WR Smith rejuvenated
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He considered retirement. The years were piling up on him and he was suffering from postseason fatigue. Jimmy Smith sought counsel Smith talked to former NFL receiver Tim Brown early in the offseason. Smith asked Brown how he kept his enthusiasm through 17 seasons. Brown told Smith to get away from football completely during the offseason. "I did that and now I'm excited. The schedule is out. It doesn't look like we'll have any blackouts. I hope this will be the year for my young receivers to step up," Smith said |
Jimmy Smith is one of those receivers that doesn't get the credit of some receivers but is obviously one of the top in the league. I was glad when he decided not to retire yet. Unfortunately, I don't think this is gonna be a great year for the Jags, but we shall see. He will have a younger receiver core around him, at the very least he should be able to bring them along and prepare them to be the future in Jacksonville.
Seems like the Jaguars settle for second best after trying to woo LaVar Arrington into the fold unsuccessfully
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars at least partly filled a pressing need at linebacker by signing Nick Greisen to a two-year contract Friday Del Rio tried to lure LaVar Arrington to Jacksonville to play alongside starters Mike Peterson and Daryl Smith. But the former first-round pick opted to stay in the NFC East and signed a $49 million, seven-year deal with the Giants last week, replacing Greisen at the weakside linebacker position. |
Jaguars sign defensive back Chevis Jackson
The Jaguars continue to make moves in their secondary. This time, at cornerback.
Jacksonville signed Chevis Jackson after trading away starting safety Anthony Smith to the Green Bay Packers for a conditional seventh-round pick last night.
Jackson was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round in 2008. He was the 68th overall pick and when the Falcons cut him on September 4, he became the highest draft pick ever taken by Falcons' general manager Thomas Dimitroff to be cut.
During his two years with Atlanta, Jackson was the team's nickel back.
This move makes sense numbers-wise. After converting Tyron Brackenridge and Don Carey into safeties, the Jaguars had four cornerbacks on the roster: Rashean Mathis, Derek Cox, David Jones and nickel corner Will Middleton. Ref. Source 2
Jaguars receiver Mike Thomas emerging as playmaker
Mike Thomas, who seems to like to make his mind up at the last minute, hasn't decided what he's going to do during the Jaguars" bye weekend.
"I"m going to do something," he said. "I don't know what it is yet."
Thomas had the same attitude last Sunday in the Jaguars" 35-17 victory at Dallas, when he was standing in a crowd at the Jaguars" 9-yard line waiting to field a punt during the second quarter.
The Cowboys players, who were mostly behind Thomas, assumed he was going to make a fair catch.
But Thomas decided he had waited too long because a late fair catch signal can throw him off rhythm for catching the ball.
"I was in that stage, 'Oh, well, I"ve just got to take it." I was looking around, and there was nobody in front of me. I almost broke it out of there," he said.
Thomas dashed 16 yards before he was finally tackled. "I almost snuck out of there," he said. "It probably would have gone for 90."
Thomas, a fourth-round pick in 2009, has been making plays all year as a wide receiver, punt returner and even a runner. Ref. Source 3
Gene Frenette: Jaguars need to assume closer's mentality
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - There was a lot of pain for David Garrard and the Jaguars to absorb on the plane flight home Sunday night.
The quarterback's left wrist is hurting from a sprain suffered on a brutal fourth quarter sack, but another diagnosis that should concern coach Jack Del Rio is the damage suffered by not finishing off the New York Giants.
This defeat wasn't like any of those four blowout losses. For the first time this season, the Jaguars not only failed in the clutch, they totally blew an opportunity to upgrade their national credibility by losing in utterly galling fashion.
"Excuse my language," said running back Maurice Jones-Drew, "but we pretty much [urinated] down our leg." Ref. Source 6
Jaguars vow to stay in control despite losing playoff control
In the wake of a 34-24 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the Jaguars went from having a chance to clinch the AFC South Division title with two games remaining to needing help, plus likely a sweep of their last two games, if they are to earn a playoff spot. Ref. Source 9