When the city of Jacksonville was awarded the 30th NFL franchise on November 30, 1993 at 4:12 p.m., the announcement was the first in what would become a long history of the underdog coming through in a pinch. Following the franchise through a season of firsts in 1995, then a miracle run ending in the AFC Championship game in only their second year, it seemed like the Jaguars were a charmed franchise. The success continued through the AFC Championship game at the end of the 1999 season when the Jaguars suffered a devastating loss to the Tennessee Titans in front of a home crowd. 

As the wheels came off the first era of Jaguars football, the franchise slid into an abyss that delivered one playoff win and much disappointment.

Continue reading this post »

I came across an opinion piece on one of the many quasi-legitimate blog sites dedicated to the Indianapolis Colts this morning that really put things into proper perspective about the game this weekend between the Jaguars and the Colts.  The author, Collin McCollough, expressed his hatred for all things Jaguars related in this blog post.  It is truly surprising to see anyone from the Colts fan base expressing hatred. and it had me pondering the question, "Do I hate the Colts?"

In short, no, I do not hate the Colts.  In fact, I actually LOVE them, and there are a host of reasons for my affection.

Continue reading this post »

Continue reading this post »

Continue reading this post »

With the public sessions of camp winding down to the final few, the Jaguars have been adding new wrinkles to the practices in an effort to continue to adding layers to their play book. 

The team took the field shelled tonight, but contact was still kept to an absolute minimum.  The humidity was up a bit, and the practice was a little bit more spirited than we have seen in recent days, with the blitz packages and defensive schemes becoming more complex and aggressive as they prepare for the upcoming pre-season game against Atlanta.

The players that did not participate in practice tonight included the usual list of suspects: Chad Nkang, Jeremy Mincey, George Wrighster, Jerry Porter, Reggie Williams, Derrick Harvey, and Brad Meester. 

Porter did some running and stretching exercises before heading back to the locker room.  Meester was in a sling, and appeared to be in pretty good spirits, agreeing to talk to the press after practice tonight.  Reggie Hayward did not participate tonight, more than likely to allow him to rest the hamstring that has been giving him some issues over the past few days.

Clint Ingram was carted off with a left ankle or foot injury before the team even started stretching.  It did not appear to be too serious, but they took every precaution in order to get him back to the locker room quickly to evaluate the injury.  The same thing happened with Theo Horrocks later on in the practice session as he rolled his right ankle during 7 x 7 drills.

After all that set up, let’s get to the drills.

(More behind the fold!)

Continue reading this post »

Continue reading this post »

The practice this morning was a very light session lasting about an hour.  The players were in baseball caps, shorts, and shirts, so any expectation of real action was tossed out the window the minute they walked out of the stadium. 

The players that did not participate in the drills this morning included Jerry Porter (on sideline with the bulky ice bags in tow), Jeremy Mincey, George Wrighster, Chad Nkang, Brad Meester, Reggie Williams, and Derrick Harvey.

The one interesting thing to note is that the rookie barbershop was open for business, and several of the newbies on the roster were sporting new hairstyles as they took part in practice.  Some were more creative than others, but all were rather entertaining. 

Quentin Groves had one of the more unique styles.  Someone took the time to cut a spiral in his hair that encompassed his entire head. 

Theo Horrocks was also given a pretty special cut, having rings shaved around the circumference of his noggin. 

Thomas Williams was sporting an off-centered Mohawk. 

Alex Boston had racing stripes cut into his hair. 

Several of the rookies were given the “old man” cut where they had the entire tops of their heads shaved and the sides and backs were left alone.  It was certainly good fun for the team, and entertaining for the fans to see. 

Now, let’s get to the drills.

(More behind the fold)

Continue reading this post »

Continue reading this post »

It rained most of the afternoon at the stadium.  The clouds began to part around the time that the Jaguars were making their way out to the field for the second practice of the day.  Conditions on the field were certainly a concern because of the weather, particularly on the field turf where any rain can create quite a slick surface.  The field did not disappoint in that regard.

The team was back on the field in full pads.  The players that did not participate in the evening session included Jerry Porter, Brad Meester, Jeremy Mincey, Chad Nkang, and George Wrighster.  Reggie Williams and Mike Walker both participated in the evening session, and there may be some consequences as a result.  There will be more on that later in the report.

Let’s get straight to the drills:

9 x 7:

The Jags initiated their first 9 x7 drills tonight to work on the running game against the defense.  This is the first time they have ramped up the drill in training camp this year.

A couple of highlights came from the drill. 

Fred Taylor is really looking quick.  Rain or shine, he is clearly the class of the group even at his age.  His ability to cut on a dime, even on a wet field, still amazes after all these years, and he showed both his great cutting ability and his rapid acceleration on one play in particular where the ball started to the left outside of the tackle.  The defense was blitzing from the inside gap, and Fred picked this up as he took the ball.  He quickly cut back into the gap once he had cleared the blitz and turned a short gain into a first down run. 

