After mulling over the Jerry Porter injury, it's clear that its a concern.  However, if you consider what David Garrard and the 2007 Jaguars accomplished, it's certainly not a reason to panic.

If we were to assume the worst, that being a Jerry Porter that never plays in 2008 at full strength, the Jaguars would still have improved their receiving corps with the addition of Troy Williamson and the (theoretical) emerging of Mike Walker.  If Dennis Northcutt, Reggie Williams, Ernest Wilford and Matt Jones can take the Jaguars to the playoffs, it's a foregone conclusion that Northcutt, Williams, Williamson, Walker, and (maybe) Jones can do better than 2007.

Just think about it.  It's painful to know that our next great hope to replace Jimmy Smith is hurt and will not appear until the regular season, but the improvements on offense are still there.  It's another year under Koetter's system, another year for Garrard to improve, another year of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, and another year for Williams, Northcutt, Walker, and whomever else to get better.

The gut reaction is to freak out.  But I can't help but look at the facts and not be overwhelmingly worried.  Losing Porter for any length of time is a concern, as it means that the team will have to execute their ground game to perfection, just like usual.  The margin of error is a little tighter, but there's still no reason to expect anything less out of the Jaguars.

So relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy the next few weeks.  Watch the wide receivers extra close in camp, but whatever you do, don't panic.

-Chris

Our interview with Jaguars.com Editor-in-Chief Vic Ketchman continues

Chris: On a more serious note, my expectation for the 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars is to eliminate the "yeah, but" from the team.  By that I mean casting off the "yeah, but they couldn't beat Indianapolis" or "yeah, but they didn't win the division", when discussing the team in comparison to the top tier of the NFL.  What are your expectations for the 2008 Jaguars?  Do you think the Jaguars will seriously contend for the division and give Indianapolis a challenge?

Vic: Yeah, I do and in fact I not only think they can, I think the expectation is that they will.  That should be the expectation.  In my opinion the goal going into this season as we sit here in June is win the division.  I know, the goal is always win the super bowl, but there is plenty of time for readjusting the goals heading into the postseason.  They'll be plenty of time to readjust the goals based on new circumstances that present themselves along the way.  You're going to have injuries, you're going to have a surprise sleeper team come from nowhere, you're going to have a situation heading into the postseason that you didn't expect.  There's going to be surprises.  So there will be plenty of time to readjust the goals, or not so much readjusting the goals, because it's always "win it all", but there's plenty of time to reorder our thoughts when the regular season comes to an end and this team heads into the postseason, if in fact it's going to make the playoffs.

At this point in time there is no doubt in my mind a very crystal clear goal is win the division.  I say that not only because this is a pursuit that has eluded this team for all these years while Indianapolis has dominated the division, but I say that because mostly because if you look at the schedule, you'll see that three of the first four games of the year are against the Jaguars opponents in the AFC South.

Chris: We'll know where we are in the division race before October 1st.

Vic: Exactly. The bottom line is that if at the end of september the Jaguars haven't won at least two of those three games, it's a bitter disappointment.

Chris: We'll know if the Jaguars will be a wild-card or a division contending team by that point.

Vic: Well, no.  I don't want to suggest that the season will be decided by the first of october.  What we'll know is if this team will disappoint us as far as it's performance against teams in the AFC South.  This team does not have a good record against AFC South teams and that's why it hasn't won the division. 

So in my opinion the goal has to be to beat division opponents and win the division.  I think that the immediacy of what the schedule presents makes that goal very obvious.  You've got to win division games, and you've got half the games you're going to play in the division in the first four weeks of the season.  So what does that tell you?  If that doesn't scream out that the goal is "win a division title", then I think you have to be trying to ignore it.

Chris: Huge topic shift here, if you don't mind.  What writers would you say influenced you in your development as a Journalist?

Vic: The honest answer there is that there are too many to name.  Here's why.  For just about all the years of my career I have been an editor.  Which means that I'm reading all the stuff of the guys on my staff, which means that I'm reading a lot of guys.  Guys on my staff, guys on other newspapers staffs, all the Jim Murray's, all the syndicated guys, and all of that stuff.  Everything I read impacts me.  Jim Murray would be the trendy answer for someone from my generation because he was such a dominant writer when I was at the most impressionable age.  His column on Woody Hayes is immortal.  

