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Jerry Porter Hurt: Why Worry?

After mulling over the Jerry Porter injury, it's clear that its a concern. However, if you consider what David Garrard and the 2007 Jaguars accomplished, it's certainly not a reason to panic.

If we were to assume the worst, that being a Jerry Porter that never plays in 2008 at full strength, the Jaguars would still have improved their receiving corps with the addition of Troy Williamson and the (theoretical) emerging of Mike Walker. If Dennis Northcutt, Reggie Williams, Ernest Wilford and Matt Jones can take the Jaguars to the playoffs, it's a foregone conclusion that Northcutt, Williams, Williamson, Walker, and (maybe) Jones can do better than 2007.

Just think about it. It's painful to know that our next great hope to replace Jimmy Smith is hurt and will not appear until the regular season, but the improvements on offense are still there. It's another year under Koetter's system, another year for Garrard to improve, another year of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, and another year for Williams, Northcutt, Walker, and whomever else to get better.

The gut reaction is to freak out. But I can't help but look at the facts and not be overwhelmingly worried. Losing Porter for any length of time is a concern, as it means that the team will have to execute their ground game to perfection, just like usual. The margin of error is a little tighter, but there's still no reason to expect anything less out of the Jaguars.

So relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy the next few weeks. Watch the wide receivers extra close in camp, but whatever you do, don't panic.

-Chris