Jacksonville Jaguars

Maurice Jones Drew at the Sirius XM Celebrity Fantasy Football Draft

// July 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Fantasy Football, Maurice Jones Drew, Player News, Pocket Hercules

SIRIUS XM 2010 CELEBRITY FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFT
Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square NYC

Written by Evan Marx, exclusively for the TheFantasyFix.com

TheFantasyFix.com was privileged this year to be part of the press for the Sirius XM Celebrity Fantasy Football Draft held at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square. Some of the big names drafting were Jacksonville Jaguars’ Maurice Jones-Drew (MJD) , New York Mets Ex-GM/ESPN Baseball Analyst Steve Phillips , and ex-NHL star Jeremy Roenick .

The event kicked off with the Howard Stern Wrap Up Show live hosted by John Hein and Gary Dell’Abate (Baba Booey) . Gary known to be an avid Mets fan, was one of the guest celebrities of the draft and had the first pick. A huge baseball fan doesn’t equate to knowing anything about football, but lucky for him he had a whole posse giving him tips.

After the wrap-up show was over, we had a quick interlude from South Side Johnny. Now the fun begins…

All the celebrities were shuffled to the red carpet where we were waiting to pounce with questions out the wazoo.

Our first taste of blood was with “America’s Running Back” Maurice Jones Drew. MJD (@Jones_Drew32 ) immediately recognized TheFantasyFix.com (@thefantasyfix) because we had been tweeting with him all morning.

He was gracious and somewhat soft-spoken and gladly answered every question we had. Drew told us that he had been doing fantasy football ever since he joined the league five years ago and won two championships so far. When we asked what he was planning on doing with the number eight pick, he basically told us he was going to make every effort to trade-up for the three or four pick, that way he could get himself. Seeing as how Jay Thomas had the third pick and Chris “Mad Dog” Russo had the fourth pick, neither being fantasy experts, he seriously had a chance to make that happen.

Maurice had previously just told us he didn’t mind having a pick closer to the turn, but who could blame a man for wanting yourself on your own team. James and I, sadly realized that this would never be the case for us. After all, the chances of two scrawny white boys from the NJ burbs, ever playing more horseshoes or bocce ball was close to nil. But hey, at least we get to write about them and that’s pretty rewarding in itself.

Our last question to Jones was “Now that Lindsay Lohan is behind bars, do you feel safer at night?” This cracked him up, and he said in return “How is that news??”. Nothing better in life than making a pro athlete laugh…

Our next guest was the one and only Chris “Mad Dog” Russo . Chris was a treat to talk to since I listen to him almost daily on Sirius Mad Dog Radio. He always has something to say and his voice is just as charismatic in real life as it is on the radio.

Chris admitted he really didn’t know the first thing about not only fantasy football, but fantasy sports in general. He told us that he was a “sports purist” and took issue to the fact that people were rooting for individual players instead of rooting for the team itself. But regardless of whether “Mad Dog” likes Fantasy Football, he knows his sports. Hell, a good portion of my daily sports knowledge comes from him!

I told him that if he was good with statistics and keeping up to date on all injuries (which he does), then he would do just fine. We may have another addicted fantasy player after this league. I also gave him a link to the The Fantasy Fix “Quick Fix”, in case he ever needed our help on a last minute decision.

Scott Ferrel (host of the Scott Ferrel Show on Howard 101) was again, as nice as peas. You’d think we were at a “nice convention”. Scott told us that he has been playing fantasy football for around 12 years and got hooked while in Vegas. When asked if he would take a QB in the first round, he hands down said “No way”. When asked if he liked Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers, he said Rodgers because of his amazing running capabilities. So not to spoil the draft results below, but Brees was drafted number seven overall and Scott was able to get his boy Rodgers number 16, which was a steal.

Jeremy Roenick gave us a few minutes too and a nice insight into his thoughts for the season. “I think there are a lot of good players who will fall short this year.” Roenick quickly touched on Hockey having a lot to offer for Fantasy Sports but admitted it wasn’t the monster that Football has become.

