After 7 weeks of football including a bye week for the Jaguars lets see where the Jaguars rookies stand after 6 games played.

1st Round Pick: - Eugene Monroe (LT)

• Games Played: 5
  
• Games Started: 4 (Ranks 5th among Rookie OT's)
  
• Sacks Allowed: 4 (Ranks 1st among Rookie OT's)

Analysis: Overall compared to the other OT's selected in the 1st round Monroe has been middle of the road. Monroe has allowed 4 sacks, while Oher and J. Smith have only allowed 2 sacks apiece (A. Smith has yet to play a game). Monroe has shinned at times but also shown some weakness which is typical of a rookie OT. Oher has easily been the best OT selection so far but J. Smith and E. Monroe have also been effective at times and shown their value. Monroe has 4 starts already to J. Smith's 2 so we may see Monroe grow a lot faster due to the fact that he is getting more time on the field.

2nd Round Pick: Eben Britton (RT)

• Games Played: 5
  
• Games Started: 5 (Ranks 4th among Rookie OT's)
  
• Sacks Allowed: 3  (Ranks Tied for 2nd among Rookie OT's)

Analysis: Britton, like Monroe, was thrown into the starting job on Day 1. The combination of Monroe and Britton have allowed 7 sacks between them and they rank 1st and 2nd in sacks allowed, not a catagory we want them to be leading. Britton though, like Monroe, have started most of the Jaguars games this season and have faced some tough DL in there first few games such as Dwight Freeny and Mario Williams. Britton has also started a lot of games and the hope is that like Monroe he will start to gain more and more experience and settle down. Overall though the Jaguars two rookie OT's have allowed more sacks then desirable but there has been improvement.

3rd Round Pick: Terrance Knighton (DT)

• Games Played: 6
• Total Tackles: 11 (Ranked 30th among Rookies)
• Solo: 8 / Assists: 3
• Sacks: 0  (Ranked Tied for Last among Rookies)

Analysis: Knighton's statistics are deceiving because his play has been a lot better then his rankings show. Knighton has come in and been able to help the Jaguars defense line play a lot better then most thought they would. Though the Jaguars rank 20th in Rush Defense, everyone who watches Knighton play knows that he has shown great potential and will be a fixture on the line for years to come.

3rd Round Pick: Derek Cox (CB)

• Games Played: 6
• Games Started: 6
• Tackles: 34 (28 / 6) (Ranks 5th among Rookies)
• Interceptions: 2 (Ranks Tied 2nd among Rookies)
• Fumble Recovery: 1

Analysis: Derek Cox has been under pressure since the moment he was draft. So far my opinion of Cox is that he has shown he has great potential which can be seen by his 2 interceptions and flashes of athleticism but at the same time he is a weakness in our pass defense. The reason for a majority of tackles is due to the fact that he is often tackling receivers who have just caught a pass around him. He has often been exploited by opposing QBs which can been seen in our disastrous Pass Defense rankings. Overall though Cox has shown great potential and hopefully with some more exposure he will be able to fix his problems and become the star CB that we all hope he will be.  

4th Round Pick: Mike Thomas (WR)

• Receptions: 14 (Ranks 12th among Rookies)
• Receiving Yards: 121 (Ranks 15th among Rookies)
• Kick Return Yards: 188 (Ranks 8th among Rookies)

Analysis: There is no denying that Mike Thomas has been a spark on offense for the Jaguars. With the emergence of Sims-Walker, Thomas has fallen perfectly into our #3 receiving spot over the last few weeks and is slowly getting more and more comfortable as seen by his receptions and yards which continue to climb each week. Thomas also offers the Jaguars the ability to run reverses which open up the middle for MJD. Overall Thomas' statistics led many to believe that he is an average rookie receiver but since missing the first two games, he has be one of the primary reasons for the great play by the Jaguars receivers over the last few weeks.

5th Round Pick: Jarett Dillard (WR)

• Receptions: 3 (Tied for 27th among Rookies)
• Receiving Yards: 43 (23rd among Rookies)

Analysis: Jarett Dillard is clearly a ways behind his fellow rookie receiver Thomas. Dillard has rarely played and when he does it is normally with the second team. Dillard still has a lot of upside and hopefully as the season goes along he can find a solid role for himself but with Holt, MSW, and Thomas playing well he is unfortunately on the bench for the time being.

6th Round Pick: Zach Miller (TE)

• Receptions: 5 (Tied for 20th among Rookies)
• Receiving Yards: 30 (Tied for 28th among Rookies)

Analysis: Like Dillard, Miller seems to be trying to work his way to get more touches. Miller averages only about a reception a game which is not bad considering he was a 6th round pick. Miller is a long term project for sure but from the little we have seen so far he might work out just great for a late round pick.