Jim Murray's column about losing his best friend, his eyesight, is something I'll never forget.  Clearly Jim Murray is one of those guys and one of those names I could throw at you that people would recognize, but there are a lot of guys whose names you wouldn't recognize that have had major impacts on the way I wanted to write.

One of the things I really liked about re-reading what I wrote from 1981, and I haven't read anything that I wrote from that far back until I read that recently on your website, but the thing that hit me from reading that was that my style hasn't changed.  You know what style is another word for?  Personality.  You are what you are.  You can't make a style. You can't sit down and say "I like Jim Murray style, I'm going to write Jim Murray style".  You can read Murray and get an appreciation for how he perceived the same thing that you've seen, but you can't write according to someone else's style.  Style is unique, it is your own, and if I got something from the Jim Murray's of the world it was inspiration.  I never felt that I was capable of imitating them, but I was clearly inspired by them.

I would urge everyone who has an appreciation for sports-writing to somehow look up or find the Jim Murray column on how he lost his best friend, his eyesight and read that column on what those eyes had seen.  It's a beautiful piece of sports-writing and it's what we don't do enough of these days.  We give too much of our time to the Chad Johnson's of the world who just blather and blather and tell the people nothing that they didn't already know.  Which is to say that it's all about them.  We don't have enough guys who give us real prose, who give us real literature, some real drama, some really worthwhile writing. 

Chris: One of the hot issues in journalism and sports-writing is the rise of the internet and the role of Blogging in sports coverage.  Specifically the tension that is growing between people like me, on the outside of coverage, and those on the inside in traditional journalism.   The debate recently embroiled Buzz Bissenger, author of Friday Night Lights, and Will Leitch of Deadspin.com in a very public fight.  What do you think of the rise of new media and how it relates to what you do?

Vic: Whatever you're going to ask, I can answer it this way.  I have one great advantage; I'm too small, too insignificant, and I'm too thick skinned to care.  Also, I believe, very very strongly in freedom of speech.  It's number one of all of our freedoms, it's number one.  I'd rather not be called dirty names, and there are probably more distinguished of expressing dissent, but if you want to rip me, that's OK, go ahead.

Chris: It's the readers right to choose what they read?

Vic: Yeah, I'm OK with it.  I'm too small and too insignificant to think I'm too big to be criticized.  I am clearly not above it.

Chris: If you had to identify something to watch out for as a potential problem for the 2008 Jaguars, a problem area or position, what would you keep an eye on as we get into Training Camp?

Vic: I have tried to answer that question.  While alone, I'll be driving down the road and I'll think to myself  "What's the trouble spot on this team?, come on Ketchman, every team has one, you're missing it".  And I can''t come up with an answer.

I have some candidates: for whatever reasons my instincts tell me that the defensive line is still an issue.  You've drafted two guys, but I think it's unfair to expect them to be Bubba Smith and Deacon Jones in their rookie seasons.  We've counted on Rob Meier for so many years to be the answer at defensive end or defensive tackle whenever we've needed him, but we've never counted on him to be a starter.  That's a new role for him.  It's not like coming off the bench for a play here and a play there or a game here and a game there.  John Henderson was up and down last season, was that just a departure from what he has been in previous years or is it something to be concerned about.  I don't know what the answer to these are, but if there was one place I could put my finger on as a place of concern, it would probably be the defensive line.

Can Rob Meier be an every down, every game player?  Will John Henderson play like he did at the end of last season or will he be like he was at the beginning of the season?  Can Paul Spicer do it again?  Can Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves do it right away?  Those are a lot of questions.  That's why I would point my finger at the defensive line.  But remember, the answer to those questions could be on the positive side?

Chris: Do you think Defensive End Reggie Hayward could be a "surprise cut" through training camp?  Looking at the roster it seems unlikely that the Jaguars would carry as many players as the have on the Defensive Line.  It's almost like Hayward is competing less against the rookies at defensive end and more against how many players the Jaguars want to carry on other positions like offensive line, etc.

Vic: He's competing against Harvey and Groves.  They drafted two defensive ends, figure it out.

