And then there were two...

The Jacksonville Jaguars have traded Wide Receiver Dennis Northcutt to the Detroit Lions for Safety Gerald Alexander.  It was recently reported that Northcutt would be allowed to work out a trade, something that I thought would only end in the release of the somewhat maligned receiver.  Northcutt is the third Jaguars receiver to find himself going from the starting roster in 2008 to packing his bags and leaving town in 2009.  Clearly, Gene Smith thinks that there is something worth developing in our draft class of receivers and in Mike Walker, Troy Williamson and the esteemed veteran in Torry Holt. 

Dennis, in most minds, will be forever remembered for his end zone drop during the playoff game in New England.  For me, Northcutt is a relative bright spot in an otherwise miserable history at the position.  Dennis did his job, if not more, and did so with his mouth shut.  The team needs to get younger and give the developing players the starting repetitions.  Dennis, surprisingly, had some value, and brings the Jaguars a former 2nd round pick.  I'll admit, I'm learning about Alexander as we speak, but from what I've seen, he's going to be in the mix at strong safety. 

As always, in Gene we trust, though Gerald is not without some concerns.  He suffered a neck injury which had him sidelined, though according to Alexander, this is behind him:

The neck is no longer an issue, physically and mentally," Alexander said. "Just out there trying to get better every day, learn the system, making good plays, making mistakes. Just trying to get everything right so I'll be ready."

So there you go, Mike Walker, Torry Holt and Troy Williamson are nearly assured roster spots, with Mike Thomas and Jarret Dillard practically locked in as well.

Still, the training camp battle for the 4th and 5th (or maybe 6th) spot at WR will be intense and wide open, the sort of competition that brings out the best.

-Chris

Dennis on the ground, without the ball, became an all too familiar sight for Gene Smith.

Reports have surfaced and apparently, Dennis is reporting it himself, that he has been told to shop his services.

According to a league source, veteran wideout Dennis Northcutt is telling teammates that he has been given permission to shop his services via trade.

The Jaguars continue their quest for an adequate WR corp, and Dennis is the next victim of the new regime in Duval. "Given permission to shop his services", equates to being told, "If you want to make your money, find a team that will make a trade."

Northcutt is under contract through 2011.  Per NFLPA records, he’ll earn a base salary of $2.45 million this year, $2.95 million in 2010, and $3.95 million in the final year of the deal.

Their likely won't be many teams clamoring for Dennis' services, and it is unlikely he'll find a free agent deal at those numbers, especially after last season. Maybe we can swing a trade for Northcutt for a 6th or 7th rounder, but I find it unlikely. What this story really means, is that Gene is continuing to reshape the roster, and he hasn't seen enough from Dennis in OTA's to justify that salary. The play of the three rookies may have something to do with this move as well, we'll really find out come Training Camp.

With the roster now at 81 players, the Jaguars will need to cut one more player to be at the magic number of 80 for camp. Expect Northcutt to be gone before August, either via trade, or release.

-Collin Streetman

I was going to talk about Vince Manuwai's return to the field, but the Florida Times Union decided to drop this little bomb into the bottom of the story.

From the department of WTF?

Thief gets away with Gatorade

A thief broke into the Jacksonville Jaguars practice field Saturday and made off a cooler full of Gatorade and a box of nutrition bars, police said.

A security guard at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium spotted the thief fleeing the field and tried to catch him. But with the lightning speed of a running back, the man bolted, dropping the nutrition bars in the process.

Really?  How fast can you run with a 5 gallon cooler of Gatorade?  I remember lugging those things around and the idea of running and getting away with it seems pretty far fetched.  Not to mention the insanity of actually stealing it from the practice field.  Under what circumstance is this a good idea?

WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION JOHN HENDERSON!

I was "all in".  I saw what Jack Del Rio said to John Henderson and I was OK with it.  I saw that Henderson elected to respond positively and announce that he's "all in", and was OK with it.  It looked like this would be an example of Jack calling a player out and it not being a sign that the guy was on the way out.  Then I see as a toss-away item on Jaguars.com that Big "Lazy" John had missed another practice with his mysterious shoulder:

Defensive tackle John Henderson (shoulder) did not participate.

