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! 

Buddy Ryan, Gregg Williams and Jack Del Rio: Will their defensive philosophies create conflict or championships?

The Buddy Ryan Effect:

Last week, we discussed the history, philosophy, and possible effects of introducing Gregg Williams to the Jacksonville Jaguars.  One name that comes up with any research into  Gregg Williams is his tutelage under Buddy Ryan.  Ryan is best known for developing the defense that would define the 1985 Chicago Bears, the 46 defense. Fans of the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Oilers, and Arizona Cardinals might disagree with that statement, of course, but the legacy of Ryan is in his approach to defenses.  Gregg Williams is considered a disciple of Ryan, though he only technically worked under Ryan in 1993 with the Oilers.  Though their time together was short, Williams defensive career is centered on emulating and developing the concepts established by Buddy Ryan.  The "attack style" reputation of the Jaguars new defensive coordinator is ripped straight from the playbook of Ryan.

To better understand what Williams is going to bring to Jacksonville, we must first look at Buddy Ryan's contributions to Gregg's philosophy and how to translate that to the Jaguars.

On Attacking the Quarterback:

"Buddy Ryan said it best. It's hard for a quarterback to throw with tears in his eyes. We brought the whole house. We left our two corners back. Bledsoe went hot and got the ball out quickly. Terry Glenn caught it..."

The point of emphasis of a Buddy Ryan defense is to attack the pass protection in as many different ways as possible in order to shut down the quarterback.  The object, simply put, is to expose the protection and eliminate the passer.  It is not a senseless throwing of players at the offensive line in an act of desperation, but the specific and methodical attack of the offensive line in order to expose weaknesses in protection.  Crudely put, it's a pack of velociraptors testing the fences in Jurassic Park, rather than the overwhelming but clumsy Tyrannosaurus Rex knocking down the towers with brute force.

While blitzing is nothing new to the NFL, Ryan took things to a whole different level with the development of the 46 defense.

This formation is named for Doug Plank's jersey number.  Plank was a hard-hitting, hard-nosed, and nasty storung safety that allowed for the development of this formation.  Notice all the players on the line of scrimmage.  J and C are the strongside and weakside linebackers, (Jack and charlie in Ryan's system), with the mike or middle linebacker lined up between and behind the charlie linebacker and the defensive end.  One defensive end is lined up directly over an offensive guard, one defensive tackle is directly over center (like a nose tackle), the other defensive tackle is right over the offensive guard, and finally there is a defensive end just outside the right tackle.

You'll notice that the strong safety is as close to the line of scrimmage as the middle linebacker.  The strong safety would play the role of a run-stuffing linebacker or blitzer, leaving the free safety and cornerbacks in largely man-to-man coverage.  Ryan could very easily shift his blitzers and cover men based on down, distance, and the offensive in front of him.  The jack, charlie, or mike linebackers were fast enough to cover as well as blitz, though the latter was clearly preferred.  What was important for Ryan was to probe the pass protection and identify weaknesses that could be exploited later.  If linemen were making their blocks based on certain reads or looks, Ryan could call a blitz that took advantage of that reaction and find a way to leave a man unblocked.

To fully understand what Buddy Ryan developed, remember that
Bill Walsh would develop a short drop and well timed passing offense as a reaction to the blitz packages developed by Ryan.  The "west coast offense" is seen by some football academics as a reaction to the aggressive attacks of defenses like the 1985 Chicago Bears.  It is a slight oversimplification to say that it is only because of Ryan, but it is without doubt a factor.

On the Philosophy:

While the 46 defense is a major part of Buddy Ryan’s defensive toolbox, his philosophy is much broader than a personnel grouping.  Much like when Gregg Williams claimed during a press conference that the Jaguars were going to use every defensive system ever created, Buddy Ryan used just about everything.  In his 1993 Houston Oliers playbook, Ryan schemes a 4-3, 4-4, 46, 3-4, and everything in-between.  Again, the crux of his philosophy is to probe the offensive pass protection and exploit a weakness, using one base defense all the time would be ineffective at exploiting the vulnerabilities and would remove the element of surprise and confusion from the attack.

To explore the Ryan and Williams philosophy further, we excerpt from the 1993 Oilers Defensive Playbook. 

"Our defensive philosophy is simple.  We will do anything and everything it takes to win, within the rules.  We can only control what we do on our side of the ball, therefore we will approach every game with the plan of winning the game with defense"

Coachspeak, of course, but just the introduction:

"We will keep constant pressure on our opponent and their offense.  Our multiple defensive scheme will hamper their ability to identify our intentions by giving them an ever-changing picture on defense."