Maurice Jones Drew clearly wanted to leave his mark on the drill, bouncing to the outside of the right tackle, kicking in the burners, and outrunning the defense to the outside, turning the ball up field and winding up in the end zone.  It was a pretty run by MJD.

Montell Owens showed some nice burst as well, finding a hole in the line inside the left tackle off the guard, punching through the gap.  Once he cleared the line and got into the secondary, he made one cut and drove for a touchdown. 

Chauncey Washington looked solid out there tonight as well, showing that he is also capable of putting on the speed when necessary.  He has an interesting combination of size, speed, and decent enough cutting ability to make him an interesting prospect.  He found a crease inside the right tackle and shook off a defender driving through the hole and turning what was a stuffed play into a solid gain.

2 x 1:

The players in the 2 x 1 drills were pushed to the field turf for their drills.  Because of the rain earlier in the evening, the turf conditions were slick to say the least, and receivers had a real problem with keeping their footing. 

Mike Walker ran a little slant route and immediately slipped on his cut.  He got up and did not appear to be suffering from any problems with the knee, but he was clearly frustrated. 

On the next play, Troy Williamson also slipped on a curl route, falling on the play.

It was up to Matt Jones to run the first route on the field turf that did not end with a player sprawled out on the field.  Jones ran a little out pattern very cautiously, grabbing a Cleo Lemon pass on the sideline before being forced out of bounds.

Ryan Hoag struggled to hang on to the ball on a curl route when Cleo Lemon delivered the ball on target.  Hoag appeared to be fighting the ball, and the end result was an incomplete pass.

When Mike Walker took the field for his second run, he fell again on a slant.  This time, he did not get up quite as quickly, and was clearly focusing on his repaired knee.  After getting up slowly, and as he walked off the field, it looked a lot like when he fell on the field turf earlier this week.  He stretched it out, did some sprints, and made his way back to the drills.

John Broussard ran a deep post route with Isaiah Gunter in coverage.  Broussard streaked by Gunter and David Garrard launched a bomb down field that came up just a little short.  Broussard was able to slow up enough to come back to the ball, and Gunter was right there in coverage.  The receiver won the battle, nabbing the pass and finishing up in the end zone.

Todd Bouman attempted a deep pass to Jeron Harvey who was running a post pattern.  Trae Williams was right on the receivers heels all the way down the field, and when Bouman’s pass was short of the mark, it bounced off of Harvey’s helmet.  When it did, Williams showed great concentration and snagged the ball off Harvey’s lid, intercepting the pass, and turning the other way to get some return yardage.  It was a nice heads-up play by Williams.

Dennis Northcutt beat Rashean Mathis on a slant route, getting an angle on the Garrard pass and making the play in front of Mathis before he could get a hand in to knock the ball away.

Later in the same drill, Northcutt ran a curl route on Mathis, and Rashean was able to get in and bat the ball away.

Troy Williamson made an outstanding adjustment on a David Garrard pass that was thrown short on a post route.  Williamson was able to cut back and make a diving catch in front of Scott Starks. 

6 x 4:

David Garrard hit Mike Walker squarely in the chest on the play.  Walker allowed the ball to get into his body, which made it difficult to hang on to.  The ball wound up popping out and falling incomplete. 

Reggie Williams made a nice jumping grab on the sideline on a pass delivered high by David Garrard.  However, after the play was over, Reggie appeared to come up lame.  After walking away from the sideline, Reggie summoned one of the trainers over.  After talking to him for a few moments, Mike Ryan came over and removed the wrap from his injured knee.  After looking at his knee for an extended length of time, they brought the cart over and took Reggie off.  He never left his feet, so he was standing the entire time that he was being evaluated.  He did walk to the cart on his own, but his facial expression was a clear indication that he was in distress.  Initial reports from the field indicate that his injured knee was just sore.  We will see if that report remains consistent.

Montell Owens had trouble hanging on to a couple of passes, including a quick out route where Todd Bouman put the ball in his hands.  He was already turning up field before he had control of the pass, and the end result was an incomplete pass.

Paul Smith continued to struggle with his accuracy, missing on a couple of plays during this drill.  On a pass intended for Clyde Edwards along the sideline, Smith overthrew him by five feet. 

Mike Walker looked to have shaken off his scare earlier in practice, making a nice diving grab on a pass from Smith that was a little too low and a little too far ahead of his receiver.  Walker was able to pull the ball in before hitting the ground, hanging on to it afterward.