Talking to Jay Thomas (Emmy award-winning actor & host of the Jay Thomas Show on Sirius XM) was like talking to an old friend. He showed up a little later than the rest of the celebrities but still gave us a good few minutes of sports talk right before the draft started. We spilled the beans about MJD possibly wanting to make a trade and Jay joked “He better have a big bag of money”.

The event was like being in a candy store. The event was catered and there was probably no more than 200 people there. The celebrities we right in front of us at all times and had I been smart I would have stolen MJD’s gum and sold it on ebay. There’s always next year…

Natron Means Business and Coaching

// June 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // Jaguar History, Player News

There is a saying that I think perfectly defines Natrone Means’ time with the Jacksonville Jaguars. “A light that shines twice as bright, shines half as long.” While most of the memories Jaguars fans have of the 1996 playoff run are of Mark Brunell’s amazing run vs Denver, or Jimmy Smith making an impossible touchdown grab, it was Natrone Means who was the real star of that playoff run.

Means was signed as a free agent from the San Diego Chargers before the 1996 season. Although the Jaguars had drafted James Stewart in the 1st round in 1995, Stewart was not a factor in the offense. Means sat on the bench for the first twelve games of the 96 season, biding his time. However, Coughlin replaced Stewart with Means in Week 14 vs Cincinnati. Mean’s first two games were just as ineffective, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.

However, Means picked up steam during the final two weeks, rushing for a combined 202 yards on 50 carries. Then, during the playoffs, Means would gain himself a place as one of the Jaguars’ earliest stars.

Heading into the 96 playoff game vs Buffalo, the Jaguars were a 21 point underdog. The Bills had never lost in Ralph Wilson Stadium in the postseason, and still had the key pieces of the teams that won 4 straight AFC Championships. Although the Jaguars had the league’s #2 ranked passing offense, the cold winds of Upstate New York was expected to hold that in check.

Instead, the Jaguars rode Natrone Means to one of the biggest upsets in playoff history (to that time.) Means ran for 175 yards on 31 carries, and helped the team to a 30-27 win.

The next week vs Denver, the Jaguars counted on Means just as much. Means ran for 140 yards and kept the Jaguars in the game before Mark Brunell and Jimmy Smith had their national coming out party.

Means would be with the Jaguars again in 1997, however, he clashed with Head Coach Tom Coughlin during the season. After the 97 season, Means would go back to San Diego to join up with former Jaguars OC and then Chargers head coach Kevin Gilbride. However, he wouldn’t find the same success there as he did when he helped the Chargers to their 1994 Super Bowl run. Following a quick pit stop in Carolina, Means promptly retired.

After Means left the NFL, he went into coaching. In 2005, Means joined the coaching staff at Livingston College. First as the running backs coach, before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2006. Means has since spent several summers in the NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship Program, working with the Falcons and Panthers.

The last bit of info I could find on him was this piece by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Means served as a counselour at a camp for student athletes.

The legacy Natrone Means left to the Jaguars is an ironic one. No player was more important to the 96 playoff run, yet he’s barely mentioned in the franchise’s history. As they say, “A light that shines twice as bright, shines half as long”

Jacksonville Jaguars get a done deal on Dolphins OT Justin Smiley

// May 26th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Aaron Kampman, David Garrard, Organized Team Activity OTA, Player News, Rashean Mathis, jack del rio

by vito.stellino@jacksonville.com

Justin Smiley was healthy enough Tuesday to pass his physical with the Jaguars.

Now the question is whether he will stay healthy enough to help shore up the interior of their offensive line.

Smiley, who was traded to the Jaguars for a conditional seventh-round pick after passing his physical, has been a durable performer in the NFL. He’s started 73 of 83 games in six years since he was drafted in the second round in the 2004 draft out of Alabama by San Francisco.

But after starting 16 games in 2005 and 2006, he missed eight games in 2007 with a right shoulder injury and went on injured reserve.

