Some people might be asking themselves that same question, along with a few more.  Who is he? Where is he from? How did this un-drafted rookie free-agent end up taking a six year NFL veterans Job?

                Max grew up in Ansley MS, a town nestled just off the boarder of the Hancock County Marsh Preserve a few miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico.  During his peewee football days, his parents realized that Max had some talent and sought a high school program that would be able to nurture not only his talent but also his faith.  They didn’t have to look very far because just a 30 minute drive along the coast was Saint Stanislaus Boarding School in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. 

                In 2013, four years after Dylan Favre (a St. Stanislaus graduate) broke multiple state records had graduated and moved on, the St. Stanislaus Rock-A-Chaw’s needed a quarterback and Max’s journey had begun.  By the way, Rock-A-Chaw means devil grass and refers to the little sand burrs that blanket the area and field from time to time.  Don’t worry, we didn’t know either and had to research it too.  Filling Dylan’s shoes was not going to be easy but the word “easy” wasn’t in his vocabulary. 

      Max’s father, Earl Ray or E-Ray, works on the BP off shore drilling sights as a roughneck.  “There were weeks where I didn’t see my father and when I did we would throw the ball around.  He always made time for me, when he could, and made sure that I understood that he was out there for us” said Max when asked about his time in Ansley.  Max’s mother, Laurann, was a registered nurse at the local elementary school, who took part time jobs in the summer to help the family.  “I understood his father’s sacrifice and choose to get a job in the school where Max was attending growing up because I wanted him to see me every day.  I also wanted to see him every day because he is my little boy.”  Both knew the decision to send Max’s to a board school would be rough on all of them.  “Of course, it was!  How do you tell your 14-year-old son that you are going to send him away for school?  I don’t think he talked to us at all for the entire summer.  Max was a great kid and to tell him that, just crushed us but after a visit to the school and speaking with the administration, it eased the tension.”

    Those first couple years at St. Stanislaus were relatively uneventful.  Max was on the football team, going to church, doing community service, and just making friends.  But his carefree days were soon to be a thing of the past.  In 2015, Max was in as the starting quarterback of the Rock-A-Chaw’s and scouts found a new name to bring up in their spring meetings.  Max tore up the 4A ranks in Mississippi.  “I never coached Dylan but I saw him play and Max was every bit of the same mold.  His awareness and ability to make things happen are what set him apart.  I ran a very different offense than what I should have with Max but he pushed me to be a better coach as much as I pushed him to be a better player” former Head coach William Coindes said. 

        By 2016 Max had not been recruited as much as most people had thought he should but that was because Max made it very clear from the start. “I won’t play anywhere, where my parents can’t come to see me play every Saturday.” Max stated in an interview after his 4A playoff loss in the second round to Mendenhall.  A college scout/recruiter, who asked to remain anonymous, gave us a little insight “Had he gotten out of the second round, I feel most schools would have over looked that quote or at least tried to recruit him”.  Max had a great Junior and Senior season but Dylan’s shadow was very long because his dominance, Max would always have to settle as second best.

          On national signing day, no major offers came in.  Calling Southeastern Louisiana University, a fall back school, doesn’t do the school any justice but when it comes to football, SLU isn’t considered top-notch.  Max signed a letter of intent at SLU and redshirted his first season on the team.  “SLU will always have a place in my heart.  They taught me some tough lessons in football and in life and I had faith in the coaches that they would help me out.”  It wasn’t long before that faith would be tested.  After his red-shirt year Max felt ready to lead the Lions but coaches still felt he wasn’t ready and he was pushed to the bottom of a very weak QB depth chart.  “Max is a very mature kid and he was a true leader.  But when it came to the X’s and O’s, Max didn’t put in the work necessary at this level which means he wasn’t going to put in the work at any level.  He relied on his arm strength, tight spiral and his ability to scramble out of trouble and Max needed to learn that if you don’t take time to learn your craft, you won’t be doing it very long.”  Said Rob Ronerts, Head Coach of the SLU Lions.  Max spent the rest of his freshman(RS) year studying the playbook and running the scout team.

It’s now Max’s sophomore(RS) season and it seems that finally it’s Max’s turn to step up.  Once again, the word “easy” was nowhere to be found.  At the end of the 2018 season, Max got a phone call that he would never forget.  “It was a couple weeks after our final game and a couple days after our finals.  Yeah, I won’t forget it.  My mom called and said there was a terrible fire on the rig and that my dad was hurt.  She was crying and I was crying and all I remember hearing was that he was on his way to a special burn unit at Southern Mississippi University and before I knew it I was in my old car speeding up I59.”  ERay was in intensive care for over a month and was told he was going to be in for a long recovery and that he would have to move to Hattiesburg for recovery.  “We all knew it was going to be a long time before my husband could leave.  I tried my best to talk to Max but he already made up his mind”.  Over the next month, Max contacted the coaches at Southern Miss and told them that he was going to leave SLU to be closer to his father and whether they gave him a scholarship or not, that he would play there.  “I have never witnessed a kid more determined than Max.  I hate to say it but his father’s accident awoke a drive in Max that I have never been around.  He called everyone, and I mean everyone.  From myself, to the dean, he even called the grounds crew to get a job in case he couldn’t make the team.” Head Coach of the Southern Miss, Hay Jopson.

Max now a walk-on at Southern Miss, The Southern Miss Golden Eagles are making a push for the 2019 Conference USA title and a bowl berth when their starting QB went down with a ACL injury that would need a long time to heal.  That entire season, Max had made an impression on the coaches and teammates.  “Schil was an amazing guy, horrible roommate but an amazing teammate, and everyone knew it.  He told me he was going to be a starter one day but even he had no idea that it would happen the week before our title game”.  He was given the start against Marshall that next week and he never looked back.  He took over that game and in doing so, took over that team.  With the win against Marshall, it meant that he would get another chance to show everyone what could do in their bowl game.  Max dominated the New Orleans Bowl and the Golden Eagles had found something special.

The 2020-21 season went about as well as it could for the Golden Eagles.  Max had a strong season and was a finalist for some end of the year NCAA awards.  He was voted to be 1^st team C-USA, 1^st team All-American, a top-10 finalist for the Davey O’Brien award, but there were two awards that meant the most to Max.  Max was awarded The Wuerffel Trophy, and it is given out to the college football player “who best combines exemplary community service and athletic and academic achievement.  He followed that one with the Disney’s Wide World of Sports Spirit Award.  “Max’s commitment to helping out families affected by fire or fire related injuries was a personal cause for him.  Using his own tragedy to inspire and help families in pain, made him the most obvious choice.  He not only inspired those families but he inspired a whole team of athletes to go out into their communities that was unseen before at Southern Miss.”