Chris: Yes, Reggie is obviously competing against the rookies, what I mean is that Reggie's future with the team could depend on how many players they want to keep at other positions.

Vic: Chris, they didn't draft defensive ends with their first two picks because they liked the depth they had.  Clearly the intent is to upgrade defensive end.  Reggie is being challenged.  We know about his Achilles injury and that's why he's being challenged.  Before that injury, if he was the guy he was before he got hurt, they'd never of made those picks.  These were need draft picks and the Jaguars jockeyed themselves to into position to fit themselves where the player was. 

You betcha, he's facing a big challenge.  He's a great guy, he's a guy I'll rooting for him every step of the way.  I love the guy.  he's a sensational interview, he's a real reporters dream.

Chris: On Matt Jones. There were some reports that there an element of punishment as to what was happening to Matt Jones and OTA's.  Specifically that the team was going to hold onto Matt for as long as possible and then release him after most teams have set their rosters.

Vic: I have no information along those lines.  I will tell you this, that I watch very closely for these kind of indicators.  I don't try to play scout, I try to play reporter.  I know what a reporter should be looking for.  What I saw during OTA's was Todd Monken, the Wide Receivers Coach, working with Matt Jones individually before and after every practice every day, throwing him ball after ball after ball trying to improve his catching skills.  Working with him in an individual capacity day after day after day.  Why would a coach dedicate all that extra team if a decision has already been made to release him.  Those are things that a reporter looks for.  Forget all that cover 2, cover 3 crap, I'll leave that for the experts, the ex players and their analysis.  I'm not a scout, I'm not an ex player, I'm a reporter.  When I go out to practice, I look for little things that will tell me what the truth is.   The truth is that Todd Monken gave more of his extra time during spring practices to Matt Jones than any other wide receiver on the team.  That's a fact.  That's an opinion of what I believe is a fact.

It's up to Matt, they haven't quit on him, it's up to Matt.  He'll decide based on what he dose during training camp what his position and place with the team will be.

Chris: Do you think placing a guy like Mike Walker on the PUP list is an option for buying the Jaguars a little more time to figure out what to do at receiver?

Vic: I'm not clairvoyant.  I know that he's got an issue with his knee and that he has to prove to Jack Del Rio that his knee can hold up to the daily regimen of training camp.  If they see that he's the same guy day after day after day that will indicate that the knee is ready to take the punishment.  If he's not as good tomorrow or the day after and they see that there is a decline then they have to react accordingly, whatever that means.

In the last week of OTA's, he was better every day.  That's the good thing right now.  He only practiced for the last 8 or nine days of spring practices, but he was better every day and really, really, had an eye-popping practice on the final day.  All the indicators there are good.  They'll be watching closely.

Thank you Vic for taking the time to talk with us! 

The Jacksonville Jaguars completed their offseason training activities yesterday with a final practice.  With this, the Jaguars now have 45 days until the opening of training camp on Saturday, July 26th.  Most players and coaches will take a vacation and spend time with their families as what promises to be a very long season.(February, perhaps!) It's time well deserved, as there's very little idle time between the end of the season and the start of draft season. 

Interestingly, I'm less morose about the beginning of the "dead zone" than usual.  I typically dread the end of OTA's and minicamp because it's the end of any real Jaguars news and other sports are either ending (basketball) or mind-numbing (baseball).  This time, I feel anxious about the start of training camp and the season, but there's something reassuring about all this time away from the team.

Maybe it's all the questions that I need to sort out.  Questions about the roster, questions about the playbook, questions about the state of the team.  The 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars are in so many ways a different team than we're used to.  While the Jaguars always suffered from roster shifts, free agency, etc, I can't recall a year of such a drastic remaking of the team, from the coaches to the players than this offseason.  I think that's why I'm ready for a few weeks to make sense of it all. 

During the next six weeks, Big Cat Country is going to take an exhaustive look at our roster, our coaches, and what we project to be the playbook.  They'll be an interview here and there, some special guests, and hopefully the best Jaguars coverage you can find.  We'll have some fun, of course, but we'll be keeping a close eye on the calendar.  July 26th, so close, yet so far away.

