Jaguars will 'run the rock' in 2013, Gus Bradley tells Maurice Jones-Drew

While there are a number of reasons to think that there is animosity between Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the three-time Pro Bowl insisted to Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated that it wasn't the case. In fact, there seems to be some cohesion between the two sides and Jones-Drew says that he was told by new head coach that team plans to "run the rock" in 2013.

Jones-Drew, 27, returned to UCLA during the offseason to work on finishing the degree that he left when he entered the 2006 NFL Draft after his junior season. While the running back took advantage of the NFL's back-to-school program that helped him pay for schooling, he told Trotter that the Jaguars offered to pick up any costs not covered by the league.

Couple that with Bradley's apparent assertion that the Jaguars will feed Jones-Drew's hunger to be a featured player and the team has seemingly offered an olive branch of sorts to MJD.

In 2012, Jones-Drew picked up 414 yards rushing on 86 carries through six games before a Lisfranc fracture in October ended his season and eventually required surgery to repair. His 4.8 yards per carry were the most since his rookie season and he finished the season as the team's leader in rushing yards, despite missing 10 games.