With rising medical costs of his father’s treatment, the Schillings had a meeting about Max’s future.  After many days and many heated arguments, Max decided to do it his way and declare for the draft.  “I really hope they understood that I wasn’t trying to be difficult but I felt the MBL was my best chance to help out my family.  Starting out in the MBL was going to pay a lot more than the starting wages at the hospital.  And I felt I could finish my degree while playing in the MBL.”  At the start of the draft process scouts and his agents felt like he wasn’t ready for the MBL.  But once Max made up his mind there was no turning back.  At the combine he didn’t fare as well as he hoped, he finished towards the bottom of most drills but he showed scouts he was ready to work.  He stayed longer than any other person and helped in anyway, shagging footballs during punter/kicker drills, loading up jug machines for DB’s.  “We couldn’t get him to leave.  That made a lot of people remember his name but unfortunately he had a bad day during his drills and it cost him” said one MBL exec.  Max went to every pro-day workout.  He would even workout in the parking lots as scouts walked into others’ pro-day handing out flyers and game film.  All that work was for naught as the draft came and went without his name being called.  “I knew if I was going to be drafted it wasn’t going to be until late, so I just had a small group of friends over but it still hurts not hearing your name called.”

At the start of the season, Max hoped he could land a try-out or even a roster spot.  Tampa Bay, Houston, and Minnesota had all asked him to try-out and still no deal.  Max went back to Hattiesburg a little down but not out.  He continued to volunteer at the hospital where is father was treated, working out in the rehab center.  As the pre-season finished up, he knew it was going to be another year before he got another shot.  That is until Week 2 of the regular season when his phone rang.  Tampa had just lost 6-year starting QB Jameis Winston with a hip injury that would sideline him for a couple weeks.  Tampa had just signed another QB from the Vikings practice squad, so Max was a little hesitant to fly out to Tampa.  “I mean, to go to a team with 4 QB’s on their roster and I would have been number 5 was worrisome to me.  But I really wanted to play football and was ready to work.”  In the week 2 game, Tampa faced the Falcons and lost 20-6 and the coaching staff was in turmoil over the QB situation.

Week 3, Tampa faced the NY Jets and Max was on the active roster.  “Honestly, I thought maybe practice squad would be a great fit for me but after spending 1 week on the P.S., the coaching staff told me to get ready because I would be on the sidelines next week.”  He didn’t have to stand their long as they began, 2^nd year QB Zack Compass struggled and so did his back-up.  With nothing else to lose the coach called Max’s number.  Max went in and completed 10-20 passing with 172 yards 1TD/1INT.  “Going to Max seemed like a no-brainer but honestly we had seen him for a week in June and not again until Week 2.  He looked good in practice but we had no idea that he was going to come in and make an immediate impact.”

Max continued to start games, until week 10 when Jameis returned from injury.  Jameis started that game but didn’t finish it.  The coaching staff saw that Jameis looked slow and out of rhythm.  Tampa was already down big and once again asked Max to step up.  They lost got destroyed that game, 45-12, but Max showed his courage as he finished the game going 11-17-191-2TD and 2 INT’s.  “Max will finish out the season.  We want him to finish what he has started here and hope that he can turn some of these games into wins” said GM JYMovieGuy.

This season Max is 3^rd in rookie passing behind Hudsen Paulsen and LeVaris Bobo both early draft picks, and Schil hopes to finish out this season strong.  He is set to have the best season for the Bucs at quarterback since the season 20.  We wish him all the best and look forward to watching Max every Sunday.

It wasn’t that long ago when a young quarterback that was born in Florida, played his college ball in Central Florida, was drafted by the 3^rd worst team in Florida, the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Signal callers like Derek Carr, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jimmy Garoppolo were chosen later but Bortles came off the board first.  At 3^rd overall in a draft, that had over 14 quarterbacks drafted, Bortles was seen to be the next Mark Bruenell and eventual savior of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Luckily for Blake, Johnny Manziel was also in this draft, so at least he won’t be remembered as the biggest bust.   

For his first season, it seemed like it was going to plan and Blake put up really good numbers for a rookie.  That was soon to be his best season in Jacksonville because right after that season the Jaguars were sold and had new ownership that wanted to take the team in another direction.  With new coaches and new ownership, Blake was left out in the cold with very little support behind him.  “It was tough.  I came into the league with coaches and ownership that understood what I could do and didn’t ask me to change but then it was all gone months later.”  It seemed his days were numbered in just his second season as the Jags drafted “their guy” in Conner Belton in the second round. In 2016 Bortles split time with Belton but still had a decent showing while he was in the game. But unfortunately for Blake another ownership change happened during the season and the fat lady had begun to sing on Blake’s career in Florida.

Throughout all of the coaching, ownership, and philosophy changes made during his first 3 seasons.  Blake tried to keep a level head.  When both Bortles and his replacement were benched during the 2017 season Blake knew he wanted out.  “Was I upset?  Of course I was upset.  I have lived and played all of my career in Florida and wanted to retire here, but when you are asked to do things you’ve never done before and given no time to improve, it’s hard.  But what was worse, is that a team that showed you zero loyalty and commitment expects you to be loyal and committed, there is just no respect for one another.” Blake took to social media to express his anger and was fined by the team and asked to come into a meeting with coaches and ownership.  “I can’t really talk about what was said behind closed doors but all parties involved aired out their grievances and it was concluded that I was going to be allowed to leave after the season was over”

In 2018 Blake was an unrestricted free agent, and many team looked past his last season in Jacksonville but the Chiefs saw more in him than Blake did.  The Chiefs Owner Ant D was quoted on saying “Blake was a former top 5 pick and had really good intangibles.  We knew our coaching staff could work with him and develop them into a pretty good QB.  Also he wasn’t asking for too much money so it was a win-win for us”. Kansas City gave Blake a 3 year $10mil deal.  From his first day at camp the Chiefs were behind him and gave him the keys to the building.  Blake spent every minute he could with coaches and players.  He started all of his games in 2018 and had the Chiefs on the brink of the Super Bowl.  “It was strange, I felt that the guys(receivers) were better in Jacksonville but when guys want to play for you and leave everything out there it all came together here in Kansas City and we played as a team.”  And play for him they did, Bortles put up his best numbers in his career up until this point with 3640 yards and 27 TD’s.

This season, Bortles has been playing lights-out.  “Bort isn’t much of a vocal leader, since he has been in KC.  He has let his game play lead our team but week by week he is becoming more of the vocal leader he needs to be to become elite” said Chiefs receiver Jeremy Maclin.  According to Ant D, “This year, Blake is having the best season of his career.  He is 84 yards away from hitting 4000 yards, 1 touchdown away from 40, 67 percent competition percentage and his QBR is one of the highest in the league.”  Bortles is also in the running for NFL Player of the Year, AFC Player of the Year, and should have won Comeback player of the Year the season before.  Bortles career has blossomed in Kansas City and no one had any idea that he would be in the same conversation as some of the league’s best.  “The city and fans of Kansas City have made me feel like part of the family.  Florida will always be in my heart but Kansas City is home.  I am not playing for myself I am playing for my family.”     

 This season isn’t over yet but it will go down as one of the single biggest turnarounds in any one players career.  Bortles has all of the tools he needs to win and if he can get the Chiefs to the Super Bowl, his story will one of great interest.  If they get there and Blake is nominated MVP, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be eating their words and while they struggle to find their identity, it seems Kansas City has found theirs and he wears #5 like the S on his chest.

Jack Yawnsville

Jagsonville Insider, MBL Magazine beat writer.  

Well, we are half done with the 2019 season and the Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves in a familiar position.  A position that could’ve been different if 1 possession went the other way or we make 1 stop.  After a really tough season last year and a above average draft, the hope was high not playoffs high but better than were we sit today.

