Tag Archives: Jacksonville Jaguars
Next in line: 5 teams Los Angeles should court next
Yesterday it was announced that the Minnesota Vikings are staying in Minnesota for good. The Minnesota Legislator passed a Bill toward a new stadium and Vikings fans can now rejoice and celebrate the biggest win in Franchise history.
Justin Blackmon lands in Jacksonville, oh no!
Of all the places a star receiver could have landed the Jacksonville Jaguars were not the ideal location. A top defensive unit their offense is less than desired.
Moving up to the fifth overall pick the Jacksonville Jaguars selected the top receiver in the 2012 NFL draft, Justin Blackmon.
Now the question becomes is Blaine Gabbert going to be throwing the ball to him?
Members of the media and draft analysts may want to say Justin Blackmon isn’t the total package, but like many other receivers he will have a chip on his shoulder when he signs with the Jaguars.
Jaguars missed out on a golden opportunity with Tebow
Why didn’t the Jacksonville Jaguars go all-in for Tim Tebow? Jacksonville is an abysmal NFL franchise with a lethargic fan base, can’t sell tickets and flat-out stink. As an NFL team they’re not going anywhere anytime soon so why not throw the kitchen sink at the Denver Broncos to bring Tebow back to Jacksonville? Talk about a second coming, the guy played his college and high school football there. On a scale of 1 to 10 his popularity is a 15 in the Jacksonville area and he would have been the perfect shot of adrenaline for a franchise that’s on life support.
2012 NFL mock draft: First round
After teasing you with my divisional mock draft tour, I now present to you the full 32 team first round mock. This will be the first of about 3 or 4 mock drafts I will do leading up to Thursday Night April 26th when the 2012 NFL Draft gets under way.
5 Teams that will attempt to trade for Tim Tebow
The rumors continue to heat up as Tim Tebow’s time in the Denver Broncos organization may be coming to an abrupt end. Never has a quarterback with so much hype and initial success lost his starting job and possibly his place with the organization. Here are five teams that will attempt to trade for Tebow-Mania.
2012 NFL draft: Possible selections for the Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars were unable to improve on an 8-8 record and in Week 3 of the 2011 NFL season Luke McCown would be replaced with the 10th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Blaine Gabbert.
2012 Mock Draft: AFC South edition
The mock draft journey in the NFL lands us in the AFC South today where things took a turn that nobody saw coming. The Indianapolis Colts have dominated the AFC South for a long time but thanks to Peyton Manning’s neck, found themselves almost going 0-16 before turning it around and finishing 2-14. Not only did the Colts finish 2-14, but they also cleaned house as they fired Bill Polian and Head Coach Jim Caldwell. They are now ready to go in a new direction under new General Manager Ryan Grigson and new Head Coach Chuck Pagano, all led by Andrew Luck. The Jacksonville Jaguars had a ok season but they got a new Owner during the season which is leaving some to speculate if they are going to move to Los Angeles. The Tennessee Titans under first year coach Mike Munchak had a pretty good year finishing 9-7 and coming close to a playoff spot. The big winner of it all, the Houston Texans finished 10-6, and not only hosted a playoff game but also won their first playoff game before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the Divisional Round. How can each team look to build or rebuild off last season?
Indianapolis Colts
Round 1, Pick 1: Andrew Luck QB Stanford: The Colts did their best this past season, it sure had to be tough beating the Titans & Texans late in the season but hey they lost to Jacksonville and secured the # 1 pick in the 2012 Draft. Just how ironic is this, last year Peyton Manning advised Luck to stay at Stanford for another year and what do you know, Luck is about to be drafted by the Colts. Luck is the best QB prospect to come out since well, Peyton Manning and no doubt will be replacing Manning as the Colts look to start a new era in Indy. Out of all the times for the Colts to struggle, it just happens when Peyton has neck surgery, maybe Peyton should have advised Luck to stay in school for another year once again.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
Round 1, Pick 7: Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois: The Jaguars love drafting defensive lineman, in fact they have drafted defensive lineman every other year in the first round since 2008. So since they took Blaine Gabbert last year, it’s time for another defensive lineman. Whitney Mercilus will be this year’s Aldon Smith and shoot up the draft boards by April. Whitney led the nation in sacks and forced fumbles last season with 16 and had 22.5 tackles for loss, and that will upgrade the Jaguars pass rush and improve the defensive line.