Let's take a quick look at what we know after OTA's and what is still uncertain:

We Know:

1. David Garrard is on his game.  Recent Jaguars history has shown us that our passing game is slow to develop.  Not this time, David's throwing freaking lasers, our receivers are catching passes, and things are on track.

2. Gregg Williams is experimenting with the attack.  The Jaguars "new" defense, so far, is blitz heavy.  It's unclear if this is a way for Gregg Williams to figure out what his players can do or if it's a sign of things to come.  It's obvious that the defense we fielded against the Patriots in the Playoffs is dead and gone.

3. Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves are fast.  It's hard to measure their impact in their shorts and t-shirts, but speed is obvious.  In fact, the entire defense reeks of speed from top to bottom.  Can you find a faster defensive group than Harvey, Groves, Mathis, Durant, Peterson, and Nelson?

4. Richard Collier and Justin Durant are rapidly replacing Khalif Barnes and Clint Ingram at their respective starting positions.

We Don't Know:

1. Our wide receivers: I can tell you for sure that Porter, Williams, and Northcutt will be our X, Y, and Slot receivers accordingly.  I can tell you with a strong degree of probability that Troy Williamson and John Broussard will be one of the two remaing roster spots.  Matt Jones, Mike Walker, and the rest of the bunch are competing for one remaining spot, as carrying six receivers is foolish.

2. Can Troy Williamson keep on catching when the pads are on and it really matters.  Yes, Troy has excelled during practice, but he's looked pretty good in Vikings OTA's as well.  In fact, we've got questions about all the first round reconstruction projects.  Is Jimmy Kennedy going to turn it on at defensive tackle?  Will Matt Jones turn his career around and finally take the next step?

3. Will the Jaguars actually bring the heat?  Yes, our defense looks fast, but how will it translate in the pads on environment of camp and the preseason? 

4. Will the Jaguars make it to September without major injury?  No matter how important practice is to developing a playoff team, the most important thing is for the Jaguars to start the season fast and healthy.  The AFC South will be decided in the first four weeks of the season, starting slow and injured greatly effects our ability to win the division.

That's my quick take.  We've got weeks and weeks to flesh this out further, so be prepared for more analysis.

I'd like to know what you'd like to know about the Jaguars during the dead zone?  What would you like to discuss, debate, analyze, etc?  What questions do you have about the 2008 Jaguars?  I'm happy to explore any topic, so let me know what you're thinking!

-Chris

Quick Bytes: The daily digest of everything you need to know about the Jacksonville Jaguars (and other things).

:  I participated in two podcasts this week.  First, the great guys at Football Guys had me on to talk about the Jaguars. (of course).  Thanks again to Cecil and Sigmund for having me on.  You can download the podcast here .

:  If you liked that, you'll love the full hour I did with JagNation last night on their weekly talk show.  Charlie Bernstein, Alfie, and myself debate and discuss just about everything you can think of about our Jaguars.  I won't toot my own horn here, but I think this is a pretty good show.  Download it here for your  listening pleasure!

: The Wide Receiver picture might have gotten a little more clear today.  Mike Walker was cleared by the medical staff to practice!  He even came back a day earlier than he planned.  Director of Scouting Gene Smith had this to say:

“He made a nice first-day impression. He looked both fast and quick. That’s a good sign for where he’s at. The one thing about Mike is he has a nice catching radius. Everything looks easy,” Smith said. “I think Mike can be as good as he decides to be, if he sustains his health.

OTA Report 6.3 and 6.4:

: David Garrard is getting ready to put on a show for the Jaguars fans this weekend.  Monday and Tuesday's OTA's were, according to Vic Ketchman, "fantastic".  He's "relaxed, throwing with ease" and most importantly, doing what star starting quarterbacks do.  He's going to show the fans and the media that he's worth every penny.

: D.D Terry had a day of ups and downs.  He's showing quickness and power in a third-down running back sort of way.  Unfortunately, there's not much of a chance he'd see any time in the regular season in that role, but there's nothing wrong with developing some future talent.  Terry put himself in a bad spot by missreading a blocking assignment and fumbling a ball.   Remember, the Jaguars have a tight competition for the final RB spot, so one fumble, one missed assignment, and it's game over.

