The Jaguars are playing the Redskins later this evening, sans TV access. So, we'll all have to sit and listen to "The Voice", Brian Sexton. Sexton calls a great game; at least we have that going for us. Now, here are some players that should be on your listening radar, unfortunately, their won't be much analysis on the one-on-one battles until the game re-airs (unless Terry is there live). 

Who to Watch:

Eben Britton at RT - The second round rookie has looked solid since throwing on the pads, and the coaching staff has given this talented young man the nod over former starter Tony Pashos

Eugene Monroe - Our number 8 overall selection will start at LT, and what he does tonight will go a long way towards deciding whether the coaching staff will start him against Dwight Freeney.

Derek Cox - The man we traded our second round pick in 2010 for will see his fist action of the preseason. A big game could potentially spell trouble for current starter Brian Williams. Make no mistake, this is a rebuilding year, and we want as many new players to snag spots as possible. It is about transition.

Brian WIlliams - B-Dub needs a big game in a bad way. If the vet doesn't perform, and T. Brack and Cox have great games, it may end his stint in Jacksonville. He needs some hard hitting tackles, and a big interception.

The QB situation - Watch to see how many passes get batted by our back-ups, and cringe while you consider what would happen if David went down.

Terrence Knighton - Whew... Talk about one big boy. TK is a huge man who is already skilled at keeping a low center of gravity. He has the body type and athleticism to potentially play NT in a 3-4 set down the road. All he needs is development. 

Montavius Stanley - Another big DT who is in direct competition with Ellison for a roster spot. This is a make or break game for him. 

The WR corp - Everyone is in jeopardy besides Williamson and Holt. I've begun to think that maybe even Hughes might get cut if he has a sub-par game. As long as he keeps with the status quo, he should be ok. Mike Thomas and Mike Sims-Walker will see their first action of the preseason, and both better show up and perform, or Gene will have some decisions to make. 

-Collin Streetman

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

Nate Hughes has been a pleasant surprise for the Jaguars in training camp. Where does he fit in the Jags wide receiver plans?

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No roster position has seen more competition this offseason than that of wide receiver. Besides Torry Holt, every wide-out is fighting for a spot and it has seemingly brought out the best (or worst) in each receiver on the Jaguars' roster. Cuts will be coming shortly and the Jaguars will have some interesting decisions to make. Will they only keep five wide-outs as they usually do, or has this corp shown enough to make it worthy of carrying six spots. If so, who will be the sixth wide receiver on the Jags roster? Will Mike Sims-Walker or Mike Thomas even survive cuts to make it into Teal for 2009?

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More photos » by Michael Perez - AP

Garrard, on one of the rare occasions he had time to throw.

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Winners:

Brian Witherspoon - Spoony showed us all why he's our kickoff returner. His blazing speed is undeniable and it is only a matter of time before he breaks one all the way. This guy is not going anywhere.

Derrick Harvey - Lst year's number 8 overall selection is starting to look like a top ten pick. He was applying pressure all game long and all he needs to do is finish. He is having a very positive preseason and that's a major plus, because we need him to have a big game out of the gate against the Colts.

Reggie Nelson- The Eraser had his best game of the preseason, flying all over the field, rarely out of position, and he actually caused a fumble with a huge forearm shiver he delivered. Reggie looked good, and he seems to be ready for a big year.

Gerald Alexander - The safety we traded Dennis Northcutt for played a lights out game, arguably better than Reggie, although against lesser competition. He is a solid back-up, and there will be little drop-off should Nelson go down with an injury.

Tyron Brackenridge - T-Brack has secured a spot on the squad. Period. He's lights out on special teams and he's been excellent in coverage and coming up to tackle. He has arguably outplayed Brian Williams, and will be on the team come opening day, without question.

Russ Purnell - Russ needed this game, big-time. The head of the absolute worst special teams unit in Indianapolis, was now the Jags replacement for the legendary "Joey D". The Jags special teams looked atrocious the first two games, but were standout in their performance against the eagles.