Tennessee Titans
Round 1, Pick 20: Devon Still DT Penn State: Still is currently BPA for the Titans at the moment as they get lucky he falls to them. The Titans haven’t had a real force on their defensive line since Albert Haynesworth. Still ended the season with 55 tackles and 4.5 sacks as he was a true dominant force on Penn State’s defensive line. Standing at 6’5, Still has amazing power and speed to be a true play maker in the NFL and the Titans are lucky he drops to 20 in my mock.
Houston Texans
Round 1, Pick 26: Alshon Jeffery WR South Carolina: There were so many concerns about Jeffery heading into the combine that he was one of the players guaranteed to have a draft night fall. His slide ends at 26 as he gets to go play opposite of Andre Johnson in Houston. Jeffery had a down year compared to his 2010 season but is ready to show teams that he can be a number one receiver in the NFL. The Texans offense gets much better with the pick of Jeffery at the bottom of round one and should make Matt Schaub one happy quarterback.
Sign up for TPF’s Daily Newsletter and enter to win a TPF T-Shirt
Mike Presley is a NFL Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag. He is a graduate of the Carolina School of Broadcasting and hosts a weekly NFL show on the schools radio station 89.3 The Storm entitled “The Front Seven.” Mike also writes for the racing website www.hardcoreracefans.com. Follow him on Twitter @mikepresley64.
Related articles
- 2012 Mock Draft: NFC North edition (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- 2012 Mock Draft: AFC North edition (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- 2012 Mock Draft: AFC East edition (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Randy Moss: 5 teams that could take a chance
Randy Moss was once touted as one of the greatest of all-time, but his attitude and work-ethic left much to be desired.
5 teams that won’t pursue Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning has been medically cleared to play and teams are now scrambling to figure out how to acquire the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Here’s a look at five teams that won’t have anything to do with Peyton in 2012.
1. Dallas Cowboys
Peyton Manning is an upgrade over Tony Romo, make no doubt about it. Who wouldn’t want a future Hall of Fame quarterback throwing to Dez Bryant and Miles Austin?
That’s where the dream stops. It will never happen because of the salary cap.
To trade Tony Romo or even cut him would carry huge salary-cap implications and would stop the Cowboys from making any other moves.
Let’s also not forget the offensive line allowed 36 sacks last season. Something Peyton Manning might not be able to handle.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite what many fans think Jacksonville isn’t the answer for Peyton Manning.
Yes, a 6th ranked defense and Maurice Jones-Drew are enticing, but pieces are still missing to make them a Super Bowl contender right away.
Sure Peyton has the ability to make average receivers look like superstars, but this is Jacksonville.
Jacksonville should be at least interested in him and not Tim Tebow.
3. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have one of the worst offensive lines in football.
Manning wouldn’t last more than a month taking the types of hits we saw Kevin Kolb and John Skelton take.
Arizona also lacks weapons other than Larry Fitzgerald and has no running game to speak of.
Peyton is set to have dinner with Fitzgerald who was an impact in recruiting Kevin Kolb last season, but it’s just dinner.
4. New York Jets
Both Manning brothers in New York…forgettaboutit!
The Jets are mess and it’s possible that signing Manning would only make matters worse.
All signs point to the Jets sticking with Mark Sanchez, but Manning would be a huge improvement and give the Jets the consistency they have been missing.
Peyton has spent his entire home career inside a dome in Indianapolis and the New York weather might not sit well.
5. Washington Redskins
Not only do they lack the offensive line they also lack the talent.
More importantly Peyton would never go to an NFC East team as there is no chance he would want to play his brother Eli twice a season.
It’s already hard enough when they have played the few times during both their stellar careers.
See Peyton Manning: 5 Teams that should take a chance to win it all
Sign up for TPF’s Daily Newsletter and enter to win a TPF T-Shirt
Click Here to SubscribeRelated articles
- Peyton Manning Will Never be on the Jets’ Roster (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Could Peyton be Suiting Up for the Washington Redskins? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Could Jim Irsay’s Antics Cost Indy Andrew Luck? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Elway’s Way Out of Tebow Mania, Peyton Manning (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- CSU’s Hottie of the Week: Nicole Alexis (college-sports-university.com)
Jaguars Mascot in a Speedo Trying to Tan His Cheeks
The Pro-Bowl is a fun NFL event for everyone. Even the NFL mascots are asked to attend. Jaxson de Ville, the Jacksonville Jaguars team mascot was there to cheer on Maurice Jones-Drew, but known for his crazy antics he had to tone it down a bit due to NFL regulations.
