Jaguars' Training Camp Report (1 Viewer)

Impressions from Jaguar's Camp:

QB's

Byron Leftwich: About a week ago, articles began springing up about Leftwich's superb physical condition. Today's practice confirmed those reports. I for one was stunned at the way he moved on the field; had a little bounce to his step and displayed better speed in eluding defenders. Accuracy was also a plus. Lastly, he seemed to adjust to life without Jimmy Smith and has found his new go-to guy in Matt Jones. The two really hit things off on deep routes. I know I pimp him quite a bit but this guy is very close to an elite NFL QB
David Garrard: Until this guy falters, there's always going to be a QB controversy in Jacksonville. Though I'd stick to Leftwich, Garrard is also having a great camp. Looked just as accurate as Byron, but definately lacks Leftwich's arm strenght. Some balls were thrown behind recievers and some bombs were thrown short. Nonetheless, great way to compete for a starting spot
Quinn Gray/Paul Pinegar: Both are having miserable camps fighting for the #3 slot. The difference is that Gray has alway had terrible camps, yet always finds a way to rebound in the preseason. My hunch is that Pinegar gets the boot, which is a shame for such a good college prospect.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RB's

Fred Taylor: Dude's in great physical shape. Usually he's shaving off a few pounds this point in camp, but not this year. He also looks much more confident in his runs. No more dancing; he's hitting the hole quickly and slid through. Not to be a homer but this motion brought back a lot of memories from when Taylor was in his prime. Im not promising much but this guy will make the most of his touches. And this year, he'll be able to take some more hits. The only downside from camp seeme to be his recieving skills; they were AWFUL today. He botched two or three pitches from Leftwich that were gimmes and that other RB's had no trouble handling. Its safe to say he'll relinquish that role significantly unless today is an abberation.
Maurice Jones-Drew: Simply Incredible. Quickly turining into my favorite player. Great speed to the outside, and once there, simply turns on the after-burners. At full speed he'll be hard to catch. As such, blocking is adequate but a little improvement could go a long way. Highlight of my day: seeing him absolutely break Mike Peterson's ankles
Greg Jones: Not sure how he did it, but looked a bit slimmer. Thats hard when you boast of sub-2% body fat. Looked great- best all around performace out of the RB's today. Much quicker and of course lighter. Seems to me that the Jags might be transitioning him into a hybrid power/speed back; look for an RBBC when Taylor retires.
LaBrandon Toefield: Looked alot faster than last year. Also ran with a bit more power. Seems to me that he will fill the niche of a straight ahead runner but will only be a second or third option on short-yardage situations. The early reports that we heard on him about his exceptional OTA's may be a bit inflated. Will make excellent trade bait.
Pearman/Wimbush/Alexis: Nothing to report on these except Alexis getting burned on pass coverage by rookie Brent Hawkins. Another season on the Practice Squad? Methinks so.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WR's

