SB Nation User Blog: cuffs007

Reggie Williams hurt again?

cuffs007 — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 02:36:00 -0000

Say it ain't so, Joe!

The Florida Times Union is reporting that Reggie Williams may have reinjured his knee on the same day he was taken off the PUP list. I hope this injury bug get's whacked soon and leaves the Jaguars camp. I know some players are bound to get bitten, but it usually causes me some dread. Anyone have any thoughts on possible interest in (former) Dallas Cowboy Terry Glenn? Do we really need a WR with age and injury concerns right now? To read the blurb, go here.

Finally laid to rest...

cuffs007 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:42:51 -0000

We can finally lay to rest the saga of Jason Taylor. Could the Jags have gotten him for the price the 'Skins paid? I'm sure we could have, but I'm very glad we have a solid combination of youth and veteran leadership in the DE spots.

ESPN.com is reporting that Jason Taylor has been traded to the Washington Redskins. The 'Skins lost one of their DE's in the first training camp practice and moved quickly to snap up Taylor. Miami received a 2nd round pick in 2009 and a sixth rounder in 2010. I'm glad this happened so it won't pop up again in rumor city. To read the rest of the article, click here.

Please, no more Favre

cuffs007 — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:14:30 -0000

Don't get me wrong. I like Brett Favre. He was one of the game's best QB's. I enjoyed watching him play when he seemed to be really having fun. But...

ESPN has some ideas on where he might make a good fit this year if an opportunity arose. Here is the blurb from ESPN.com.

" Jacksonville Jaguars: David Garrard fits the Jaguars' system well and management is committed to him. If he were to suffer an early preseason injury and Favre still had the itch to play, the on-the-verge Jaguars would be a great fit. "

If you'd like to read the whole article, then jump to this spot.

I'd like to hear everyone's opinion on the above situation. Jaguar and any other team's fans thoughts are welcome, of course. Personally, I wouldn't want that situation to occur. I would hope the coaches have the right backup in place if it did. I'm kinda nervous about our backup situation for the moment. I hope and pray that training camp inspires one of them to step wayyyy up to make me feel secure.

Another positive story

cuffs007 — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:31:31 -0000

It's still refreshing to see the good things that players and coaches do in the NFL, right?

It still confuses me how NFL screw ups get the most attention, while the people with an actual heart who aren't selfish get the backpage story space in small print. Yeah, yeah, I know that all that negative stuff sells papers and brings people to websites, but what does that say about us as a civilization? Not so pretty, huh? Stick with BigCatCountry.com and you will see great stories about great people. Leave all that negative stuff to the shmo's(sp?) who are too lazy. Click right here for the article about a day at a kid's camp with Joe Zelenka, from Jacksonville.com.

Something positive!

cuffs007 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:12:22 -0000

With a plethora of negative stories floating around the NFL these days, it's always a pleasure to see someone stepping up and making a commitment to their community. Jack Del Rio is already involved in some superb organizations on a national level, but he now maintains a great foundation here in Jacksonville.

I really don't want to read about who got robbed in the NFL, or who did the robbery, shooting, or other tawdry garbage. So much emphasis is placed on reporting sensationalist poop that sells newspapers or what brings readers to their websites. I believe that Big Cat Country has much more to offer when we publish stories about the lighter and heartwarming side of life in the NFL. Take a moment to see what Jack Del Rio is up to with his new foundation right here.

Jaxson De Ville vs. Raiders fans (Updated)

cuffs007 — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 04:47:03 -0000

[Note by River City Rage, 06/15/08 1:14 PM EDT ] : Somethings not quite right with CBS's voting. Somehow this battle drew more than a million votes, when others averaged in the tens of thousands. Someone's clearly figured out how to "freep" the poll. This is such an "Oakland Raiders" thing to do. What we do know is that before the poll went crazy, Jaxson was winning.

We should go "recount" on CBS. Get some activists in front of CBS headquarters, get as many lawyers that we can afford, and maybe there's a retired Secretary of State out there that will be the public face during the democratic crisis.

-Chris

C'mon everyone! Go vote for Jaxson De Ville to beat those crazy Raiders fans! The voting is getting closer, so don't delay! You don't want to see fans from Oakland to beat our beloved mascot do ya? Practice for the upcoming elections by making your choice for the right candidate. Maybe not for the presidency, but winning the best mascot in the NFL is way too important to pass up. What are you still doing reading this? Go! Now! Enjoy.

Head over now to this spot and Vote now! We have to fill the "dead zone" with fun stuff too, right?

Spinning Ticket Sales

cuffs007 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:56:02 -0000

This is a great article that shows how some spin has made ticket sales look pretty poor, causing all sorts of other negative attraction to our beloved Jaguars. I would like to say that, if you can afford to, go out and get season tickets, bundled game packages, or even single game tickets. It's so much better to see a game in person! Plus, it's a win-win situation for the fans and Jaguars organization.

