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Jacksonville Jaguars sign Drayton Florence!

By River City Rage
Drayton Florence, our newest Jaguar!

Michael Wright reports that the Jaguars have officially signed former San-Diego Cornerback Drayton Florence, with a bonus of (allegedly) 12 million dollars.

Drayton was deemed replaceable in San Diego after the rise of Antonio Cromartie.  This Does Not mean that Brian Williams is moving to safety or anything like that.  Drayton will be our nickel safety, replacing outgoing Terry Cousin and serve as a safety net against getting picked apart a la against the Patriots.  To win in the AFC you'll need to be protected against multiple wide receiver sets, and having three starting worthy cornerbacks is fantastic.

Think of it this way: Peyton Manning on 3rd and 7 sees Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams on the outsides, Drayton Florence covering the slot, Reggie Nelson and Gerald Sensabaugh sitting back in their deep zones.  That's a pretty potent nickel package, and one I'd hate to throw against.

His Scouting Report:

Florence has a very impressive combination of size and athletic ability, but he comes from a very small college and hasn't adapted quickly to the NFL game. He is tall with long arms and a good build for corner. He has good straight line speed, with decent quickness and the ability to plant and drive on the ball with some explosiveness. His hips are not real loose, but he is fluid and smooth. He can be too high in his pedal and isn't always in great football position. Florence's recognition skills have improved, but still need a lot of work and he can look overwhelmed by the speed of the game at times. He can be too aggressive and takes too many risks. Quicker NFL receivers give him a hard time and his lateral agility is questionable. He has questionable hands and drops too many balls that he should catch. Florence is a decent run player who can help on special teams, but still has work to do until he can be considered a quality starting cornerback. Antonio Cromartie may very well take Florence's starting spot in 2007.

Without a doubt, Jacksonville has has a fantastic start to Free Agency.  We've addressed three HUGE needs without spending too much money.  All it takes for the Jaguars to have the best start would be in getting some good value for Marcus Stroud.  I've heard that the deal might include swapping first round picks with the Bills, (number 11 overall), another exciting prospect for the Jaguars to consider.

Great job with this signing!

-Chris

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