Happy Wednesday!
There are a couple of things going on with the Jaguars right now that need a bit of attention.
First off, FS Gerald Sensabaugh could be lost for the season pending a second opinion on his injured shoulder. If it requires surgery, he'll be gone for the season. Before anyone gets crazy and asks if we're going to bring back Donovin Darius, let's look at our options. We've got Sammy Knight available to play free safety, albeit as an older option. Another option that's out there involves moving Brian Williams to safety. He's played the position in the past and should make the change without too much problem.
I think the Jaguars had this idea in mind when they picked up Aaron Glenn from the Cowboys. We've got a nice mixture of Veterans and "jars on the shelf" like Scott Starks who could take the second cornerback spot and still keep our secondary intact.
I'd expect that whatever happens at the position will remain a mystery until later in the week. I'm of the opinion that the best option is to move Williams over as a situational player on obvious passing downs and let Sammy Knight handle the run-stuffing. Of course, playing two positions is like playing none, so I'm probably way out of line to think that he could switch between CB and FS based on game situation.
Honesty, and I hope I don't eat these words, I don't think it's going to be a big deal. We've got a good amount of depth available in our secondary, though not in the roles we really need. It's interesting that we're getting hurt in the spots where we let two players go in the off-season, but it won't hold us back in the long run.
That being said, the more interesting story is the deteriorating relationship between Matt Jones and Jack Del Rio. Or more specifically, the apparent deteriorating relationship between James "shack" Harris and Jack Del Rio that's taking place through Matt Jones and Del Rio. Anyone can see that Jack is probably gone if the Jaguars struggle this season. Given that he was willing to dump Byron, I wouldn't be surprised if he made a move to emphasize how our first round picks have been disappointments. Cutting Byron, moving Reggie Williams to the 3rd team, and calling out Matt Jones for being lazy are all pretty sharp hits at the decisions made by James Harris.
Perhaps this is Jack attempting to shore up his job security by shifting blame somewhere else? This is more of a Pro Football Talk sort of speculation, but it deserves consideration. Though Jack should be careful about how far he goes with this. While James Harris might have missed the mark a few times in the first round, he's been fantastic in the remaining 6 rounds and in free agency. Besides, Wayne would fire both of them if the Jaguars fail to improve. The two of them are completely complicit in the state of affairs in Jacksonville, no matter how hard Jack tries to distance himself he's chained to the situation.
Anyhow, Jack is upset with Matt Jones "body language" or more specifically:
Jones was the subject of some discussion on the Jaguars Reporters
radio show. One of the hosts wondered out loud if Matt Jones really "loves" the game and wants to be a part of it. I live i South-West Missouri where people still remember fondly what Jones did with the Razorbacks. Even with McFadden tearing it up down there this season, Arkansas fans love their Matt Jones. I wonder if he hasn't adjusted to the larger and more critical audience of the NFL combined with moving to a new area without the constant sycophantry and of course, being second fiddle to the quarterback.
Or maybe he's just who he is. I don't know. I've seen him take plays off too often to have any sympathy for Jones. He's a huge potential talent that seems completely wasted. I'd like to see him deactivated for a game like we did with Reggie Williams in week one. How about we bring in a player that actually wants to make catches and play the game like Charles Sharon and let Matt sit on the bench and figure out if he wants to be an NFL wide receiver or a college has-been.
In much more exciting news, I'll be on the radio this evening, more to come on that later!
-Chris