As the standings show the Jaguars are once again at the bottom of the league.  Our 1-6 record is right where it has always been but this reporter had our record at 4-3.  We had very winnable matchups but the Jaguars can’t seem to find a way to get the defense and offense to play up to their potential at the same time.  The only double digit loses this season have come by the two teams we expected it from, the Chargers and Panthers.  Both teams have been in the playoffs and both made it to Championship level games, so it was understood that those games would be loses but what we didn’t expect was the 7 points or less losses coming to sub-par teams.  I don’t mean to disparage any other owners but the Bucs, Jets, and Texans we all within our grasps but we just couldn’t get the stops we needed. 

So with that being said let’s take a quick look into our player’s stats up to this point and see how we are doing.

Quarterback Conner Belton is off to his best season yet.  We are only through the first 8 weeks of the season and he has already passed for more yards than he has in his first 3 season.  He has more completions, more attempts, and is close to breaking his personal best in Yard Average, Completion percentage, and touchdowns.  He is still making some bad decisions which accounts for his personal worst 15 interceptions but some of those we don’t count because they were drops or tips by our Wide-outs and into the hands of defenders. 

Running backs T.J. Yeldon and Jaron Cole are putting up some yardage but with the Jaguars playing from behind, their asked to do so on less carries.  Yeldon is on pace to barely get to 800 yards this season and he really needs to have a big game over the next 8 weeks to get there.  He is getting the carries but our line just isn’t holding blocks long enough for him to get into the holes.  His back Jaron Cole is poised to have a break out season.  He has 90 less carries than Yeldon, but his yards per carry average is 7.1 might get him on the field more.  There might come a point in this season where Yeldon takes a backseat to Cole but with Yeldon getting a huge contract this season it seems unlikely that he won’t be the feature back. 

Our Wide Receivers have some surprises in it so far. Rookie Will Buchanan has exploded onto the scene in Jacksonville.  He was not the Jaguars first choice at WR this draft and Buchanan has proven them to be mistaken.  He is everywhere on the field, catches almost everything thrown at him, and can out jump most defenders that are near him.  He has speed the Jaguars haven’t seen in a long time and his production is off the charts at this point in the season.  His 25 catches lead the team; 521 yards lead the team by almost 200 yards.  The kid is going to be a contender for Rookie of the Year if this keeps up.  Larone Patrick is second on the team with catches and is still finding his role to be difficult because he is the number one WR and now has to face the best defensive back on each roster every week.  He is dropping passes he needs to catch but when you’re just in your second season and asked to take on so much it is understandable to take a step back.  Allen Robinson is now the slot WR and is OK with his role.  He is still the leader and is helping out Patrick with his moves off the line, in order for him to win.  Julius Thomas is still out there making plays even though it is understood that he will not be a Jaguar next season.  Ownership feel that his production and this style of offense doesn’t equal the amount of money he has already been paid along with what Thomas was asking for.  Thomas will be the most sought after offensive player this offseason and his contract will reflect that but the Jaguars just can’t spend that much money on a position they want to transition into a run block first, pass catcher second role.  

Our offensive line has been sturdy all year long.  Only problem is that they have focused too much on pass blocking around Belton and giving him all the time he needs to make reads, that they have somehow forgotten to run block.  Yeldon is off to his worst start in 3 seasons, including the season that got him suspended.  They need to get better and rumors are floating around that Jockel is not happy playing on the opposite side that he is accustomed too and the front office may move him back to his natural position in the next week or two.  Outside of that we need to get smarter and not commit so many costly penalties but when you are playing in positions that you haven’t played since High School, there will be growing pains.

What can we say about our defensive line?  Three words come to mind.  “Feast or Famine”.  At times Fowler is a dominate force, as was shown during MBLN Live game, where he recorded 3.5 sacks.  Well since that game in Week 5, he hasn’t come near a QB during a game other than to shake his hand at the end of the game.  Lopez needs to pick up his game opposite of Fowler but Donte needs to step up for our team to regain their strength.  The longer the opposing QB has the more exposed our weak defensive backs are highlighted.

Once again our LB’s are key to our games.  We stop the run and in coverage our guys Humphrey and Smith are solid.  People are questioning our choice at MLB but he has proven that being smart on the field trumps skill sets at times.  Cory Minor is continuing to grow and as the season progresses he is the only choice in the middle.  This group plays as a team and is one of the closest knit groups in the league.  They play off each other and look to make themselves as formidable as the LB on the old Bears teams, but until they can make others better around them, they might just be another group, like the Sam Mills lead Saints D from many years ago.

I wish that this was going to be easy but to keep it as simple as possible…. our defensive backs are a liability and will cost us games.  Plain and simple.  Flowers was our biggest FA addition in over 3 years and may go down as one of the worst signings in league history.  His age and agility has been compromised and past 5 yards he starts trailing.  In a game surrounded by speed and youth, Flowers may have played his last game in the league.  He has given up more than 400 yards to opposing WR’s this season alone.  He was benched one game for getting into a fight with DB’s coach and seems to be an issue in the locker room.   Our young group of safeties are swapping sides for the last half of the season in order to help cover Flowers’ backside, pun intended, so Vaituitonga Phillips will move over to FS and Antonio Patrick will take over as SS.  Hopefully this will fill some gaps but we desperately need a second corner.

Draft.

I was going to go into a lot of detail here but it seems like the draft plan at the beginning of the season is now totally different.  That is, before the vast improvement of Conner Belton and the catastrophe that is Brandon Flowers unfolded this season.

If the Jaguars decide to continue on with the plan to replace Conner Belton, look for a couple signal caller’s names to be on the top of the list.  Carter Reed from Penn State, if the Jags go QB first, or Kurtis Scott from Delaware St in round two if the Jags go corner first.

If the front office keeps Belton and go with a corner first round, Deandre Jackson from UCLA and Cedric McGee from Miami, are both looking like day one additions to our struggling defense. And if Belton is still around we are losing some other keys on our defense due to age and contract issues, so the Jaguars could select Aleon Duncan from Ohio State in the second round. 

It is early but the Jaguars have already started their short list for guys and names like, Terrell Pendleton WR from Florida State, Gavin Farris OL from Florida, Muhasibi Hanna OL from Texas AM, Zack Farmer OL from UCLA have also been rumored second rounder’s if Belton remains. 

The season feels like it just got started and it’s a shame that once again it seems over before it began.  But the Jags are in position to pick top 10 again unless something turns around.  Our remaining games are all divisional games and we need to win them all to have a chance.  There is a glimmer of hope left in our eyes and we hate to think that once again it will fade away but things are getting better each year. 

Jack Yawnsville

Jagsonville Insider 

Headed into the last week of the preseason it is time for us to take a look into our upcoming schedule and see where and how the Jaguars will finish this season.  At a brief glance there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel, no wizard at the end of the yellow brick road, and not a lot of hope in Jacksonville. 