"A quarterback has never completed a pass when he was flat on his back.  We must hit the QB hard and often.  QB’s are over-paid, over-rated, pompous bastards and must be punished.  Great pass coverage is a direct result of a great pass rush, and a great pass rush is simply a relentless desire to get to the QB"

If Gregg Williams can bring this to Jacksonville this fall, we will be in for one hell of a show. 

On the penetrating style of defense:

"In our penetrating defense the purpose of the defense is to force mistakes and throw our opponent for a loss and place great pressure on the passer.  We will use penetrating type of defense a maority of the time in all positions on the field.  The penetrating defense requires ability to read on the move.  We must have great effort in getting into proper pursuit patterns.  We feel, with the speed and ability of our team, we can achieve great success with these defenses."

What does this mean for Jacksonville?

This look back at Buddy Ryan is a healthy mix of speculation and optimism.  The 46 defense is rarely used in the current NFL, Gregg Williams used it on occasion in Tennessee and Rex Ryan will experiment with the formation in Baltimore from time to time.  It's unrealistic to expect Williams to completely undo everything from Jack Del Rio and Mike Smith in one season.  This is why we distinguised between scheme and philosophy in the breakdown of Buddy Ryan and Gregg Williams' approach. 

While it should not be surprising to see the Jaguars come out in a 46 at least once during training camp, it's implimentation as a serious part of our defense is very much in doubt.  The Jaguars lack a serious contender at nose tackle, though situationally it might work with Henderson or McDaniel.  The Jaguars will instead embrace the methodical attack of a Ryan defense, allowing the team to attack the quarterback through carefully measured pressure rather than overwhelming blitzing. 

Much of this depends on the development of our pass-rushers.  Should Quentin Groves and Derrick Harvey show promise in their first season, the amount of attacking should be very high.  If the rookies are slow to develop or were injuries to mount, Williams will adjust accordingly and become a bend-don't-break defense. 

Either way, there will be a visible change from the Mike Smith defense to the Gregg Williams defense.  Smith was unafraid to attack when he had the ability, though the chess game of the Buddy Ryan/Gregg Williams system is different by degree than what the Jaguars had previously.  Frankly, we have a great deal to be excited about.  Whatever happens, it'll certainly be uncomfortable for the Mannings, Brady's, and Cutler's of the AFC.

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

:  ESPN's Pat Yasinskas spent some time in Jacksonville this weekend.  His first article examines the expectations surrounding Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves:

If Groves and Harvey can share a few more encounters standing around fallen opposing quarterbacks, the Jaguars might be a lot better than OK.

:  Yasinskas also looks at Jaguars Quarterbacks Coach Mike Shula and his up-and-down experience as a coach:

Fans in Tampa Bay and Tuscaloosa might not want to hear it or believe it, but Shula is a very good coach and he's finally landed in a great situation. As Jacksonville's quarterbacks coach, Shula has been a driving force behind the emergence of David Garrard.

: Michael Wright of the Florida Times-Union writes about the uniqueness of the Jaguars minicamp :

The Jaguars' two-day minicamp began Friday, their latest start under coach Jack Del Rio. The team hopes that will result in fewer injuries (by giving players more time in offseason conditioning) and allow rookies to adjust to NFL life.

: Wright also looks at the struggles of Cleo Lemon, the ones that were painfully obvious this weekend.  Lemon shall be referred to from here on out as the "three million dollar man":

: Gene Frenette exposes some problems with Jaguars ticket sales in a well-timed piece that is sure to continue the national media's obsession with Jacksonville's ticket woes.  I implore everyone to help stop this by buying tickets:

No doubt it's a tough economy, and people must make difficult choices with their entertainment dollars. But with the NFL angling to put an existing team in Los Angeles in the next five years, the last thing Jacksonville wants is to give an impression that this market has trouble filling the low-priced seats (51,000) when the Jaguars' football arrow is pointing up.

: Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com takes a closer look at the quietest first round draft pick in recent history, the critcially important but media shy Derrick Harvey:

Contrary to other reports , the Jacksonville Jaguars have used the 2008 offseason to announce to the division that they are the team to beat in the AFC South.  While the Indianapolis Colts deserve the respect due to a six-time division winner, there is no reason to assume that the reigning champs have done enough to hold their position at the top of the South.