Initially asking the NFL to streak down the field, Jaxson de Ville decided to wear a speedo during an extra point attempt.
He’s sexy and he knows it…
Jaxson is known for his crazy antics and has self-proclaimed himself as the best mascot.
According to wikipedia, He is very interactive with the crowd and the Jaguars (if they’re not too busy), and sometimes interacts with the opposing team’s players as well. He often mocks and jokes with the other team’s mascot, if they are present.These acts got him into trouble in 1998 and stemmed the changing of the NFL’s mascot rules, and also caused him to calm down. However, Jaxson was still seen, by some, as a mascot that gets in the way during the game. After the October 22, 2007 game against Indianapolis, Colts President Bill Polian complained to the NFL, and Jaxson was reprimanded again.During the November 18, 2007 home game Jaxson spent a good portion of the game in a make-shift “cage”, but was released for short periods so he could interact with fans and also to give him an opportunity to ride his scooter.
Related articles
- Could the Jacksonville Jaguars Move to L.A.? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Swap Meet: Falcons, Jaguars Exchange Offensive Coordinators (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Khan Job: New Management, Same Old Jaguars (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
Spreading the Wealth: What Teams Could Adopt the Spread Offense in 2012
“Conventional knowledge” has always said that the spread offenses featured in the college game would never work in the NFL. However, the Denver Broncos, under Coach John Fox, proved different this year. The Broncos adopted the new system to better compliment quarterback Tim Tebow and ended up winning the AFC West and upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wildcard round of the playoffs this year. Make no mistake, there are other teams in the NFL that could excel by utilizing this new trend of offense, especially teams with quarterbacks that have had trouble adapting to the pro-style. Here are some teams that would not surprise anyone if they used this new offense in 2012.
Carolina Panthers
- Cam Newton greatly excelled in college and junior college running this scheme, and since he has already established himself as a threat both throwing and running the ball teams would be put into a sticky situation trying to defend him. Compliment that with the one-two punch of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart running the ball and Steve Smith outside could be lethal. One catch here is that they are a fan of the two tight end sets with Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen, so the spread could be used as a compliment to their already established offense.
Philadelphia Eagles
- This would be the perfect way to get the fans excited and light a spark underneath the offense. Not to mention that Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy would give defenses nightmares! Also, arguably their top receiver, Jeremy Maclin, had success in the system in college. Inadvertently, this would help out their defense too if they decide to stick with their hybrid-nickel scheme with three corners.
Cleveland Browns
- Considering that Colt McCoy and their suspected target in the draft, Robert Griffin III, both had success in college running the spread, the change would make sense. The hang up here is that Pat Shurmur was the offensive coordinator for Sam Bradford in St. Louis and insisted on running the pro-style. Also, new offensive coordinator Brad Childress is also an advocate for the more conventional offensive scheme. However, with an offense that has Greg Little as its top receiver and a running game that will most likely be without Peyton Hillis, creativity is necessary to have success in the AFC North.
New England Patriots
- When have we ever known Bill Belichick to not love new trends, especially when it condones spreading the ball around in the passing game! In no way do I suggest that they will completely scrap the offense they have featured this year, but with Bill O’Brien leaving for Penn State some minor changes could occur. The most likely replacement for O’Brien is former offensive coordinator and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels. McDaniels is already on the Patriots’ staff and started to feature the spread last year with the Rams to help out Sam Bradford.
Minnesota Vikings
- This could be an interesting endeavor for the Vikings. Christian Ponder showed signs of being a solid starter in this league, but they greatly overworked Adrian Peterson to make the rookie quarterback’s transition easier. With the spread, it would help Ponder in the passing game, give Adrian Peterson less but more effective carries, and would be better suited to fully utilize the skill set of Percy Harvin. Either way, they need to find a way to limit Peterson’s carries and further Ponder’s fragile progression as a starter in the NFL.
Detroit Lions
- How scary could this be? The passing game would open up further for Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson while also making the running load easier for Jahvid Best. In games against high powered offenses, the Lions seem to convert to a pass-first scheme anyway.
Miami Dolphins
- This is very contingent of them not signing Peyton Manning, but if they decide to stick it out with Matt Moore or sign Matt Flynn this could be a good option. The main reason is because this team had success running the Wildcat in the past and now with personnel like Reggie Bush and Steve Slaton, if they re-sign him, they could run the legs off of teams. Also, with the development of Devone Bess and Brian Hartline alongside Brandon Marshall this offense could put up some serious numbers.