After Smiley signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Dolphins in 2008, he missed the final four games with an ankle injury and went on IR.

Last year, Smiley missed one game and four starts last year with a shoulder injury.

But the Jaguars aren’t taking a huge risk because Smiley restructured his contract, and he’s rated a top guard when he’s healthy. If Smiley stays healthy, he would appear to have a good chance to be a starter.

Coach Jack Del Rio was candid Tuesday in saying the Jaguars have to upgrade the play of the offensive line.

“We’ve got to have better play with our line, period, and our two young tackles [Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton] we know are going to grow and get better, but our interior line has to pick it up as well,” he said.

Patrick let go

To make room for Smiley on the roster, the Jaguars cut first-year running back Allen Patrick because they already have 86 players on their roster. A team is allowed 80 players on its roster, plus unsigned draft picks, so when the Jaguars bring in a player or sign a draft pick, they have to cut a player.

New policy

For his first seven years as a head coach, Del Rio decided not to practice with other teams during training camp. He changed his policy this year and will practice for two days with the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 9-10. The Jaguars will have their traditional Friday night intrasquad scrimmage Aug. 6.

Explaining why he changed his policy, Del Rio said, “It’s not that I haven’t considered it in the past. We just never settled on a team or an exchange that we thought would be best for us.”

Going opposite directions

Former first-round draft pick Troy Williamson, who’s noted for his speed but often has problems catching the ball, hasn’t had a lot of impact in drills and had a sideline a pass bounce off his shoulders Tuesday.

“That got my attention,” Del Rio said of the play. “I want him to catch the ball.”

By contrast, undrafted Jacksonville native Clarence Denmark has been catching everything thrown his way.

“He’s put himself in a position to legitimately contend for a roster spot, so I think he’s done a nice job,” Del Rio said.

Seeing some progress

Counting the five minicamp practices, the Jaguars are at about the halfway mark of their offseason drills. They’ve had 10 practices with nine to go.

“I think the biggest thing is you start to see some of the things that you’re stressing and teaching beginning to show up,” Del Rio said.

It wasn’t ‘Turnover Tuesday’

The defense was calling Tuesday’s drills “Turnover Tuesday” because last Tuesday the defense intercepted four passes, three by David Garrard. But neither Garrard nor Luke McCown threw a pick Tuesday, although Courtney Green forced a fumble. Garrard threw three touchdown passes in the red zone.

Etc.

Del Rio said he’s had no contact with CB Rashean Mathis, who is skipping the OTAs because he’s unhappy with his contract. … Del Rio said free agent DE Aaron Kampman, coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament, will miss all of the OTAs. But Del Rio added that Kampman is ahead of schedule and will practice in training camp, although probably just once a day. … The Jaguars wrap up their second week of OTAs on Thursday, have next week off and will have their final eight OTAs in June.

vito.stellino@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4279

Is Jacksonville DT Terrance Knighton Fat?

// May 14th, 2010 // No Comments » // Commentary, Gameday Highlights, Player News, Terrance Knighton

http://blackandteal.com/2010/05/13/is-terrane-knighton-fat/

- Terry O’Brien

There are two people I trust, Jeff Lageman and Zoltan Paksa. Both of them speak the truth and when they speak I listen. Both of them have been saying Terrance Knighton is overweight. Is this a problem? When you see these pictures after the jump, you will see Zoltan is right! Terrance Knighton has gained a lot of bad weight. This could be a problem!

Head Coach Jack Del Rio of the Jacksonville Jaguars talks to Raines Students

// May 13th, 2010 // No Comments » // Jacksonvill Jaguars in the Community, Tebow, jack del rio

Jags’ Del Rio Talks To Raines Students
Coach Suggests Playing-Field Principles Students Should Apply To Life Goals

POSTED: Thursday, May 13, 2010
UPDATED: 1:29 pm EDT May 13, 2010
Jack Del Rio at Raines High School
Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio talks with students at Raines High School.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio spent part of his morning Thursday at Raines High School speaking to a small group of students.

