams -- Northcutt (PR) and Jones-Drew (KR) will change the field position game a defensive minded coach like Del Rio wants to play. The punting has to improve and the only way is up after finishing down at the bottom of the league last year. The rookie class will add at least four core players to the special teams and its DeCamillis' job to get them ready. Speaking of rookies, the Jaguars should have a rookie punter on the field this season.
BIGGEST WEAKNESS
The Jaguars are a team that needs Leftwich to have his first 16-game season. They need the young tight ends to come through and most importantly, the safeties (Nelson and Gerald Sensabaugh) have to deliver.
BEST INTERVIEWS
The Jaguars let me run the interviews in groups of three players at a time and the results were very interesting as the real personalities came out quickly.
1. John Henderson, Marcus Stroud, and Mike Peterson -- Stroud brings out the personality of the normally quiet Henderson and I found out 'Big John' cries at weddings (his own). Peterson hates talking about the past, especially the Houston losses, and Stroud is real happy the defensive ends are back on the field.
2. Dennis Northcutt, Justin Durant, Clint Ingram -- Durant can sing, Ingram is all business and Northcutt looks out for the younger players and is always giving advice to the defensive players about why he runs certain routes against them.
3. Byron Leftwich, Khalif Barnes, Matt Jones -- Barnes is confident he can block the pass rushers in this league without help from a back or tight end. Jones is excited to be a slot receiver and Leftwich has clearly regained his leadership of this team.
PREDICTION
I think the Jaguars, like the Panthers, are set to have a very good season. Double-digit wins is a realistic goal. The Colts may be the world champions, but they have lost a number of players to free agency and injuries. Jacksonville will give them a run for the division title. I don't believe Del Rio is on the 'hot seat' like some believe he is. And quite the contrary, he's on solid ground. Barring injuries this summer, the Jaguars may have a running back and a receiver to deal before the regular season starts.
nfl.com/news/story/10291855
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Aug. 11, 2007) -- The Jaguars rolled out the red carpet for my visit. I spent time with head coach Jack Del Rio, general manager James Harris, 17 players, a number of assistant coaches and even had a chance for a short conversation with owner Wayne Weaver. There is some genuine excitement about the new offense under the direction of coordinator Dirk Koetter and the special teams will improve with Joe DeCamillis coaching them.
It's easy to see what you want to see when you visit with the Jaguars. They can look as impressive as any team in the NFL. There is talent everywhere, yet they are also capable of finishing a season 8-8. As I travel around the NFL this summer, there are teams that have similar traits and as I think about it, the Jaguars remind me more of the Carolina Panthers than any other team I have visited with in 2007. The talent is in place, the expectations from the media and fans are lower than last year and the players really do have a chip on their shoulder.
Byron Leftwich seems to have his injury troubles behind him and ready for his first 16-game season.
The Jaguars still have the reality of being in the same division as Peyton Manning and the Colts. The players respect the world champions, but they certainly don't fear them. Last year they split the season series with Indianapolis and outscored the Colts by 20 points. But the dilemma with the Jags is best exemplified in their divisional play last year. They went 2-4 in the division, averaging 150 yards rushing per game and outscored their divisional opponents 129 points to 109. They were capable of putting up 44 points on the Colts, yet lost both games to the Houston Texans and only generated 17 points in eight quarters.
After my camp stop in Jacksonville, I think I have an idea of which Jaguars team is going to show up this season. With Byron Leftwich back under center, I would be very surprised if this team scores 41 points one week like it did last year against the Jets and then come back the following week and only manage seven points against the Texans.
HOT TOPICS
1. Byron Leftwich -- Leftwich is in the last year of his contract and has never completed a 16-game season. He knows there's risk trying to stay healthy for an entire season and getting the contract he wants for the future. I sat down and talked about it with him and he is in the best shape of his life. His weight is down and he's not worried about his contract. The risk in this situation could switch to the club if he gets off to a fast start.
2. The new offense -- First and foremost, the Jaguars are a running team. They were third in the NFL in rushing yards per game last year and there's no reason to think they will falter in '07. Fred Taylor looks great and Maurice Jones-Drew should give them a solid chance to have two 1,000-yard backs. The Jags will not replace the run blocking of tight end Kyle Brady, but they will get more out of TE Marcedes Lewis, who only caught 13 passes last year. Look for more spread sets with Lewis lined up away from the tackle.