Charles Davis continues to impress with his ability to catch the football and turn the ball up field for a nice gain.  Todd Bouman hit him on the sideline for a 7 yard pass that Davis turned up field and managed to get another 10 yards before being pushed out of bounds.

2 x 1 (Part II):

Marcedes Lewis dropped a pass on a deep slant delivered on target from Paul Smith. 

Fred Taylor made a nice catch on a pass thrown a little high by Paul Smith.  Fred went up and pulled the ball down along the sideline, then showed a nice burst up field after making the catch.

Paul Smith tried to go to Maurice Jones-Drew on a slant pattern.  Justin Durant made a great move to get the inside track, batting the pass away.

When Smith tried to go back to Marcedes Lewis, he threw another stray pass that wound up hitting Durant in the back instead of reaching the intended target. 

Paul Smith tried to connect with Chris Brown on a slant pattern.  Lamar Myles was able to get in and knock the ball loose, forcing an incomplete pass.

Smith overthrew Greg Estandia on a nice out and up.  Estandia had gained separation from Lamar Myles, and was open on the play.  Unfortunately, Smith’s pass fell about 2 yards in front of him.

Chauncey Washington put an exclamation point on the misery that Paul Smith was experiencing during this drill, dropping a pass that was on target and hit him squarely in the hands along the sideline. 

11 x 11 (Part I):

Marcedes Lewis showed a great deal of concentration on a little dump off pass from David Garrard.  The pass was thrown way too high because of an oncoming blitz.  Lewis made an amazing effort to go up and pull the ball down with one hand.  He had to fully extend just to get his hand on the ball.  How he managed to pull it down is beyond me. 

David tried to go to Matt Jones, but Rashean Mathis made a solid defensive play, batting the ball away on a slant route.

Justin Durant came on a blitz, flying into the backfield and flushing Cleo Lemon out, chasing him to the sideline for a very short gain.

Cleo Lemon connected with John Broussard on a deep crossing route.  The pass was threaded into double coverage.  If they were in full contact, Broussard more than likely would have been separated from his head as Brian Iwuh was standing there ready to put a hit on him.  Still, it would have been a long gain.

7 x 7 (Goal Line):

David had Mike Walker open in the back of the end zone, but forced his pass and overthrew his target badly. 

Garrard nailed Marcedes Lewis on a pass over the middle with Clint Ingram in pass coverage.  Lewis made a nice move to shake off Ingram to make the play.

Matt Jones made yet another really athletic grab going over the middle in traffic and pulling the pass down between two defenders.  Lemon’s pass was put up high enough that Jones was able to go up and grab it between the defenders.

David tried to hit Marcedes Lewis on a post route in the end zone.  The pass was thrown short of the target allowing Rashod Moulton to knock it away incomplete.

Cleo Lemon attempted to go to Mike Walker in the corner of the end zone.  Walker had been bumped out of bounds by Rashod Moulton, and then Moulton got a hand on the pass knocking it away.

Todd Bouman connected with Lavarus Giles on a quick slant that resulted in a quick six. 

David Garrard connected with Marcedes Lewis for a touchdown.  Lewis made a great play on the ball after Pierson Prioleau was able to get a hand in and knock it loose.  Lewis managed to keep his concentration and snatch the ball back to complete the play.

Cleo Lemon hit Greg Estandia on a short post pattern.  Estandia appeared to be headed for the end zone when he was stuffed by Pierson Prioleau and Brian Witherspoon, preventing him from breaking the goal line.

David Garrard had Troy Williamson wide open in the end zone after he shook off Prioleau when he broke for the corner, but Garrard overthrew him on the play.

11 x 11 (Part II):

Fred Taylor showed his veteran wiles on one play, allowing a blitz to develop, sidestepping it, and then blowing right through the hole that Pierson Prioleau had just come through.  Fred turned the play into a big gain.

Garrard went to his favorite target, hitting Dennis Northcutt on a deep sideline route with Drayton Florence on his tail.  Garrard was pressured by Paul Spicer, who had come free into the backfield, but stepped away from the pressure and found Northcutt for a big gain.

John Broussard made a wonderful diving grab on a deep post route.  Todd Bouman’s pass was a little low, but Broussard fully extended and nabbed the ball, holding it up and avoiding contact with the ground as he rolled on the turf. 

Cleo Lemon showed that he is very good on the move, rolling to his right to allow a receiver to get open.  Greg Estandia managed to pull away from coverage in order to create an outlet for Lemon, who did a nice job of dropping the pass safely in his hands for a first down.

The drill ended on a sour note as Todd Bouman had a pass stuffed at the line by Tony McDaniel.