Stunning.  Eight words that beg so many questions.  Is the shoulder hurt so bad that he cannot take the field?  Is he being legitimately held out?  Or did he tell Jack Del Rio to shove it? 

Normally I'm slow to react to things like this.  There should be a certain tension within a team, as the coaches do their job and drive their players to push a little harder.  Comments, like the ones made by Del Rio, send a message to everyone that anyone in that locker room can be pushed out if they fail to buy in to the overall direction.  There are thirty rookies or UFA's on this roster right now, all of them need to learn, and all of them must see that the coach calls out the sure thing roster locks and pushes them to show results.

But no, Henderson rides the bike during the OTA and Jack backs down during the post practice interview.

Call me crazy, call me irrational, call me short tempered, but I think this is something we should be outraged about.  I'd like to shout from the rooftops that this is an undercutting of the new regime, (the last for Del Rio, should things not improve), and that Henderson should face serious consequences.  And if you pull the "these are voluntary practices" card, I'd encourage you to look at the contact drills held throughout the league at this time before you complain.

Henderson, in my opinion, is sending a bad message to a crowd of rookies fighting for his roster spot.  If Big John wants to burn his way out of the team, more power to him.  We have a young and developing roster.  Derek Landri has put on the weight and spent the time working to contribute at DT as a serious part of the rotation.  The Jaguars have no time, no place, and no need for anyone who's going to speak out of both sides of his mouth.  You're either all in, and coming to practice, or you better damn well have a serious reason to be absent.  Should John have a serious injury, then I'll by all means take this back, but to announce to the press that you're responding to your coaches, and then miss another practice, that reeks of nonsense.

-Chris

"I'M IN!!!"           "Get your ass on the practice field!!"

It is a beautiful, relaxing summer afternoon in Florida. Not a cloud in the sky down here; it's the kind of day where you can't help but smile. I figured I'd post some thoughts I've had on the amazing UDFA's, and clarify my position on Jack Del Rio, which it seems became somewhat misconstrued.

The Jack

The last article I posted put some hypothetical heat on Del Rio; it was just an attempt to provide some perspective. Long-time readers know I love Del RIo and his style of aggressive smash-mouth football. I love the fact he goes for it on fourth and short so often. The statistics don't lie, it's a gutsy call, but it is often better to go for it. Del Rio got soft last year, and he realized it mid-season, when he took out veteran linebacker, and longtime defensive leader, Mike Peterson.

I love del Rio, I support him getting another year if the team improves to at least 8-8 this year. He's a proven coach, a good leader, and an excellent defensive mind. That being said, I would also agree with the potential validity of any argument that stated he constantly lets others take the fall, and that his striking personality leaves little room for compromise with anyone, coach or player. The facts don't lie, and I don't mind them. I certainly don't blame the departure of Ray Hamilton or Mike Smith on Jack, but his clashes have resulted in the departure of some. The clash with John Henderson, is an example of sound coaching, but he's a little late to the party. He should've never allowed Henderson to miss so many practices without injury.

Del Rio is obviously a man who values loyalty very highly and his continued presence on the sideline is an asset, not a liability, to the organization. I expect him to succeed this season and continue forward as the Jaguars coach through at least one more contract extension.

The Big Lazy

John Henderson has claimed he's "in". I'll believe it when I see it on the field, that's all I can say. Perhaps I'm jaded from two lackluster seasons marred by unexplained absences from practice, and underachievement on the field. Perhaps I'm disappointed that a guy who makes 5 plus million a year is already repeating the behaviors from his last two years, and it's only OTAs. Perhaps I'm of the opinion that someone making as much as John should be producing more then he has.

Either way, I've been a supporter of trading John for awhile, and I think that may be in his future, but not this season. Without John, our defensive line will be gutted each week. We need The Big Lazy, and if he really gets on board, he'll be kept. He could become an excellent mentor to Kinghton, but he has to get with the program. Saying it is one thing, doing it is something completely different.

