Jaguars Wide Receiver Ace Sanders Faces A Four Game Suspension

(Photo Credit- Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports)

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receive Ace Sanders is facing a four game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Sanders has also decided to take a leave of absence from the team to deal with his personal issues and get himself right. While he will be eligible to participate in training camp and play in preseason games, it is expected that Sanders will take the entire time to work on himself. The Jags are going to miss Sanders the first four weeks of the season. In his rookie year, Sanders recorded 51 catches for 484 yards and a touchdown. He was expected to make a big leap from his first to second season. Luckily for the Jags, rookies Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson should be able to step up and fill the void. The Jaguars are hoping that Sanders doesn’t become the next Justin Blackmon, so I’m sure they don’t mind him taking a leave of absence to get help.

Sanders posted on instagram which said “… never have I ever been in the light for something negative but this def something I’ll never forget. I’ll man up and let you know myself I messed up. Just know I’m working on me. I’ll be back. I got a daughter to feed and a family to take care of. I’ll bounce back. Just show that support #RideOrDieWithMe” 

Can Small Market Teams Survive In the NFL?

(Photo Credit- Jacksonville Jaguars)

One of the age old questions in the NFL is if small market teams like the San Diego Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars can compete with big market teams like the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers in terms of ticket sales. Well, it appears like they can. A ticket representative for the Jacksonville Jaguars (@FeelTheTeal) tweeted out that the Jaguars are projected to be number one in season ticket sales league wide for next season.

Projecting the Jaguars Starters: Defense

(Photo Credit- AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

A few days ago I wrote an article where I projected the starters for the Jacksonville Jaguars offense. Today, we will be covering the defense. Just as a side note for this article, the Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley is a big believer in using rotations. So while the people I’m going to list might be snap one starters, most of these positions- especially on the defensive line and linebackers- will be a revolving door. With that being said, lets get to it.

Defensive End/LEO- Chris Clemons

Clemons was one of the big name signings for the Jaguars in the off-season. Clemons had a slow year in 2013 due to injury, but the Jaguars hope that reuniting him with his former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will help him return to his old ways of averaging 11 sacks a season. Clemons, a seasoned veteran, was also brought in to be a good locker room presence and show the young guys how to act and play like a professional and Super Bowl champion.

Defensive Tackle- Sen’Derrick Marks

Marks proved to be one of the best 2012 off-season pickups for the Jaguars. He was a constant force in the middle and he played well enough to earn himself a big contract this off-season. There is no doubt in my mind that he will be a day one starter and will make a huge impact again this season.

Defensive Tackle- Ziggy Hood

Hood came over from Pittsburgh this off-season. He and Marks should make a good team in the middle. The combination has the potential to be like the Jaguar glory days when Marcus Stroud and John Henderson plugged up the middle. Hood has more than proved himself in his 6 year career and moving back to the middle should help improve his stats.

Defensive End- Red Bryant

Bryant followed his teammate Chris Clemons from Seattle to Jacksonville. The reunion with their former defensive coordinator Gus Bradley should make the transition easier since they will be in the same defensive scheme. Bryant has a proven track record and should be a solid day one starter.

Outside Linebacker- Dekoda Watson

Watson spent the first four years of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, while in Tampa he was never a starter. He comes to Jacksonville with the opportunity to be a day one starter. I expect him to take full advantage of the opportunity and make a name for himself. Like I said though the defensive line and linebackers will be part of a mass rotation so everybody will get playing time.

Middle Linebacker- Paul Posluszny

Poz has been the anchor of this Jaguar defense since he arrived in 2011. Last season he recorded a career high 162 tackles. He is without a doubt one of the most underrated defensive players in the league. Even with the rotations that the Jags like to run, Poz is one of the guys that doesn’t miss many snaps. Barring an injury, he will 100% be a day one starter.