From Tim McClellan at MVN.com .

With all of the hoopla surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars, local media has had to resort to spinning things in any way possible to paint the situation with ticket sales in a negative light.

The Jaguars currently have fewer than 4,000 non-premium season tickets remaining in order to declare the 2008 season a sell-out, avoiding blackouts. This number has been touted as being behind the pace for ticket sales in 2006 when the local media has reported on this. What has not been reported is that the team is actually ahead of their numbers for 2007. Renewals are up by 10% over previous years, and the number of tickets that need to be sold in order to avoid blackouts is smaller than the threshold that the team had to contend with last year...

[Note by River City Rage, 06/10/08 7:14 PM EDT ]: Tim, aka FBT, writes for Jaguars Journal, a fine MVN site. This article is fantastic, and the rest of it may be read here.

Jags' DL not suffering without Stroud (ESPN.com)

cuffs007 — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:09:55 -0000

Another short, but sweet, article from ESPN.com. Maybe the should just email me the articles when published so I can post them quickly over here. Don't forget that Big Cat Country is all you need for Jaguars information. You can't email the NFL, ESPN, CBS Sportsline, or any other NFL website and expect a response like you do here. The kind of service and community you get at this website is unequivocally the best! *cuffs007*

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

While watching the Jacksonville Jaguars practice over the weekend, it was a little weird not seeing Marcus Stroud lined up next to John Henderson in the middle of the defensive line. But it was also comforting for the Jaguars to see what they have at defensive tackle after sending Stroud out of town in the offseason.

The spot next to Henderson is wide open, but Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio likes to talk about creating a competitive environment everywhere and he's got one at defensive tackle that could make this line better. Del Rio's not sure how things will sort out exactly, but there are some good possibilities.

Tony McDaniel showed enough in a backup role last season to convince the Jaguars to extend his contract and he's got a shot at a starting job.

"It's a great opportunity for him,'' Del Rio said. "We got him extended. We believe the arrow is going up with him right now. We're counting on him being part of our rotation right now.''

The Jaguars are also high on Derek Landri and Rob Meier, who were in the rotation last year. That would seem like a pretty solid rotation. But there's one more wild card in the mix. That's Jimmy Kennedy, who flopped with the Rams, but is looking impressive in offseason workouts

. "Jimmy Kennedy's here with a chance to fight for a spot and he's got a chance to kind of change the course of his career,'' Del Rio said.

Harvey & Groves (from ESPN)

cuffs007 — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:19:33 -0000

Hope you folks don't mind me pulling articles and blurbs from other websites. I think it's easier to come to Big Cat Country for all of your Jaguars news. I know Chris and Collin are busy putting together some really interesting items all the time. So, it's a small contribution from me, but at least you don't have to look all over the web during this time of the year. Big Cat Country is all you need!

Pat Yasinskas covers the NFL for ESPN.com.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

-- On a Saturday in April, Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves forever were linked together.

This fall and winter, the Jacksonville Jaguars would like their two rookie defensive ends to be linked to Peyton Manning and Tom Brady -- or at least getting close to the two quarterbacks who have separated this team from the AFC's elite.

Think back to last season, when Brady seemed to have all day to find receivers (completing 26 of 28 passes) and New England eliminated Jacksonville from the playoffs. Or think back to the Jags' two regular-season games against Indianapolis. Manning threw five touchdown passes as the Colts defeated the Jaguars twice and strolled to their fifth straight AFC South title.

Those three games exploited a weak pass rush that couldn't get near Brady or Manning. If the Jaguars, who appear solid everywhere else, are ever going to close the gap on the Colts, they need a defensive front that can apply some pressure.

That's why Harvey and Groves will be under pressure to produce immediately. They didn't come at a cheap price as the Jaguars traded up in the first round to snag Harvey with the eighth overall pick and jumped up again to get Groves in the second round.

"It was obvious that we weren't going to be able to solve it in free agency, so we really turned our attention to the draft," Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio said. "We were able to come out with two of the best three or four pass-rushers in the draft."

As the Jaguars began a two-day minicamp Friday, veterans Paul Spicer and Reggie Hayward were the ends for the first-team defense. For the moment, Del Rio doesn't want to rush his two rookies.

"What they are now is draft prospects,'' Del Rio said. "They have to get here and pan out. You bring these young men in here with a lot of competition and make them earn their way up the ladder and onto the field. Hopefully, in the end, the by-product of that competitive environment is waves of people that can get there and help you harass the quarterback a little bit better."

But the Jaguars didn't make those draft day trades for Harvey and Groves to come in and sit on the bench.

If you look into Del Rio's history, look to 2002 when he was defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers. Julius Peppers was taken by the Panthers with the second overall pick in the draft and was working with the first team on the first day of camp. By the end of the season, Peppers was a big reason why the Panthers had one of the league's best defenses.