Final Impressions:

There was a lot going on at the practice because of the wet field.  Many of us were questioning the logic of putting players into a situation where they run the risk of injury on the field turf when it is wet.  While there are certainly going to be game situations where this is beyond their capacity, they do have control over this in a training camp environment.  With the money invested in these players, it is imperative to reduce the exposure that the players have to potential injury.  Several receivers had trouble maintaining their footing, and when they are slipping on the turf at full speed, there is the serious risk of injury. 

Reggie Hayward had a solid night, and is showing good push off the line and a quick first step.  The pass rush will be dependent upon him remaining healthy and productive, especially if the goal is to keep the pressure on the rookies to a minimum.

Tony McDaniel must stay healthy this year.  He is really starting to become a force on the line, getting consistent penetration and putting pressure on the quarterback.  Against the run, he is much improved in his ability to stuff the gaps.  On more than one occasion during practice, McDaniel was holding point against our running backs, preventing them from getting beyond the line of scrimmage.

Hopefully, the situation with Reggie Williams is not severe, and that the actions taken were simply a precaution. 

More later!

On the morning after the Jaguars had their first contact drills, the practice session this morning was a little lighter on intensity.  The team took the field in shorts and shirts, leaving their helmets in the locker room.  It was hot, so baseball caps were probably a great relief for the guys.

The crowd was pretty thin this morning.  Only a few hundred fans came out to deal with the heat as the Jaguars took the field this morning.

There are a few injury notes to mention.  First, Reggie Williams has been cleared to participate. He was on the field for the morning drills despite the fact that his knee was heavily wrapped.  It was good to see him back on the field.

With all of the media reports last night and this morning centering on the fact that Brad Meester was supposed to be heading to Birmingham this morning to meet with Dr. Andrews, the orthopedic surgeon that operated on his other bicep two years ago.  Imagine my surprise when he was out on the field this morning.  He is not participating, but the fact that he is still in Jacksonville was an interesting twist in the story as it is being reported locally.

The other usual suspects on the injury list included George Wrighster, who has been running with the trainers and looks to be on target with his recovery.  He is not limping or laboring at all, and is doing sprints to strengthen up the knee. 

Jeremy Mincey, Jerry Porter, and Chad Nkang were also non-participants in practice this morning as expected.

With Meester out of the lineup, the new offensive line depth has been shuffled somewhat.  Right now, it looks like Dennis Norman is running with the first team along with Khalif Barnes, Maurice Williams, Vince Manuwai, and Tony Pashos.  Uche Nwaneri and Drew Miller split time with both the second and third teams.

During stretches, the professionals showed that they are not immune to catching a little heat from the coaching staff.  Apparently, a group of players was singled out for something that they had done, and they were forced to run a lap around the practice facility during stretching.  The guys that were doing their lap of shame included Chauncey Washington, Antony Cotrone, Uche Nwaneri, Daryl Smith, and Isaiah Gardner.

Despite the fact that the team was missing helmets, they did run through drills and there were a few highlights to mention, so let’s get to them.

(More behind the fold)

Continue reading this post »

Oklahoma!  Where the hits come sweeping into play!  The Jaguars finally put on the pads and took the field looking to blow off a little steam.  After spending the first few days of practice with their hands tied, the guys were ready to get down to the business at hand.

First, the injured players who were not participating during practice included a new visitor, Brad Meester.  He did not look to be suffering from anything serious.  No wraps, ice, crutches, or boots.  No limp or dragging arm to report.  He just did not participate.  The rest of the injured players that were on the shelf tonight included Chad Nkang, Jeremy Mincey, George Wrighster, Reggie Williams, and Jerry Porter.  Dennis Northcutt returned to practice tonight and looked to be just fine.

Let's quickly take a look at the Oklahoma drill and how I scored it from my perch:

• Uche Nwaneri and Tony McDaniel kicked off the drill with Chauncey Washington at running back.  On the first play, Washington broke through untouched, but neither McDaniel nor Nwaneri broke containment.  It was a draw on my score card.
• In their second run, Lavarus Giles was the running back.  On the play the back did get through, but McDaniel came on late to make the play.  Because the back cleared the pylons before that happened, I gave the win to Nwaneri.
• In round two, Richard Collier and James Wyche went head-to-head with Anthony Cotrone in the backfield.  Collier pretty much pancaked Wyche on the first run, so he got the nod.
• In their second run, Chauncey Washington was the ball carrier.  Wyche was able to hold point against Collier, forcing Washington into the pylon, so I scored it a win for Wyche.
• Charles Davis took on Clint Ingram.  Davis is a mountain of a man, but Ingram made short order of the tight end.  He quickly shook off Davis and planted Lavarus Giles.  Win goes to Ingram.
• In the second go round, Cotrone managed to get by Ingram initially, but Clint disengaged the tight end and clothes lined Cotrone.  Technically, Davis held point and scored the win, but the highlight was clearly the tackle itself.  
• When Matt Jones was called out, it was something that the crowd sort of expected.  When he was tasked with handling Trae Williams, a guy he has eight inches and 25 pounds.  Jones handled the much smaller Williams in round one, and did the same on the second attempt as well.  It did not require a lot of effort for Jones to dispatch the rookie.
• Drew Miller and Thomas Williams went to work next.  In the first run, with Cotrone at running back, Miller completely blew the rookie out of the way, allowing Cotrone to get through untouched.  
• On their second attempt, Miller stuffed Williams, clearing the way for Chauncey Washington to waltz right through unscathed.
• In what was one of the better match ups of the night, Khalif Barnes took on second rounder, Quentin Groves.  On their first attempt, Barnes made Groves look bad, putting a pancake block on the rookie in short order.
• On the second attempt, Groves came back with a great move to toss off Barnes, and he was able to stop Chauncey Washington from clearing the pylons.
• Chris Brown took on Justin Durant. In their first match, Brown did a solid job of pushing Durant out of the way, clearing the path for his running back, Chauncey Washington.
• With their second head-to-head match, the tight end had his hands full as Durant shook his block and stuffed Lavarus Giles at the pylon.
• Vince Manuwai took on Jimmy Kennedy.  It was pretty ugly on their first attempt.  Manuwai made it look easy against Kennedy, walking him out of the way to clear a path for Cotrone.
• On their second attempt it looked like Manuwai might get the better of Kennedy again, but Kennedy pushed back, rolled off, and actually forced a fumble by Chauncey Washington.

Now, let’s get to the rest of the action in the first padded practice.

11 x 11 (Part I):

Garrard had some issues with his accuracy at times tonight.  During the first bit of action, he overthrew Troy Williamson and was almost picked off by Drayton Florence in the process.  He redeemed himself quickly launching a bomb downfield to Dennis Northcutt down the sideline dropping the ball in over the top of Scott Starks.

Rashean Mathis showed some nice closing speed after Mike Walker attempted to shake him with a curl route.  Mathis came back and batted the pass from Garrard away.

7 x 7 (Part I – Goal Line):

Fred Taylor continues to amaze with his precision, and his explosive burst.  Fred really looks strong out there. 

It is interesting watching him preparing for the practices because while the rest of the team is out doing field drills to loosen up, Fred is by himself going through an extensive stretching ritual that is clearly working well for him. 

Maurice Jones-Drew is looking like he is in mid-season form as well.  His burst is pretty ridiculous as he goes from standing still to top speed in the blink of an eye.

As impressive as Fred has looked, he is not perfect.  On a run up the middle, Paul Spicer clubbed him in the head.  When he did, Taylor fumbled the ball.  He was fortunate that the ball took a favorable bounce, and he was able to recover it.  Spicer seemed more concerned about the fact that he had just bopped our top back on the head.

Chauncey Washington had some issues with getting out of the backfield on a couple of plays, getting stuffed at the line on one play, and then getting caught in the backfield by James Wyche on his next run. 

Maurice showed how quick he actually is when he bounced outside and turned on the burners, flying into the end zone for a nifty little touchdown.

More behind the Jump!

Continue reading this post »

Continue reading this post »

Day two started out in similar fashion to opening day of camp.  With a significantly smaller crowd in attendance, the Jaguars took the field under sunny, hot, and humid conditions.  Similar to the practice yesterday, the Jaguars have quite obviously made the decision to shorten the length of the practice sessions considerably over years past.  After initial warm-ups and stretching were completed, the team ran through drills for just about 70 minutes again this morning.

With the dawn of a new day, the return of one of the Jaguars more popular players marked the event.  Fred Taylor, who was excused for practices on Saturday to attend a funeral, was back on the field participating fully with the team.

The players either not in attendance, or not participating included Derrick Harvey, Jerry Porter, Jeremy Mincey, George Wrighster, Mike Walker, Chad Nkang, and Reggie Williams.  Williams was on the field again today, and did some running on the sideline, but his knee is heavily wrapped and he is walking with a slight gait, so it remains to be seen how long he will be out because of this knee issue.

For those clamoring for depth chart talk, the starting offensive line this morning saw less rotation than was done yesterday.  The number one unit was Tony Pashos, Vince Manuwai, Brad Meester, Maurice Williams, and Khalif Barnes.  Collier took fewer snaps today, and continued to wear that belt that appears to be some sort of support device.  It is not certain whether he is dealing with some sort of a back strain, or if it is simply protective gear, but he is the only guy on the field donning such an apparatus.

At linebacker, the starting three are Daryl Smith, Mike Peterson, and Justin Durant.

Maurice Jones-Drew, Dennis Northcutt, and Rashean Mathis rotated on punt return drills.  Keep in mind that this rotation was also used last year during training camp at some point, so I would try not to read too much into that.