The UDFAs

So, I've gotten over my excitement with Abdallah, the former Jaguar who wasn't present at OTAs. I still like his potential, and he may make it on the practice squad of the Jags or another team. As you've see, I've done numerous pieces on the Jags UDFA class, and there is definitely potential for more than one of these young men to make the final 53. Here's a recap of Big Cat Country's write-ups for our undrafted gems.

Julius Williams, DE

Pete Ittersagen, DB

Brock Bolen, FB

Mesphin Forrester, DB

Russel Allen, LB

In order for any of these players to make the squad, they'll have to contribute on special teams. The Jags released Chad Nkang, and that means there's room for someone to steal his spot as a major special teams tackler. Russ Purnell will have the players, he better follow it with production.

-Collin Streetman

Surely you don't think this is all my fault?

In 2006, John Henderson was a force to be reckoned with. He and Stroud were THE dominant DT's in the NFL. Now, He's a shell of his former self, and has been for two years. Marcus Stroud missed constant practice due to microfracture surgery rehabilitation issues. He's gone now, mind you.

John Henderson missed practice continually for "personal reasons" or  minor injuries. That slack treatment has gone on for too long, and it is Del Rio's fault for ever fostering that environment. This issue should've been quelled in 2007. Instead, it lasted throughout 2007, 2008, and now into the beginning of 2009! I'm a fan of Del Rio, but I have to call them like I see it, and in my view, he's to blame for this situation escalating to the level it has.

Every year, we get a player clashing with Jack, and we lose the player, pronto. Marlon McCree, Mike Peterson, Marcus Stroud, Byron Leftwich, and now possibly John Henderson. The same thing happens with asst. coaches of Del Rio. Ray Hamilton, Mike Smith, Joe DeCamilis,  Gregg Williams, Donnie Henderson, and lastly, our previous offensive coordinator. What is going on, this is only over an 8 year period people!

Did anyone ever consider that maybe Del Rio has something to do with the poor chemistry in the locker-room? I support my coach, and I love Del Rio's style. I think he's a very good coach who is developing and learning to be a great coach. However, his inability to work with both asst. coaches and players has finally caused me to question whether or not he is a problem in the locker-room... Just something to consider.

-Collin Streetman

We see again today that John Henderson has missed a second consectutive OTA practice due to "Injury". Jack Del RIo is not happy, and said as much in an interview when asked about the DT.

He is not this man anymore!

John has a shoulder, that, back when I played, nobody would've missed a snap. Lombardi might be rolling over (in his grave). It's disappointing to see him pull himself out.

Excuse me, but what is going on with Big John Lazy John. The last two seasons he has had constant issues with staying on the practice field, and it has shown to have detrimental effects in games with dwindling production. John is not the same as he was in 2006 and 2007. He's not a star anymore, he's just not, so stop it. Now, It appears he's drawn the focus of his coach, who doesn't think he's even going to be a team leader anymore.

Gene Smith needs to pull the trigger on a trade deal to send this malcontent to another squad. I don't care where, all I know is that I would take a 3, or a 4 and a 6 for the cat. His trade value will be higher now that the draft is over because teams would get Henderson's services for the entire year before the Jags get to use their picks. Like trading a 3 this year, for a two next, trading John now would allow us to recoup greater overall value for the former standout DT. 

I know some of you are saying, "But, he lets people hit him before the game", well, he's not a star anymore, and he's not a leader either. We have a new DT, and we don't want him to learn bad habits. Big John Lazy John should be leading our defense, instead, he's a leech on the Jaguar's pocketbook who hasn't produced in years, and is living off the past. I say let's cut bait and trade the chronic under-performer while he still has value. After next season, he'll be a year older, and still missing practices... I've been in favor of trading John for literally months now, I think this latest incident may give Gene the impetus to pick up the phone and see what kind of garage sale deal he can swing for the aging, overpaid veteran. 

What say you? Give him yet another year, or cut bait now?

-Collin Streetman