Jacksonville Jaguars Information
The Jacksonville Jaguars came into existence in 1995, the same year as the Carolina Panthers. The first year, as expected, was rough, but the players bounced back to make the playoffs four years in a row, the last two as AFC Central champions. All four trips to the playoffs finished with losses in the first game, and after the 1999 season (14-2 record and #1 seed in the playoffs), the next three seasons saw the team finish 10 games under .500 marking the end of the Tom Coughlin era in Jacksonville. Coughlin finished with a 68-60 record in his 8 seasons as head coach of the Jaguars, and in 2004, he was hired as head man of the New York Giants. Jack Del Rio stepped in to replace Coughlin, and in his first year as leader of the Jaguars, he compiled a 5-11 record. A season like that was almost to be expected since Del Rio was trying to institute his own personal system and feel into a team that had worked the same way for almost a decade.
In 2003, Byron Leftwich established himself as the quarterback of the future for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Leftwich was in a battle with incumbent QB Mark Brunell, but Leftwich was a better athlete, could throw farther, and could run quicker, all while costing the team less. In the end, the Jaguars decided to look towards the future and keep Leftwich while Brunell signed with the Washington Redskins. Fred Taylor is one of the best running backs in the league when he can avoid the injuries that have plagued him over the course of his young career. If Taylor could stay healthy for an entire season, he’d likely lead the league in rushing yards and help out catching passes out of the backfield. Jimmy Smith is the best receiver the Jaguars have had in their short history. Smith missed the first four games of last season after a positive drug test, but he still managed to put up more than 800 yards receiving on 15 yards per reception.
In the off-season following the 2003 campaign, the Jaguars put their “franchise player” tag on safety Donovan Darius. Darius was likely to opt out of his contract after another incredibly productive season, but the Jaguars are likely to build their defense and team around the talented safety. The big hit of the break came when corner back Fernando Bryant signed with the Detroit Lions. Bryant leaving means half of the secondary would be vacated, but the Jaguars are so deep at the position that they were willing to part with Bryant and his large contract. Akin Ayodele led the team in tackles in 2003 while Tony Brackens recorded a team high 6 sacks. Mike Peterson had 3 interceptions in 2003 and Marcus Stroud had 8 tackles for loss. John Henderson might have been the best all-around defender in 2003 with 50 solo tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 3.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and 9 passes defensed.
The Jaguars made 10 picks in the 2004 NFL Draft and many of the players selected should be impact players in the Jaguars system. Their first pick, number 9 overall, was used to select Reggie Williams, a wide receiver out of the University of Washington. Williams was the number one receiver on a few draft boards, and the Jaguars had to be thrilled when he fell to them at number 9. Jacksonville traded a few picks to move up in the second round and take running back Greg Jones, a move that surprised a few but was likely made as insurance against Fred Taylor and another injury. The two biggest picks might have been made in the 4th round by drafting Ernest Wilford and Anthony Maddox. Wilford was a receiver at Virginia Tech and made a name for himself in his last two years of college. Maddox was a big-name college player that played in Division II because of low high school grades and test scores. Both are likely to pitch in during their rookie seasons.