According to a report from Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union, the first Jaguars draft pick to agree to a deal with the team is defensive end Andre Branch. Ganguli tweeted that Branch has agreed to terms with the Jaguars on a four-year deal worth $5.1 million.

Andre Branch's deal is a four-year deal worth $5.1 million. #Jaguars

— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) May 29, 2012

Branch, a defensive end from the University of Clemson, was the Jaguars' second round draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. The 6-4, 260 pound, 22 year old recorded 10.5 sacks in his senior season at Clemson and 18.5 during his career.

Prior to the signing, the Jaguars were one of the only NFL teams remaining that had yet to reach a contract agreement with any of their draft picks. The team still has five rookie draft picks not yet under contract including their first round selection, Justin Blackmon.

One of the biggest questions, if not the biggest, for the Jaguars heading in to the 2012 season is the right tackle position. While the rest of the line is presumably filled with Eugene Monroe, Will Rackley, Brad Meester and Uche Nwaneri, the question about the right tackle is one that has yet to be answered.

It's a concern that apparently isn't bothering Nwaneri much, as the guard entering his sixth season with the Jaguars told the Jacksonville media that the Jaguars offensive line aim to break a team record in 2012.

Nwaneri says they aim to break the Jags offensive sack record low of 28. "For us to get under that number would be a goal to be reached."

— Eugene Frenette (@GeneFrenette) May 29, 2012

The likelihood of the Jaguars reaching this mark will be obviously depend upon the play at the right tackle spot, where the team struggled in 2012 with Guy Whimper starting for most of the season. Where Eben Britton fits in on the line is another question that will have to be answered in training camp and preseason.

HBO finally found a team not named the Jacksonville Jaguars that was willing to be the featured team on their award-winning Hard Knocks program. The Miami Dolphins announced today that they will participating in the program with new head coach saying, "We thought it was in the best interest of the organization to do it at this time."

During HBO's campaign to find a team to be featured on the program, several teams declined the opportunity while the Jaguars made it publicly known that they were a team that wanted to be on Hard Knocks.

Instead HBO unsurprisingly decided against the NFL's 32nd most popular team to go with another Florida team. The biggest difference between the two teams? The Dolphins have an interesting quarterback battle that will feature Matt Moore, David Garrard and Ryan Tannehill battling for the starting spot, while the Jaguars have made it very known that Blaine Gabbert is their starter.

Shortly after the conclusion of Super Bowl XLVI in February, the odds for Super Bowl XLVII opened with the Jaguars at the very bottom of the league at 150-1. Three months later the Jaguars have upgraded the wide receiver position and hope to see offensive improvement, but it's still not particularly surprising to see them still at the bottom in the Vegas odds.

Cantor Gaming has released an over/under for each teams' 2012 win total and the Jaguars are, of course, at the very bottom of the list with an over/under of 5.5 games. A total that led Florida Times-Union writer, Vito Stellino, to tweet that the over is the "lock of the year."

It's easy to see where Stellino is coming from. While I'm not so much of a homer to throw out Super Bowl predictions for the Jaguars, they did win five games in 2011 and it's hard to imagine the team regressing at all. As Stellino says, the Jaguars will have a new coach and upgraded play at the wide receiver and quarterback position.

Regardless, it's clear that the national media and the oddsmakers perceive the Jaguars as one of the worst teams in the NFL.

In 107 days the Jaguars will kick off the 2012 regular season at Mall of America Field in Minnesota. Previewing a game between two teams with entirely unset rosters and a full training camp yet to have even been started is somewhat pointless; however, one of the obvious stars for the Vikings who will, without question, be on the roster come that September 9 game is running back Adrian Peterson.

Whether or not he plays in that game though, is still very much in the air. On December 24 in the 2011 regular season, Peterson completely shredded his knee, tearing both his MCL and ACL along with lateral and medial meniscus damage. As Evan Silva of Rotoworld noted on Twitter, team doctors were convinced that the severity and timing of the injury would mean Peterson would have to start the 2012 season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

But being the physical freak that he is, Peterson has set his sights on being back for the Vikings season opener against the Jaguars and was reportedly back on the field a month ago, running wind sprints with his teammates four months post-operation...and beating them consistently.

Yes there will be plenty of other things going on between now and then that will certainly have a big impact on the season opener for the Vikings and Jaguars, but Adrian Peterson's recovery from injury is definitely something to keep an eye on. Because...hey why not?

Maurice Jones-Drew has not participated in the voluntary offseason training activities yet, nor is he likely to in the near future. With two more seasons remaining on the contract he signed in April of 2009, he wants a new contract and justifiably so.

