Come Saturday, the Jacksonville Jaguars have a big decision to make.
Are they going to keep fullback Greg Jones?
Here, I make the case to keep Greg Jones on the roster.
I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Greg Jones is worth his $3 million salary, he isn't. There are plenty of players who aren't worth their salary, but that doesn't mean they're expendable. Frankly put, a $3 million fullback isn't worth the price tag if the offense is moving towards phasing one out of it's offense, but Greg Jones is a vital part of this football teams rushing attack.More than half of Maurice Jones-Drew's rushing touchdowns game out of an I-Formation, a formation where Greg Jones gets to perform his bread-n-butter play, knocking fools out and busting up chumps.
Kidding aside, Jones is a monster of a lead blocker. He's imposing at 6-1 253 pounds, and has the vision of a running back which is key. The fact that Greg Jones was a successful running back at Florida State helps with his lead blocking tremendously, he blocks with the vision of a running back. He modifies where his lead block goes using his instincts, which generally is the area in which Maurice Jones-Drew is going to go, because they both share the vision of a running back.
While younger, cheaper players like Brock Bolen and Montell Owens can fill in at fullback, I'm not so sure they can offer the same kind of blocking prowess that Jones has. While the team insists they're going to feature more of a passing attack, this football team's strength is still the rushing attack. This team might indeed be moving towards phasing out the fullback, but until it's shown the ability to be successful without it, they shouldn't part with it.
Not to mention the majority of the highlights of Bolen and Owens were with each player with the ball in their hands... with Greg Jones as their leading blocker.
With the Jaguars recent struggles in the redzone, while without Jones-Drew, shows hot vital touchdowns can be in the rushing attack. Jones is also a vital player in the passing attack, as often times he's used as a blocker in the shotgun and excels in blitz pick up and assisting with lineman rushing in.
The $3 million is a lot to pay for a specific position, it's an important position for this football team. It's also vital for the success of Maurice Jones-Drew and his touchdowns.
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