7th Round Pick: Rashard Jennings

• Rushing Attempts: 15 (Ranks 9th among Rookies)
  
• Rushing Yards: 60 (Ranks 8th among Rookies)
• Average Yards per Carry: 4.0

Analysis: Jennings, along with Cox, easily had a lot of expectations of him when he entered this season. Though he was only a 7th round pick, many analysts and all of us here at BCC thought he might be one of best 7th round steals ever. Jennings was able to beat out Washington for the #2 RB spot and in the small windows we have seen him (namely the Tennessee and Seahawks games) he has done well for himself. He obviously has a lot of room from improvement but he has a lot of time to grow behind MJD and will hopefully get more touches this season.

Overview

Personally I am overall happy with the most of our rookies so far this season. The fact that we have so many rookies contributing in some form or another is impressive. Obviously we want improvement from all of them for they all have their weaknesses but because they are getting so much exposure so quickly hopefully they will be able to continue to grow and become one of the best draft classes in Jaguars history.

- Kterr

Now I normally try not to look ahead into the future because a lot of things can happen between now and then...but looking at the NFL schedule for the next few weeks makes me really optimistic about where the Jaguars could be by Week 8.

Jaguars Schedule: @Seattle, St. Louis, Bye, @ Tennessee

The Jaguars have probably one of, if the most, favorable schedules over the next four weeks. The combined win total of all three teams is currently only one game. If Jacksonville can sidestep any major upsets in the next two weeks, the Jaguars could go into their bye week 4 - 2. Even though our torching of the Titans is fresh in everyones mind, I would expect the Titans to be a lot more prepared the next time we play them in Week 8. The fact that we have a Bye week before we play them again is perfect because it gives our team a week to recover and plan out how we are going to take down the Titans again. All things considered the Jaguars could be 5 - 2 after Week 8, which considering this is a "rebuilding" year, that would be impressive. Where would a 5 - 2 start put us in the division though?

Colts: @Tennessee, Bye, @St. Louis, 49ers

The Colts have been playing lights out since our close 14 - 12 game on opening day. With Tennessee demoralized and a bye week to prepare for the lowly Rams, I would expect them to be 6 - 0 by Week 7. The enigma is the 49ers game though considering their fast start. Though the Colts are most likely to be favored, it is a losable game for them and if they underestimate the 49ers strength then the Colts could be 6 - 1 and not 7 - 0.

Texans: @Arizona, @Bengals, 49ers, @Buffalo

The Texans have long next four weeks, with 3 of their 4 games on the road...and on  different sides of the country. In my mind next weeks game against the Cardinals is a toss up. It all depends which Cardinals team shows up to play but considering the Texans defensive problems (as in it doesnt exist) this will probably end up in a shoot out between Shaub and Warner. I see the Cardinals winning by purely having more offensive weapons and because they have some resembelence of a defense. The Bengals are a beatable team and their high win total is deceptive, they are not as good as their record indicates (see almost losing to the Browns), Texans win this one. The 49ers should have no problem winning the Week 7 match up if their defense plays like they did yesterday. Finally based on the fact that Buffalo will probably still only have one win entering Week 8 and will also probably have a new head coach, Texans should beat the Bills.

Titans: Colts, @New England, Bye, Jacksonville

Based on their upcoming schedule, the Titans might be the first team to go 0 - 7 after going 10 - 0 their previous season. The Titans have a monster of a schedule with the Colts and New England in the next two weeks. Based on how quickly they gave up against the Jaguars yesterday, I can't see them even being close in the next two games. With a bye week, they can recover and get their mindset back but if Jacksonville wins their next two games, then when they meet in Week 8, Jacksonville is going to have the momentum especially after yesterdays thrashing. The future does not look good for Tennesse. 

Projected Standings after Week 8(AFC South):

Colts : 7 - 0

Jaguars: 5 - 2

Texans: 4 - 4

Titans:  0 - 7

Any thoughts on these projections?

 Just announced on ESPN during the Steelers/Cardinals Preseason Opener. ESPN reports that Vick signed a 2 yr deal with the Eagles and will report to practice tomorrow. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4397938 

Why should the Jaguars care? Well the first game Vick is eligable to play....is the Jaguars third preseason game at Philly. Wondor how much playing time Vick is going to get or if he plays at all.

The Jaguars have signed rookie TE Zach Miller, as reported on Fox Sports.com. http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9745440/Miller-signs-contract-with-Jaguars

Though the contract specifics have not been released, it is nice to see that we have started getting a few of our draft picks sign, even if it is only our 6th rounder. I think every Jacksonville Jaguars fan agrees that a repeat of last years rookie signings is not something that is desirable. Miller may contribute this year but is probably a long term project.

Well I figured since it was the Deadzone and we all are just treading watering until mini-camps start up, we could do some more predictions. I figure a good over/under pool would a good way to pass the time. So let me know what you guys think!