Without a doubt he has been the best player on the Jaguars since signing that contract and at 27 years old, he will likely only have one more big contract before his career as a football player ends.

I have no problem with Jones-Drew trying to parlay a season in which he led the NFL in rushing into a new contract. I also have no problem with the Jaguars not paying the three-time All-Pro running back.

At least not yet.

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To make an NFL roster as an undrafted free agency you have to turn heads. You have to stand out and prove that despite being passed on 250+ times in the NFL Draft that you are worth one of the valuable 53 roster spots available to teams.

Florida A&M wide receiver Kevin Elliott is one of those undrafted free agents that is trying to beat the odds, and according to Mark Long of the Associated Press, he's pretty confident in his abilities.

Former FAMU WR Kevin Elliott is crazy confident, says only difference btwn himself & vets likes Evans & Robinson is the playbook. #Jaguars

— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) May 22, 2012

Elliott certainly looks the part of an NFL receiver at 6-2, 212 pounds, but didn't necessarily show the speed to turn heads or the tremendous production to garner attention. The FCS product has impressed media though, in the short amount of time they have been able to watch him so far.

The NFLPA Rookie Premiere event has been going on all weekend in Los Angeles, CA featuring several of the top rookies taken in the 2012 NFL Draft. After doing charity work at a local area high school on Thursday afternoon, the rookies were on the beautiful UCLA campus for a celebrity flag football game on Friday. (Don't worry Robert Edwards fans, no rookies participated in the game. Celebrities and retired players only.)

It was at the flag football game yesterday that I was able to have a short conversation with Jaguars first round pick Justin Blackmon, the sole Jaguars player in attendance for the NFLPA Rookie Premiere weekend.

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I've managed to acquire the application from Shahid Khan to HBO to make the Jaguars the featured team on the 2012 version of "Hard Knocks." Click on the link below to see it.

Hard Knocks Application

In an article on NFL.com yesterday, Albert Breer discussed the challenges faced by each of the four quarterbacks selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Among those four is obviously Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert, who has a list of challenges that is likely much longer than each of his three counterparts.

In the article, Breer received some comments from new Jaguars head coach, Mike Mularkey, regarding the development of Gabbert and his standing with the team. While Mularkey reiterated his commitment to the young quarterback, telling Breer, "No, it's not (a competition). Blaine's our starting quarterback," it was later comments about his coaching so far in the NFL that were more telling.

Mularkey told Breer, "We're working on some of the fundamentals in his drops now. Not saying that he was taught it wrong, but every coach has their beliefs." Now maybe it's just me, but that sounds an awful lot like Mularkey is really saying, "he was taught wrong, so now we're scratching everything and starting over, beginning with fundamentals."

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The Jaguars shot themselves in the foot last summer by not doing what was necessary to ensure that the re-signed Adam Podlesh and didn't leave themselves with a gaping hole at the punter position. Instead of paying the market value for one of the NFL's top 10 best punters, they allowed him to escape via free agency, signed Matt Turk instead and were left with a hole so big at the position that they elected to use a third round pick to close the hole back up.

One year later it appears the Jaguars' ability to negotiate with specialists hasn't improved much as Josh Scobee and the team can't work out a long-term deal to keep the 2004 5th round pick in North Florida for the foreseeable future. What's the difference between the Podlesh and Scobee negotiations? The lockout and the franchise tag.

While the lockout forced the Jaguars hand and didn't give them much time to work with Podlesh, they have a complete offseason to work out numbers with Scobee and his agent. And with the franchise tag already applied to the kicker, there's zero threat of him moving on.

So what's the rush? There is none. At all. While long offseason holdouts can sometimes affect the play of athletes (see Chris Johnson in 2011), do we really think Scobee's play is going to suffer? Come on, of course it won't.

For the Jaguars, as long as the deal gets done before September 9 when the Jaguars play the Vikings in week one, there is no harm done. If they can't get something done before that...well, then we have a problem. Until then, I'm not worried at all.

Every season for every team there are players that step up their game and have breakout seasons. For the Jaguars in 2011, it was players like Eugene Monroe, Jeremy Mincey and John Chick. Each exceeded the expectations of most and each played at a high level that certainly helped the team.

The Jaguars have spent much of the last few years acquiring developmental players with the hope that they'll start clicking on all cylinders, or "jars on the shelf," as Vic Ketchman called them. The Jaguars roster is now full of these jars on the shelf as well as players that were highly invested in and disappointed early in their careers.

Entering the 2012 season there are several players that appear primed for a breakout. While they almost certainly wont all exceed expectations, it's hard to imagine that none will.