Matt Jones: The debate is over. Matt Jones is officially the #1 in Jacksonville (ran as a Z reciever). Was exceptional on deep routes. But what impressed me the most was his route running. He's running them alot crisper this year and has made considerable strides since last year. Froze rookie dee webb on crossing routes and brined Donovan Darius on a wiggle route. Receptions all over the place'; got in front of Brian Williams for a catch and on a hook route. His two non-catches came on excellent coverage- one superb play by Rashean Mathis and another when he was slowly eased out of bounds by Williams, in which he did catch the ball but not inbounds. One of my concens (clean routes) is now adequately answered. All that remains is to see if he can get off the line cleanly. If it is another positive, this guy will ravage the league.
Ernest Wilford: All good things about Wilford today. First, he was running first team as the X. Exceptional news that boosts his value considerably if he can hang on to it. Second, he looked faster than last year; speed was always a knock on him last year. On one occasion he was able to break free and run away from a DB. No problems off the LOS and not a lot of targets to boot but this is the kind of TC you want to regain a starting spot.
Reggie Williams: I've pimped Reggie Williams probably more than anyone on the board, but if his first performance is indicative of TC, then downgrade him due to ommision. Sure Williams didnt look bad (speed didnt improve much neither did route running) but it was that Wilford looked better. Williams also had a few mental errors to boot including one drop on an easily catchable ball. Looked faster than Wilford though. But it didn't help that wilford had a better day. As a Williams' owner, here's to hoping he struts his stuff like he did in the OTA's.
Cortez Hankton: The star of the morning session. Hankton has always been great on sideline fly routes but never stayed healthy enough to amass appreciable stats. Today he showed why he's going to be a tough player to leave off the roster. Against the starting defense, he made play after play on beautifully thrown balls by both Garrard and Leftwich deep down the sideline, often in double coverage (Mathis and Grant) Also had the highlight of the day on a corner route, running in the right slot, catching a ball in double coverage and staying inbounds. Health is a concern, but nonetheless a huge asset to the team if healthy. Lelie who?
Chad Owens/Randy Hymes/Troy Edwards: Decent perfomance from all. Edwards and Hymes were going against 2nd team and 3rd team defenses. Hymes is the surest WR cut at this point, while Troy and Owens made their cases. Owens worked out of the slot so a battle between him and Reggie is brewing. If an order had to be give at this point, Troy Edwards > Chad Owens >> Hymes.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TE's

Marcedes Lewis: Lewis gave us exactly what you and I expected from him upon being drafted; a big, sure-handed reciever. He proved to be a frequent target of all QB's during camp, especially of Gray, who used him primarily as a safety valve. He caught several passes over the middle, and on seperate occasions, made slight adjustments on the ball. So a great start for him. One thing, however, stood out as a mistake. On a poorly thrown ball, Lewis tipped the ball into the air THREE times before it fell to the ground. However, there were several defenders in the area, and the play could have easily resulted in an INT. While his determination is laudable, he's going to learn to let some balls go. But when you have to penalize him for trying too hard, youve got a special talent there.
Kyle Brady: The usual. Carry on. Used primarily as a blocker on 2-TE sets. Always a dependable option in terms of run-blocking.
George Wrighster: Rumors started to surface recently about a possible trade for Ashley Lelie. While those may have been put to rest, Wrighster's performance in 2-TE sets was satisfactory. While he confirmed his backup status, he gave reason to believe that he is a steady option that makes up for explosiveness with his ability to catch.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OL

**Nothing really can be said without pads on but from what I saw today, they held their own in rush situations and opened up holes on running plays. Some notables:

C Brad Meester: Back in playing shape and able to pracice at full speed.
T/G Big Mike Williams: UNDER 350. Thats right, I said it. Just when i had written him off, he comes back and proves me wrong. His talent needs no explanation and if in shape, he could be a huge asset to this team. Just look what happened to Willis McGahee once he left the line. Perhaps a correlation? All that's left is outplaying Mo Williams or Manuwai
LG Vince Manuwai/Stockar McDougle: All looked to be in good shape. Look forward to an intense competition for the starting LG
OT Richard Collier: Took the title of big daddy away from BMW. Dude's a house and some of that excess weight took a toll on his pass-block. He got burned both by the first and second team defenses and all but secured his position on the practice squad. Could be a decent prospect if he lost weight a la BMW. Could see some NFLE time, could be a fruitful project for a UFA.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WRs?

How did Reggie W look? Typically he is always a monster at practice....

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Jaguars running back Fred Taylor began training camp Saturday the same way he did last year - nursing an injury.

Taylor strained his right hamstring during a conditioning drill Thursday and was less than full speed when Jacksonville opened camp. It was hardly the start Taylor wanted, especially after spending all of last season recovering from a serious knee injury.

``I really wanted to come out the first day and give the fans something to ooh and ah about,'' said Taylor, who has been plagued by injuries the last four preseasons. ``It's kind of sad that the timing is so screwed up. That's why it's so hard to understand. Somethings in life you can't figure out why they happen. They just do. I don't know why it happened. I was rested and I felt great.''