He told them how they can apply some principals from the playing field toward winning in life.

“How many people know what courage is?” Del Rio asked the students.

It was like a locker room talk as the NFL coach shared some of his wisdom with the students.

“If you’re not willing to stand up for what’s right and hold somebody else accountable, then you’re not showing courage,” Del Rio said.

He used principles from the field — things like team work, discipline, faith and accountability — and suggested the students apply them toward their own life goals.

“Sometimes I have to stand up in front of my guys and say, ‘You know what, I made a mistake,’” Del Rio said.

Del Rio said when the school’s principal invited him, it was an easy yes.

“I basically put down a few notes from the heart and came in here and visited, and it’s very similar to the messages I give to the football team,” he said.

Students had a chance to ask questions and didn’t miss an opportunity to ask the coach about the Jags.

“Why didn’t you draft Tebow?” one student asked.

“That’s a popular question,” Del Rio said. “I think once (first-round draft pick Tyson) Alu Alu gets here, I think he’s going to make a strong impact on the community.”

Students gave the coach their undivided attention, and the school’s athletes had even more to gain.

“Leadership on the football field is leading the team, but also the classrooms, doing the right things, and in the hallways, and also attitude,” Del Rio said.

One football player at the school said it best.

“Jack Del Rio talks to you, you listen,” he said.

Copyright 2010 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Jacksonville Jaguars’ Kicker Scobee fires an 81 in US Open Bid

// May 11th, 2010 // No Comments » // Josh Scobee, Player News, Winn-Dixie Open

http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2010-05-10/story/jaguars-josh-scobee-tries-swing-shift-us-open-qualifier

By Garry Smits

Josh Scobee didn’t qualify for a U.S. Open sectional tournament.

He didn’t even win a bet with Jaguars teammate Maurice Jones-Drew that he would break 80 in an 18-hole U.S. Open local qualifier Monday at the Timuquana Country Club.

But Scobee, the Jaguars kicker for the last six years, is glad he took the chance, which could have resulted in playing in the U.S. Open June 17-20 at Pebble Beach.

“It’s a lot different from competitive football,” Scobee said after shooting 81 — 11 shots behind a playoff for the final Open sectional berths. “But I had fun. I hit some decent shots, hit some bad shots and learned a lot. The course was in perfect shape and the weather was perfect. I enjoyed my first experience at competitive stroke-play golf.”

Scobee, who didn’t begin playing golf until his rookie year in the NFL in 2004, has practiced several times in the past week at Timuquana. His handicap at Deerwood was enough to meet the standard for Open qualifying (1.4 or lower) and his target score was a score in the low-70s.

But the greens at Timuquana were fast and many of the pins more difficult than country-club players are accustomed to seeing.

“They were much faster than they were two days ago, when I last played here,” he said.

Scobee has a good swing, hits it long and was usually around the greens. But he admitted that his chipping and putting left something to be desired if he wanted to be competitive in events such as Open qualifiers.

“I didn’t chip and putt well, and that’s what you need to score,” he said. “Everyone knows that.”

Scobee made one birdie, on a 6-foot putt at the par-5 12th hole (he started his round at No. 10). He shot 40 on Timuquana’s back side, his front, and 41 on the front.

Scobee said one big difference between kicking in the NFL and playing golf at the highest level is the variety of shots required in golf.

“When you’re kicking, you want to do the exact same thing on every kick,” he said. “But in golf, every shot is different and you can’t improve your lie.”

Another big difference: the quiet. “I’m so used to being out there [in a football game] where the people are screaming when you’re trying to do your job,” Scobee said. “It’s a little different [in golf] when everyone is quiet.”

Former Florida State golfer Tommy Rymer won the qualifier with a 68, including a 32 on the back. He recovered from shaky putting on the front nine, when he had 19 putts, and had only 11 putts in the back. Rymer’s highlight-reel shot was a blast out of a bunker at No. 12 for eagle.