Spicer and Hayward might play important roles, but you can bet the Jaguars want Harvey in the starting lineup and Groves at least getting a lot of time in the rotation by Week 3. That's when the Jaguars travel to Indianapolis after opening at Tennessee and playing host to Buffalo.

"We have to go into training camp prepared as if we're every-down defensive ends and not just focused on the pass rush,'' Groves said. "When it's time to rush the quarterback, we rush the quarterback. When it's time to play the run, we play the run."

At 6-foot-5 and 271 pounds, Harvey has enough size to be an effective run defender. Groves, 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds, might be a little undersized to be a strong run defender. But that might not matter all that much. Both were brought in almost entirely for their ability to rush the passer.

That's what they do best. Groves led Auburn with 7½ sacks as a redshirt freshman and his play only got stronger each year. He also brings some versatility after playing last season at outside linebacker after injuries forced the Tigers to juggle players. Groves often looked awkward as a full-time linebacker, but has the size and potential to be used as a rushing linebacker at times. But the real plan is to let him stay at defensive end, where the Jaguars seem to believe that two rookies are better than one.

Harvey tied for fifth in the SEC with 8½ sacks last season while playing for Florida. Groves gave Auburn steady production throughout his career, finishing tied for fifth in school history with 26 sacks.

The link between Harvey and Groves already is in the minds of Jacksonville fans. As players walked through a gated area at the end of the first practice, fans lined the gates and repeatedly begged Harvey and Groves to sign autographs, while quietly letting some big-name veterans walk by.

Both players stopped and signed for about 10 minutes, Groves chatting away with fans and Harvey quietly scribbling on one item and moving on to the next.

For all their similarities as players and all the similar expectations, Harvey and Groves are about as different as two players can be. Jacksonville's media relations staff is doing its best not to overwhelm the shy Harvey. In a tunnel outside the stadium and away from fans, players and other media members, Harvey did two very short interviews.

He's pleasant, but a man of few words. After a few minutes of conversation, about all Harvey would reveal was he was happy to be staying so close to Gainesville and he had just moved into a condo in downtown Jacksonville.

"I just want to work hard, get better every day and help this team win," Harvey said.

The ice seemed to break a bit as Harvey smiled and laughed when asked about his growing relationship with Groves, but he still delivered a one-sentence answer.

"We help each other with the playbook and we hang out together, too," Harvey said.

A few minutes later, Groves, who likes to talk and doesn't mind doing it in large groups, was brought into a media room where cameras, microphones and tape recorders clicked away. He was asked about his shy new friend.

"He's the same way behind the scenes," Groves said. "You're going to have to talk to Derrick before Derrick talks to you. I try to get him to open up a little bit more. A couple more encounters, a couple more nights out with him, he'll be OK."

If Groves and Harvey can share a few more encounters standing around fallen opposing quarterbacks, the Jaguars might be a lot better than OK.

ESPN's take on Jaguars camp

cuffs007 — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 02:14:36 -0000

Training camp report from ESPN...

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas Some observations from the first workout of Jacksonville's minicamp: We'll have to wait and see how this truly plays out, but the trade for wide receiver Troy Williamson from Minnesota might turn out to be a steal. All the Jaguars had to give up was a sixth-round pick for a guy who had first-round talent when he came into the league. Williamson flashed that talent today, making several nice catches. He also talked after practice and it sounds like he's out to prove Vikings coach Brad Childress wrong. If Williamson and Jerry Porter can play up to their potential, the Jaguars suddenly could have a strong receiving corps, although Matt Jones, a first-round pick in 2005, still hasn't shown much and could be playing for a roster spot. Nice gesture by all the Jacksonville coaches. They wore "AP Falcons'' hats to practice after making donations to help raise money for the victims of the recent tornado in Parkersburg, Iowa. Center Brad Meester is one of four NFL players from Parkersburg. The "AP'' stands for Aplington-Parkersburg High School, which Meester attended. Green Bay's Aaron Kampman, Denver's Casey Wiegmann and Detroit's Jared DeVries also attended the high school. The Jaguars also sold hats to fans attending minicamp. The hats are available at jaguars.com. The Jaguars have four players trying out during minicamp and former Minnesota running back Ciatrick Fason may be the most interesting of that group. Fason played for the Vikings when tight ends coach Mike Tice was the head coach in Minnesota. Fason said he was close to signing with a team in the Canadian Football League before the Jaguars invited him in for a tryout. Receivers Ryan Hoag and Bennie Brazell and running back Lavarius Giles also are trying out. The Jaguars used early picks on defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, but veterans Paul Spicer and Reggie Hayward got the work with the first team. But it's probably only a matter of time until Harvey and Groves start getting some time with the starters.