Taylor injured his leg muscle while nearing the last of 20 striders, which are 50-yard sprints. He was required to perform the conditioning test because he skipped most of the team's voluntary, offseason workout program.

Instead of running and lifting weights in Jacksonville, the 30-year-old franchise running back opted to train near his home in South Florida.

He said the all-in-one training program at Perfect Competition helped him get in the best shape of his career. He weighed in at 224 pounds, 10 less than last year, and believed added leg strength would help him avoid recent leg injuries.

Maybe he was overconfident. After all, he declined a short rest between the first 10 sprints and the last 10, telling trainers he had been preparing for the striders by running the same exercise 30 times back home.

Then, moments later, he pulled up lame.

``It was just one of those things that happened,'' Taylor said. ``It's keeping me limited at this point. I'll gradually work myself into full speed.''

Probably so, but given Taylor's age and recent history - he has missed seven of the last 19 games, rekindling the nickname ``Fragile Fred'' that haunted him early in his career - the injury certainly has to raise a red flag.

Taylor even knew what reaction he would get from fans and skeptics.

``It's just the initial impression that I'm most disappointed about,'' he said. ``That's fine. I expected that. That's just another reason why I'm going to be smart with everything. It's not major, but you've got to be smart early on in camp, so coaches are limiting my reps, which is good. I just wish I could do more because of how hard I worked in the offseason.''

Taylor tore two ligaments in his left knee Dec. 19, 2004, missed the final two games of that season and hobbled through much of last year. He wore a knee brace in every game and practice, and never returned to full speed. He also sat out five games with an ankle injury, losing nearly $500,000 in incentives and essentially ending any chance he had of negotiating a new contract until after this season.

He finished with 787 yards on 194 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per run - the second lowest in his eight-year career.

The Jaguars responded by drafting a running back for the fourth consecutive year. After adding LaBrandon Toefield (fourth round in 2003), Greg Jones (second round in 2004) and Alvin Pearman (fourth round in 2005), the team selected shifty and undersized back Maurice Drew in the second round in April.

How could anyone blame them, especially given Taylor's recent injury woes?

Taylor, who has two years remaining on his contract worth $2.55 million each season, missed part of training camp in 2003 with a bone bruise on a knee. He also sat out half of the 2004 preseason with a strained foot.

Knee surgery in January 2005 was much more significant, and now he has a strained hamstring that could become a nagging injury.

``We'll bring him along, and it'll be fine,'' Jags coach Jack Del Rio said. ``From where we've been the last few years, where he's had a knee rehab and all the different things he's had to deal with, he's coming in fresh and in great shape. A mild strain will pass in a few days and we'll be ready to roll.''

Del Rio also said Taylor's latest injury was no cause for concern.

``I look at what he's battled though, and to me, I think you commend guys that push and fight and accomplish all that he's accomplished despite having 11 guys attacking him every down,'' he said. ``It's a hard position. A lot of guys get banged up, a lot of guys miss time. He's missed less than most. He's really been pretty extraordinary in the fact that he's been able to remain such an explosive weapon for us despite getting nicks and having some tough things to fight through.''

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -Jaguars running back Fred Taylor began training camp Saturday the same way he did last year - nursing an injury.

Taylor strained his right hamstring during a conditioning drill Thursday and was less than full speed when Jacksonville opened camp. It was hardly the start Taylor wanted, especially after spending all of last season recovering from a serious knee injury.

``I really wanted to come out the first day and give the fans something to ooh and ah about,'' said Taylor, who has been plagued by injuries the last four preseasons. ``It's kind of sad that the timing is so screwed up. That's why it's so hard to understand. Somethings in life you can't figure out why they happen. They just do. I don't know why it happened. I was rested and I felt great.''

Taylor injured his leg muscle while nearing the last of 20 striders, which are 50-yard sprints. He was required to perform the conditioning test because he skipped most of the team's voluntary, offseason workout program.

Instead of running and lifting weights in Jacksonville, the 30-year-old franchise running back opted to train near his home in South Florida.