Week 1-We face a division rival, the Houston Texans.  These matchups usually split between both teams but with the Texans rising young QB and their additions during the offseason, it doesn’t seem to be that way anymore.  The speed WR’s that Houston uses always give our Defenders trouble and without a top end speed corner, it will be a long game. But we think that we might catch the Texans sleeping and the Jags start 1-0

Week 2- Playoff team the Kansas City Chiefs are next up.  Blake Bortles was quoted “Put me on any other roster and I am a playoff caliber QB!” after being bench 2 seasons ago.  Well, I guess he knew something we didn’t because after struggling he lead the Chiefs to the playoffs.  In Blake’s revenge game, the Jaguars will falter. Jags 1-1

Week 3- Last year’s Super Bowl runner up come to Jacksonville this week.  The Jaguars are just hoping to keep it close.  The Jaguars are not even close to the level that San Diego has been and there isn’t much to go on during this game.  Jags 1-2

Week 4- Early Bye for the Jaguars this season which may prove to be costly in case injuries happen later in the season.

Week 5 – We are hoping that we win the bid for the MBL LIVE Kickoff game this week.  This is one of the few winnable games on the schedule as the Saints head over to Jacksonville.  Devin Riley was a targeted player for the Jaguars and his talent could have helped propel the Jags but instead he will be lined up opposite our defense.  Like the Jags, the Saints are young and just finding themselves.  Jags 2-2

Week 6 – If you thought that Jaguars and Saints were young, wait until we travel to Tampa.  Tampa has spirit but the Jaguars are looking to exploit their youth, not like we have Veterans all over the field or anything.  Unfortunately, the talent of the Bucs will surprise us and may give them the game.  Jags 2-3

 Week 7 – Carolina Panthers are next during our tour of the NFC south.  Carolina is a playoff team, Jacksonville is not, enough said.  Jags 2-4

Week 8 – Off to The Big Apple this week and a matchup with the Jets.  This will be a good game but the Jaguars defense will be too tough for the Jets.  According to the MBLNetwork, the Jets have major offensive struggles and our Defense will be looking for a bounce back after the Carolina game.  Jags 3-4

Week 9 – The Falcons are our last NFC south opponents.  Falcons are projected to be a playoff team and usually find themselves in the hunt.  Not a lot of hope in this game, Julio Jones will prove to be too hard to cover and Falcons will win.  Jags 3-5

Week 10 – Division opponent Tennessee is going to be considered tops in the South but the Jags are hoping to come out with a win.  Jacksonville is due for a win against the Titans and it is this week we think is our best chance.  The Titans have found their groove and in the end the Jags will fall.  Jags 3-6

Week 11- Our last game with the Texans will flow in the other direction this game.  We split so it’s the Texans turn to win this game.  Jags 3-7

Week 12 – Colts are going to surprise a lot of teams this year.  The Jags will not be one of them because they are our biggest rival.  Colts have too many weapons on the outside and our corner will have to play lights out against them.  Colts win and move the Jags 3-8

Week 13 – Perennial playoff team Denver will be another no brainer games.  But there is a lot of history between the two owners and it’s the first time they have faced off in years.  Broncos’ talent on the field is too strong.  Jags 3-9

Week 14 – Last game of the season versus the Titans.  Jags 3-10

Week 15 – The Ravens struggled last season and the MBLNetwork has said it will continue.  We believe that the Ravens will be tougher than their record shows and will be a tough game.  The Jaguars will have nothing to lose at this point and should leave it all out on the field.  Jags 4-10

Week 16 – We face the Raiders again.  Last season we surprised the Raiders and had some outstanding performances from guys that may not even be on the roster this season.  Jaguars will surprise them again.  Jags 5-10

Week 17 – It seems fitting that we get our biggest rivals in a game that could either make or break the Colts’ chances at the playoffs.  We will bring everything to the field and leave it there.  Jags 6-10

Jack Yawnsville

Jagsonville Insider

Well the free agency period and the draft has come and gone.  Once again the Jaguars failed to find pieces in key positions but luckily our starters remain from last year.  There is not a lot of options past those starters but like last season we hope that the injuries miss our team again.  We will take a look into our additions this offseason.

During the offseason, the Jaguars front office looked to free up some roster spots held by guys making too much money for what they produced on the field.  In two surprise moves the coaching staff moved contributors on offense.  WR Allen Hurns was traded to the Bengals for a fourth round pick.  Hurns was hoping to compete for a job in Cincy but their WR corps looks a little too full for him to keep a position on their team.   The biggest surprise of the offseason was the trade of TE Parker Norwood to Pittsburg.  Norwood was thought to be the heir apparent to Julius Thomas but the coaching staff felt differently and traded him.  In Pittsburg, Norwood is going to be a great player for years to come.  He will enter into an aging team that just started the youth movement.

May cuts were made and not a lot of additions were brought in to bolster the roster.  Veteran TE Lee Smith was cut.  It was thought that this move was to make room for Norwood but it came down to contract vs contribution.  Guard Stephen Weisnewski also found himself a new home during FA.  The Broncos hope that Weisnewski can sure up their offensive line play.  RE Ryan Davis was also cut and continues to work out for teams looking for a veteran dline.

Our Cornerbacks need the biggest retooling of all our positions.  Ross Cockrell and Dwayne Gratz were both cut.  Both were great place holders but nothing more.  Both struggled in coverage and the ownership decided to move in another direction.  Brandon Flowers play is going to make or break our season.  He was brought in to provide veteran leadership and lockdown the weak side.  He has been in the league 11 years and is on the decline but he is needed to help bring along our young corners.

Once again we placed our hopes in our scouts and front office.  This draft proved to be difficult to find guys in the positions that we needed.  Gems were found by other teams and being the only AFC South team without multiple picks in the first and second rounds might come back to haunt us.  We had a lot of picks but they were in later rounds and by then most of the players we keyed on were gone.  Our first three picks are by far the best and after that it seems like most of those players are going to struggle to stay on the roster.

Round 1 – WR Will Buchanan from Miami will be an immediate impact player for the Jags.  His speed in the slot will open up the middle of the field for Allen Robinson and Latrone Patrick.

Round 2 – RE Alex Lopez from Tennessee takes over the starting end spot opposite Fowler Jr.  His speed off the edge will hope to put some tackles on their heels.  He needs help in the playbook but that will come with time

Round 3 – TE Immanuel Beatty is going to have to be the player that we saw in Norwood.  He comes from Stanford and looks to be another Coby Fleener.  If he can find the space he likes because he is not very good catching the ball in traffic, he will excel in our offense.

After those three the front office struggled to find any players that will have an impact on the roster

Round 4(1) -  CB Kelo Cox from Buffalo was thought to be a nickel corner.  The Jags don’t run Nickel very often so it may take a little time for him to improve.

Round 4(2) – TE Cory Bryan and teammate of Kelo, is a backup TE that will only see the field in goal line situations.  The Jags will don’t have much hope for Bryan but they may use him as a backup FB/H-Back

Round 4(3) – DT from Montana, Tyronne Flowers is weight room warrior.  If he can take that work ethic into skill drills me may see the field on pass rushing downs.

Round 4(4) – FS Kevin Carter.  Kevin was a player that the Jags keyed on during the draft.  He won’t see the field as long as the Jags carry 3 top safeties.  He comes from Nebraska where he was a special teams captain.  He should contribute on special teams in Jacksonville.

Round 5(1) – QB Wes Hickman from Minnesota.  Right now he is third on the depth chart and it looks like that is where he will stay.  He doesn’t have the pocket presence or the arm to play at this level.  He may not even be on the roster at the start of the season.