Yes, this article intended as a bit of Counter Battery fire toward my good friend and Indianapolis Colts writer over at Stampede Blue.  Big Blue Shoe, as he calls himself, delights in mocking our Jaguars whenever possible, in what can only be a defense mechanism to the pain and suffering that Jacksonville is going to give their team in 2008. 

And we can forgive him, it's merely one step in the Kubler-Ross "Stages of Grief ": In this case, our fellow Colts fans are deeply in denial of the changes and progress made by the Jaguars during this offseason.  Denial manifests itself in peculiar ways in a fanbase,  the Colts will find their evidence in attacking statistics from last season that make the Jaguars look like an Arena League team and hope that the trend continues.

Specifically:

Now before I get flamed, hear me out. The Jaguars are a very good team at shutting down an opponents running game. However, against the pass, the Jaguars flat out suck. They can't pressure the QB and their secondary is highly suspect. The Jaguars defense in 2007 allowed opposing playoff QBs to complete 78% of their passes for 599 yards, 5 TDs and 2 INTs.

In the modern NFL, that is a sucky defense.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is simply no way the Jacksonville Jaguars field anywhere close to that poor of a pass defense in 2008.  The Jaguars secondary in 2007 featured a rookie tossed into the starting role with Reggie Nelson,  a 33 year old Sammy Knight playing a fill-in role with Gerald Sensabaugh on Injured Reserve, an Injured Rashean Mathis, and a healthy but out-of-position Brian Williams rounding out the starters. 

Secondary Concerns:

There was a reason that Sammy Knight often led the team in tackles week in and week out, that's because he could not cover a tight end to save his life and would get targeted every single week.  That the Jaguars held together any sort of defense with his inability to cover is still remarkable.  Sammy Knight is now a New York Giant, and we won't have to worry about him again.

In his place the Jaguars will feature Brian Williams, a former Cornerback that is a natural at Safety.  In fact, he's a bigger version of the Colts safety Bob Sanders.  Williams is going to move to Strong Safety and be used all over the field by Gregg Williams, both in run support and in pass coverage.  Where tight ends ran right by Sammy and were wide open, they'll have a guy that shut down Randy Moss running side by side.

Let's not also forget that our Free Safety, Reggie Nelson, will have another year under his belt.  Gregg Williams and Donnie Henderson will demand that Reggie steps up the intellectual side of his game, especially considering that he'll be playing a lot more center field with the Jaguars likely emphasis on pressuring the quarterback.

Finally, add in a healthy Gerald Sensabaugh, who struggled in September because he was playing with a torn labrum, and went on injured reserve when he tore the other one, and Florence/Mathis on the outside, and you've got a recipe for a huge improvement in our secondary.

The Quarterback must go down, and he must go down hard:

Before we discuss our changes at defensive end, lets take a moment consider the messages sent from the front office about our defensive line.  The Jaguars, I will admit, have made mistakes with their draft picks.  Where they are batting .1000 are in resigning and extending their players. You simply do not hear about the Jaguars offering their players big extensions and then having the player fail to perform.  The Jaguars sent Marcus Stroud to Buffalo and extended the contracts of Rob Meier and Tony McDaniel, both of which will be critical in the new "Teal Curtain".  It's to be expected that the Colts disregard Tony McDaniel as a threat, they've never really seen him.  Let's just say that Peyton Manning will have a 6-7, 310lb beast in the middle, just like Stroud used to be.

The outside, of course, is going to be manned on occasion by the rookies, Derrek Harvey and Quentin Groves.  It's completely fair to assume that because they are first year players that their impact will be minimal.  The problem with that reasoning is that both of these players will be used as pass rushers, an area where physical gifts are more important than experience.  When Quentin Groves takes the field on 3rd and 7, it will not be terribly hard for him to figure out what he's supposed to do.  Harvey has it a little tougher, as you'll see him playing the run and the pass more frequently.

In either case, it's not as though they'll be all alone on the ends.  Reggie Hayward will be two years removed from his injury, Paul Spicer will eventually be extended, and the group will have a good shot at being this years New York Giants in regards to attacking the quarterback.

Absolute Nonsense:

I hate to nitpick, but this is the most deranged thing I've ever read:

There is not one single area where Jacksonville is "better" than Indy. Maybe their special teams coverage units. Maybe. Everything else is a clear advantage for the Colts. Indy's QB, WRs, o-line, d-line, TEs, CBs, safeties, LBers, kicker, and punter are all better than Jacksonville's. Even the running back position favors Indy.