He said the all-in-one training program at Perfect Competition helped him get in the best shape of his career. He weighed in at 224 pounds, 10 less than last year, and believed added leg strength would help him avoid recent leg injuries.

Maybe he was overconfident. After all, he declined a short rest between the first 10 sprints and the last 10, telling trainers he had been preparing for the striders by running the same exercise 30 times back home.

Then, moments later, he pulled up lame.

``It was just one of those things that happened,'' Taylor said. ``It's keeping me limited at this point. I'll gradually work myself into full speed.''

Probably so, but given Taylor's age and recent history - he has missed seven of the last 19 games, rekindling the nickname ``Fragile Fred'' that haunted him early in his career - the injury certainly has to raise a red flag.

Taylor even knew what reaction he would get from fans and skeptics.

``It's just the initial impression that I'm most disappointed about,'' he said. ``That's fine. I expected that. That's just another reason why I'm going to be smart with everything. It's not major, but you've got to be smart early on in camp, so coaches are limiting my reps, which is good. I just wish I could do more because of how hard I worked in the offseason.''

Taylor tore two ligaments in his left knee Dec. 19, 2004, missed the final two games of that season and hobbled through much of last year. He wore a knee brace in every game and practice, and never returned to full speed. He also sat out five games with an ankle injury, losing nearly $500,000 in incentives and essentially ending any chance he had of negotiating a new contract until after this season.

He finished with 787 yards on 194 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per run - the second lowest in his eight-year career.

The Jaguars responded by drafting a running back for the fourth consecutive year. After adding LaBrandon Toefield (fourth round in 2003), Greg Jones (second round in 2004) and Alvin Pearman (fourth round in 2005), the team selected shifty and undersized back Maurice Drew in the second round in April.

How could anyone blame them, especially given Taylor's recent injury woes?

Taylor, who has two years remaining on his contract worth $2.55 million each season, missed part of training camp in 2003 with a bone bruise on a knee. He also sat out half of the 2004 preseason with a strained foot.

Knee surgery in January 2005 was much more significant, and now he has a strained hamstring that could become a nagging injury.

``We'll bring him along, and it'll be fine,'' Jags coach Jack Del Rio said. ``From where we've been the last few years, where he's had a knee rehab and all the different things he's had to deal with, he's coming in fresh and in great shape. A mild strain will pass in a few days and we'll be ready to roll.''

Del Rio also said Taylor's latest injury was no cause for concern.

``I look at what he's battled though, and to me, I think you commend guys that push and fight and accomplish all that he's accomplished despite having 11 guys attacking him every down,'' he said. ``It's a hard position. A lot of guys get banged up, a lot of guys miss time. He's missed less than most. He's really been pretty extraordinary in the fact that he's been able to remain such an explosive weapon for us despite getting nicks and having some tough things to fight through.''

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:(

Greg Jones moves up the list...no?

Greg Jones moves up the list...no?

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Its hard to expect too much with Drew on board but he's looking better.

Greg Jones moves up the list...no?

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Its hard to expect too much with Drew on board but he's looking better.

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Does Drew really impact Jones much? Seems to me he'd push Pearman out, but Drew isn't ready to be a lead back. Love his talent, but just don't see him starting ahead of Jones.

WRs?

How did Reggie W look? Typically he is always a monster at practice....

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-Reggie wasn't sharp. He had one clean drop where he started running before he secured the ball and a couple others that would have been good catches but were catchable.-Matt Jones looks to be the ready to make a strong push for WR1. He's looks stronger, more confident and his routes are clearly crisper than last season. Also, if today was any indication it appears that Leftwich has picked a new favorite WR. If you have any plans to make a play for Jones in dynasty, do it now. If you wait a month, you might not have another shot at him for years to come.

-Wilford looked okay. Had a couple solid catches, no bad drops and was in the mix to make a play almost every time he was targetted. Just no Sportcenter moments.

-The same could be said of Chad Owens. He was there, he didn't mess up, but also didn't impress. The down side is that Chad Owens should be impressive in padless practices, whereas Wilford should be stronger when suited up.

