Justin Blackmon does not exist

The future of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon is a bit murky. Blackmon served a four game suspension to start the 2013 season due to a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. Blackmon returned from his four game suspension and injected some much needed playmaking ability to the Jaguars offense, but it was just as quickly removed once again when he was suspended just four weeks later.

Blackmon was knocked for the third time for violating the league's substance abuse policy, which typically results in a full season suspension, but instead Blackmon was suspended "indefinitely", likely because he violated the policy again in such a short time span.

Justin Blackmon can return to the NFL and the Jaguars, if the Jaguars decide to keep him, but in order to do so he has to petition NFL commissioner Roger Goodell for reinstatement into the league. Even if he's granted reinstatement, it's likely that he will be suspended, at minimum, the first eight games of the 2014 season. Blackmon served eight games of his suspension in 2013 and logic would say that at bare minimum he would get the full season suspension for his third offense, so he will need to serve another eight games.

For all intents and purposes, Jacksonville Jaguars fans and the organization should pretend that Justin Blackmon does not exist, because he essentially doesn't. You cannot count on Blackmon as a part of your roster going forward, because you have no idea if he will be. You can't go into the draft thinking you have two good starters in Cecil Shorts III and Blackmon, because you don't. You can't go into free agency thinking you have two good starters in Shorts and Blackmon, because you don't.

You can't draft someone like say Sammy Watkins and think "Man, how great can a duo of Watkins and Blackmon be?" going forward, because you have no idea if Blackmon will be in the league beyond this season.

The best thing the Jaguars can do as an organization going forward, as well as the fans, is simply pretend Justin Blackmon does not exist. He's not on the roster, for all intents and purposes. The team has to plan to replace him on their roster. They need to look in either the NFL Draft or in free agency for at least an adequate NFL starting wide receiver, because the position most certainly is a need.

But again, Justin Blackmon does not exist.