Jaguars have an expensive "problem" on their hands
by Alfie Crow on Sep 14, 2011 4:00 PM EDT
in Jacksonville Jaguars News
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PrintIn the offseason the Jacksonville Jaguars made some big moves in free agency, signing linebacker Paul Posluszny to a 6-year $42 million ($15M guaranteed) contract and linebacker Clint Session to a 5-year $29 million ($11.5M guaranteed) contract. Those two moves solidified the Jaguars linebacking corps, adding to the already talented Daryl Smith, who signed a 6-year $25 million contract in 2007. It's a lot of money in a linebacking corps, but it's arguably one of the best 4-3 linebacking corps in the NFL.
There's only one issue so far however, the Jaguars take their linebackers off the field in nickel and dime packages.
Look at the number of plays each player on the defense played on Sunday, I thought it was a mistake. Mark Long of the AP tweeted it today though confirmed it: Clint Session played only 6 downs against the Tennessee Titans.
Six downs for the guy you just gave a pretty hefty contract to?
By comparison, Posluszny played a total of 53 snaps (34 in coverage) and Daryl Smith played 33 snaps (24 in coverage). I noticed during the game that Smith would come off the field often on passing downs while Posluszny would stay in, which totally blew my mind. He's still the best cover linebacker on the team. I don't agree with all the hand wringing about Posluszny in coverage, he's solid unless he's asked to drop deep, but Smith is still the best guy for coverage.
I assumed with the money the team has invested in the linebacking group that they would keep three linebackers on the field even on nickel downs, as they did much of the preseason, but that clearly wasn't the case on Sunday. While they shut down the Titans rushing attack, the Titans didn't even really try to run the ball. Chris Johnson had just 9 carries and the team seemed to panic as soon as the Jaguars went ahead 7-0 and passed the ball an inordinate amount.
It remains to be seen if this will be the case as the season moves forward, but as I mentioned... you can't have the guy you just gave a $30 million deal to play only 6 downs when he's healthy.
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Like who?
The only person I can think of is Jonathan Joseph.
We would have spent all that money on 1 guy.
Instead of the 5 or 6 that we got. Look at how they produced. Sacks, forced fumbles, interceptions. Nnamdi or DRC can’t do it all himself.
frankDUBZ
"I'm smacking you with the truth......" - Me
Well if he only plays 6 snaps...
He did his job right?
frankDUBZ
"I'm smacking you with the truth......" - Me
No, he didn't.
He, for reasons known only to him, did not crush Britt on that 80 YD TD. Said he was going for interception? Horsefeathers! It was a freaking terrible miss.
Fidelis Ad Mortem
Eh, it was fluke play.
The coverage started to let up because they thought Hasslebeck was gonna get sacked. He whiffed on one lucky, miraculous, once in a season play. He did his job.
frankDUBZ
"I'm smacking you with the truth......" - Me
If he would have picked the ball off, I do not think you would be complaining.
At least he was in position to make a play on the ball. I agree it would have been safer just to tackle him, but it is what it is.
frankDUBZ
"I'm smacking you with the truth......" - Me
Point taken...
But he didn’t pick it off, so…epic fail. Still we won, so I’m over it – but he needs to make that tackle in the future.
Fidelis Ad Mortem
LMAO I just rewatched the highlight.....
He totally gets juked and tries to tackle the air.
frankDUBZ
"I'm smacking you with the truth......" - Me
I'm not sure it's a problem
Are you going to take a defensive lineman out? You want Alualu on the field. Knighton is still a beast at DT. I don’t think the money is a concern, and backer is probably the best spot from which pull that guy.
3-3-5
I expect at some point to see this defensive look this season. Just watch and see.
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by floridafalcons#63 on Sep 14, 2011 4:26 PM EDT reply actions
So who plays nose?
Terrance or Tyson? Or you could keep Knighton at nose, have Alualu at one of the end spots with Mincey or Roth at the other end spot. It could work once Cox returns.
Never liked the 3-3-5 much.
I think you still need 4 linemen to provide more beef against draw plays, plus the DBs are the ones primarily responsible for coverage. The LBs don’t really seem to have a role, kinda stuck in an awkward no-man’s land.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Sep 14, 2011 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
I dont give a damn about snap counts, only W's
I CAN DO ALL THINGS THRU CHRIST, WHO STRENGTHENS ME!!!
not u Alfie, not u!!!