Over or Under:

- Garrard throws 20 TD's

- Garrard throws 12 Interceptions

- MJD reaches 1,200 rushing yards

- MJD rushes for 12 TD's

- Holt reaches 1,000 receiving yards

- Mike Walker reaches 500 receiving yards 

- The rookie receivers combine for catch 7 TDs

- Harvey and Grooves have a combined 10 sacks

- Mathis intercepts 6 passes

- Cox intercepts 2 passes

- The Jaguars win 8 games

Let me know guys, over or under these predictions?

Ok so its been a month or so since ive posted, my bad work has sucked, but I read an article on Whatifsports.com and it got me thinking. Article: http://www.whatifsports.com/beyondtheboxscore/default.asp?article=2009NFLASOUTH . The article predicts that the Jaguars are going to go 5 - 11 again this season and the reason for this is our defense. Though this is only a projection and we all hope we do better then 5 - 11, lets say for a second though that our season does end up like Whatifsports projects. Our biggest concerns would be our defensive line and possibly DB and  we would most likely have another Top 10 pick. What direction does Jacksonville go in? Do we continue to keep David as QB or do we draft McCoy or Bradford with our pick? Do we focus on rebuilding the defense to its former self? Does Del Rio keep his job? I personally think we are going to go 8-8 but I am curious to see what people thought of this projection and where it would leave the state of the franchise.

In a recent article on SI.com, John Mullin ranked the Jacksonville Jaguars QB/RB combo as number 32nd in the league. To repeat, he ranked the Jaguars behind the Raiders, Lions, and Seahawks.....now does anyone else see this as completely crazy. Here is his reasoning:

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Who: QB David Garrard; RB Maurice Jones-Drew

Add/subtract: Fred Taylor, Matt Jones and Jerry Porter leave varying size holes in the offense but adding Tra Thomas up front and Torry Holt gives Garrard some help.

Add/subtract: Taking two OT's (Eugene Monroe, Eben Britton) in the first 39 picks of the draft was a statement and a much-needed one for a front that was 23rd in sack percentage.

Questionable: Garrard's play in general. After a 3-3 start, he had just two 100-plus passer ratings in a 2-8 run and one of those was against the Lions.

The Thought: Jones-Drew is a legitimate threat rushing or receiving, but Garrard has not taken a step he and the Jags need.

This just doesnt make sense to me....here is the full link:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/nfl/05/22/backfields/index.html

We have heavily debated wide recievers over the past few months and also whether we should trade for a wide out. I am opposed to trading for a big name reciever (i.e. Boldin or Edwards). Instead like most I see the value in signing a veteren for a incentive filled deal and then drafting a wide reciever. The reason the Jacksonville Jaguars need Torry Holt is simple...if we didnt sign Holt then people would be screaming and shouting for a wide receiver to be drafted in the first round, but just look at how rookie 1st round pick wide recievers have faired in the last few seasons.

(All Statistics of 1st Round Draft Picks)

 - Since 2004 only Michael Clayton has had more than 1000 yards in his Rookie Season.

- Of the 20 Receivers drafted in the first round since 2004, only 9 have had more then 500 yards in their rookie season.

- The Average Recieving Yards total in their rookie season since 2004: 526.1 yards

- The Average Touchdown Total in their rookie season since 2004: 3.35

What these statistics show is that by drafting Michael Crabtree or Jeremy Maclin, we are not going to fix our recieving group over night, it takes a year or so for these recievers to develop. Hopefully the addition of Torry Holt will allow Jacksonville to find a receiver and develop them because as we can see just because we draft a 1st round reciever doesnt mean we are going to fix everything overnight.

We have been discussing possible trade possiblities for a while and Denver seems to be a possible option, but lets say for a second that we can not get a trade partner allowing us to drop out of the Top 10. What to do now? Should we select the BAP? Personally I say if we can not find a trading partner we should simply let the clock expire...ala Minnisota Vikings.

Last Year Rookie Contracts:

#8 Derrick Harvey - 33.4 Million total possible money, 17.174 Million Guaranteed

#9 Keith Rivers - 23 Million total possible, 15.6 Million Guaranteed

#10 Jerod Mayo - 18.9 Million total possible, 13.8 Million Guaranteed

#11 Leodis McKelvin - 19.4 Million total possible, 12.6 Million Guaranteed

Available Players:

Now the players available at the #8 pick could vary a lot but it is probably safe to say that Stafford, Curry, Smith, Monroe and most likely Crabtree as well. If you take these 5 players off the board then the BAP at #8 could be the following players: Jeremy  Maclin, Brian Orakpo, Mark Sanchez, B.J. Raji, Aaron  Maybin and Everette Brown.

Personally none of these players in my opinion warrant paying a possible 33 million total, probably even more this year. If the Jaguars cant trade out of this position then if we simply let the clock expire then we could drop back to the 10th or 11th pick and pick up a Maclin, Maybin or Everette for almost 15 million less then at #8.