-Troy Edwards and Randy Hymes both looked like veterans. I'd guess that one of these guys will make the squad. Hymes being younger and bigger(Del Rio likes the basketball WRs) might have the edge, but Troy was solid if not spectacular.

Now for one sleeper and one super deep-halfway to China sleeper.

-The sleeper: Cortez Hankton. He arguably had the most impressive day of any of the WRs. He looked extremely smooth and fluid in his routes. He caught the ball with casual confidence and for at least one day looked more the first round pick than than any one out there except maybe Matt Jones. He also showed some ability to get open deep. Since the deep threat is a glaring weakness of the Jags WR corp, if he continues to perform on the deep routes it will be hard to sit him down. If you have a free roster spot he's worth keeping an eye on.

-The coma level sleeper is Fred Stamps. It would likely take an injury and some luck for him to get a shot at any meaningful fantasy production this season. But so far this off season he has looked ready to take advantage if given the chance. If there's an injury and a surprise cut at WR, it might be a sign that Del Rio will roll the dice with this kid. If not, it's back to the practice squad. But he did make some nice plays today.

-At TE the only note is that Macedes Lewis continues to catch almost everything thrown his way. But sometimes you have to play close attention to be impressed by him because he has a habit of making tough catches look easy. I'm very impressed with his body control when making adjustments with the ball in the air.

Pads go on monday night, then we'll start to see what's really up.

-The coma level sleeper is Fred Stamps. It would likely take an injury and some luck for him to get a shot at any meaningful fantasy production this season. But so far this off season he has looked ready to take advantage if given the chance. If there's an injury and a surprise cut at WR, it might be a sign that Del Rio will roll the dice with this kid. If not, it's back to the practice squad. But he did make some nice plays today.

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Good stuff here Wadsworth. Youre right on about Stamps.

Great reports guy's ... keep em rollin' in

**Bump**---> All Done

So much for Fred Taylor and that great Miami Conditioning program.

Thanks for the great info

Given how he looks, where you place Matt Jones in relation other WRs? More specifically, what WRs would you group him with from a fantasy perspective.

Thanks!

Thanks for the great info

Given how he looks, where you place Matt Jones in relation other WRs? More specifically, what WRs would you group him with from a fantasy perspective.

Thanks!

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Well in comparison to those on his team, he's the pretty clear #1 option. How he fares in fantasy terms depends on his ability to break the jam and create seperation. He's got elite timed speed and incredible measurable so this should aid him significantly. Check out his projection page for my take on his stats. (Towards the bottom)Projection page

Thanks for the great info

Given how he looks, where you place Matt Jones in relation other WRs? More specifically, what WRs would you group him with from a fantasy perspective.

Thanks!

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Well in comparison to those on his team, he's the pretty clear #1 option. How he fares in fantasy terms depends on his ability to break the jam and create seperation. He's got elite timed speed and incredible measurable so this should aid him significantly. Check out his projection page for my take on his stats. (Towards the bottom)Projection page

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As a Matt Jones owner of a year ago I tended to notice both Garrard and Leftwich not showing any love. Smith got EVERY look. I am beginning to think however that it is more scheme than anything. If Matt Jones gets Smith targets, look out.I see Jones becoming the horse and Drew becoming the Jags version of Dave Meggett down the road, maybe this yr.

I see Jones becoming the horse and Drew becoming the Jags version of Dave Meggett down the road, maybe this yr.

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Drew > Meggett

[-The coma level sleeper is Fred Stamps. It would likely take an injury and some luck for him to get a shot at any meaningful fantasy production this season. But so far this off season he has looked ready to take advantage if given the chance. If there's an injury and a surprise cut at WR, it might be a sign that Del Rio will roll the dice with this kid. If not, it's back to the practice squad. But he did make some nice plays today.

I love these boards. Tuck that name away. (You know, right where you had Willie Parker a few years ago, and Samkon Gado, too)

I see Jones becoming the horse and Drew becoming the Jags version of Dave Meggett down the road, maybe this yr.