I'll grant Quarterback, I'll even concede the offensive line and Tight Ends.  But to say that the Colts have better Linebackers, Defensive Line, and Secondary than the Jaguars is an ignorant statement.  The Jaguars use their linebackers a little differently than the Colts do in the "Dungy 2", and really can't be compared directly.  The combination of Durrant, Ingram, Peterson, and Smith give the Jaguars three guys who can play every combination of linebacker spots, the speed to play sideline to sideline, and a nasty hard hitting attitude.  I'd take our bench linebacker over any of the Colts starters.  Remember, the biggest knock on the Jaguars pass rushers is that they're young.  None of our guys are coming off of a Lis Franc, like Mr. Freeney.

And the Running Backs?  Are you serious?  I don't care who the third and fourth running backs are on the Colts roster, Fred and Maurice are enough to do the trick.  Call me crazy, but were something terrible to happen, Greg Jones would surprise a lot of people with his ability to run the ball. 

It is absolute absurdity to assume that a team is completely and utterly the master of another.  The Jacksonville Jaguars of 2008 will be unlike any the Colts have ever seen.  While it's easy to write the team off because they've not proved anything on the field yet, the Jaguars have made all the right moves to overtake the Colts in the AFC South.

Enjoy the Homerism for now Indy, in a few months we'll give you a reality check...

-Chris

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

:  Monday's OTA:

• Key Injuries: DE Brian Smith and WR Mike Walker are were both sidelined.  Walker is clearly on an intentionally slow recovery.  Better to let him ease through the summer rather than send him to camp injured.
•  Brian Smith, on the other hand, will not be a Jaguar on September first.  His injury is simply too nagging and will not allow him a chance to even try out for the roster.  The Jaguars took a risk on Smith and missed.  With all the competition on our roster, it'd be foolish to deny someone who can prove themselves a spot on the team or practice squad for an unknown quantity in Smith.  He clearly wants to play, but his body won't let him.
• Defensive End Reggie Hayward was absent from both OTA's so far this week for reasons unknown.  He is expected to practice on Thursday (today), so I assume this a no-news equals good news event.
•  The Wide Receiver battle of Troy Williamson and John Broussard is proceding as predicted.  Both are competing for the same "fast deep threat" role in the offense, and both are making impressive catches.  Yes, Troy Williamson is catching the ball.
• QB Todd Bouman, according to Vic Ketchman, has the most impressive arm so far in camp.  Though Garrard looked his best so far on Monday.  Bouman is locked into an epic battle with UDFA Paul Smith for the "number three" QB spot.  I can tell you for a fact that this is a battle that the coaches want Paul Smith to win, but Bouman will not go down without a fight.
• Each observer of the OTA's has commented on how quick Quentin Groves is looking so far.  Certainly, everyone looks fast when they're in t-shirts and there is no real contact, but it's a very positive sign.  Quentin is very excited about being a defensive end, which is also uplifting.
• Matt Jones had a very bad practice on Thursday, which led to his lack of reps on Monday and Tuesday.  There is something afoot between the Jaguars and Matt Jones right now, and it isn't good for either one.  More on this later.
• Donnie Henderson is a very vocal coach.  If it makes our secondary stronger, yell away. 
  

: Tuesday's OTA

• The "starting DE's" with Hayward and Spicer absent are James Wyche and Kenny Pettway.  This is a good time for both of them to be impressive, as they're competing the fifth spot in the rotation, presuming of course that Hayward, Spicer, Harvey and Groves make the team. 
• Something to watch: DE/DPR Brent Hawkins took some reps at linebacker, as well as at DE.  Hawkins needs to prove himself as useful as possible, considering the crowd at both DE and LB
  
• Brian Williams, as usual, was the starting strong safety.  Shame on you Vic Ketchman for being all wishy washy about Williams move to safety, then mocking the fans for not seeing the obviousness of the move.  It was you, good sir, that put the doubt in our minds.  The Collective Fanbase saw the Florence Signing as the writing on the wall for the move, your resistance toward confirming that was silly and should not entitle you to mocking us. 
• Matt Jones caught a pass.  At this point, this is news

• Jerry Porter has some sort of Achilles strain that is having him iced up rather than on the field.  Nothing to worry about, he's probably working a little harder than he should to make an impression with the team. 
  
• Chauncey Washington and D.D. Terry are having a bit of a competition for a backup running back spot.  Word on the street is that the coaches are very happy with Terry. 
• Vince Manuwai has moved from left guard to right guard, putting him next to Tony Pashos on the line.  The Jaguars are going to have a whole lot of big runs to the right side with the two of them run blocking.
  