Russell Allen - Another player who is guaranteed a spot on the squad is UDFA Russell Allen. the MLB played a stellar game yet again, and the coaching staff has got to be impressed with the way this kid has grasped the defense. He's got potential as a QB rusher, and he is a strong tackler.

Podlesh/Weatherford/Scobee - Our kickers are playing flat out awesome. Scobee hasn't missed a FG yet, and Weatherford and Podlesh are both kicking like they deserve the spot. The Jags kicking game isn't a concern this year at all.

Mark Duffner - The LB coach, and arguably the best defensive assistant coach we have, has a stable of outstanding stallions at the LB position. All three starting LB's sat out the entire game, and all the back-ups filled-in extremely well. All of the LB's played great football, thus we give credit to the coach.

Losers:

Todd Bouman - He continues to have balls batted at the line of scrimmage, and is wildly inconsistent at times. He is not an adequate back-up, and needs to be replaced before the season begins. This game was his last chance, and he came up short.

The Offensive Line - Wow... a poor perforamance all around. Below average run-blocking, poor pass blocking, and pressure on Garrard from inside and out.  Andy Heck has got some work to do in the next few weeks.

Mike "I NEED A" Walker - The perpetual injury bug missed another game, and he's legitimately only got one shot left to impress against Washington. If Walker misses or has a poor game this Thursday, then the only way he keeps his spot is if the Jags carry 6 WR's, and even then he won't be a lock.

Mike Thomas - The diminutive Thomas has to show something this Thursday, or he is likely headed to IR for the year, because I can't see the Jags giving him a spot without seeing him perform.

Paul Smith - Paul is garbage and has no shot to make this team. He's a great individual and may have a career in coaching in front of him, but his spaghetti-armed passes won't fly in the NFL.

On The Fence:

Brian Williams - B-Dub played his best game of the preseason, although he still isn't playing at the level he was even a year ago. Brian must come up big against the Redskins, or his spot may be in jeopardy. Derek Cox didn't play again, which is the biggest break Brian has had thus far.

Chauncey Washington - Last year's seventh round pick had a solid game, but fumbled the ball, a big no-no for any running back. Chauncey had his one fumble of the preseason, if he has another, it may become a factor.

Josh Vaughn - The former Buccanneer didn't have as big of a game as he needed to. Averaging only 2.9 yards on 10 carries. In a crowded backfield, Josh needed a bigger performance to give himself a shot at a roster spot.

Quentin Groves - The former DE was starting at LB for the Jaguars, and seemed to handle the experiment fluidly. He had a few pressures and one batted pass. It will be interesting to see if he continues to play LB.

 
There was a lot to love about the Jaguars tonight.  Like any good relationship, no one is perfect, but overall the positives far outweighed the negatives.  Let's see, where to start...

The Defense! The backup linebackers played and made a case to be first string guys. Brian Iwuh played the game like a young Mike Petterson. He was everywhere hitting everyone without any showboating.   It was a joy to watch.  He was the only one of 22 players on the field to correctly diagnose a fumble. No one seriously chased him the 75 yards he ran it back. Thank God no one did, he ran out of gas once and took a break during the run. It was a smart heads up play. His 7 tackles far outpaced everyone else. 

The other guy that jumped out at me was Derrick Harvey.  On the Eagles first possession Harvery brought pressure on the first down. On the second down, in came Vick with a suttle pass and Harvery smelled it out. On third down he flushed Donovan McNabb out of the pocket. In the second series, he lined up wide and got Vick again. Later in that series he was chashing down McNabb and got double teamed.  He was drawing double teaming later when he was in.

The Jaguars introduced the 5 man front and I loved it.  It confused the Eagles and opened the door for blitzing. Raheen Mathis hit McNabb, Brackenrich got him twice.  There was no time to throw in the first half. 