Matt Borchert, a former University of North Florida player, finished second with a 69. Four players tied at 70: former Jacksonville University player Russell Knox, former Georgia player Brian Harman, current North Florida PGA section champion Rod Perry of Port Orange and Nationwide Tour member Bret Guetz of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Guetz birdied the first playoff hole, the par-4 first, on a 1-foot putt to advance first. Perry shot a par on No. 9 while Knox and Harman bogeyed to get the next spot.

Knox then sewed up the final qualifying position when he birdied No. 1 on an 8-foot putt, after Harman missed from 10 feet.

Mike Sims-Walker showing some pride.

// May 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // Mike Sims-Walker, Player News, Tealgate Adventures

University of Central Florida grads know what is up. Thanks Mike!

Jacksonville kicker Scobee Trying To Qualify For U.S. Open at Timuquana

// May 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // Josh Scobee, Player News

Scobee Trying To Qualify For U.S. Open
Jaguars Kicker Didn’t Play High School, College Golf

http://www.news4jax.com/sports/23438165/detail.html

POSTED: Monday, May 3, 2010
UPDATED: 6:47 pm EDT May 3, 2010
Josh Scobee

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jaguars place-kicker Josh Scobee, a scratch golfer, is trying to qualify for the U.S. Open.

Scobee will tee off next Monday at Timuquana Country Club in Jacksonville for the first round of qualifying for the U.S. Open. Depending on the number of entrants, Scobee has to finish in the top five or top three to advance to sectional qualifying.

Scobee says he expects butterflies in his first tournament, especially since he didn’t play high school or college golf. Scobee, who wants a golf job once his NFL career is over, has played several times the last few weeks in hopes of honing his game.

Coach Jack Del Rio offered some advice Monday, saying, “Hit it straight, and when he comes to kick field goals, kick those straight. That’s what I’m looking for.”

Gene Smith black balled by the Browns?

// May 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Coaching Staff, Gene Smith, If it's Brown, Player News

Quite a few Jacksonville Jaguars fans were upset with the fact that the Jaguars were unable to move down in the first round and still select Tyson Alualu. Now, we know that the Jaguars felt there were as many as 5 other teams who were hot on the trail of Alualu and he was their man. While the first round move isn’t the biggest eyebrow raiser as far as trades, the Jaguars attempting to move up in the 2nd round for Penn State linebacker Sean Lee only to have the Philadelphia Eagles trade with division rival the Dallas Cowboys instead is what looked fishy.

Was Gene Smith blackballed in the draft?

Remember Don Carey? The 6th round defensive back that the Jacksonville Jaguars claimed from the Cleveland Browns who waived him “injured waived”?

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that,” said an official with another team. “I would have bet money that nobody would have claimed him.”
“We all have to ‘waive/injured’ players every year,” the source said. “We’re all in the same boat. You just don’t claim those guys. What Jacksonville did was unethical.” – from Cleveland.com

The Browns were not happy with the move at all, as most didn’t expect a team to claim a player who would need to be placed on injured reserve for the season and needed shoulder surgery.

Did this happen during the draft? Did some other teams blackball the Jacksonville Jaguars from maneuvering around in the draft as to say “Hey, you did wrong”? Jaguars General Manager Gene Smith claims that there wasn’t really a lot of discussion for teams to come up for the 10th overall pick, despite the fact that the next three selections (11, 12, and 13) all resulted in a trade occurring.

“Up in our range there was not a lot of discussion. When you can make a deal it’s when teams are calling you and this was not like last year and again, we were very happy when this guy was there.” – Gene Smith

Now, we know the General Manager of the San Francisco 49ers, Trent Baalke, claims that he attempted to move into the 10 spot. They 49ers wanted to make sure to get their man, offensive tackle Anthony Davis, and were willing to move up to get him. In his press conference Baalke claimed that Jacksonville was the first team he called and he offered them a 4th round pick to swap the 10th and 13thoverall picks. Gene Smith claims different, but this is neither here nor there. All it really reaffrims to me, is that Alualu was who the Jaguars wanted.