Round 5(2) – MLB Latwan Boyett from Harvard.  What can we say, we thought a player coming from Harvard would be a lot smarter on the field.  He is a 4.0 Biology major but on the field looks more like a C student that needs some tutoring.  He is a huge hitter but rarely finds himself in the right position to hit the ball carrier.

Round 5 (3) – LE Cory Pederson hails from Arizona St. and he has seen his share of high powered offense’s in the Pac-10.  He is going to struggle at this level but will be able to spell Fowler if he needs a break.

Round 6 – RT Kris Rogers from Texas is a career backup.  He will sit and if Parker Vincent gets hurt, the Jags will have to bring in a Free Agent to fill that spot.

Round 7 – LT Mason Stallworth comes from Auburn were they run a totally different offense.  He will struggle with the blocking schemes. 

 Free Agent Rookie signings

The Jags are bringing in more UDFA’s this season.  QB C.J. Oliver from Norte Dame was on the Jaguars draft board and when he went undrafted, he was the first call that the Jaguars made.  He will compete for a backup role and with the limited options in Jacksonville right now, he has a shot.  WR Cory Pederson is nothing more than a Kick Returner.  He will have a spot in that role and has welcomed the challenge to become an elite returner.  Some other names have been rumored to work out for the Jaguars. Cornerbacks Sharman Hicks and Shanard Terrell.  Middle Linebackers Maurice Herrick and Oscar Payne.  Quarterback Fernando Hull and Left Ends Darius Philon and Lefi Taylor.  Tackles DeVonte Bass and Jamal Beachum.

Jack Yawnsville

Jagsonville Insider.

Jaguars Year-End Review Part 7 

Our Defensive Backs our last on the list during the Year-End Review.  Our safeties proved to be the best unit out there.  Our corners were liabilities at times but we hope to see a great improvement with another season under their belt.  This offseason may see some veteran players hitting free agency and some additional youth will be brought in to compete for depth.  Our free safety had his best season in his sophomore year and finished tied for league leader in interceptions. 

Cornerbacks

Chris Rogers is slowly become a lockdown corner but he still has issues jamming WR off the line which causes him to play two steps behind wide outs and allows for some easy catches.  He is 24 and is gaining a better understanding of attacking the ball in the air.  His 4 interceptions are the most in his career and he logged 23 tackles.  Rogers is going to be an anchor on the corner for many years to come but finding a complimentary piece has proven difficult for the Jaguars. 

Dwayne Gratz and Russ Cockrell battled all year for the number 2 corner spot.  Both were benched in the last part of the year as the Jaguars wanted to take a look their rookies.  Cockrell had his best season with 16 tackles and 1 interception but he gave up too many big plays and was out of position in zone too many times for the Jags coaches to keep him on the field.  Gratz had a really good season last year but was upset that he lost his starting role to Chris Rogers.  Gratz doesn’t have the skills that Rogers has and along with his decreased role he had his worst season.  Gratz was great on special teams and he may have found a way to contribute next season.  Both players have really big contracts and their overall play doesn’t reflect those numbers.  Both corners could be cut because of the high pay, low play. 

Rookie Trey Irvin starter four games.  He was a rookie free agent signing and really proved that he could make a play to get some time on the field.  No one believes that he will be the starter but he could contribute on special teams and as the Jags nickel corner.   He played well and proved that he should have been a 6^th round pick in last season’s draft but the Jags coaches are high on Irvin because he leaves every bit of effort on the field.  In the biggest draft bust the new Jaguars owners have had until this point, Gordon Donaldson played in only one game this season even though he was taken in the 3^rd round.  More was expected out of a player who was coached by Nick Saban in Alabama.  There were questions surrounding his attitude and it seems they came out this season.  As a Senior he played on a national powerhouse but reports came out that he just said “I can just walk onto the field and be great, I don’t need to study or nothing.”  Well Gordon, if you want to continue to play in the NFL you might want to start.  You’re an average player in the NFL and you have average skills, so if you want to play you might want to figure out where you are supposed to be on the field.  Look for the Jags to continue to search for a corner during the draft.  Scouts have two players locked in but neither will make it to the Jags at six.  Once again they may need to look into 3^rd rounder.  Players like Patrick and Phillips, both really good safeties, were taken in the third round but after Donaldson’s flame out, they may be a little shy to pull the trigger on another.

                Free Safety

The biggest surprise this season came from a second year player from Alabama.  Antonio Patrick finished with his best season and proved why he will be a star in this league.  He finished with 47 tackles, 1 forced fumble and 9 interceptions.  Those 9 picks were tied for the league’s best.  His 13 picks in his first two season is the best start for any Jaguars player since the team was inducted in 1995.  He was a third round pick, and when the Jags selected his teammate from Alabama they expected the same effort but Donaldson is nowhere near the play that Patrick is.  Patrick’s backup, Vaetuitonga Phillip, played special teams and did a good job subbing in for Antonio.  Jaguars are looking into options with Phillips, he is a good player and the coaching staff wants to see him on the field more.  The only way that can happen is if he moves to Corner or Strong Safety.  He doesn’t have the speed for corner, so that is out, but he could push Cyprian this offseason for starting safety.  He had one season as a starter where he had 22 tackles and 3 interceptions.  If the Jags move Phillips to strong safety, watch the Jags spend a 4^th rounder to find depth behind Patrick.

                Strong Safety

Johnathan Cyprien has been the Jags starter since he came into the league in 2010.  He has been solid player but the time has come for the Jags to get a playmaker.  Cyprien is a strong run defender but has shown he cannot handle reacting to the play when the ball is throw in his area.  Cyprien finished with 38 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 0 interceptions.  Now it is true that many teams stay away from Rodgers side of the field and took advantage of our weak middle and weaker cornerbacks.  But that doesn’t excuse the fact that he allowed too many big plays.  It has been rumored that, like Thomas Davis from the Carolina Panthers, the coaching staff wanted to move Cyprien to outside linebacker last season.  With Humphrey’s predominant play, there is no longer a need for him to move down.  Johnathan will be pushed to keep his starting job with a more youthful Phillip looking to unseat him.  If that is the case, Johnathan has already stated that he would rather be traded than play special teams.  With his contract and status, it will be impossible to trade Johnathan.  Let’s just hope that the Jags can find a way to keep him happy until they can cut him. 

Deandre Mosley is just happy to be on the roster at this point.  Mosley was a 7^th round pick from Oregon and has no problem being a special teamer and scout team player.  He isn’t going to take anyone’s spot unless the Jags have major injury problems.  With him on the team there is no reason or need to take a strong safety in either draft or free agency.

We have come to the end of the Year-End-Review.  It was a long look into the Jags and there will be more article to come.  Once Free Agency is complete we will take a look at some key offseason acquisitions and departures.  Then it’s time for the draft.  Our draft strategy has been set, players have been scouted, and now we wait to see were the chips will fall.  My hope is that we can find another big time wide out or shut down corner.  We need very little but the positions we need are key to the improvement of the Jaguars.