Coverage remains an issue and I think Brian Williams is becoming a liability.  The Eagles had 200 yards passing in the first half and most of the completions were easy completions.  So we have a quarterback under pressure, linebackers shutting down the run, and 200 yards of passing in the first half?  Yikes, it must drive Jack nuts. 

Scott Starks was in and looked very good.  Gerald Alexander had a beautiful interception. I think things are getting better in the backfield but they still are vulnerable.

Here is what I loved the most.  Nate Hughes took a viscous hit to the head from Asante Samuel.  He layed there a long time almost dead.  When the defense came back on the field, it was clear they were going to avenge that hit.  I swear I saw rightous anger and a strong hitting back from this team.  That will make me fall in love with this team every single time.

Overall, the defense against the Eagle first team gets a B+.  Vick did look very good with great speed on his few throws. 

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The Jaguars lost to the Bucs 23-24 in their second game of the preseason. The game was a vast improvement over the debacle that was the Miami game, especially offensively. However, the picture wasn't all rosy. The special teams unit continues to struggle, the team was an anemic 2/14 on third down (hence the signing of Wilford), and our receivers dropped multiple passes. 

Winners:

David Garrard - David looked sharp, completing 10/16 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown. His play was far superior to the first preseason game, and provides hope that the passing attack may actually materialize. Garrard is looking good at the weight he's at, and his crisp passes seldom missed their mark. He obviously loves Torry Holt, and I hope he has enough of an opportunity to develop rapport with the crafty veteran.

Troy Williamson - Troy locked up a roster spot with his performance against the Bucs. He gained 174 yards on 3 catches and has propelled an awful offense into mediocrity. You're looking at the team's clear number two receiver, and he's evolved into what everyone thought Mike Walker would be this year. Throw his pink slip in the garbage, this guy is impressing even me, and his roster spot is all but guaranteed. 

Chauncey Washington - The USC product led the team in rushing with 32 yards on 8 attempts. He continues to make his push for a spot in a crowded backfield. The injury to fellow 7th round pick Rashad Jennings has helped Washington get more carries, and he's taking advantage of it. This is a battle to keep an eye on, and no matter who earns the spot, the Jaguars win.

Russell Allen - The UDFA out of San Diego State continued to impress against the Buccaneers, leading the team in tackles while playing MLB. He's vocal on the field and I noticed him calling out to other defenders prior to the snap on many occasions. Heady play and leadership skills like that are great intangibles for a rookie to possess. 

Adam Podlesh - The 4th round pick, who is in a battle with Steve Weatherford, handily won the second round of their four-round battle. He averaged 48.3 yards on 3 punts, 12 yards more than Weatherford averaged over 4 punts. Podlesh actually showed why he was drafted so high (for a punter), and went a long way towards securing a position on the squad.

Losers:

Todd Bouman - The seasoned veteran looked downright awful. He had a ridiculous and unacceptable amount of passes batted at the line of scrimmage, resulting in the second team offense's struggles. Todd inspired no confidence in the team's ability to win in the absence of Garrard, and we're already hearing rumblings of another QB being brought in to the team.

Mike Sims-Walker - The one player on the team who could play the entire season, and still have missed more games due to injury than he's appeared in during his career... is injured again. This is a make-or-break preseason for Mike, and if he doesn't show at least something that Gene can hold onto during the last two games, it would be hard to see the Jags keeping Walker yet again. Forget "Fragile Freddy", how about "Weakling Walker"?

Mike Thomas - Thomas has missed his second preseason game, and in a crowded WR corp, that could spell trouble for the young wide-out. His fourth round status may save his roster spot this season, or the team may put him on IR for the year, as the Jaguars have been known to do in the past. Hopefully we'll get a glimpse of Mike at least once this preseason. If we don't, I expect the young man to be placed on IR for the season.