Again, this practice was non-contact, so there is not much to report on how good the defensive ends or tackles looked.  Until the pads go on Monday night, it will be difficult to determine just how good they do look.

Now, let’s get to the drills.

11 x 11 (Part I):

Matt Jones continues to show that he is going to at least put up some sort of a fight for a roster spot.  During the first part of practice, Jones was focused on running his routes.  Todd Monken was working with the receivers on their route running, and it appeared that Jones has been doing what he can to speed up the manner in which he gets in and out of his cuts.  During the 11 x 11 drills, this work appeared to have paid off with a couple of really nice catches, including one over the middle with Drayton Florence practically wearing his jersey, and again later when he went over the top of Pierson Prioleau to pull down a nice pass from Garrard.  In both cases, the coverage was spot on, but Matt actually fought to get position on the ball.  This is something that is certainly refreshing to see, and it has now become somewhat of a trend for him.

Ryan Hogue, the long shot wide receiver, made a couple of nice plays early in practice, including a very strong fingertip grab on a deep crossing route.  The pass by Cleo Lemon was a little out in front of the receiver, but he managed to catch up to the pass and bring it in cleanly, catching the ball on the back end.

John Broussard keeps showing the speed that has become his trademark, along with a great set of hands.  He connected with David Garrard on a curl route that should have gone for about a seven yard gain.  However, Broussard rolled out of the curl so quickly that he turned it into a long gain as he ran right by his defender.  Granted, Drayton Florence probably would have made the play had contact been allowed.  Still, the move was quite impressive to watch unfold.

There was a D’Juan Woods sighting early in the session as the receiver made a nice play in traffic on a pass over the middle delivered on target by Cleo Lemon. 

Jeron Harvey had trouble during the practice session with holding on to the ball.  During individual drills, he dropped a couple of passes, and that affliction followed him into 11 x 11’s where he ran a curl route and had the ball delivered on target by Todd Bouman, only to have it bounce off of his hands. 

7 x 7:

As was the case yesterday morning, the Jaguars put the bulk of their focus during 7 x 7 drills on the passing game involving running backs and tight ends.  They did slip in the occasional receiver, but for the most part, it was about the short passing game.

Marcedes Lewis continues to look strong on the field, catching everything thrown in his direction when the ball is within reach.  During this drill, he made a couple of nice receptions over the top along the sideline with tight coverage.  One pass in particular was a deeper out pattern that Lewis ran to the far sideline.  Garrard went over the top and Lewis hauled it in while focusing on keeping his feet in bounds on the play. 

Jeron Harvey rebounded nicely by making a couple of deep catches including one on a deep cross in traffic.  His practice highlight was a deep sideline lob by David Garrard that was hauled in nicely before going out of bounds.

Todd Bouman was the first quarterback of the morning session to be victimized by the defense.  On a sideline pass play intended for Marcedes Lewis, he overthrew his target, finding a teal 27 jersey waiting for the ball with open arms.  Mathis turned the interception into a nice return for nearly 20 yards.

Ryan Hogue made a really nice catch, and probably the highlight of the drill on a deep sideline lob over the top of Rashod Moulton launched by Paul Smith.  Hogue pulled the ball in and made a nice gain on the play.  Unfortunately, he came back three plays later and had a short curl route end abruptly when the pass from Cleo Lemon bounced off of his chest and fell incomplete.

Richard Angulo somewhat redeemed himself from his less than stellar performance in the Saturday morning practice by making a great catch over the top on a deep sideline pass from Cleo Lemon.

Anthony Cottone also continued to make his case for a roster spot (albeit a long shot) by making a couple of good catches in traffic over the middle.  In both instances, he was well covered, but still managed to maintain his concentration to make the play. 

11 x 11 (Part II):

Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor both got an opportunity to open things up and do a little running during the final drills.  The results were mixed.

When Maurice got an opportunity to carry the ball, he bounced off to the left guard side of the line and was stuffed by Reggie Hayward and Daryl Smith who were both waiting for him with open arms. 

When Fred got to carry the ball, he went in the opposite direction, going outside of the right tackle, hitting the burners as he turned the corner, running by Rashean Mathis and turning in a nice gain on the play.  Fred is looking as quick as he has at any time in recent memory.

Chauncey Washington also got a shot at carrying the ball, and he was able to get a nice gain on a play running behind the left guard.  Washington is an interesting prospect to watch.  He’s got good speed, decent size, and he runs with power.  This is a nice combination to have.  If he can keep his head, he will find a spot on this roster.

Charles Davis continues to impress.  It is difficult to comprehend just how big he is until you see him make a play and then turn to deal with a defensive back.  The guy looks more like a small offensive lineman than a tight end out there, but he moves very well, and has good hands.  On one crossing route, he completely swallowed up the ball on the play and carried one of the defensive backs for a few yards before the coaches blew the whistle.  Big man will not go down easily. 