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During the three day mini-camp that took place over the weekend, over two dozen players participated on a tryout basis without a full-time contract. Among those tryout players were seven veterans, three of which earned their way on to the roster by impressing coaches over the weekend.

Today the Jaguars announced the signings of quarterback Jordan Palmer, fullback Naufahu Tahi and defensive tackle Odrick Ray.

Palmer spent four seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, mostly backing up his older brother Carson Palmer, and appeared in four games. Tahi has spent most of his five-year career with the Vikings where he played in 56 career games and made 14 starts. Ray was an undrafted free agent signing by the Jaguars in 2011 and spent preseason with the Jaguars before being released.

Three veteran players were released to make room for he signings: quarterback Dan LeFevour, wide receiver Jarett Dillard and safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah. Also waived were three rookies: wide receiver Rosario Nelson, wide receiver Jarrett Boykin and defensive end Frank Trotter.

Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout with the Ravens and Browns, was a must-follow on Twitter in the months prior to the 2010 NFL Draft as he tweeted his draft perspective and covertly polled NFL personnel. After being hired by the Eagles following that draft though, Jeremiah deleted his Twitter account and his website. However, he recently left the Eagles "to pursue a media opportunity" and is back on Twitter providing interesting information.

Among that information was a tidbit about a certain newly re-signed member of the Jacksonville Jaguars defense:

I asked an NFL coach which pass rusher was the most underrated in the league… Answer surprised me, Jeremy Mincey JAX

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) May 4, 2012

Mincey, 28, had a breakout year in 2011, finishing with eight sacks and four forced fumbles, which he parlayed into a four-year, $27.2 million contract following the season. A source told me that if the Jaguars hadn't payed him, there certainly would've been a market for the pass rusher elsewhere.

Think of where the Jaguars were when they signed CB Drew Coleman to a three year deal just last summer. They had Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox penciled in as starters with very little depth behind the two.

Since then the Jaguars have seen William Middleton improve to a serviceable player that can start in the place of Cox or Mathis and signed two undrafted free agents last year (Kevin Rutland and T.J. Heath) that were both good enough to make the roster.

Add in the free agent signing of Aaron Ross during this offseason and the drafting of Mike Harris in the sixth round, and the Jaguars are clearly confident in their cornerback depth.

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One day before the 2012 NFL Free Agency period began, I wrote that the Jaguars should re-structure or terminate the contract of veteran DE Aaron Kampman. With a $4.975 base salary for a 32-year old player coming off two ACL tears in as many years, it only made sense to try to save some of that money if the Jaguars did intend to go after a top free agent like Mario Williams, like many believed they would.

But they didn't and instead the Jaguars finish the core of the offseason with the NFL's second most salary cap room ($19.4M). Still, a nearly $5M salary is a lot for a player that will have a limited role in a defense that drafted a player 38th overall that will likely start in his place at right end.

Evan Silva of NBCSports and Rotoworld believes it all points to the end of Kampman's time with the Jaguars. On Branch's Rotoworld page, Silva said that Branch "should win over the weak-side end job in camp" and that "Kampman will likely be released."

With Austen Lane and several young pass rushers that could also make an impact in training camp including Aaron Morgan, John Chick and Kendrick Adams, it certainly looks like an uphill road for Kampman unless he can emphatically prove he has fully recovered from his knee surgeries in camp.

At this weekend's rookie mini-camp, there will be several players working to prove that they deserve a chance to play in the NFL. Today the Jaguars announced 27 three-day contracts with players that will participate in this weekend's mini-camp on a workout basis. Click after the jump to see the full list of players: (Yes, this is the list that has Long Ding)

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Simply put, I find grading the drafts of every NFL team to be absolutely ridiculous. Whether consciously or not, they are all based on the media's pre-conceived "consensus" values of draft prospects that may or may not actually reflect what NFL team's actually felt about that player.

Virginia pass rusher Cam Johnson was Mike Mayock's 50th ranked prospect and a guy many thought would be off the board in the second round, but instead he went to the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round. A pick that the 49ers are now getting grade boosts for because they got tremendous "value" even though every other team passed on him for over 200 picks and the more likely explanation is that the media's evaluation of Johnson was off.

Maybe Johnson had character or injury issues that will actually turn out to make this selection a value pick for the 49ers, but the reality is that it's a process that happens every year. The Panthers got Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft after every media draft analysts said he would be gone in the top 10 picks.

So the next day, draft graders end up giving an 'A' to the team that picked the players that people already knew and liked and a 'D' to the team that drafted unknown players like Derek Cox, Mel Kiper's 106th ranked cornerback in the 2009 Draft.

