Offseason Wish List Update

by Jonathan Loesche on Mar 14, 2009 12:44 PM EDT in Meta-Jacksonville Jaguars

T1_1213_drew

The sooner we know he'll be in Teal and Black for a while, the better

There were a five things I wanted this franchise to do before the first Pre-season game kicked off this year. I figured they would help aleviate the bitter taste in all of our mouths from 2008 and help set the team in a positive direction. This is an updated list of those things as well as the progress the team has made on them.

1. Send a sign that the Jaguars have put 2008 firmly in the past

Perhaps what was Tom Coughlin's greatest sin to the franchise was hanging out until the empire he built crumbled around him. The 2000 Jaguars were the most dissappointing in the franchise's history thanks to injuries and age. Instead of seeing the signs, Coughlin tried to keep things intact for one more run. Instead, the team went 6-10 and the Dark Ages had officially begun.

The 2009 Jaguars needed to distance themselves from their 2008 selves so that we could really begin the quest for a Super Bowl anew.

Progress: Shack Harris resigned, Gene Smith has been appointed GM, Jerry "A new car every week" Porter and Drayton "What's a Wide Reciever" Floerence have been cut, and it seems the Jaguars will truly start 2009 anew.

Verdict:I'm very pleased with the progress so far and hope it continues through the draft.

2. Have Maurice Jones-Drew signed to a long term deal by the start of the season

MJD is the face of the franchise, and now the Fred Taylor has been shown the door, THE main weapon the Jaguars have on offense. He can't be allowed to even sniff free agency, where a team like Dallas or Washington could offer him the moon and the stars, leaving the Jaguars with squat. There is of course always the franchise tag, but that may sour the relationship the team has.

Progress:Reports are the Jaguars and MJD are close on a figure.

Verdict: While nothing new has come out since Jones-Drew confirmed both sides were close in guranteed money, I'm taking the attitude no news is good news.

3. Have the stadium issue resolved

While some of you may be thinking of the naming rights issue, I am referring to the $143 million in repairs the Jaguars requested as detailed here.These are the kind of snowball effects that could lead to the Jaguars leaving. $143 million may sound expensive, but as I said, I would rather spend that on repairs then $700 million on a new stadium.

Progress: To my knowledge, there has been little coverage outside of the Times-Union article

Verdict: Hopefully things are being settled behind closed doors. I'm sure the City knows handing over $140 million to the team in this economy is political suicide.

4.Have strong leadership in the front office

The three headed approach under Shack Harris had gotten us a multitude of busts in the draft and free agency. Reports of bickering on draft day were a yearly event, and something had to be done.

Progress: The alpha and omega, Gene Smith, has appeared. Except for when Tom Coughlin ran the front office, this is easily the most forceful any head personnel guy has been with the Jaguars.

Verdict: Bow before your new ruler

5.Get MJD on the Madden Cover

Seriously, we need a Jaguar on the cover of the biggest piece of NFL merchanise.

Progress: Sadly nothing so far outside of EA posting a big "Coming Soon" over the Madden 2010 cover.

Verdict: Wait and see

Poll

How would you rate the Jaguars offseason progress?

Outstanding

33 votes

Solid, though there is room for improvement

178 votes

Eh, 1 step forward, 2 steps back

27 votes

A trained chimp could do better

18 votes

256 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

So far

not bad. The cuting of Fred was a little hard to swallow first, but today I can understand why they doing it. Tra Thomas was a good signing.They cut Porter and Florence . With that I think the chemistry will be better. For Spicer i will a little sorry, but we have guys to replace him.About Considine’s signing we will see. Also I’m looking for how Mel Tucker and specailly Prunell how will perform.
The big thing will be what they will do on the draft, but until that we will see MJD contract, and specially what the team will do with Matt Jones.
By the way, thanks for the article update.