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Drew > Meggett

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Will believe it when I see it. Talent is there though.

I see Jones becoming the horse and Drew becoming the Jags version of Dave Meggett down the road, maybe this yr.

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Drew > Meggett

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Agreed, Drew > Meggett. However, I dont think we'll see his full potential until Fred Taylor retires. I see him in line for less touches than Jones until mid/late 2007.

I see Jones becoming the horse and Drew becoming the Jags version of Dave Meggett down the road, maybe this yr.

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Drew > Meggett

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Agreed, Drew > Meggett. However, I dont think we'll see his full potential until Fred Taylor retires. I see him in line for less touches than Jones until mid/late 2007.

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My contention regarding Drew has always been he'll come in and play 3rd downs right away, but will see limited early down touches. Jones proved he is capable of filling that role last year. That being said, Taylor is going to get injured this year at some point if I had to guess and I think you'll see a thunder/lightning approach if/when that happens.

this guy is very close to an elite NFL QB

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Been hearing that practically since he was drafted. He still aint there. Won't be on my team.

looked a bit slimmer. Thats hard when you boast of sub-2% body fat.

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If true (doubtful IMO) he's a moron. Hell that aint even healthy.

Williams also had a few mental errors

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no way!

My contention regarding Drew has always been he'll come in and play 3rd downs right away, but will see limited early down touches. Jones proved he is capable of filling that role last year. That being said, Taylor is going to get injured this year at some point if I had to guess and I think you'll see a thunder/lightning approach if/when that happens.

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Until he learns how to pass-block effectively, I dont think the Jags will put him in there. Im willing to spot him around 4-6 games before he's a regular fixture on 3rd downs unless he really makes strides in TC. I'll keep an eye out for that. As for taylor, his injury history is very decptive. Aside from rushing back from injury in the beginning of the season and reaggravating it, he's been relatvely clean. Two games for busting up his knee on the hard turf of lambeau and thats been the extent of it. If I had to guess, Im giving Taylor at least 12 games as a starter, missing 2 for injury/illness, and another 2 towards the end of the season if the Jags are out of the playoff picture. At which time we'll see more of Drew. His upside is 14 games by my workings. But at the point where Taylor relinquishes the reigns, I think you'll see more Jones than Drew for the early stages. As high as the FO is on Drew, the coaches are even higher on Greg Jones.

One thing to note is that he has almost exclusive rights on backfield recieving if Pearman is not a factor in the offense. FT looked horrendous catching the ball and as such, it is not Greg Jones' forte. Drew represents substantial value in PPR leagues.

Id temper my expectations this year and even a bit into next year, but he's in line for some very appreciable stats come 2007.

Excellent piece

this guy is very close to an elite NFL QB

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Been hearing that practically since he was drafted. He still aint there. Won't be on my team.

looked a bit slimmer. Thats hard when you boast of sub-2% body fat.

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If true (doubtful IMO) he's a moron. Hell that aint even healthy.

Williams also had a few mental errors

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no way!

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leftwich was already getting there last season if you adjust for missed games...in one of my leagues he scored 175 points in 10 games (not counting game where he got hurt almost immediately)... that prorates to about 280 points, & would have been good for a top 5 finish (to be fair, if you prorated every QB for 16 games... some didn't play much in week 17, etc... he may have slipped a little)...

still, i suspect many have forgotten his torrid pace in 2005 before injury...

outstanding work, nshelat1...

this is better than some "professional" reporting i have encountered from the usual suspects (espn, nfl.com, etc)...

Any update on Feddy T and the Hammy?

ProdigyofParcells said:

As a Matt Jones owner of a year ago I tended to notice both Garrard and Leftwich not showing any love. Smith got EVERY look. I am beginning to think however that it is more scheme than anything. If Matt Jones gets Smith targets, look out.I see Jones becoming the horse and Drew becoming the Jags version of Dave Meggett down the road, maybe this yr.

