If you have watched any news at all in the last week or so, you guys all know that a storm has hit the northeast and absolutely covered the area in white. Take a look at what NASA satellites saw from space just yesterday:

Via TheDailyGreen.com

Early forecasts show that it probably wont be snowing come game time, but it will be somewhere around the 30s or 40s with 10+ mile per hour winds. Hardly Jacksonville weather. Definitely New England weather. Does that mean the Patriots are at an advantage in this weather, or does it actually play to the Jaguars' strengths? Is a white Christmas weekend in New England what we want as Jaguar fans?

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In May of this year, Collin wrote an article titled "Consistent Inconsistency: Why the Jaguars haven’t sustained success." In the article, he talked about the impact Gene Smith will have on the franchise, coming to a conclusion proclaiming:

Welcome to the third era of Jaguars football, an era that will be marked by leadership, frugality, and a team-first mentality. Say good-bye to being consistently… inconsistent.   

While I can't say I disagree with that completely, I'm not going to agree with it fully either. Gene is going to usher in this new era, of that I'm sure; however, I believe our Editor-In-Chief may have been a little premature in his declaration. 

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I have a quick trivia question for Jaguar fans. How many times have the Jacksonville Jaguars been 7-5 in franchise history prior to this year?

The answer is only once.

In 2006, the Jaguars defeated the Dolphins to improve their record to 7-5 as they approached the final stretch of games to decide their playoff fate. Byron Leftwich had been lost for the season long before and David Garrard was given the task to lead the team into the postseason.

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(via www.jaguars.com)

During training camp, Jaguar fans made sure to be cautious with their hopes for the 2009 season. It was understood that this was to be a rebuilding year, and that although improvement over the course of the year was what to be expected, the playoffs were not. After all this was a team featuring four rookie starters in week One of the season. Two of those rookies, Derek Cox and Terrance Knighton, were on a defense trying to recover from a poor 2008 season in which the unit finished 21st in the league. 

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Who knew that this game would be the pinnacle of Landri's career as a Jaguar

Our De La Salle High School grad count was cut to one today, as Derek Landri was sent to waivers so that James Wyche could be activated to the 53 man roster. 

In 2007, Derek was thought to be one of the draft steals, falling all the way to the 5th round despite being mocked as a 3rd or 4th round draft pick. Chris was happy when the Jaguars selected him and he wasn't the only one. Landri quickly showed his worth with a strong preseason performance that earned him a spot on the squad. He didn't see many snaps until the end of the season, but in the last few games he saw a considerably larger amount, culminating in a wild- card matchup against the Steelers.

In the game, Derek put on a show and finished the with a sack and an interception. At that point in time he became one of my favorite Jaguars. I mean, come on, who doesn't like an undersized guy who works his butt off to make things happen. 

During the offseason, Landri said he wanted to gain some muscle mass, but still keep his speed which was his biggest asset. Most Jaguar fans expected to see growth out of the young DT, and there was some, but very little. He had an up-and-down season, although he did manage to record 10 QB pressures and 2 sacks. His run stopping ability was still questionable and the weight didn't appear to be enough, but the pass rushing was still there. Derek provided the team with a change of pace DT who could penetrate into the backfield.

Coming into 2009, Landri made the same commitment to gain weight; however, it appears that things did not go as planned. It's difficult to judge his play due to the lack of time he got on the field. The only rationale for his drop-off, would be that Derek gained too much weight and it affected his speed. Without the exceptional speed, Derek is simply not that good of a player. His run support didn't compensate for the lack of pass rush. Couple that with the addition of Terrance Knighton, Atiyyah Ellison and Montavious Stanley, and you see why Landri became the odd man out. He became strictly a situational player. 

Yet another Shack Harris draft pick has been purged from the roster by Gene Smith. I was always pulling for Derek Landri to make the step from jar on the shelf, to a good player, and I'll pull for him to find success elsewhere. Good luck Derek and thank you for contributing in the biggest Jacksonville victory of this decade.

-Adam

Beasley, Bryant, Mathis and Cox (pictured left to right)

Derek Cox has struggled at times this season and is thought by some as the weak point in the secondary. However, the skill set is there and the expectation for growth is evident from the fans, as most believe Cox will be an excellent cornerback in the NFL. Derek has started 11 of his first 11 career games in the NFL, a huge accomplishment in its self and he looks to have a bright future ahead of him.

But how does his rookie season compare to those of Jaguars who established themselves as accomplished CBs for the Jaguars franchise? Aaron Beasley was a 3rd round selection out of West Virginia by the Jaguars in the 1996 draft and went on to play 6 seasons for the team before leaving to the Jets in 2002. Fernando Bryant was a 1st round selection in the 1999 draft from Alabama and played 5 years for the franchise before departing for Detroit in 2004. Rashean Mathis was a 2nd round selection in the 2003 draft out of Bethune Cookman and has played for Jacksonville the last 7 years. How does Derek Cox's first 11 games compare to the first 11 games of the franchise's best cornerbacks?

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