Jack Yawnsville
Jagsonville Insider

Jaguars Year-End Review Part 6

Linebackers are up next in the second to last installment of the Year-End Review.  Last offseason linebacker was a position that the front office made it a point to go out and get.  The Jags took Larone Patrick in the first round.  The Jags watched in horror as Linebacker after Linebacker on their draft board went to other teams.  One of which will be playing in the Super Bowl.  MLB Mason Guy was the one player the Jags had keyed on but lost out to the Falcons when they took him at pick 36.  MLB was the position of need and they had to draft LOLB Ayron Humphrey.  Humphrey turned out to be the best rookie defender this season but the Jags where in trouble because none of their OLB’s seemed like they could handle a transition to a coverage LB spot.  But an unheard of prospect came out of the 6^th round from Columbia University, to save the MLB spot. 

Right Outside Linebacker

28-year-old linebacker Telvin Smith proved himself to be one of the most dominate ROLB in the AFC this season.  Smith was asked to move from his natural position on the left side in order to make room for Humphrey.  Without question Smith hit the offseason running and never looked back.  Telvin turned in 50 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 interceptions.  His best season so far of his career.  His speed off the edge shut down running lanes and was a problem for guards and tackles when he pinned his ears pack and rushed the QB.  Because of the struggles of our right ends, Smith bailed out the Jags more times than he should have had too.  If the Jags upgrade the ends watch out for Smith.  He could lead the league in tackles next season or maybe even earn Defensive Player of the Year.  Smith is the signal caller on defense and the defensive Captain.  His backup Khairi Fortt has been rumored to be traded but because of Smith’s example, he has gotten better.  Fortt is a mainstay on the special teams but he could find himself looking for a new contract, if the Jaguars need to make room for cap space.  Our linebackers are set but they could use some depth or take a chance on a rookie if one falls into the 5^th or 6^th round.

                Middle Linebackers

As the season started Akeem Dent kept his starting role from last season.  Dent had a subpar season for a MLB up until the point he was benched.  He only had 16 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions.  Not horrible but defiantly not what the Jags need from their middle linebacker spot.  Dent continued to struggle off blocks and always seemed to get lost in bad angles when defending the run.  The plays he did make were solid but there were more missed plays that lead to bigger gains.  Enter 6^th round pick Cory Minor.  Minor earned the starting role in week 13.  In his first start against the Titans, Cory had 5 tackles, 1 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles which lead to him being the Defensive Player of the Week.  He played in 6 games and 4 as a starter and was statistically better than Dent.  Finishing the season with 14 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 3 forced fumbles.  Minor will go into next season as the starter because he is a huge hitter and makes good reads but he needs to get better in coverage.  At times he is a liability in coverage but thanks to the safeties behind him it hasn’t cost us too much.   The Jaguars really missed out on a key member of the Linebackers by missing out on Mason Guy, the Jaguars top defensive play on their board last season, and second round pick for the Atlanta Falcons.  The front office wanted to take him with the third overall pick and felt like it was too high and was waiting for him to drop but the Falcons saw his value and scoped him up.  Guy would have been a day one starter at MLB but with the emergence of Minor, the Jags feel better but won’t let that happen again.   Jags will look at finding a MLB but it is not as important as last season, maybe a late third day pick but nothing more.

Left Outside Linebacker

Now in this article we have stated that the Jags missed out on a great player and we don’t mean to disparage our AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year.  Ayron Humphrey was by far and above the Jags best draft choice in years.  His 46 tackles, 4 sacks, and his lone interception pushed our defense better.  Guy’s coverage skills are what that coaching staff are looking for.  Humphrey proved to be a liability in coverage but his lateral movement and downhill speed kept him in the area.  He needs to push himself in the offseason and working out with strong safety Jonathan Cyprian was a great step forward to achieving better pass defense.  Humphrey’s backup Brandon Sanders was a starter last year and has let it be known that he is extremely unhappy with his demotion to special teams.  In 2017, Sanders was coming off his best season and really wanted to prove what he can do.  Even at his best, he just isn’t the player that Humphrey is.  With Sanders contract and attitude, he might have played his last game as a Jaguar.  The front office has said, “Listen, Brandon has one year left on his rookie deal.  He can either play and contribute or he can pout and cry, only one of those is going to get him a deal next season the other means he’ll be selling insurance.”  The coaching staff is expecting both players back next season.  Sanders does a great job filling in but you can see they are going tired of his primidone attitude.  No plans in the draft because the Jags are set but this coaching staff has shown it will take best available in the third day. 

Jack Yawnsville
Jagsonville Insider
 

Jaguars Year-End Review Part 5

In Part 5, we start to take a look at the best part of the Jaguars, its defense.  Just like the opposite of the “Chunky Bunch”, the D-line was a solid for over half the season but faltered as the season went on.  The Defensive line is getting older and some guys are falling in production and there is a need to revamp the D-Line in the offseason.  For now and if nothing goes unchanged, the d-line should remain pretty solid but their production will continue to drop as they age.

Defensive Ends

Dante Fowler Jr.’s stats on paper are getting worse but what he is contributing has been growing.  In his 4^th season, Dante is already the vocal leader and soul of the defensive line.  He finished the season with 7 sacks, 34 tackles and 8 tackles for a loss.  Not great, but very solid in his return to Left End.  He pushed the pocket extremely well and really needs to work on his tackling this offseason.  He has the speed and the moves to become a premiere pass rusher but until he can learn to wrap up he will let sacks slip through his fingers.

Our right ends were the most unproductive group on the D-line.  Between the two guys at the position, they had 15 tackles and 1 sack.  That is not acceptable when Fowler and Marks draw all the attention from opposing offensive lines.  The plans for this position are the most talked about on the defense.  Our Secondary and linebackers are set but the right ends need to fear the executioner this offseason.  Both Chris Smith and Ryan Davis will not be in the future plans of this defense.  Their lack of production this late in both of their careers is inexcusable.  Draft plans have been reorganized to include taking a RE early in the second round.  No players have been named yet but with the Jags coaching staff in place to coach during the Senior bowl, they will get a firsthand look at some of the elite pass rushers from around the country. 

                Defensive Tackles

Sen’Derrick Marks is the keystone to the whole defensive line.  Getting older hasn’t really effected his play but now headed into his 33^rd birthday, the Jags are expecting to see a decline next season.  We have guys in place but neither Bennett and Duncan can push the pocket or take on a double team like Marks.  Sen’Derrick finished with 12 tackles and 7 sacks but took on blockers at the point that freed up Ayron Humphrey, Cory Minor, and Telvin Smith to punish the ball carriers.

Michael Bennett and Justin Duncan rotated at the end of the season but Bennett is primed to take over for Marks, if Sen decides to retire or get injured.  Duncan was a surprise he started the last two of the last three games of the season and ended up with 2 sacks week 16 against the Raiders.  Bennet is in the 4^th year of his career and Duncan is finishing up his sophomore season and both have improved.  DT has been rumored in draft talks with the owners but at this point we feel like the Jags are going to invest a low pick toward DT.  If the talk is true, look for the Jaguars to use some of their 40mil in free cap space to go after the big names being rumored to end up in FA at defensive tackle. 

