SB Nation User Blog: JaxJagsRep

The Hating on Eugene Monroe has to Stop

JaxJagsRep — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:08:45 -0000

It has gotten out of hand.

Every article about the Jaguars and their starting offensive line these days seems to find a way to rip rookie offensive tackle Eugene Monroe. From the jaguars.com message board to the Bleacher Report the hating seems to have no end. Monroe may have had his struggles in his first two games as a Jaguar but we all must realize that he has gone up against very good opponents. This is more than I can say for last year's first overall pick and pro bowl selection, Jake Long.

Let's all take a step back for a second and revist the rookie season of Jake Long. Drafted first overall after the Dolphins' horrendous 1-15 season the previous year, the Dolphins had high hopes for Long. Their hopes were answered with results as the rookie cruised to allowing only 2.5 sacks and was elected to his first pro bowl. However, it was no secret that the Dolphins and Long had a favorable schedule in 2008, as a matter of fact, the only respectable pass rusher that Long faced all year was Mario Williams of the Houston Texans. In the game against Houston, Long was dominated by Super Mario and allowed 2.0 sacks (he would only let up 0.5 sacks to the other sub-par defensive ends he faced that season). But, at the end of the day people didn't hesitate to immediately write him off as one of the most dominant offensive tackles in the game as most people did not notice that he was not so dominant when he was faced with a challenge. The Dolphin's first game of the 2009 NFL Season was against the Atlanta Falcons and sack machine John Abraham. Chad Pennington went into the game expecting his blind side would be in good hands (as it had been most of 2009). However, to many peoples' surprise, Abraham completely dominated, as Long allowed 2.0 sacks (just like he did against Mario Williams in 2008). My point is that the rough competition and the early struggles of our own Eugene Monroe may in fact be a blessing in disguise. By going up against top of the line defensive ends in his first three games (Dwight Freeney, Darnell Dockett, and Mario Williams) Monroe will gain the experience needed to one day be a dominant offensive tackle in this league. People need to realize that his struggles will benefit him in the long run where as going up against poor competition may hurt him (as it did Jake Long). Get off his back Jaguars' fans, one day he will be great, for now we must just give him time.

Could an aging Matt Light lead to a fall for Tom Brady and a young Eugene Monroe lead to a rise for David Garrard?

JaxJagsRep — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 01:06:34 -0000

via www.projo.com

A good blindside body gaurd makes for a great quarterback.

Maybe you've observed it or not but Patriot's left tackle Matt Light has seen a significant drop off in his performance as he ages. In 2008 while blocking for Matt Cassel, Light let up 7.5 sacks (23rd best in the NFL). His performance was far different from his earlier days while in his prime as he made the Pro-Bowl in 2006 and 2007. There is no question that Light was a massive part in the success of Tom Brady. However, with Brady coming off an injury and Matt Light no longer in his prime, is it possible we see a significant drop off in Brady's performance this year? It is safe to say that the elite quarterbacks in todays game have very good offensive tackles protectiong their bling side. Let's just take a look at some examples. Peyton Manning was protected early in his career by Tarik Glenn, a three time Pro-Bowl selection and is now protected by Tony Ugoh who only allowed 3 sacks last year (sixth best in the NFL). Donovan McNabb has always had his blind side monitored by Tra Thomas (now a part of our beloved Jaguars), another three time Pro-Bowler. Tony Romo's protection comes from 5 time Pro-Bowler Flozell Adams who is consistently one of the best in the league. Now let's compare these stats to the quarterbacks who aren't so elite. Aaron Rodgers (who it's not fair to blame the Packer's poor '08 season on) is protected by Chad Clifton who was one of the leagues worst tackles last year after allowing 7.5 sacks. Even our own David Garrard had a poor left tackle in Khalif Barnes that played a big role in Garrard's poor season in 2008 (Barnes also let up 7.5 sacks and was consistently flagged for holding). Trent Edwards in Buffalo may have seen his season diminish due to the poor play of his left tackle Jason Peters. Despite being a Pro-Bowl selection, Peters was the worst in the league when it came to allowing sacks as he let 11.5 get by him (there are also many who speculate as to why he was selected to go to Hawaii). The stats just plain make sense. It's blatantly obvious that the elite quarterbacks are protected by elite offensive tackles where as the struggling quarterbacks are protected by low grade left tackles.