Greg Estandia showed once again that he is a solid receiving tight end, going over the top of Jamaal Fudge to make a nice catch on a deep crossing route delivered by Cleo Lemon.  If Estandia can maintain his health, I do not see much of a challenge for his roster spot.

Marcedes Lewis had what had to be the catch of the day.  Lewis was running a deep post pattern.  Garrard put the ball out in front of him a little bit further than he probably intended to, but Lewis closed the gap and made a fingertip grab in front of Rashean Mathis who was right on his heels.  The way Lewis closed on the ball, and then made the play at full speed with blanket coverage was quite impressive.

Final impressions:

The quarterback situation is an interesting one to watch unfold.  As David Garrard continues to assert himself as being head and shoulders above the rest, the battle for the backup role seems to be working itself out quite quickly.  While his delivery does not come with the same velocity, Cleo Lemon has quickly picked up the offense, and has improved his accuracy and timing considerably.  He continues to make the plays that are demanded of him, and rarely makes a glaring mistake that would be cause for concern.  Lemon does a good job of not trying to force a play where none exists.  This is a good thing because he does not have the arm strength that would allow him to get away with such things.

The running back situation for those final roster spots will be interesting to watch as well.  The top three is clearly determined already, so you’ve got a handful of guys battling for the last spot, and you have players out there with unique talents that are vying for the spot.  Montell Owens and Chauncey Washington are both going to make a solid case.  It comes down to which player is the first to blink.  So far, it is a draw.

The receiving corps is also a fun competition to watch.  These guys obviously understand how difficult the roster spots will be to obtain this year, and they are all doing the best that they can to make a case for them being part of the final five men left standing.  At this point, Williamson, Broussard, and Jones are all making a strong case for the final two roster spots.  With Mike Walker thrown into the mix, the Jaguars may be forced to consider carrying six receivers this year so that they are not tossing a solid player to the scrap heap. 

More later!

Continue reading this post »

[Note by River City Rage, 06/06/08 3:02 PM EDT ]: FBT writes the very best reports on the minicamp and training camp practices.  He was kind enough to post his thoughts on today's practice here.  You can read more from FBT at Jaguars Journal !

It was good to see the team back on the field this morning, sporting their finest shorts and shirts.  Noticeably absent from participation (but still on the field with the team) were Mike Walker (worked with the training staff for most of practice with his knee wrapped.  According to the team, he’ll participate in 1 practice daily), Brian Smith (still walking with an obvious limp), and George Wrighster (knee was wrapped up tightly).

There were a couple of uh-oh moments during the practice session with players that you do not want to see coming up lame.  Jerry Porter participated early in practice, but during one of the catching drills, after making a nice grab on a slant pattern in front of the defender, he clearly felt something wasn’t right.  It was subtle enough, but he sort of hopped, then trotted off to the back practice field, retrieved his cap, and had the trainers wrap up and ice his left knee.

Later, in the same drill, Rashean Mathis pulled up lame after a play.  Again, it did not look serious.  But, he was clearly favoring his right leg and did not participate in any drills after that incident.  With him off the field, Brian Williams moved over to the left side to fill his spot.

Continue reading this post »

[Note by River City Rage, 05/30/08 7:14 PM EDT ]: I'd like to take a second and welcome FBT to Big Cat Country.  He was kind enough to write this overview of the developing 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars!

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter the 2008 season with change on their mind, and a title on their agenda.  With the departure of Marcus Stroud, Sammy Knight, and Bobby McCray, the Jaguars look to get younger, healthier, and more effective across the board.  And it is not only changes to the field personnel that are expected to yield positive results.  Significant changes on the sideline with the departure of Mike Smith, Dave Campo, and Ray Hamilton signal a change in direction for the mindset of the defense as well.

It was only a couple of seasons ago that Marcus Stroud was the Jaguars best defensive player, warranting multiple trips to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl, and creating one half of the tandem that was labeled the twin towers along with John Henderson.  But, injuries caught up with Stroud, causing his production to slip over the past two years to the point where the defense actually performed better when he was not on the field.

In a bold move, the Jaguars traded Stroud to Buffalo, ending his time in Jacksonville, and sending a clear message that change was coming, whether the team needed it or not.

The fact is, change was needed.  Stroud had not been the same player in nearly three years after initially sustaining the ankle injury that lingered through this past season.  Prior to the start of the 2007 season, the mammoth defensive tackle finally had surgery performed with the hope of putting the issues behind him so that he could return to Pro Bowl form.  Unfortunately, the experimental micro fracture surgery held no promise of full recovery, and Stroud was slow to progress upon his return last season.  After suffering another high ankle sprain, he finished the year on the Injured Reserve, relegated to spectator status for the Jaguars playoff run.