Can't stand the truth?
by Aristotle45 on Sep 14, 2011 4:47 PM EDT via iPhone app reply actions
Okay, here’s a positive: if Smith or Posluszny gets injured, then are nickel package isn’t greatly impacted. That wasn’t true last year.
He also made a key third down stop on CJ in the 4th
He will play more and I think you can expect that to start against the Jets. Unless we are really taking it to them and they go four wide. He is an asset and the team could afford him. Also, if as someone else stated ,an injury were to occur, he could step in for 2-lb sets. Therefore, it isn’t irresponsible.
i think being so far under the cap
makes it cheap regardless. i don’t know the new CBA curve now that more money is allocated to veterans as opposed to rookie contracts, but that has to account for something. also, gene gave us what we wanted. our defense is strong in both formations, now. how about the big hits by drew coleman at the nickel position. as far as session is concerned, it was one game and he did whiff, but i’m assuming clint will get an opportunity to make a big play.
i think ur still fired up over hugh douglas.
I’m not sure why people seem to think sitting expensive players is “OK” if a team is under the cap.
Owners don’t pay players large sums of money to sit on the bench, regardless of their cap situation. It’s a ridiculous and incorrect notion.
I really do not consider this a cap issue.....
I do find it a “damned if they do, damned if they don’t” situation. If the Jags did not have depth at LB, folks would be complaining that if Smith or Pos go down, we have no one to put in. The crys of “why did we not get Sessions when we had a chance” would ring louder than the chants for tebow in Denver! I am with Jaghawk on this. I am also with FRANKdubz and DadeCounty in that if the plan works, and it leads to W’s, there is no problem. If the Titans had stayed with run, Clint would have played more. If his presence and play while he is on the field pushes teams to become one dimensional, great for us. I see no problem here…none at all.
And yes, he screwed up on the play on Britt, and the argument that we would not be complaining if he had picked the ball is stupid. We count on him to know if he can make the pick, and if he is not certain, make the sure play and bring the man down! I am sure the matter is being addressed by coaches as we speak. Carry on folks, nothing to see here!
Was Session on the injury report prior to Week 1?
I remember he got kayoed in the NE game. Wonder if they are easing him in, especially given his injuries from last year. You have to wonder if the team is so scared of a 3rd straight horrible finish that they’re taking perhaps more precautions than they had in previous years to ensure they don’t burn their guys out in the first 12 weeks of the season.
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they felt it ok to sit the single best player on our team
for a good portion of the game. why aren’t you complaining about not squeezing nickels on that one? i never said, “we have plenty of money, sit him.” i tried to convey that 1) individual player salaries are higher across the board for veterans, so that accounts for some of the high price tag 2) it’s one game so far and 3) having three capable linebackers and three capable cornerbacks in a 4-3 scheme in today’s NFL isn’t superfluous.
by GrubAtPublix on Sep 15, 2011 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions
mojo felt underutilized...
isn’t that the point of all of this? you’re saying clint session wasn’t utilized in a way that you assume his contract warranted. mojo, not i, feels the same way.
also, do you lend no credence to the idea that contracts for similarly valued players has increased due to the rookie cap?
by GrubAtPublix on Sep 15, 2011 10:37 AM EDT up reply actions
You obviously don’t understand the point or either to refuse to acknowledge it by bringing up things that aren’t even in the same ball park as comparison. Jones-Drew was “underutilized” to the tune of 24 carries and limited because he was coming off a knee injury. Clint Session was used for 6 total plays. There is absolutely no comparison between the two. 24 carries is HIGHER than MJD’s per game average the last two years. That’s actually the complete opposite of “underutilized”.
I said nothing about increased value of veterans. That’s completely irrelevant to the discussion. Money on the bench is still money on the bench.
like i said, mojo was the one complaining about his time on the field, not me
i use it as an example for one person’s just right or too much is another person’s not enough.
and someone who has absolutely no effect on the gameplan or personel decisions or cap managing deciding who’s being properly used for what is irresponsible and irrelevant to a winning season.
by GrubAtPublix on Sep 15, 2011 10:53 AM EDT up reply actions
6 versus 24 carries and about 32-40 snaps
Ideally a reporter would ask Session or Tucker or JDR why so few snaps for a high priced acquisition. There’s got to be a good explanation.
I don’t think this will happen again, but who knows? Ideally, Session was not needed as the LBs were doing well on their own. He did break his arm last November and only played sparingly in preseason.