3. Staying healthy -- Last year, the Jags finished the season with 15 players on the injured-reserve list, which was third worst in the NFL. The worst injury of all was to Leftwich, so I asked Del Rio if he made any changes to the team schedule in an effort to reduce injuries. He said the team did review everything it did in 2006 and there were changes to the offseason training program because he felt there were too many hamstring issues last year. Del Rio described it as getting back to some old-school principles. In talking with the players, they all confirmed things were different.
NEWCOMERS
Dennis Northcutt is expected to play a key role in the Jaguars' improved offense.
1. Dennis Northcutt -- Northcutt is the talk of the camp. He immediately fixed the punt return game and he has pressed the receiver group so much that he is listed as the starter. Leftwich has known him a long time and the trust is already there. The Jaguars defense is going to stop more opponents than the Cleveland defense did last year, so Northcutt will get many more chances to work on his 11.1 yards punt return average and he will easily surpass his 22 receptions for 228 yards.
2. Tony Pashos -- In order for the Jaguars to work a vertical passing attack and protect Leftwich, Pashos has to pass block well. It's one of the biggest questions that have to be answered this fall.
3. Reggie Nelson -- Del Rio has Nelson -- and all the other rookies -- listed as a backup. The former player in coach Del Rio knows better than to hand an unproven kid a starting job. But when I talked with Leftwich he said, "Reggie has an amazing ability to close on a deep ball." Donovin Darius was released and Deon Grant left in free agency, so it's only a matter of time before Nelson locks down a starting spot.
4. Justin Durant -- Durant is a young, talented linebacker drafted in the second round, has real speed and at times looks like a blur on videotape. He has several areas of fundamentals he needs to improve upon, but he reminds one coach of a young Derrick Brooks.
SCOUTING REPORT
Offense -- Every opponent has to drop a safety down into the box and defend the Jacksonville running game. With a healthy Leftwich, there's a real good chance the offense will take more shots down the field when the defense is in a run mode. With Northcutt and draft pick Mike Walker impressing everyone at practice, former first-round pick Reggie Williams found himself on the third string when the first depth chart came out. Williams did grab 52 passes last year, but the team clearly wants more out of him in 2007 if he's still here when the final roster is completed. Keep in mind, this team averaged 26.5 points per game in their final seven games last year without Leftwich and it should be even better this year.
The Jags are hoping Marcus Stroud will be a strong presence on the defensive front.
Defense -- Jacksonville does have the best defensive tackle tandem in the NFL with Marcus Stroud and John Henderson. They shut out the Steelers and Jets last year and the healthy return of defensive end Reggie Hayward will help the pass rush. Solid linebackers and a pair of good corners, led by All-Pro Rashean Mathis, should put this defense in the upper echelon of the league once again. Time will tell if the young safeties can hold up when they are confronted by personnel groupings and formations.
Special teams -- Northcutt (PR) and Jones-Drew (KR) will change the field position game a defensive minded coach like Del Rio wants to play. The punting has to improve and the only way is up after finishing down at the bottom of the league last year. The rookie class will add at least four core players to the special teams and its DeCamillis' job to get them ready. Speaking of rookies, the Jaguars should have a rookie punter on the field this season.
BIGGEST WEAKNESS
The Jaguars are a team that needs Leftwich to have his first 16-game season. They need the young tight ends to come through and most importantly, the safeties (Nelson and Gerald Sensabaugh) have to deliver.
BEST INTERVIEWS
The Jaguars let me run the interviews in groups of three players at a time and the results were very interesting as the real personalities came out quickly.
1. John Henderson, Marcus Stroud, and Mike Peterson -- Stroud brings out the personality of the normally quiet Henderson and I found out 'Big John' cries at weddings (his own). Peterson hates talking about the past, especially the Houston losses, and Stroud is real happy the defensive ends are back on the field.
2. Dennis Northcutt, Justin Durant, Clint Ingram -- Durant can sing, Ingram is all business and Northcutt looks out for the younger players and is always giving advice to the defensive players about why he runs certain routes against them.
3. Byron Leftwich, Khalif Barnes, Matt Jones -- Barnes is confident he can block the pass rushers in this league without help from a back or tight end. Jones is excited to be a slot receiver and Leftwich has clearly regained his leadership of this team.
PREDICTION
I think the Jaguars, like the Panthers, are set to have a very good season. Double-digit wins is a realistic goal. The Colts may be the world champions, but they have lost a number of players to free agency and injuries. Jacksonville will give them a run for the division title. I don't believe Del Rio is on the 'hot seat' like some believe he is. And quite the contrary, he's on solid ground. Barring injuries this summer, the Jaguars may have a running back and a receiver to deal before the regular season starts.
nfl.com/news/story/10291855