Hopefully we'll have more updates as the Thursday Morning OTA concludes!

-Chris

In a move that will surely set radio shows and message boards afire, Miami Defensive End Jason Taylor is not attending any offseason activities with the Dolphins, including Training Camp.  Head Coach Tony Sparano announced Taylor's intention to boycott in his OTA press conference today:

"This is my reaction with the Jason Taylor situation and I'm going to answer this question one time," Sparano said. "I'm not going to answer another question about the Jason Taylor situation after I answer this. Here's what I know. What I know is that Jason Taylor – and I'm glad we know this, we've gotten the information and that's important – but I know that Jason is not going to be at any OTAs, I know that Jason is not going to be in any mini-camps and I know that right now Jason is not going to be at training camp.

This, obviously, effects the Jaguars as they have long been connected to rumors of interest and trade talks.  It seemed as though these talks came to an abrupt end as soon as Baltimore made the call to Jacksonville that led the team to Derrek Harvey and Quentin Groves, but I have no doubt that the team will take a serious look at the prospect of adding Taylor to their quiver of pass rushers.  Let's examine the pro's and cons of making the trade and determine if making the move is a good one.

Why we should trade for Jason Taylor:

1. Instant Impact in our Pass Rush:  Yes, Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves were drafted with the intention of bringing an instant impact on the defensive line.  However, this puts the impetus  in the hands of two first year players that have yet to go up against NFL caliper offensive linemen.  Taylor "could" have more sacks in 2008 than either Harvey or Groves, provided that he's playing at the same level as he did in 2007.
2. Slight Draft Pick Damage: If the Jaguars traded for Jason Taylor, it would become very likely that their picks would be extremely late in the round.  I won't go so far as some of the Jacksonville Radio Hosts in claiming it would be the last pick in the round, but it's sure to be close to it.
3. Price has never been lower: Miami demanded a first round pick in the pre-draft speculation over Taylor.  There is simply no way the Dolphins and Parcells can expect to get anywhere near that as of today.  Before, Taylor was keeping things clean and not being a malcontent, now he's a distraction to a young team, and the longer this plays out, the bigger of a problem it will become.  The last thing they want to do is have their  team the focus of a media frenzy about a player that is not present.  Whatever it costs, it is a prime example of buying low.

Why we should NOT trade for Taylor:

1. Contract Cost: Jason Taylor is due for 7.5 million in 2008 and 8 million in 2009, with a 500K roster bonus each year.  He would have to come to the Jaguars with a willingness to negotiate, as paying that much for a player that's closer to 35 than 30 is foolish.  If he expects to maintain his current level of income, he should not join the team.  Remember though, back when we first started speculating about Taylor, Vic Ketchman explained on Jaguars this Week that the team had a stockpile of money for a player that might hit the market.  It was never confirmed by the team, of course, but if it's true, they're in a position to make a play.
2. Never, ever trade the future: The Jaguars already traded one of their 2009 draft picks, trading a second, third, or fourth for Taylor will hurt the long term influx of young players onto the team.  Trading draft picks makes the other picks far more important as missing on players and trading picks will decimate the roster and force the team into Free Agency to fill needs. 
3. The Risk is greater than the Reward: The Jaguars should have a solid defensive line.  The addition of Taylor would improve the unit, but the financial risk does not justify the potential reward.  Taylor would have to have a 8-10 sack season and an impressive postseason performance to justify the move, and there is simply no way to assure that he's going to do that on the field.  33 year-old players can look old and slow very quickly in the NFL.
4. His Head is not in the Game: Right now it seems that Jason is more focused on his post-retirement career rather than his current profession.  What can guarantee that the Jaguars would get more than one season out of Taylor before he retired?  The Jaguars would want Taylor focused on how he's going to beat a left tackle rather than what happens next spring, but there is simply no way to know what is going on in his head.

Should the team make the Move?

If Jason Taylor wanted to seriously capitalize on his sudden "dancing with the stars" fame, he would retire today and move on.  A player that focused on his future would consider his legacy in Miami and ride off to Hollywood this summer and retire a Dolphin.  No drama, no media frenzy, a graceful exit and a new job.  But Taylor is fighting to leave Miami, which indicates that he wants to play.  He would be an instant starter in Jacksonville and bring an immediate boost to the pass rush.  The pressure on Harvey and Groves would evaporate and they could develop without the weight of the team on their shoulders.

The Jaguars would also be the instant favorite in the AFC to go to the Super Bowl, and would certainly bring the team all sorts of positive attention. 