Brian Williams - B Dub continues to struggle in the preseason, looking very poor in a pedestrian secondary. Brian needs to show why the team signed him; his nose for the ball, and his physicality on the field. The injury to Derek Cox may be the luckiest break Brian got this year, as it is hard to believe he'll be shown the door without Derek showing what he is capable of. Brian has struggled mightily against the run and the pass. He's missing tackles and has been out of position far too often. Brian needs a big game against the Eagles, and the Jaguars need him to have one.

Gerald Alexander - The former Lion looked like, well, a Lion. He missed tackles and wasn't sharp at all. He clearly doesn't appear to be even close to challenging Reggie Nelson for the starting FS spot, although ultimately, his roster spot is safe as a back-up. It would be nice to see Gerald really show something tonight against Philly. He's got to make up for that missed tackle on special teams, as I'm sure he's seen it 100 times by now.

On The Fence:

Tiquan Underwood - The 7th round pick looked like a rookie on a number of plays, and looked explosive on others. He had a big kickoff return brought back due to penalty, and had a big catch late. However, he also dropped 2 passes that hit him in the hands. Consistency is what Tiquan needs to show us. 

Pete Ittersagen - The young Division-III superstar didn't look spectacular on defense, however, he helped himself with a few good punt returns. Special teams is where most of the UDFA's will have to make their name, and the fact that Pete shows promise in the return game could help propel him onto the final 53. 

Eugene Monroe - The number eight overall selection had his hands full with Gaines Adams when he played with the first team. Although Tra was still starting, it is encouraging to see Eugene is performing well enough in practice to push Tra Thomas for the starting spot. Facing competition the likes of Gaines Adams is the type of trial by fire that Eugene needs to prepare for players like Mario Williams and Dwight Freeney.

Vince Manuwai - The savvy and powerful Manuwai was a bit shaky and inconsistent against the Buccaneers defensive front. He gave up a sack and seemed a little gun-shy at times. We know Vince is capable of better, so this most likely has to do with getting used to having his knee tested again.

Josh Vaughn - The former Buc continued to impress with his strong running style and blocking ability. Josh has a steep hill to climb, but it appears that Del Rio and Gene are willing to give him an opportunity to make the squad. The performance of Washington and Jennings will play a large role in whether or not Josh even has a shot at a roster spot. 

-Collin Streetman

Scott Starks has recovered nicely from ACL tear.  I'll post pictures to prove it later on.

The run defense looks good. No one will take advantage of the middle.  I don't know what is going on, but the middle actually looks very stout.

A lot of three WR sets. Trust in the O-Line is there. No more two Tight End sets with blocking help. It is definately a stretch the field Dirk Koetter season coming.

I don't care when he comes in, Eugene Monroe will never beat out Tra Thomas.  In fact, no one beats Tra Thomas.  I have some pictures later of poor poor Quentin Groves trying to get past Tra. They may give the position to Eugene but he will never earn it.,

Todd Bauman can't throw to his left.  He has a good arm, but he is a half the field quarterback. Up the middle and to the right.

There were very few deep balls thrown. A lot of 10-15 yard pass plays. Maybe that was by design, but the long ball was not evident all week.

Jarett Dillard is Dennis Northcutt only much better. He has a real quickness and burst of speed.  He can get deep and when he comes across the middle, he is moving and juking.  What a jitter bug he is..

You can hear the ball hit Marcedes Lewis's pads. Right on the money, no catch. POW! You hear it from across the field.  Can't be thrown any better.  POW... OOPS.  I wish he had hands.

Quentin Groves doesn't look any different than last year. He is quick but easily tied up. I don't know where the weight gain is but I don't see the Defensive End in him. 

Todd Bauman has a strong arm but Paul Smith may be a better back-up QB.  Todd Bauman can throw, but something about Paul Smith looks smarter.

Rashad Jennings is getting a lot more touches than Greg Jones.  There is clearly something going on here. It might be a rookie look before we go behind closed doors, but he has been a featured back this week.