Outside Linebacker- Geno Hayes

Geno Hayes started 14 games for the Jaguars last season and recorded 78 tackles in the process. Unless someone makes a big push during the preseason, Hayes will be a starter week one.

Corner- Dwayne Gratz

Gratz started eight games last season for the Jags and played pretty well. He missed some of the season with an injury. If he comes back healthy, he will definitely be a starter on day one.

Corner- Alan Ball

Really outside of Gratz I don’t believe there is a guaranteed starter at corner for the Jags. Ball played pretty well last season and I think gave himself the opportunity to be the front runner for the number two corner spot.

Free Safety- Johnathan Cyprien

Cyprien played pretty well last season for a rookie. He would have moments of brilliance, and then the next play would give up a huge play. He is the type of safety you want on your team. He is fast, reckless, and can lay the wood (anybody that doesn’e believe me just search on youtube ” Johnathan Cyprien highlights”). As long as he cuts down the mistakes this season, he should be fine. He is for sure the safety of the future for the Jags.

Strong Safety- Winston Guy

This is one of the most talked about position battles for the Jags heading into training camp. For most of last season, Winston Guy and Josh Evans split reps at strong safety. In my mind there is no clear cut winner. It will be interesting to see how the battle progresses through the preseason. I give Guy the edge because he is a little big bigger and more physical and Bradley loves big guys that can hit hard.

So this in my mind, is who the Jaguars will line up with on day one. It will be interesting to see how things shake out!

 

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Projecting the Jaguars Starters: Offense

(Photo Credit: Espn.com)

Training camp is just around the corner so we here at pro football 366 are going to be taking a look at all 32 teams and predict their starters. Today we will cover the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Quarterback- Chad Henne

Henne started last year and played average. He was great at padding up his stats in a blow out but would make critical mistakes late in close games. With a revamped offensive line and receiving corp, offensive line, and run game hopefully Henne can take his game to the next level.

Running Back- Toby Gerhart

Gerhart was brought in from Minnesota to be the starter. He hasn’t had to take a full load because he was behind the super human known as Adrian Peterson. However, all the Jaguar coaches have had nothing but high praises for Gerhart and they said he has the potential to be a “cowbell”.

Left Tackle- Luke Joeckel

Joeckel went down with an injury last season that kept him out the last 11 games of the season. He should be 100% and good to go on opening day. Joeckel had some troubles last season switching to right tackle then back to left tackle. He did however show signs that he can be a dominant tackle for years to come.

Left Guard- Zane Beadles

 The Jaguars are paying Beadles a lot of money to come in and be an anchor on this young offensive line. He is one of the best guards in the game and I fully expect him to dominate this season.

Center- Mike Brewster

Brewster played at guard last year. He has been sitting behind long time Jaguar center Brad Meester, but with Meester retiring he is poised to step in and be the starter. The Jaguar coaches seem confident that Brewster can be a solid center for years to come.

Right Guard- Brandon Linder

I think the rookie will get the nod for right guard on opening day. Hopefully he will prove that he deserves the starting spot this training camp and pre season. Right now he is the starter because of the lack of competition behind him.

Right Tackle- Austin Pasztor

Pasztor, a second year undrafted player started 12 games for the Jags last season and played very well. He has impressed the coaching staff and has most likely earned the starting day nod.

Tight End- Marcedes Lewis

At 6’6, Lewis provides a great safety blanket for any quarterback. Lewis had a pro bowl season in 2009 but then fell off production wise after that due to a revolving door of coaches and play books. Lewis is looking to have a breakout season with the improved offense.

Wide Receiver #1- Cecil Shorts

Shorts had a very productive season last year. Once concern with him has been his health later in the season. With the improved receiving corp I think he is poised to have a breakout year.

Wide Receiver #2- Allen Robinson

Robinson gets the nod for the #2 receiver spot for me over Marqise Lee because of his size. Shorts and Lee are both 6’0 and small so having the 6’3 210lbs Robinson starting opposite of Shorts will provide Henne with a big Anquan Boldin “go up and get it” type of  reciever.

