Jaguars Look To Retake AFC South

by PhoenixJaidin | 8 years ago | 0 Comments

After falling short in another AFC Wild Card showdown, this time against their divisional rivals, the Indianapolis Colts, in a game where they lead by 3 touchdowns and then fell apart in the final stretch, Jacksonville's management went on a weekend retreat, where they discussed options, plans, changes, and instilled a new brand of chemistry. Despite the elite status of their defense last season, in the final stretch of games, the team allowed more yards and points by nearly double it's season averages for the first three quarters of the season, including taking 3 big losses in the final 4 games of the season before the playoff bomb. Still, despite two less than stellar season finishes, the front office believes in coach Klepper, nicknamed the Raging Asian for his demeanor on the field. And so the team went to work putting together a new look for the coming season.

They started with resigning a veteran that they were unable to come to terms with during the regular season in MLB Brandon Watts. He brings both veteran knowledge of the team's defensive gameplan as well as solid value at his positions for a coach who knows how he operates and what he expects of him. Then, they added a whole new look by signing a veteran blocking fullback in Lee Smith, a versatile running back in Demonte Powe and a pure speed back in Keith Marshall. They also brought in veteran tight end AC Leonard to give him a chance to show what he is capable of, as he is similar to Will Tye and provides a good backup punch, especially with Julius Thomas aging. Finally, they brought in young Hunter Kitchen, a solid offensive lineman who just needs a bit more teaching in the running scheme but should prove to be a valuable asset along a line that is starting to show its age. Defensively, they brought in linebacker Eric Pinkins, a former cornerback who has since transitioned into the linebacker role as a solid coverage defender, capable of matching up with the pesky tight ends of the evolving game of professional football. They also signed diamond in the rough defensive lineman Rayquez Poyer, a former Seminole who is represents a solid stopping force along the defensive line.

The draft brought another new dimension to the team, as Jacksonville adjusted it's gameplan from where it had drafted the last few seasons. In the first round, the team took talented slot receiver DeMarcus Huntington out of Tennessee, a very quick learner who thinks fast, moves quicker, and outran some of the best college defenders during his time at school. With their second round pick, they took Jimmy Gipson, a blazing running back out of Louisiana Tech that helped set university records in rushing yards, combined yards, rushing touchdowns, and combined touchdowns. An entirely different look to an offense that was focusing on the slower, but more forceful running of TJ Yeldon, his speed should create an entirely new threat for quarterback Blake Bortles to work with. With their remaining picks, they took cornerback Griffin Cherlius out of Boise St, pass rusher CJ Berrian out of Rice, run stopper Xavius Tuitt out of Texas Tech, mobile quarterback Michael Anderson out of Kansas, center Wesley Covington out of Washington, and blocking full back Johnathan Schulz out of Florida St, to fill out their ranks.

Can this new Jaguars team, with a focus on speed on the offensive side, matchup and finally get past the curse of the Wild Card, a blessed curse to some of Jacksonville's fans, but frustrating to the front office that has put together a solid roster all the way around?