Written by: Matthew Blunk
The lamest of lame ducks in Jack Del
Rio is finally gone, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have moved on. Mike
Mularkey is the new sheriff in town (though GM Gene Smith is technically above him in the totem pole), and more changes are coming. The team
appears to be sticking to their guns with Blaine Gabbert as franchise
quarterback, though they added Chad Henne for competition and insurance.
Smith and new owner Shahid Khan have their coach and quarterback, so now what? Well, there's plenty of work to do, really. The Jaguars don't have a whole lot of talent in general on their roster. The offensive line is something that could really come together, but the skill positions are a bit bare. Maurice Jones-Drew is still the man in North Florida, but an offense that is literally all one player can't win games. So let's observe what President Jackson's would-be favorite team can do to fix that:
Wide Receiver
The
"If We Bring In a Bunch of No. 2s and 3s, We Won't Really Need a No. 1
Guy" theory is alive and well in Jacksonville. The Jags signed Dallas
Cowboys breakout receiver Laurent Robinson, but they don't have a Dez
Bryant-type that can draw the attention necessary to give Robinson the
single coverage he so frequently faced while in Dallas. Lee Evans was
also brought in to a group that includes Mike Thomas, Jarett Dillard,
and Cecil Shorts. No wonder Gabbert always looks so unsettled in the
pocket.
Defensive End
The Jaguars have been trying to
solve this problem for years now. They thought they had it fixed when
they signed Aaron Kampman from the Green Bay Packers in 2009, but he has
struggled to stay healthy. They wanted Derrick Harvey to be that guy,
but he massively failed. Go back even further and you'll remember Hugh
Douglas, who, back in 2003, signed a large contract with Jacksonville
for what ended up as a one-year vacation. The Jags aren't
completely bare at the position now, with Kampman and Jeremy Mincey as
the starters, but they can be upgraded, and depth is always most
welcome.
Cornerback
Jacksonville's safeties got a complete
makeover in 2011. In 2012, it'll be the cornerbacks that get revamped.
Rashean Mathis will be back, but he's become a very average starter in
recent years. Aaron Ross was signed from the New York Giants, and that's an important pickup for the Jags. But more help is needed, more youthful help in particular. This team is rebuilding, and it should look to add more pieces for the future.
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