When the Jaguars selected Eugene Monroe last April, David Garrard was suddenly given that elite left tackle (or at least he has the potential to be elite) that could catapult him to the top of the league. If Monroe turns out to be a consistent Pro-Bowl selection, the statistics show that David and whichever quarterbacks follow him, will turn out to be very good players.

On the other hand, as Matt Light's performance diminishes as he ages, the Patriots and Tom Brady could be in for a rude awakening come the start of the season. Every Jaguar fan remembers the playoff game in New England in 2007 where Brady could have read a newspaper and have a cup of coffee behind his invincible wall of protection. The question is, will this be the case in 2009? Or, will Matt Light return to form, allowing Brady to stay as one of the league's best (if not the best) quarterbacks?

Poll

Is the luxury of having an elite left tackle overlooked when it comes to the success of a quarterback?

Absolutely, Brady wouldn't be the same player without such a great tackle in Matt Light

42 votes

No, Brady would've been the same caliber quarterback even if he were consistently being drilled in the back with a low grade LT

9 votes

The stats don't lie, but maybe it's just a coincidence

12 votes

63 votes | Poll has closed

Greg Jones Needs Another Chance at RB

JaxJagsRep — Wed, 27 May 2009 23:55:49 -0000

A Pro-Bowler in 2007 and Florida State's 6th all-time leading rusher, Greg Jones seems to be overlooked by many when it comes to the Jaguars rushing attack. Perhaps he should be taken into more consideration seeing as when he is healthy, Jones is a freak of nature. Standing at 6'2" and 254 lbs Jones ran the 40 yard dash in the 4.4 range coming out of college. That should tell you what kind of athlete this guy really is.

Thus far, Jones' career has been plagued by several injuries that seem to continuously set him back. In 2005 when Greg was healthy, he rushed for 575 yards and 4 touchdowns despite only getting a few carries per game while Fred Taylor took most of the load. The seasons following would see Greg suffer from 2 major knee injuries. However, in 2007 Jones rose above the injuries and made the pro-bowl as a fullback. Jones has proven that he is without a doubt one of the top fullbacks in the NFL but it is difficult to ignore his incredible athletic ability and freakish phisique. What would happen if the Jaguars were to give him another chance at tailback and the oppertunity to spell Maurice Jones-Drew. Could Montell Owens take over at fullback while great played halfback? Or will the Jaguars even consider him for a tailback position because of his great ability to play fullback. Greg's combination of speed and size make him an ideal NFL halfback. Now that he is back healthy once again, can we at least give him one more chance at the position he excelled at in college and at times in the NFL?

The Jaguars did draft running back Rashad Jennings out of Liberty this year. He also posseses the rare combination of speed and size like Jones. Most Jaguars fans (including myself) are excited for this kid to come in and possibly be the backup to MJD. But let's not jump on the unproven rookie's bandwagon just yet. Despite being thought of as a second to third round draft pick by most analysts, Jennings' fall in the draft may have come due to his low level of competition in college. Will he translate well into the NFL after playing against mediocre to poor talent in College? There is no doubt that he will get his shot and that we will all be rooting for him, but Greg Jones may be the better option at this point. He has proven that he can play at a high level in the NFL (when healthy) and that he is a Pro-Bowl caliber player. As training camp nears, it will be very interesting to see if the Jaguars give Greg Jones a fair shot at running back, or if they write him off as a fullback and decide to give him minimal carries during the year. There is no doubt that players like Jennings and Chauncey Washington will be given their oppertunity to spell Maurice Jones-Drew, but will Greg Jones be given the same luxury? Plenty of people out there, like myself, would argue that Jones has done more than enough to earn a shot at being one of the feature backs for this franchise.