: Gregg Williams is giving a variety of defensive looks on every single snap.  It's so intense that it's hard to measure the progress of Cleo Lemon and Paul Smith because of all the zone blitzing, safety blitzes, corner blitzes, etc.  Williams is going to make sure that our quarterbacks are never surprised by anything. 

: Reggie Williams, who I've heard very little about so far this OTA season, is looking "like a polished veteran receiver".  I want nothing more than to see Reggie prove to the world that 10 touchdowns was anything other than a fluke season.

: Safety Jammal Fudge is back from Clemson after finishing classes!

: Gerald Sensabaugh is not accepting that Brian Williams took his starting spot lightly.  Gerald deflected a few passes and looks completely recovered from his injured shoulders.

: Paul Smith is looking like a rookie quarterback, moments of brilliance, moments of frustration.  Pay attention to #12 at Minicamp.

That's all for now.  More exciting things coming down the pipeline!

-Chris

In recent years the Jacksonville Jaguars have faced a "yeah, but" problem with their offense.  The solid running game, the productive line play, even with the quarterback problems, the sore thumb of the Jaguars offense is the Wide Receiving Corps.  Despite having two first round draft picks in Reggie Williams and Matt Jones, the Jaguars have not yet found the heir apparant to Jimmy Smith, and even throughout the outstanding 2007 season lacked the receiver that guaranteed a double team and that would strike fear into defensive game planning.

While the Jaguars went through an offensive explosion last season, there are still question marks surrounding the receivers.  Will Reggie Williams repeat his 10 touchdown and 600 yards or was those merely outliers?  Will Matt Jones wake up or stay in Jack Del Rio's doghouse?

The offseason only added to those questions as the Jaguars charted an aggressive course to surround quarterback David Garrard with as many weapons as possible.  Jerry Porter left the miserable and hopeless Oakland Raiders in a 30 million dollar free agent contract.  The Jaguars traded with the Minnesota Vikings to get Troy Williamson for a 6th round pick.

There is an impressive amount of draft picks in the receiving corps.  Three first round picks (Williams, Williamson, Jones), two second round picks (Porter, Northcutt), and a 7th round pick in John Broussard round out the group.  Toss in the four undrafted free agents and you've got a pretty intense competition for what can only be 5 or 6 roster spots, not including free agency.

It's already obvious that the Jaguars are going to use three roster spots for Quarterbacks.  The Jaguars usually have 24-25 players on their final offensive roster,  carrying 6 WR's will mean less offensive linemen or tight ends.  So while this exercise in roster prediction is based of carrying six, the Jaguars might find themselves in a need of depth elsewhere, leading to a more difficult picture.

The Safe:

Three Wide Receivers can rest easy going into the 2008 Season.  Either because of contract or because of performance, these three guys are a lock for a roster spot.

• Jerry Porter: No comment needed here, he's here to bring some spark to our offense and to give David Garrard a consistent target downfield.  There are 10 million reasons why he'll be our number one receiver on opening day.
• Reggie Williams: The much maligned and dance loving wide receiver burst onto the scene last season with 10 touchdowns and 629 yards, both career highs.  There are some who consider this an outlier, but it could be the awakening that the first round pick was waiting for.   This should be toward the end of Reggie's contract with the Jaguars, and another 8-10 touchdowns could ensure him a decent contract with somebody in the near future.
  
• Dennis Northcutt: The least safe of the safe three, if that makes sense.  Dennis brings something to the table that other receivers lack, and that's an ability to return punts.  That alone nearly assures him a roster spot.  With Porter and Williams on the outside, Northcutt should spend plenty of time working out of the slot, which is a natural spot for him.  He was expensive last year, and that fact alone gives him job security

The Muddled Middle:

Predicting the season for the next group of wide receivers is nearly impossible.  They're either inconsistent, unproven, or unreliable, but have a substantial investment of some sort that makes them likely to be on the final roster, but it's by no means a sure thing.