Paul Spicer would immediately return to OTA's, as Taylor would be his likely replacement.

The combination of Hayward, Groves, Harvey, and Taylor would give offensive linemen nightmares.

The team would have to protect itself in as many ways as possible.  Trading with Miami would likely cost a second round pick in 2009, the Jaguars would have to make this a conditional pick based off of performance and/or length of play in Jacksonville.   Taylor would also have to renegotiate with the Jaguars to write a contract that rewards performance and protects the team from early retirement or a degrade in play.

IF the Jaguars can negotiate a safe contract and IF the Jaguars can make the trade without costing the future, then they SHOULD sign Taylor.  All the bargaining chips are in Jacksonville's hands at this point and the price will be significantly lower than it as prior to the draft.

That is a whole lot of "if's", especially for a 33 year-old.  I'd approve the move, but I don't know that I'd advocate it that strongly. 

Vic Ketchman might be giving us a clue though:

I saw a promo for “Dancing With The Stars” in which Taylor tore off his partner’s dress and she ripped off his shirt and any doubt I had that the Jaguars did the right thing drafting two young defensive ends instead of trading for an old one was immediately extinguished. I could be wrong about this, Logan, but I don’t think the Jaguars are going to make a move for Taylor. I think you should give it up now.

I can only imagine the amount of Taylor question's he's getting today...

-Chris

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

:  I almost wrote an entire post today about my frustrations with SI's Peter King and his Monday Morning Quarterback.  This week's incarnation epitomizes my love/hate relationship with Mr. King as he quickly brushes off the nuggets of gold in his article, while spending far too much time spewing nonsense.

...I remember talking to San Diego GM A.J. Smith the night of the draft. "We got our corner,'' he said happily, referring to first-round pick Antoine Cason. You might wonder why Smith was so focused on getting his corner, with two good starters -- Jammer and Cromartie -- in house, even after losing Florence in free-agency to Jacksonville. "I'm a firm believer in this game today that you need three starting corners to win.'' Amen

:  Rick "Goose" Gosselin might be the hardest working reporter I've ever seen.  When he goes to the combine, his goal is to talk with every single prospect.  You don't see this on TV, but there are times when there are up to ten prospects in the media room at a time, and some only stay for less than five minutes.  To meet all of them, Rick must sprint between tables just to keep up with it.  It's quite remarkable.

Let's go with the Cowboys and Jaguars. The Cowboys improved in the draft on special teams, selecting elite college returnmen Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins, and the Jaguars improved their pass rush. I thought there were four elite edge rushers in this draft, and Jacksonville landed two of them in Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves

:  Sticking with the "big shots", SI's Don Banks explores the consequences of the 80 man roster limit and how the loss of NFL Europa is going to hurt teams.

The potential ripple effect that will be spawned by the simmering controversy threatens to impact everything from the amount of throwing starting quarterbacks may be forced to do in camp, to the elevated playing time and risk of injury for veterans this preseason, to the decreased opportunity that rookies will receive in their bids to make an NFL regular-season roster

: Even ESPN will get some love from me today.  This article, by Elizabeth Merrill, follows a 6th round pick, Xaiver Omon, from draft day to his rookie minicamp with the Buffalo Bills:

His girlfriend, Lauren Williams, suggests they go outside and shoot some hoops. He sinks the first shot, misses the second, then Ludacris bounces on his cell phone. It's a 716 area code, and Omon wonders if it's a prank. The man on the other end is an exec with the Buffalo Bills. Omon doesn't have time to think it's strange, that the Bills weren't at his pro day, and now they're calling. He falls to his knees. Within a couple of minutes, he'll start to cry.

: Charlie Bernstein of JagNation brings us a great quote from Jack Del Rio on our new pass-rushing missile in Quentin Groves.  Charlie, who's both an gentleman and a scholar, does a great job over at JagNation, and if you're not reading them you're only getting half the story on the Jaguars.  (If you can't tell, we're a pretty tight fraternity of Jaguars writers

Jack Del Rio:
"He can play some end of the line 'Sam' but the way a 3-4 team might use him, you can do some of that if you're going to play a reduction front with that. But we didn't draft him with that in mind," Del Rio said. "We drafted him to be a right end, a pass rusher and a guy that if he shows he's capable of stacking the point and fending off tight ends, then we'll put him in position to make plays. We saw enough of that on tape, that he can stack the point. He did do 30 reps on the bench, he does roll his hips and when his hand placement is good, he has plenty of strength at the point.