I have opinions about the draft and I'll use this space to voice them, i.e. I'm not at all a fan of drafting a punter in the third round. However, I am not a general manager in the NFL and I do not know the value the drafted players actually had. So you won't be getting draft grades from me, sorry.

In recent seasons several teams have experimented with "Wildcat" plays that feature dual-threat players with the ability to throw and run stepping in as quarterback and adding an extra element to an offense. Made successful by then-Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown in 2008, several teams have experimented with the idea.

The Jaguars have largely avoided the formation, but new head coach Mike Mularkey hinted at the possibility of trying to introduce it in 2012 in his media address yesterday, saying he would look to use it "if you have the right people to do it."

Sixth round draft pick, Mike Harris, was a high school quarterback and is someone that Mularkey singled out as a guy they could "experiment with a little bit." Later he also mentioned 2011 fourth round pick, Cecil Shorts III, as "a guy we can try back there."

"We're always looking at that, yeah," Mularkey said. "It puts a threat into the defenses that they have to be concerned about. It's one more thing if you can get them working on something.

After the jump we're going to be tracking the undrafted free agency market for the Jaguars live as we find out about the signings. So keep refreshing your browser and the names will continue to roll in as we find out about them reportedly signing with the Jaguars.

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The Jaguars seventh round pick is in, so what do you think of the selection of Ashland DT Jeris Pendleton?

With the 228th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Ashland Eagles defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton. Pendleton was unranked in SB Nation's rankings at Mocking The Draft.

At 6-2, 328 pounds, Pendleton was a productive player at Ashland and displayed impressive athleticism with a 4.98 40 time at the Northwestern University Pro Day. One of the largest reasons for his fall to the seventh round, besides his small school status is the fact that he's 28 years old.

The 228th pick in the seventh round was the Jaguars sixth and final pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. Barring a last minute trade to acquire one of the few trade-able seventh round picks, their 2012 draft class is set.

Stay tuned to BCC for news regarding the Pendleton selection and the rest of the 2012 draft class along with news about the players signed by the Jaguars in undrafted free agency.

The Jaguars fifth round pick is in, so what do you think of the selection of Florida State CB Mike Harris?

With the 176th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Florida State Seminoles cornerback Mike Harris. Harris was the No. 25 ranked cornerback in SB Nation's rankings at Mocking The Draft.

Harris is a 5-10, 188 pound junior college transfer without the elite speed to make up for his smallish size, likely the reason for his drop to the sixth round. However, he makes up for his lack of measurables with aggressive play, fluid hips/change of direction and a knack for finding himself in the right place at the right time.

The next pick for the Jaguars isn't scheduled until pick 228 (the 21st pick of the 7th round) which will take place later this afternoon. Barring a trade, the Jaguars are done in the sixth round. Stay tuned to BCC for more reaction and analysis to the selection of Harris and the rest of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Jaguars fifth round pick is in, so what do you think of the selection of Nevada LB Brandon Marshall?

No they didn't just make a trade with the Bears for a certain wide receiver of the same name. With the 142nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Nevada Wolfpack linebackers Brandon Marshall. Marshall does not appear on SB Nation's draft prospect rankings at Mocking The Draft, but appears as No. 26 ranked outside linebacker on NFLDraftScout's prospect rankings.

At 6-1, 242 pounds and with 4.63 speed, Marshall is a prospect with similar size as Jaguars linebacker Clint Session, and presents plenty of experience with 33 career starts at Nevada.

The next pick for the Jaguars isn't scheduled until pick 176 (the 6th pick of the 6th round) which will take place later this afternoon. Barring a trade, the Jaguars are done in the fifth round. Stay tuned to BCC for more reaction and analysis to the selection of Marshall and the rest of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The fourth round of the 2012 NFL Draft is about to begin and will be followed by the remaining three rounds of the draft. The Jaguars do not have a fourth round selection after trading up two picks in the first round to ensure they would have the opportunity to select Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon. Instead their first selection today is set to be at pick 142, the seventh selection of the fifth round, and followed by pick 176 in the sixth round and pick 228 in the seventh round.

The Jaguars have addressed their two most primary needs already in the draft with a wide receiver in round one and a defensive end (Andre Branch) in round two. I suppose a punter in round three addressed a need as well, but I'm going to have a hard to time saying that was one of their primary needs. Let's see if the Jaguars draft themselves a long snapper to match.

In recent history the Jaguars have always drafted players they already showed prior interest in when it comes to later rounds so it seems unlikely that they'd take a player that isn't featured on the BCC draft interest list.

I've updated the chart to remove the players that have already been drafted leaving only the potential candidates for the Jaguars to draft on the third day of the draft today.

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The Jaguars third round pick is in, so what do you think of the selection of California P Bryan Anger?

Here's what I think.