• Matt Jones: If the Jaguars elect to carry only five wide receivers, Matt Jones is gone.  There are just too many hard working players that actually seem to enjoy the game of Football to let Jones occupy a roster spot.  That said, he had a fairly respectable season last year when he was allowed to play, and somehow he catches the ball in clutch situations.  The constant fade routes drive fans crazy though.  Were Matt Jones to show up to OTA's and Training Camp in good shape and with the right attitude, he could almost be considered a lock.  Unfortunately, Matt Jones needs to decide if he wants to be a football player or if he wants to pack it in. 
• Mike Walker: If he's healthy, he's a lock.  If he's hurt, it's another year on the practice squad, at best.  Jacksonville used a third round pick in 2007 to take a chance on an impressive, albeit damaged, talent.  So far Mike is batting .500 on OTA participation, but if he can make it through the offseason without knee swelling or other problems, the Jaguars just solved their Wide Receiver problems for sure.  The better Mike Walker looks in practice, the less secure Matt Jones may be in his roster spot.
• Troy Williamson: This is a case of a player that has every chance to prove himself and take a roster spot.  Troy is the speedy deep threat that keeps the safeties deep and opens up a lot of options for the Jaguars offense.  He's also universally derided for his inability to catch the ball when wide open.  The Vikings thought they were robbing the Jaguars when they received a 6th round pick for the maligned wide receiver.  Now he's fighting for a spot on a team that's willing to give him a chance to prove the critics wrong.   Williamson and John Broussard are competing for the same roster spot, if Troy can show sure hands, he's got the job.

The Rest of the Story:

• John Broussard: On his first catch in an NFL regular season game, Broussard was on the receiving end of a 56 yard touchdown pass in what seemed to be a sign of good things yet to come.  Unfortunately, an ankle injury forced John onto the Injured Reserve and out of the picture.  His size and durability are an issue as 173 lbs is on the frail side for a receiver.  John must watch Troy Williamson very closely, as if Williamson falls short, Broussard can make the roster as the speedy deep threat, albeit less proven.  If Williamson works out, John can expect another year on the practice squad.
• Derrek Richards: The key to making an NFL Roster is to be as multi-functional as possible.  Richards, an undrafted free-agent from Utah, is just that, a 5' 11'', 182 lb receiver that ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and can return both kicks and punts.  With the Jaguars wanting to use Maurice Jones-Drew more on offense, there is an opening on the team as a kick returner.  Should Derrek show his speed, there's a spot for him as a special teams/return specialist.  If nothing else, Richards has practice squad written all over him.
• Jeron Harvey: This is a prototypical Jaguars receiver: 6' 5'', 215lbs, a little slow, a little sloppy in route running, but big enough to dominate for the ball.  If anything, Harvey needs to learn to play up to his size.  The Houston wide receiver is a long shot for the final roster, but if things play out right, should expect to be on the practice squad.  Of course, for things to play out right, he'd probably need to combine a strong performance with either Broussard or Richards making the final roster.  What hurts Jeron is his unproven record on special teams.  If he can find a second role, he'll improve his odds tremendously. 
  
• D'Juan Woods: Last year's undrafted free agent spent time bouncing from the roster to the practice squad.  He's clearly a player the Jaguars have an eye on as a developing prospect, but will probably be a victim of the numbers game.  It's unlikely that the Jaguars put more than two wide receivers on the practice squad, so only the most outstanding of performances puts him on the team in any fashion.
• Clyde Edwards: This UDFA from Grambling will be fighting for a spot on the practice squad.  He's not as strong as a return man as Richards, and has the longest of long shots to make the team.  He'll be performing in the preseason for the NFL Scouts, rather than the Jaguars coaching staff.

Roster Predictions:

6 Receivers, 2 practice squad

Jerry Porter, Reggie Williams, Dennis Northcutt, Mike Walker, Troy Williamson, Derek Richards (PS: John Broussard, Jeron Harvey)

5 Receivers, 2 Practice Squad

Jerry Porter, Reggie Williams, Dennis Northcutt, Mike Walker, Troy Williamson (PS: Derek Richards, John Broussard)

Your thoughts?

-Chris

On Monday, the Jaguars will begin their third session of Offseason Training Activities (OTA), with eight more practices until their Mini-camp on the weekend of June 6th.  These OTA sessions are critical in building a cohesive and strong football team because there is so little time in training camp to build relationships and put units on the same page. 

Remember, the 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars open their season in Tennessee, and then play the Colts and Texans in the first month of the regular season.  Without a strong start, the Jaguars could find themselves hopelessly behind in the critical AFC South division race before Christmas Decorations appear in the Avenues Mall.