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While I would agree with your observations regarding Garrard, it was pretty clear to me that Leftwich was looking to Jones quite a bit by the middle of the year. When Leftwich got hurt, Jones basically became an afterthought in the offense because Garrard was so locked in on Smith.Look at the playoff game when Leftwich returned to see how much Leftwich looked for Jones, even with Smith around.

blkgolf23 said:

Any update on Feddy T and the Hammy?

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Yes. Evidently "recovering rapidly" ---> still taking limited reps in camp however. But that is expected. Nothing major to boot.

Observations Since Day 1:

Special Teams Practice:

Chad Owens: Currently the guy to beat as a PR. Showed poise that he didnt have in the regular season, flashed his speed and also showed good techinque. Catch, tuck, run. What impressed me the most was his ability to dictate where he runs instead of letting the coverage unit decide. He also has the knack of knowing where the kick is going before hand- gets a huge jump on the ball. Highlight of the day was him fielding a punt with his back turned to the kicker- turning as he heard the sound, judged the flight and fielded it perfectly. Looks very good, just like last year's TC. Not one dropped punt during TC.
Maurice Drew. Looked fine as a PR but noat as great as Owens. Showed great speed getting to the corner and turning on the jets. However his techinique is a bit off. Catches outstretched, plants his feet and lunges for the ball, which could be dangerous. Also had a few drops but thats is expected. Will not have the job outright, and will have to beat at least Owens to have a shot.July 30/31:

Matt Jones: Becoming the clear cut #1 on the team. Great connection with Byron pre-injury (in TC) but the injury is only minor and nothing to worry about. He's burning the DB's left and right, and looking exceptional on the deep routes. Could be something very special but must be able to break the jam off the line.
Ernest Wilford: Might very well be sliding into the #2 role. Came up with some great catches and seems to be cutting back entirely on those drops. Noticeably faster than last year, might be a bit taller as well. One of the stronger showings in TC. Looking good in under routes to be sure and looking to be the favorite for the #2 role
Reggie Williams: He's looking better than day 1 but his performance is lagging behind Wilford. Looks slower than usual and, while he has minimized his drops, isnt making plays on balls as he should be. Im not sure where to gauge him, but seeing as though he usually excells in TC, I going to have to temper my once abundant enthusiasm.
Cortez Hankton: Looking better each passing day. The #1 playmaker thus far in camp, he's been looking great on fly routes down the sideline. He's been catching balls in double coverage against the #1 unit and catching balls while making adjustments. Making circus catches and abusing the DB's.
Chad Owens: Not much here, he probably will only be featured in the short passing game. Does well to read CB blitzes and makes moves to adjust. Once the ball is in his hands, he has the speed to turn it into a nice little gain. Running arguably the best routes of any Jaguars' reciever.
Marcedes Lewis: Becoming a reliable target. No drops thus far and is being used heavily as a red zone target. Also is very tough, shedding LB tackles and fighting for yards. His prospects are rising fast, especially since Leftwich favors his size. Could be in for a sizable year.
Kyle Brady: This old cat still can move. Has the ability to slip behind defenses and pick up a nice little gain if not for his stone hands. Even in TC he's dropping passes all alone in the middle of the field. Dont be surprised if he gets a good number of targets due to defenses keying on other parts of the offense, but his primary role is of an extra lineman. One of the best in the league as a run-blocking TE.

bumpman said:

ProdigyofParcells said:

As a Matt Jones owner of a year ago I tended to notice both Garrard and Leftwich not showing any love. Smith got EVERY look. I am beginning to think however that it is more scheme than anything. If Matt Jones gets Smith targets, look out.I see Jones becoming the horse and Drew becoming the Jags version of Dave Meggett down the road, maybe this yr.

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While I would agree with your observations regarding Garrard, it was pretty clear to me that Leftwich was looking to Jones quite a bit by the middle of the year. When Leftwich got hurt, Jones basically became an afterthought in the offense because Garrard was so locked in on Smith.Look at the playoff game when Leftwich returned to see how much Leftwich looked for Jones, even with Smith around.

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Had something to do with the Patriots coverage.