St Louis Rams
- Josh McDaniels tried to implement this offense last year but wasn’t very successful. New coach, Jeff Fisher might try the same moving forward to cater to quarterback Sam Bradford’s strengths. Surely, there will still be pro-style sets since Fisher is old school and favors a run-first offense, which is well-equipped with running backs Stephen Jackson and Cadillac Williams. However, in the modern game you need your quarterback to be productive and the spread would seem to be the answer.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Blaine Gabbert had a rough time showing any consistency in his rookie season, but coach Mike Mularkey is known for creating unique ways to get production out of his offenses. He will probably try to implement the same style of offense he featured in Atlanta, but considering the Jaguars biggest threat in the receiving game is tight end Marcedes Lewis they will have to effectively utilize the ground game. Also, Gabbert had success running the spread at the University of Missouri.
Steve Gross is a Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag and can be contacted at SGross@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com
Related articles
- Like Tebow, Patriots Sharpened Spread Offense at Florida (nytimes.com)
- Rams Hire Brian Schottenheimer (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- NFL Mock Draft: Predicting Landing Spots for Top Prospects (bleacherreport.com)
Khan Job: New Management, Same Old Jaguars
I can’t begin to feel what Jacksonville Jaguars fans are feeling right now but I know it can’t be good. New owner Shahid Khan promised them that things would get better and for a couple of weeks things looked as if they might.
I guess change is a relative state of mind to Khan. Khan has kept General Manager Gene Smith and he also kept defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. While retaining both of those guys wasn’t the worst of moves Khan could make, Jaguars fans were expecting the organization to receive more of an overhaul.
That would include management, the coaching staff and the product on the field. From the looks of things fans will see little change in either one of these areas.
Khan did make a head-coaching change. The Jaguars also have a new offensive coordinator but as Jaguars fans will see in the coming months these moves will create little change in the team’s on-field performance.
That is because the Jaguars made somewhat of a lateral move in their hiring of Mike Mularkey as head coach. Mularkey ran the Atlanta Falcons conservative offense the past four years with mixed results. Mularkey does emphasize the run which will at least make Maurice Jones-Drew happy but don’t expect a whole lot after that.
And Jacksonville’s new offensive coordinator? Well that is no other than Bob Bratkowski, Mularkey’s quarterbacks coach from Atlanta and longtime friend.
Khan and Smith probably looked at how quarterback Matt Ryan developed in Atlanta and were hoping that Mularkey and crew would be able to do the same for Blaine Gabbert but maybe they should have taken a deeper look into Ryan’s “progress” before they decided on Mularkey as coach.
Ryan had his best season in terms of total yards and touchdowns last season but those numbers aren’t that great when put into perspective. Despite passing for nearly 500 yards more than the previous season, Ryan only threw one more touchdown while throwing three more interceptions. His average-yards-per-pass improved from the previous season also but it was still lower than what he averaged his rookie season.
Bartkowski and Mularkey tried to implement the no-huddle to Atlanta’s offense last year but Ryan never seemed to master it. Atlanta’s offense would stall at the most inopportune times, none more notable than in their 24-2 Wild Card loss to the New York Giants.
That’s not saying that the Jaguars won’t be a little better than they were under Jack Del Rio. Not so much because Mularkey is a better coach, because he isn’t. More so because Del Rio’s message and routine had grown old and the team needed a fresh face that will bring a different approach to how they do things.
But it won’t take long for Mularkey’s act to wear thin in Jacksonville. The guy only lasted two years in his lone previous stint as head coach of the Buffalo Bills and couldn’t retain his offensive coordinator duties for more than a year when he was with the Miami Dolphins.
So Jaguars fans can expect incremental improvement over the next couple of years while we await the day until Mularkey gets fired. Sure Gabbert will play better and the team will win a few more games but both were bound to happen regardless of who the Jaguars installed as coach. With that being said, the countdown on when Mularkey faces the wrath of Khan begins. Anyone want to place bets on how long that will take?
Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag and can be contacted at RHall@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com. Follow him on Twitter @rhall_tpfb.
Related articles
- Falcons’ Offense Shutout by Giants? That’s Mularkey! (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Could the Jacksonville Jaguars Move to L.A.? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
- Del Rio’s Out, Who will be the Next Coaching Casualty? (thepenaltyflagblog.com)