-JaxJagsRep

Left Tackle: Monroe, Thomas, or Britton?

JaxJagsRep — Sun, 24 May 2009 21:40:28 -0000

Regardless of who starts... David will be safer.

If there's one positional battle worth watching this off-season, it's at the left tackle spot. The Jaguars are stacked at the position after acquiring Tra Thomas via free agency, and Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton through the NFL draft. However, only one can play the left tackle position, which brings us to the question, who will start?

Obviously, Tra Thomas has the experience edge, the 11 year veteran is a 3 time Pro-Bowler and was a huge part of Donovan Mcnabb's success as he protected the blindside in Philidelphia for over a decade. However, there are questions as to whether or not the 34 year old Thomas can hold up over the long season. Thomas has also struggled throughout his career in run blocking which has been a huge part of Jack Del Rio's gameplan since taking over in Jacksonville. Will Tra Thomas be the one to continue his long career as a starting left tackle in Jacksonville?

Some people had Virginia tackle Eugene Monroe as the highest rated player in the 2009 NFL Draft. It was a shock to most (including the Jaguars) to find Monroe still available to the Jaguars at the 8th overall selection. It was almost a no-brainer pick, despite having Michael Crabtree still on the board. Monroe comes into the NFL as possibly the most polished rookie offensive tackle in the league. The question for Monroe is not if he will start at left tackle, but when.

Unless some catastrophic injury were to plague his career, his eventual starting at left tackle for the Jaguars is almost inevitable. Monroe was elected all ACC in 2007 and 2008 after allowing no sacks in 2007, and just 2.5 in 2008. After a showdown with ACC rival Georgia Tech, and their highly touted defensive end Michael Johnson (selected by the Cincinatti Bengals in the third round of the draft), Monroe shot up draft boards around the league. He shut down Johnson virtually the entire game leading the Cavaliers to an upset victory over the Yellow Jackets.

Eugene is viewed as more of a pass blocker than a run blocker due to his incredible footwork, however his run blocking ability is highly underrated. Monroe's elite play in college landed him in the first round of the draft and the Jaguars hope he can be as effective in the NFL. Will Eugene Monroe step in as the starter in '09?

Our last canidate for the starting left tackle position is an unlikely one. Eben Britton, the second-round pick out of Arizona, is seen by most as the future right tackle for the Jaguars. His feet in no way compare to Monroe's, however, his passionate attitude makes up for his lack of footwork (just take a look at his post-draft comments).

He is known as a good drive blocker and will contribute well in the run-game. He has average pass protecting ability which is why most see him as a right tackle in the NFL. He also has the versatility to slide inside to gaurd in his first few years if needed. Britton posesses great leadership qualities too after serving as a team captain in Arizona. Many teams thought of Britton as first round talent and the Jaguars were yet again fortunate to find him available at the 39th pick. Can Eben Britton's fire and determination land him at the left tackle for the Jaguars this season (He was a first round rated player by the Jaguars' admittedly)?

I'll wrap up by saying this, most likely the battle for the job will be between Monroe and Thomas with Britton being the dark horse. Tony Pashos has shown year in and year out that despite being a good run-blocker, his inability to pass block continues to haunt him. I just don't see why this guy makes the team as a starting offensive tackle every year. Pashos will probably either be moved inside to gaurd, used as depth, or traded before the beginning of the year unless he makes a dramatic improvement in his ability to protect David Garrard. All eyes will be on the battles in the trenches this offseason as the starting left tackle emerges for the 2009 season.

-JaxJagsRep

[Editorial Note: This is JJR's first post to the site, it is very nicely done. Be sure to welcome him to the site. - Collin]

Poll

Who should start at left tackle in the 2009 season?

Eugene Monroe

158 votes

Tra Thomas

175 votes

Eben Britton

4 votes

I don't really care, all I know is Tony Pashos is terrible

56 votes

393 votes | Poll has closed