 
Jack Yawnsville
Jagsonville Insider

Jaguars Year-End Review Part 4

In Part 4, its time to talk about the unsung group of men in the trenches.  The “Chunky Bunch”, a nickname that didn’t surface until around week 13, finally found their stride late into the season.  The coaching staff had tried different combinations until they found the right one that seemed to communicate better and block as a unit.  The nickname came from a dance competition that the offensive line started after teammates caught the group watching the Goonie’s during an off day.  The o-line had a “Truffle Shuffle-off” and former first found pick Luke Joeckel won in an upset over a much heavier backup Tackle Terren Jones.

Tackles

5 year vet Brandon Linder and Parker Vincent in his third year made up the bookends of the offensive line.  Vincent struggled with run blocking while Linder struggled against elite pass rushers.  To say that the front office is ok with their performance is a little too weak of a statement.  In the run heavy west coast offense these are the two most important positions on the field and look for the Jaguars to spend some money bringing in some bigger bodies to strengthen up the run game.  The draft has a few good choices but the Jags are unsure if they can land the elite talent and may have to find second tier talent that may take a season or two before they hit the field.  If this last draft is anything like last season, the Jags will be watching their guys go one by one right before they selected by the Jags.

                Guards

Out left guard spot is locked up for as long as Joeckel can play.  His is far and away the Jaguars best offensive linemen.  He is the perfect mix on road grater and finesse to compliment the playbook.  Joeckel has started to make offensive line adjustments, he understands the playbook and studies opposing defenses better than his teammates.  The opposite guard spot has been nothing but trouble this season and has been called out as the position that needs the most work.  The coaches tried each of the 3 right guards in different combinations and it wasn’t until 3^rd year pro Chris Marsh took over late in the season where some consistency was found.  There have been rumors that Joeckel will move to right guard this offseason and if the Jags resign Shaq Mason, Mason will be the left guard opposite Joeckel.  The draft is going to make or break this position.  Wisniewski may be cut due to cap reasons but he could also move to Center but that seems like a far stretch for his skill set.  Yankey and Marsh, both right guards, may find themselves in different positions but one or the other could be looking at selling their condo’s because both could be in free agency come draft day.

                Center

Josh Wells seems to be getting better every year but he is still miles away from being what the Jaguars need.  He took over half way through the season for Bowanko but it wasn’t much of an improvement.  Most of the sacks this season came from the interior and most of the blame is put onto the center position.  Our rushing attack up the middle was non-existent when compared to the holes opened up by other offensive lines.  Stephen Wisniewski may end up our starting center next season but if a better option shows up during FA, watch the Jags throw some money around to gain some extra push up the middle.  Not a lot of options again in the draft but our coaching staff has identified at least two or three players they feel can make an impact at some point next season.  

Jaguars Year-End Review Part 3

In Part 2 we looked at the backbone of the offense, and now a look into a position that doesn’t have control over their performance.  Our pass catchers have been held back by our QB play but some standout performers have risen to the top and some that struggled to find the ball, the few times it came their way.  The Jags coaches have promised a better option for a QB and we hope that will allow our wide receivers a chance to show what they can do.

Pass catchers 

Rookie Larone Patrick was billed as the WR the Jags have been looking for, since Jimmy Smith retired and didn’t quite live up to his #3 overall selection in last year’s draft.  He finished low on the list for rookie pass catchers but he did finish 6^th in AFC rookie of the year voting.  Larone caught 40 passes for 692 yards and was the Jaguars top pass catcher.  His best game came week 3 vs the Colts but he only caught one ball that game for a 77-yard touchdown.  For Larone to get better he needs to show up every week and needs to find a way to get open.  He has shown flashes but not consistent enough for a top tier WR.  If the Jags find a new signal caller, watch his numbers sky-rocket.  In practice there is no better WR on the field but when the lights come on at game time, the game seems too big for Patrick.  There isn’t a lot of veteran leadership but it doesn’t seem that the Jags have any indication that they will reach out to a veteran this offseason.  Instead they are looking at some top wide-outs in the draft to compliment Larone.  He has the talent, great burst at the snap, legs like a gazelle to get at jump balls, but he needs to put his nose in the playbook and watch a lot of film to increase his awareness on the field.

Although Patrick caught more passes and had more yards, the Jaguars greatest threat was Allen Robinson.  Known as the elder statesmen of the WR corps, Robinson also pulled down a career high 8 TD’s but his production fell off due to Patrick’s arrival.  Robinson will probably start as the #2 WR next season as the coaching staff is ready to let Patrick take on the elite corners in the league.  Robinson will be in Jacksonville a long time because he is their biggest red zone threat and no one questions his effort.  In Week 16 against the Raiders, Robinson fought for every ball that Belton threw at him.  His strength was too much as he ended with 4 catches for 74 yards and 1 TD.  This may not have been his greatest statistical game but it showed the league how much effort he leaves on the field every game.  The coaching staff is hoping that Robinson will take a more vocal role during position meetings and practices.  There are a total of 4 rookie WR’s in this unit and one more projected during the draft, so someone needs to step up and take control of the receivers. 

Julius Thomas continues to underperform for the contact he was given.  There isn’t much to write about and not for a lack of trying but because there isn’t much production on the field.  He still is considered one of the league’s top receiving TE’s but he gets lost on a bad roster.  He finished fourth on the Jags roster but at his level he should be higher on that list.  Look for the ownership to take a long hard look at his contract and consider cutting their losses and find a TE that fit into their run heavy, west coast offense.  Thomas isn’t much of a run blocker but with no other options on the roster at this time he will most likely remain a Jaguar for 1 more season.

There are 6 others on the roster and none of them really did much on the field to go into depth about.  Coaches are high on 4^th round selection TE Parker Norwood which makes Lee Smith a cap causality this offseason.  There are rumors that Allen Hurns may be traded before the draft and according to the front office, “There have been a couple inquiries into Hurns but no direct offer has been made at this point.  Hurns is a good kid and we hope that wherever he plays next season he will give everything he has.”

The wide receivers can use some speed.  We have leapers, and red zone threats but we don’t have someone who can stretch the field.  The coaching staff have been talking about finding a diamond in the rough during the draft.  This team needs a vet, and the front office will be looking into every option to find guys who can help this team.

Jack Yawnsville
Jagsonville Insider

Jaguars Year-End Review Part 2

In Part 1 we took a look at the position that has the most turmoil and questions, in the second part we look at a position that is completely the opposite.  The running back position was the one position where the team found any success and stability.     

Running Backs

T.J. Yeldon was hands-down the best player on offense this year for the Jaguars.  T.J. ended the season fourth for the rushing title and that could have been different if he wasn’t suspended by the league for 2 games.  He finished the season with 222 carries, 1118 yards, 11 TD and a YPC of 5.0.  Statistically this was Yeldon’s best season but personally it seemed to be one of his most trying.  In week 3,  T.J. had the game of his NFL career up to this point.  272 yards which is the 8^th best game of any single game rusher and had 4 touchdowns against the Colts. After the game he was quoted, “I don’t know it just felt like I could see the holes better and I was just in the zone this game”. 