I’m going to go with the school of thought of why shoot your wad if there is no need to do so.
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lol... sorry for this
“I’m going to go with the school of thought of why shoot your wad if there is no need to do so.”
if i had sex with my wife only to procreate it would be a boring marriage.
by GrubAtPublix on Sep 15, 2011 11:13 AM EDT up reply actions
i appreciate both the frequency and passion
of your opinions. Ours, on this point, conflict.
by GrubAtPublix on Sep 15, 2011 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Alfie,
would you have played Session more, or would you have just not signed him at all?
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Sep 15, 2011 10:48 AM EDT reply actions
With my own opinion being
neither. I think the Jaguars expected to play a lot more 4-3, and will play a lot more 4-3 throughout the year. The Titans really did inexplicably seem to panic. Maybe because it was a rookie head coach? I have to believe other teams will not abandon the run as easily, and that’s where Session will really shine.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Sep 15, 2011 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions
For comparison,
playing only 6 snaps out of 50 is 12%. That’s the kind of low that’s so incredible that I have to believe things didn’t go at all according to plan last Sunday. No one plans on being out of your base defense 88% of the time, even if you’re playing the Patriots.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Sep 15, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Right, a typically tight-fisted team wouldn’t do that. So that’s why I think something had to have gone wrong on Sunday. There’s no way that was the plan.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Sep 15, 2011 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions
The “run downs” part just sunk in, which pretty much invalidates everything I was arguing. You’re right. The 3-3-5 is the only conceivable thing that makes sense if you’re going to be paying 3 linebackers top money. And it has to be a 3-3-5 that removes a DE rather than a DT, because Alualu and Knighton are both better than anything the team has to offer at end. So again…I don’t understand why this didn’t happen on Sunday.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Sep 15, 2011 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions
If I knew they’d planned to pull an LB on nickel downs, I’d have spent the money on another starting caliber cornerback.
Did they pull LBs in years past?
I don’t honestly remember, though I also don’t remember much 3-3-5, if any, which is the only other possibility if you’re not pulling a LB.
By my count, there were 50 defensive snaps played (not including punts…I’m honestly not sure how PFF ended up with 53 snaps for Poz). If the Jaguars could usually expect to play 40-50% of those snaps in their base, that’s 20-25 snaps. That’s a more reasonable number for Session to play. Also, considering how awful the Jaguars were against the run last year, the Jaguars may have purposely overspent on run support just to make sure they even got to play any nickel, rather than just getting the ball crammed down their throats every play.
So yeah…the 6 snaps were probably a fluke. At least, they better have been a fluke. I guess we’ll see.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Sep 15, 2011 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
So, they overspent at a position to force teams to… pass on them while they still have no pass rush and a questionable secondary?
That’s even more illogical.
At least you have a chance at stopping that if the quarterback isn't good?
Like the Cleveland game? I dunno, I’m grasping at straws trying to make this make sense.
I like to watch.
by MoveThoseChains on Sep 15, 2011 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I got the rationale!!!
It’s like the bartender in a Western. You know he’s gonna get shot and killed but you still have to cast the role.
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everything being everything
i would like to see us “get our money’s worth” out of him as the year progresses. i’m still harboring resentment for hugh, bryce, and jerry, too.
Man I hope we don't add Kampman to that list.
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Session makes the team better
He is a very good run stopper and is adequate in coverage. It just so happens the team has two linebackers that it feels are better suited to the nickel role. They are not paying Session to sit on the bench, they are paying him because he improves the team. Good players improve teams whether they are on the field or not as long as they are available to be deployed.
I admit they are paying him a lot, but then, many veterans were over-paid this offseason. Furthermore, there wasn’t exactly a glut of starting cornerbacks available, and those that were would have come with significantly higher price tags; I think the coaches feel pretty good about the CB position (which may change soon) but look at this move as a value move; you take the best available player who fills a need in free agency. Session filled a need and was probably better than any cornerback who would have commanded a similar deal. I’ll take that.
Lastly, it is just one game.
I'm with you
I think it’s an outlier…. I HOPE it’s an outlier.
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Me too
But to be honest, as long as we are winning I will be OK.
I just think the guy is a hell of a linebacker; he brings something the Jags haven’t had since Peterson: ferocity
(Peterson was a more dynamic player, but he too was a striker)
Session brings it.
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