Gene Frenette: Time for Maurice Jones-Drew to run back to Jaguars | jacksonville.com
Listen up, Maurice Jones-Drew. You took a business stand, risking damage to your popularity along the way, but it's time to lay down the sword. Your holdout is at 24 days and counting, with the fine meter up to $780,000. Because it doesn't look like the Jaguars' offense is disintegrating, wouldn't it be better to report to work now and start learning Mike Mularkey's offense? Your interest, and that of the team, is best served by getting at least one preseason game of work before trying to upstage Adrian Peterson in the season opener (Sept. 9) against the
Minnesota Vikings.Free agent Cameron Bradfield does well subbing for Eugene Monroe | jacksonville.com
NEW ORLEANS —There’s no telling where one might find Cameron Bradfield on the Jaguars’ offensive line. But increasingly, it looks like the second-year undrafted free agent is going to be somewhere other than the bench, or worse, come opening day at Minnesota. Pressed into service at left tackle after Eugene Monroe suffered a head injury earlier this week, Bradfield not only did a near-perfect job in protecting Blaine Gabbert but also was a major contributor to the first-half success of the running game in Friday’s exhibition game against the New Orleans Saints.
Take that from Friday night above anything else. That feeling you had in the first half? It was real. And if you care about the Jaguars, it’s OK to be optimistic, to allow yourself to think this can last. It’s OK to have hope, to think, "Maybe . . ." That’s true even though it’s still preseason, and would have been OK no matter what happened in the second half of Friday night’s preseason game. That’s because all you needed to see happened in the first half.
Here’s what we learned from the Jaguars’ 27-24 victory over the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes Benz Superdome Friday: 1) Justin Blackmon is NFL ready. Yes, it’s just one preseason game, and yes, there will be highs and lows this season. But Blackmon showed NFL hands and an NFL ability to get open. It’s just a start, but for a guy who missed the first 10 days of training camp, the start was very good.
Gabbert, Blackmon strong in Jaguars' win - AFC South Blog - ESPN
Gabbert: A smooth and efficient night for the second-year quarterback. If he plays like this, the Jaguars are going to be a competitive team that surprises a lot of people making the too-easy prediction the Jags will struggle. He connected on 13 of 16 passes for 112 yards, two touchdowns and a 135.4 passer rating. Those numbers were enhanced a bit by replacement officials who were too quick with pass interference flags. But Gabbert was not sacked and he looked confident and in command, stepping up to deliver the ball with minimal concern about what might have been closing in on him. He fired one pass to Mike Thomas even as he was getting hit by Junior Galette. Take it all as a major cause for encouragement with him as he built on last week’s good showing.