We soon found out, there was more to it than that.  Per league source, “TJ Yeldon tested positive for PEDS and will serve a 2 game suspension”.  According to the Jags media director, he was suspended for conduct detrimental to the league and violating league/team rules and was banned from all the team facilities for 2 weeks.  It was very trying on Yeldon to be shunned by the team but this team and this league doesn’t need your services when you question the integrity of the league with performance enhancing drugs.  Fred Taylor’s, former Jaguars great, services were once again needed in Jacksonville but this time as a mentor and not the workhorse RB that he was.  Yeldon and Taylor spent the two-week suspension together talking about football, working out, but most importantly life.  “Freddie(Taylor) was the best thing to happen to me in my career and it’s horrible that it took a mistake for me to find my mentor but now that I have; I am different, my attitude towards the game is different and my outlook on life will be different.”-Yeldon.  T.J. came back after the bye and seems like every word he has spoken is true.  T.J. is no longer a stoic presence behind his visor, he is more vocal and happier both in practice and on the field.  Because of this drastic change, Yeldon earned his contract extension that he signing late last season. 

While Yeldon was serving his suspension, Jaron Cole saw action earlier than expected.  Cole was a 3^rd round draft pick out of Temple and the coaching staff thinks that he can develop into a star in this league.  His role for the most part of the season was to be the third back on the depth chart but his talent was too big for him to be that far down for long.  As the starter his best game came in a week 5 win against Houston where he had 93 yards and a touchdown.  His season average was 4.3 yards per carry and finished just shy of 200 yards.  This will continue to grow as he is now the third down back and number two on the depth chart.  Barring any more mistakes from Yeldon or injuries, his role is exactly what the Jaguars need until he is ready to take over for Yeldon.

Denard Robinson’s role has been drastically reduced over his 4 season with the Jaguars.  Denard is one of the Jaguars most electric Kick Returners and our special teams captain.  His speed is electric but it seems he just doesn’t fit into the type of runner the Jaguars are used to.  Denard has gladly accepted his role and seems content but with Jaron Cole’s rise into the backup spot, Denard may look elsewhere if he wants to be a part of the offense but for now he is happy to stay in Jacksonville.  “I was a QB in the cold and now a Kick Returner on the beach.  I love the fact that I can wear shorts in January.”

Our fullback, yes ladies and gentlemen we do have a full back on the roster, Adrian Smith had a very quiet but effective rookie reason.  The West Coast offense that we have been running doesn’t really call for a full back but when he was called upon he answered it with average run blocking and great pass blocking.  His run blocking wasn’t what the ownership had hoped for but we have to remember that he is a rookie and he was going to make some bad reads.  With a full season in and another offseason to work with the offensive line and Yeldon, look for a much more effective blocker next season.

The future of this position is set.  Yeldon signed a 6-year extension this season, Cole is on his rookie deal for the next 3 seasons, and Robinson has 4 years left on his extension.  So there is little at this position to talk about.  RB isn’t listed on our team’s draft needs and there is no need to find anyone in free agency.

Jack Yawnsville
Jagsonville Insider
 

Jaguars Year-End Review Part 1

After another disappointing season, fans and others in the football community are looking for answers.  There are too many questions, even after the season has ended.   Where did the defensive domination that we found in the first half of the season, go?  Who is our quarterback?  Why is our coach still employed? 

In this series, we will break down each position and look at where we finished and what direction we hope to be headed into the next season.  Part 1 is a look into the field generals, quarterbacks. 

Quarterbacks

Kyle Duncan finished the season with very disturbing numbers for a starting quarterback in the MBL.  His QBR of 58 percent and he threw for a little over 1294 yds.  Duncan did throw 8 touchdowns but he threw double that amount of interceptions at 16.  One of the main things that the coaches loved about Kyle was his locker room presence but during his bad play he completely lost the locker room during the season.  The coaching staff had been really high on Duncan because he fits what the coaches wanted from a QB but his production doesn’t meet the expectations.  The pressure was too much for Duncan and he collapsed.  He went winless in his 9 starts, which is exactly the losing streak that the Jags went on after the bye.  The coaching staff admitted that they should have gone back to Belton but felt Duncan had a better pocket presence.   Duncan was signed to a one year deal this offseason after starting a handful of games his rookie season in Jacksonville, but being the full-time starter proved to be beyond his skill set and ultimately lost his job back to Conner Belton.  This is going to be Duncan’s last time being on an NFL roster.  The Front Office has already made it clear that they will not resign Duncan nor will they recall his services during Free Agency.

Conner Belton finished the season better than his counterpart but not by much.  He finished the season with a QBR of 79.5.  Yardage wise he beat his rookie season by 6 yards and ended up with 1208 yards.  Belton had 9 touchdowns and 10 interceptions which was a much better ratio than he started the season with.  His interceptions are the reason he lost his starting role but regained it after Duncan fell apart.  The start of his season was awful but like a pro he took his time to improve and learned from, late season addition, Matt McGloin.  His best game was against the Raiders in week 16.  He threw 4 touchdowns and 1 interception finished with a Jags season high yardage with 307.   Fans and coaches were reminded of his potential but he followed that up with another bad game against the Bills to end the season.  Which also reminded the staff why they had to start Duncan instead.  Belton has one year left on his rookie deal and will be playing for a new contract.  Rumors are the Conner has had it with the Jags and is looking forward to playing out the season to earn a chance with another team.  With the limited talent pool projected in Free Agency and Draft this season, it seems like he will be the Jags week 1 starter but this is nothing new to the fans because he starts every season and by the bye week, coaches are looking for more. 

We didn’t see much of the other two quarterbacks on the roster and probably should have.  Blake Scott was a low round draft pick.  On paper he looked to be an improvement over Duncan but the coaching staff felt he wasn’t ready and hadn’t gained a grasp on the playbook.  Scott will likely be the backup next season and if the coaching staff thinks he has improved could even challenge Belton for the starting role, much like Duncan has the last two seasons.  Matt McGloin was brought in to help progress the quarterback play.  His veteran presence was felt in week 16, when Belton had a stellar game but it seems his presence was lost in week 17.   McGloin is a clipboard warrior and was never thought to be a contender for the starting role.  McGloin is nearing his 30’s and hasn’t had a starting role for a couple seasons and it is unclear if he will come back to Jacksonville during the offseason.  It is clear that leadership is needed at the QB position and watch for Jacksonville to make a play on a free agent, if one becomes available, if not look for the coaching staff to reach out to Matt to return and help our QB’s next season.

The future is unclear at this point for the Jaguars starting QB role.  There are no big names rumored to be headed into free agency.  Which means guys like McGloin, Colt McCoy, and Kellen Moore are going to be the top choices in the pool.  Their veteran leadership may prove to help teams but their talent level will not help win games.  Most years we would look to the draft to help us find out next Mark Brunell but the draft looks like it has a bunch of Garrards and Leftwichs.  If, and that is a big if, the Jags take a QB in the draft look for a couple names to be coming out of the front offices.  Georgia signal caller Bryon Harrison, Lucky Jordan from Arkansas, and Joey Ball from Texas southern are some names being whispered to be on the draft board.  If the Jags are happy with Belton’s performance backups and project QB’s like, W.T. Johns from Memphis and Brenden French from Northern Illinois might suit the roles in Jacksonville.  All in all, the QB position is the most important role for this Jaguars team to move forward.  They missed out rookie QB’s last year that have outshined their original star power and the owners know it.     

Jack Yawnsville
Jagsonville Insider