Jaguars.com's Vic Ketchman, a writer any Jaguars fan is familiar with, is chafing at the interest in the teams OTA"s, which is terribly off-base.  While yes, these are just "underwear" practices, there is a feeling of importance that cannot be brushed aside, as Vic is wont to do:

If I may, I’ll ask that we not take OTA’s too seriously. We really need to keep this in perspective. We lost perspective on Jason Taylor. We lost perspective on Lito Sheppard. Please, let’s not suffer the same fate in OTA’s. They’re really not that big of a deal.

Don't blame the fans, Vic, it's not our fault.  Just as you implore us to "not blame the media" for reporting what they're told, you certainly cannot blame the fans for paying attention to events of even the smallest importance.  We're all invited to the 24 hour news cycle, the never-ending NFL season, and the renewal of hope that each offseason brings.  Of course we want to know how Mike Walker's looking during OTA's, just as we want to know if Drayton Florence is getting beat deep, or why Brian Smith is relegated to standing on the sidelines.  The NFL fan of 2008 understands far more the effects of contracts, the perils of labor strife in the league, and how champions are made during the "dead zone".  We are far more aware now than ever before, and we expect to know how the practices are going.  Even if it's too far to tell if a player can translate perfect practice into practical performance, it's not too much to ask to start knowing the story before it's written. 

The Jaguars are going to go deep into the playoffs this year.  They've constructed a team with the potential for greatness.  In February of 2009, we'll be looking back to these mere OTA practices as our first glance at what should be a fantastic season.  I see no harm in trying to measure that progress now. 

Enough of that meta-NFL nonsense, let's look at what we've learned:

• Wide Receiver Mike Walker did not practice on Tuesday (5.13), but did take the field on Thursday (5.15).  Mike "sky" Walker is one of the most interesting players to watch as we move closer to Training Camp.  He showed flashes of brilliance, but ultimately spent the year on Injured Reserve as he slowly worked his knee back toward 100%.
• Fred Taylor, as usual, did not attend the first OTA's.  Taylor spends his offseason in South Florida doing his special training regimen, the same one that has him averaging 5.2 yards per carry.  He plans on spending some of his time in Jacksonville, so his absence is noted but not noteworthy.
• Safety Jamaal Fudge missed the first OTA's, but for a wonderful reason.  Fudge is finishing his classes at Clemson University.  With all the talks of holdouts, labor unrest, and Spygate, stories like these tend to slip through the cracks.  Jamaal is doing the right thing as he's a good player, but thinking about life after the NFL is critical for players like him
• Injury Report: Marcades Lewis missed OTA's from a Knee Injury that I suspect might have something to do with being one of the few uninjured TE's in Jacksonville right now.  Mike Walker missed one, as mentioned before.  Tight Ends George Wrightster and Greg Estandia both missed time for injured Knee and Shoulder, respectively.  Both are nursing injuries from last season that should be addressed in time for training camp
• DE/LB Brian Smith is still sidelined from his college injury.  More to come on this later.

Notable Quotables:

David Garrard: On Jerry Porter:

“I think he’s going to be a great receiver here. He’s a receiver who can make spectacular plays,”

Offensive Coordinator Dirk Koetter: On Installing the Offense:

“We’re installing about 15 pass plays a day. We’re throwing a lot at them,”

Jack Del Rio on Contract Extensions for Rob Meier and Paul Spicer:

"We're happy to have Rob done," said Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio. "We have the possibility of getting something done with Paul at some point. We'll see where that goes."

"From our standpoint, we feel like we've made a fair legitimate proposal to these guys and one guy [Meier] is happy and one guy [Spicer] is out there waiting,".

Linebacker Clint Ingram: On Tackling Fundamentals:

"We want to be fundamentally sound. We want to be better tacklers, better at hustling, all that sense of the game,"

What to Watch For:

Not much, sadly.  The Rookies have their first OTA on Monday, though these are all closed to the public and therefore will only learn how they do based on secondary sources.

Which is not to say that Big Cat Country won't have a story or three in the process.  I have two interviews planned this week with the possiblity, albeit slim, of one that might knock your socks off.

Stay Tuned...

-Chris