Wide Receiver #3- Marqise Lee

Lee has a great build to be a productive slot receiver. It will be a stiff competition between him and Ace Sanders for the slot position, but in the end I predict Lee winning the battle. The Jags will be running a lot of four receiver sets this year so all of the receivers should get production.

Hopefully the Jags will have a great bounce back season. Keep following pro football 366 for more great articles!

 

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Breaking Down The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Top 5 Draft Picks

 

(Photo Credit: Tyler Sanders/Profootball366.com)

The Jacksonville Jaguars arguably had one of the best drafts this year. All nine of GM David Caldwell’s selections seemed like smart, solid decisions. In my opinion, we hit a homerun with every pick. But here are five guys that I expect to make a big impact.

Round 1, pick 3: Blake Bortles

Leading up to the draft there were a lot of different ideas of who David Caldwell would take with the number three overall pick.  Caldwell shocked many analysts when he took Bortles. Head coach Gus Bradley has already said that Bortles will sit his rookie year. I really like this move by Bradley. Former Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert was thrown into the fire just a few weeks into his rookie season when he simply wasn’t ready. This caused Gabbert to develop poor pocket presence which ultimately led to the end of his time here in Jacksonville. Bortles has all of the tools to be successful. He is big, smart, has a great arm, and comes from a pro system. He reminds me a lot of Ben Roethlisberger. Bortles seems to have a knack for brushing off defenders and extending the play. In a pass rush oriented league, you can’t put a price on this skill. I would expect Bortles to start late this season or at the beginning of next season.

Round 2, pick 39: Marqise Lee

In my opinion, Marqise Lee was an absolute steal for the Jags. He won the Biletnikoff award in 2012 and was considered to be a sure top 10 pick when the season started. However, Lee had an off year due to a nagging knee and shin injury. When you combine that with a sluggish 4.5 forty time and issues with drops you get a drop in draft stock. However Lee has come into rookie mini-camp and OTA’s focused and ready to go. I attended rookie mini-camp and got to watch Lee first hand. He showed flashes of great breakaway speed and I think that he is posed to make a solid impact in his rookie year.

Round 2, pick 61: Allen Robinson 

David Caldwell traded up to get Robinson in the second round. This again, was a great move by Caldwell to get a great player that can step in and make an impact. It appears as if suspended wide receiver Justin Blackmon will miss all of this season and his future with the Jags is not looking good. Robinson provides a big body “go up and get it” element that Blackmon brought to the table. I wouldn’t be shocked if Robinson is starting opposite side of Cecil Shorts on opening day.

Round 5, pick 144: Telvin Smith

This is by far one of my personal favorite picks. Telvin Smith, aka “Q-Tip” was in my opinion one of the best coverage linebackers available in the draft. If he wouldn’t have failed a drug test many think he would have been a late second to early third round pick. When I saw him in person at the rookie mini-camp I did notice that one thing he needs to improve is his size. Jaguars.com has Smith listed at 6’3 218lbs. If he adds about 10-15lbs of muscle but keeps his killer speed he could easily be one of the best linebackers in the NFL. He won’t start on opening day but he will definitely be in the linebacker rotation throughout the year.

Round 7, pick 222: Storm Johnson

There’s a “storm warning” in Jacksonville. The Jags took Blake Bortles teammate Storm Johnson with their last pick in the draft. I was very impressed with what I saw out of him during mini camp. He was making great cuts and he had a great ability to change speeds. The Jags signed running back Toby Gerhart in the off-season to be a starter but behind Gerhart there is no set number two back. Johnson has the potential to come in and be that guy that can relieve Gerhart. He could perhaps be the steal of the draft.

Overall,  the Jacksonville Jaguars had a great draft. They added depth in places needed, and they added key pieces which should help increase their offensive production, which ranked towards the bottom of the league last year. Look for them to shock some people this year!

 

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