With stroud no longer on the roster, the door has been opened to replace him.  Rob Meier and Tony McDaniel were both given contract extensions, and both are expected to compete for starting time on the defensive line.  The Jaguars also brought in former first rounder and fifth year veteran, Jimmy Kennedy, last of the St. Louis Rams.  Kennedy is looking to resurrect a career that has been considered somewhat underwhelming after being selected 12th overall in the 2003 draft.  According to early reports, Kennedy has actually been impressive in the way that he moves.  However, these early reports are based upon nothing more than shorts and shirts practices where contact is at a minimum.  How determined he is to resurrect his career will be identified when the pads go on and the hitting is real.

At strong safety, the Jaguars saw veteran Sammy Knight leave in free agency, landing on the New York Giants roster.  It was widely speculated that Knight would be a one year band-aid for the team with Gerald Sensabaugh sidelined with two shoulder injuries that landed him on the IR.  As good as Knight was in certain aspects, he was a liability in the coverage game, showing his age and limitations.  He was a solid contributor, but clearly a short term solution.  With Gerald Sensabaugh returning from his injuries, and the acquisition of Drayton Florence offering the team flexibility in moving Brian Williams over to the safety position, the team did not have a spot left for Knight.

Prior to the 2007 season, Bobby McCray, who lead the team with 10 sacks in 2006, took the advice of his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and sat out all of the voluntary practices leading up to the season.  He waited to sign the tender offer that the Jaguars had presented him with until the Friday before he was absolutely required to do so.  When he finally returned to the team, McCray was nothing short of disappointing, failing to register a single statistic until late in the season.  McCray's demands never wavered.  He wanted top shelf money, and the Jaguars were intent to let him walk before they would pay the ransom he was asking. 

With McCray out of the way, the Jaguars are leaning heavily on their veteran defensive ends, Reggie Hayward and Paul Spicer, to carry the bulk of the load.  Sensing that his value was on the rise, Spicer took the advice of his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, to sit out the bulk of the voluntary practices.  Spicer, the sack leader in 2007, was facing the possibility of playing 2008 in the final year of his contract.  He is coming off of the best season in his career, and he felt that he deserved consideration for a contract extension.  The Jaguars made an initial offer, which he quickly rejected, and the negotiations continue.  Spicer did sit out until yesterday when he surprisingly arrived for organized team activities in an effort to adjust to the new defensive personnel.

The Jaguars augmented the roster with a clear focus on the pass rush.  With their first two draft picks, the Jaguars went after Derek Harvey and Quentin Groves.  Both defensive ends are pass rush horses, while Harvey is more of an every down defensive end.  According to reports, Harvey has looked outstanding in practices, showing great movement.  One reporter commented that he had never covered a defensive end that moved as well as Harvey does, forward, backward, or side-to-side.  Again, this is all happening without contact, and dressed out in underwear.

Groves has looked exceptionally fast in practices.  But, unlike Harvey, he does not necessarily move quite as well in reverse, or moving side to side.  His straight line speed is his asset, and he will almost certainly be the guy that they bring in on third downs to harass the quarterback.

The rookie tandem has the potential to be a long-term solution to the pass rush problems that have plagued this team for nearly five years now.

On the sideline, the Jaguars got a whole lot louder.  New defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, brings his vocal style of coaching, and his no-nonsense approach to the Jaguars to craft their defensive scheme.  While he will not make wholesale changes to the basic approach that the Jaguars utilize, he will almost certainly bring a more aggressive, attack style of defense. 

New secondary coach, Donnie Henderson, is another vocal coach that is a press coverage disciple.  This will be an adjustment for the Jaguars defensive backs, which have not been pushed to play press previously. 

With Ted Monachino assuming the defensive line coaching position, the Jaguars complete a triumvirate of coaches that are not afraid to let their guys hear them.  In each instance, the style of coaching reflects the expectations that they have for their players on the field.  They want them talking, and they want them to be on the attack on ever snap.

Williams has been so intent on making sure that the team has the basics down that he had his defensive players doing up down drills at both practices this week.  Initially, it was just up downs.  But, on Thursday, he incorporated a sprint into the drill where the players got up and had to race to pylons.  The winner took the cone.  He is clearly working on their conditioning and recovery time as they will almost certainly spend a certain amount of time on the ground.  He wants them to be back on their feet and in pursuit of the ball as quickly as possible, and this is the drill that will help them accomplish that task.

With significant changes, the Jaguars expect to see their fortunes continue to rise.  Last year the goal was to get to the post season tournament, and then win one.  This year, the goals are much loftier, and they have the pieces in place on the defense to make that happen.

-FBT