by Zoltan from Budapest on Mar 14, 2009 3:05 PM EDT reply actions

Oups

For Spicer I feel a little sorry (I’m hate myself for so many typing errors)

by Zoltan from Budapest on Mar 14, 2009 3:07 PM EDT up reply actions

im still impressed you speak english

and keep up with the jags from so far away

surreal to be teal

by Surteal on Mar 14, 2009 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Hey

English in these days are the common language of the world, just like Latin was in the middleage, or French was in XVII-to early XIX century. So these theys this is a “Good to have it” skill for those who don’t born in a place where the first language is English. I was learned the language 8 years through elemantary and high school (Plus 10 years of German, I pick some Latin in the University, but my skills in that is very poor) Plus I watched channels like CNN a lot. And when I discovered the internet, many things, for example about the Jaguars were in English, so don’t be surprised so much. My grammar is still not the best, and I make too many times spelling errors, but my understanding skills(specaly on written texts) are I can say very good.

And to keeping up with the Jaguars, I have a whole bunch of links in my so called “link libary”, that focusing on the Jaguars and the NFL. I listening WOKV’s Jaguars stuff online, when I’m not fall to sleep, for example, Jaguars is now among my Top 5(maybe top 3) hobbies, so don’t wonder, that I’m so keeping up with them.

by Zoltan from Budapest on Mar 14, 2009 9:51 PM EDT up reply actions

thats awesome man

i need to learn a language

surreal to be teal

by Surteal on Mar 14, 2009 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions

How about a B-A-L-A-N-C-E-D OFFENSE?

Is this too much to ask for?

by Slvrgun on Mar 14, 2009 9:14 PM EDT reply actions

Funny and poignant... Enjoyable read

I rank the stadium sponsorship and MJD’s contract as the main focuses.

MJD on Madden would be nice though….

The End Is Nigh...

by silencecs on Mar 14, 2009 9:37 PM EDT reply actions

check it out

i found this over christmas break

you can print it out, i dont know how to make it smaller sorry

surreal to be teal

by Surteal on Mar 14, 2009 10:19 PM EDT reply actions

Now if that was for the PS3

"I smoke. If this bothers anyone, I suggest you look around at the world in which we live and shut your mouth."-Bill Hicks

by Jonathan Loesche on Mar 15, 2009 12:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I've

Got a PS3. I remember seeing it earlier and it was on the PS3 cover.

Thats Good For Another Jacksonville... First Down.

by Bestjagfan on Mar 15, 2009 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions

this site compared to your brother site…jags.com at least sees the true good and bad and I congratulate you on that. that other site is a joke. saying reggie williams needs to come back and people are setting him up….who is smoking reggies weed?

I think what your franchise needs to do after signing mjd is clean up your wr corps. you currently have 3 wrs on the headlines of every major sports website right now….matt jones is getting out of jail, reggie williams dodged jail but hes still a pothead, and dennis northcutt alledged hired beating of his girl friend. thats alot of wrs in the headlines and none of these guys are worth a hill of beans.

I think getting rid of cancers should be on the list. I would be mortified if one player for the team I root for is in the news like the above (and the team did nothing) and you have 3. and like I said at least you guys acknowledge problems and positives so while everybody says trade down Im not sure if maclin is available would I grab him. can you imagine mjd with an actual wideout that is explosive…

no player can do it himself. Im talking about mjd. this team needs a major facelift of talent…talking O line, dbacks and recievers. if the jags continue to ignore these problems having mjd featured on anything will do no good because hes going to eventually get killed out there on the field

by kinnickcolt on Mar 15, 2009 7:14 AM EDT reply actions

Any opinions on how the Lions trade affects the Jags?

I saw where the Lions traded one of their starting DT’s to the ’Hawks for LB Julian Peterson. Does this mean the rumored trading involving John Henderson to the Lions may have some validity? Also, since they traded for a veteran LB, does this mean that Curry is out and maybe Stafford or someone else is in as the Lions first pick?

by Jaggernaut on Mar 15, 2009 1:03 PM EDT reply actions