On The Prowl

By: Mike Wagenman

As expected, the 2011 post-NFL lockout free agency period has been chaotic and rapidly developing. It seems as though a different player signs a contract every time the channel turns to the NFL Network. Some teams, like the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots, have acquired household named superstars to help bolster their Super Bowl chances. Other teams, like the Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears, have signed an extraordinary amount of formidable players to fill out salary cap space. Organizations such as the New York Jets focused mainly on bringing back most of their free agents, a successful bunch in the recent past. And then there were teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, who did virtually nothing since the free agency period started. While the Eagles and Patriots, and maybe even the Jets and Redskins are the obvious choices for big free agency winners, one team has flown completely under the radar, yet has signed quality football players to significantly improve their squad: the Jacksonville Jaguars. Obviously, free agency is not over, but the Jags have caught my eye this offseason.

Jacksonville is a city that was spoiled in the late 1990s. In 1995, the NFL introduced two new franchises, the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. In just their second season, the Jags made it all the way to the AFC title game and made the playoffs in four of their first five years in the league. Jaguars fans were becoming accustomed to winning. However, in 2000, the franchise took a turn for the worst and realized it could not afford key players due to financial problems. Since that year, Jacksonville has only reached the postseason twice. The situation in Jacksonville was beginning to brighten, however, in 2007 when David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew emerged as leaders and cornerstones, and carried the Jaguars to the playoffs. The success was short lived, as the team went 5-11 in 2008, 7-9 in 2009, and 8-8 in 2010. Jaguars owner, chairman, and CEO Wayne Weaver and GM Gene Smith knew the time was now, and the improvements had to start with the 2011 NFL Draft.

The Jaguars made headlines on draft night, as they traded up to the tenth pick to get Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert. This was a huge roll of the dice, but something that needed to be done. With Garrard on his last leg, the Jaguars needed a quarterback of the future, and they got one with whom many considered the top pure quarterback in the draft. Jacksonville also addressed other key needs during the draft, as they added offensive lineman Will Rackley from Lehigh, and defensive backs Chris Prosinski from Wyoming and Rod Isaac from Middle Tennessee State. The Jags were desperately in need of offensive line depth and, with many free agents in an already poor secondary, defensive backs were necessary. Also in the draft, the team rolled the dice again and took division-III wideout Cecil Shorts from powerhouse Mount Union (Pierre Garcon's alma mater). His quick route running and sure hands should translate to the NFL, and could fill the void left by Mike Sims-Walker, who signed with the Rams. A decent draft from the Jaguars got the faithful excited for the upcoming season. But the biggest splashes were yet to come.

In 2010, the Jaguars did not rank particularly high in team defense; 28^th to be exact. They gave up 26.2 points per game, 371.8 yards per game, and only forced 18 turnovers. Weaver and Smith went to work quickly when free agency began. After trading Reggie Nelson to Cincinnati last season, the safety position became an issue. That issue was resolved when the Jags resigned second year safety Courtney Greene, and went out and inked former Ravens safety Dawan Landry. Landry had 111 tackles and one sack last year, and had four interceptions back in 2009. Furthermore, the experience of playing in one of the best defenses in the NFL for the past five seasons will bode well for Landry, as he can assist some of the younger defensive backs on the Jaguars roster. William Middleton, a nickel corner for the Jags last season, was also brought back to the team along with former Jets cornerback Drew Coleman. Coleman has played nickel, dime, and base cornerback in his career, so he has experience covering all types of receivers in all different packages. Also, Coleman, like Landry, comes from one of the NFL's top defenses in New York, so his skills and experience are without question.

The biggest area of improvement on the Jacksonville squad comes at linebacker. The Jags dipped into their wallets and signed possibly the top free agent linebacker in Paul Posluszny, former Penn State Nittany Lion (Linebacker U) and Buffalo Bill. Posluszny recorded an astounding 151 tackles last year in Buffalo, and had two sacks. This was with most of the blocking attention on him because of the Bills sub-par defense. Posluszny brings toughness and grit to the Jags, something they have been lacking in recent years. Jacksonville did not stop there, as they then signed former Colts linebacker Clint Session. Session is just 26 years of age and is still maturing, but he flies around the field with no mercy. He had 38 tackles last season before injury sidelined him after just five games, but had 84 in 2009. Finally, the Jaguars signed Matt Turk, the 15 year veteran, to ensure that they have no concerns with their punting game.

With all of their draft picks and signings boosting their roster on paper, these players still have to prove it on the field. The Jaguars look to be an exciting and contending young team in an upstart AFC South division in the 2011 season. It should be a fun ride, and hopefully for Jacksonville, their free agent signings and rookies can stay healthy enough to attain success between the lines.