If you didn't know who Torry Holt was, he would still be special.  If Tra Thomas is special, Torry is more so. Just seeing him on the field draws your eye to him.  I will post pictures of an amazing move he put on Derek Cox later.  No one saw the move coming and the crowd just gasped and applauded when he did it. If he doesn't draw double coverage, I will be surprised. 

Derek Cox looks like he is on the first team, but he can be beaten.  I think they want him on the firld. He has no fear of covering, but they are giving him quite a learning experience right now.

David is much smaller this year. The weight David is supposed to be down shows.  I will say this, he is the only quarterback on the field and man can he throw on the run. 

Camp finished early both Thursday and Friday. The Del Rio statement about hard, tough, brutal, maybe.  There is hitting and you can hear the contact, but it does close down early and start late.  I wonder about him sometimes.

Referees on site tonight and threw a lot of off sides. The stupid jumping early is still a problem. Why doesn't Jack work on that? Even when go on two was the standard count, someone jumped on a hard one.  Every stinking time. 

Don't expect anything different from this team than a normal JDR team. JDR is JDR and this team will resemble the other teams, different people, different plays, same character. 

No Tight End can catch. They worked a lot of drills to the TE and couldn't get much caught. Marcedes Lewis can be beaten out for a spot if Zack Miller could catch.  It ain't happening.  They ran drill after drill of four receivers and threw to the Tight End each time hoping to get a reception. 

 So there you have your Staurday night primer for the scrimmage tonight.  I Have some great photos I will get up soon. Have fun tonight and remember, don't drink and drive.  Give the keys to someone else.

 - Terry

More photos » by Phil Coale - AP

3 months ago: Jacksonville Jaguars long snapper Joe Zelenka snaps the ball to the punter during special teams practice at the NFL Jaguars football training camp, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

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Special teams are often the most overlooked aspect of football. No one remembers an eight yard punt return or a touch back on a kick off. However, when something goes wrong (or right) then Special Teams is perhaps the most important part of any team.

2009 was not a banner year for the Jaguars' special teams. After an excellent fake punt by Montell Owens on opening day, the Jaguars special teams constantly missed tackles, shanked punts, and played below par in general. Their play, along with some "encouragement" from Coach Del Rio, led to Joe DeCamillas being sent packing. New coordinator Russ Purnell is looking to make the Jaguars' special teams a top unit again. However, do the Jags have the players to do that?

Josh Scobee

Josh Scobee was drafted in the 5th round of the 2004 draft. Many questioned the drafting him, as he had a big leg, but accuracy issues.

Scobee is entering his 6th season in the NFL and had easily his worst year since his rookie year. Scobee only had 10 touch backs last year, one fewer than 2008 when he missed 8 games. Worse, after seemingly overcoming any issues with his accuracy, Scobee was only 50% from between 30-39 yards in 2008.

The lone bright spot for Scobee in 2008 was that he was 4 of 5 from 50+ yards, which shows he still has one of the biggest legs in football. Perhaps this is the only reason Scobee doesn't find himself in a competition, as does Adam Podlesh.

The main thing for Scobee in 2009 is to regain his kickoff ability. Scobee went from being one of the league leaders in touch backs for the last 3 years to being in the middle of the pack last year. If he doesn't regain that, then Scobee begins a slide towards being "just another kicker."

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More photos » by Nick Wass - AP

Todd Bouman is currently the Jaguars back up quarterback. If Garrard goes down, can he be counted on to lead the Jaguars or should the team look to bring in another arm for camp?

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It wouldn't be the post-Mark Brunell Jaguars if questions about the quarterback position weren't being asked heading into training camp. The 2009 Jaguars have to answer them in bunches this year. Is David Garrard a one hit wonder? Can Todd Bouman be asked to do more than hand off to MJD in the event Garrard gets hurt? Will either Paul Smith or Todd Boeckman be more than practice squad caliber? Should the Jaguars bring in Michael Vick?

All of these questions need to be answered at some point, and their answers may well have the biggest impact on the Jaguars not only this season, but down the line as well.

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