Jaguar's Wishlist

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Let's face it, the Jaguars were not exactly a thrilling team to watch last season, unless you are one of those people who enjoy the defensively dominated battles, such as the Monday Night win over Baltimore. (Anybody remember the aerial shot of downtown JAX, except it was a different city?) These players may or may not be around by the team free agency rolls around and the draft pans out, but hopefully the Jags are lucky, and can get all of the things they want on their wish list.

WIDE RECEIVERS: You all know the recognizable names, DeSean Jackson, VIncent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe, Stevie Johnson, Laurent Robinson, etc. However, if the Jaguars want to succeed with Blame Blain Gabbert at the helm, we need more than just a go-to receiver with dominant height, coupled with athleticism and some speedy wheels, we need a full unit of receivers that can complement each others playing styles and still fit in the system used by Mularkey, who likes a downfield, vertical passing game.

No. 1: Vincent Jackson (6'5'', 240 lb) With the necessary height and a 4.46 40 yd dash, Jackson is everything needed physically in a number one wideout. With Phillip Rivers throwing to him, V-Jax has had plenty of success, and I believe that his abilities would be a boon for Gabbert.

No. 2: Let's be honest here, as much as we all like Mike Thomas, nearly every analyst has said he is best from the slot, and I agree. Jacksonville simply has to adapt and adjust to the changing conditions of the National Football League, and that requires a passing oriented attack. Stevie Johnson would be perfect here, but he wants #1 money, and will probably get what he wants somewhere, but that won't be in Jax. I see the Jags targeting Mario Manningham from the Giants to fill the No. 2 slot for our receiving corps. At 6'0'' and 185 lbs, Manningham has showed ability to make the catches and also can draw attention away from Jackson and Marcedes Lewis, who will show up in 2012 for the Jaguars after a dismal 2011 campaign. Manningham will not stay with the Giants, especially with the rise of Victor Cruz to complement Hakeem Nicks. (I would be intrigued if Brandon Lloyd was to fill this spot, especially after this recent article at our very own BCC.)

No. 3: With all these free agent acquisitions, and the rather threadbare depth of high quality wide receivers in the draft, I could see the Jaguars trading down and gaining valuable draft picks, while also being in prime position to draft a player Adam Stites highlighted in this post, Brian Quick. Besides the fortuitous last name for a wide receiver, he fits Gene Smith's trend with small school players, as Adam notes in his piece. At 6'4'' and 220 lbs, he could be a player for the future as well as compete for the number three spot with incumbent Mike Thomas.

Hopefully the Jags get lucky and get the best players they have on their want list, and in the end it may be Colston in the No. 1, or Desean Jackson doesn't get tagged after all and we get both of them, or any number of ludicrous combinations that might arise as free agency and the draft roll around. Who do you think the Jaguars should go out and get this offseason to help Gabbert, help get the workload off MJD, and help Khan with getting rid of the ugly tarps that cover beautiful Everbank Field?