“We had gone into the draft thinking we would go as high as 10. We started making calls at 10 when the player was available. Jacksonville was at 10. They didn’t want to make the trade. They had a guy targeted, which I felt good about because they drafted two offensive tackles a year ago. So, once they said they had a player they had targeted, I was pretty comfortable we could move up to 11 and still get the player.” – Trent Baalke, San Francisco 49ers General Manager

The real issue with a potential blackball came when the Jacksonville Jaguars attempted to move back up into the 2nd round for Penn State linebacker Sean Lee.

“That’s correct, there was. We aggressively worked the phones as he started to slide. We were unfortunate that they chose to go a different direction, which was surprising … Some teams trade within the division. Some teams don’t.”

“When he started sliding, and obviously we did like him, we started to talk to every team that we thought we could match up working a trade with.” – Gene Smith

This is where it gets interesting and the theory of a little blackball or payback gets interesting. The Philadelphia Eagles decline Jacksonville’s offer to trade with a division rival, the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles are no stranger to moving in the draft with divisional trade partners, they did it a few years ago when Dallas came up for Anthony Spencer. It does happen however, it’s not very common, especially if you have another team offering you something.

My initial suspicion was that former Browns General Manager Phil Savage is now a member of the Eagles front office, and that’s the easy connection. Phil Savage however, was fired from the Cleveland Browns in 2008, along with Romeo Crennell. While the Browns and Eagles really aren’t buddies so to speak, it was interesting that the Eagles dumped the Jaguars offer in favor of the Cowboys. Unless the Eagles just completely thought Sean Lee wasn’t going to amount to anything but Bobby Carpenter 2.0, why would they chose a division rival over an AFC team?

Gene Smith was able to make some moves in the draft, trading down, but that was mostly with the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders, as we all know, are run by Al Davis. Al Davis plays by his own set of rules, and he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. The Jaguars were also able to trade down with the New Orleans Saints, but again it was a trade down. If teams are going to blackball you, they’re going to prevent you from moving up and selecting the player you target.

Do I think the Jaguars were blackballed in the draft?

Not necessarily, but it is very interesting how things shook out.

Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Draft 2010 >> Tyson Alualu > First Round Pick > DT > California

// April 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // College Football, Gene Smith, Jaguar History, Maurice Jones Drew, NFL Draft, Player News, Senior Bowl, Tebow, Thanks Wayne Weaver, jack del rio

Despite Tebow Nation’s notion that they know better than the Jacksonville Jaguars latest savior Gene Smith, the Jacksonville Jaguars zigged when everyone expected them to zag. Choosing to follow Jacksonville Jaguars ex-coach Tom Coughlin’s recipe for front seven dominance, Jacksonville decided to go Stroud-Henderson 2.0 and pair up Tyson Alualu with second year, one man wrecking crew, Terrance Knighton.

Even though it was apparent that Jacksonville could have traded down with San Diego, as they jumped to the 12 spot to grab Fresno State RB Ryan Matthews, I feel the Jacksonville Jaguars had their man, and they took him. Hearing Jacksonville Jaguars’s Gene Smith talk about him was to hear a man who had just gotten a new BMW M series for Christmas.

The newest Jacksonville Jaguar Tyson Alualu may be the ultimate character guy, relative to our culture here on the mainland. I could get into it, but it will be well documented in the Jacksonville media. Born and bread in Hawaiian culture, he is not subject to the diva-esque trappings that so many “Professional Athletes” suffer from. (See Reggie Nelson.) Another team I follow has added numerous American Samoans, you can see the rest of the team rally around them as they live and die with each passing play. It has lead to a Division Championship and a playoff birth. It is a culture that stresses teamwork and working together for the greater good. Something our government should take a long look at.

I applaud the Jacksonville Jaguars’ pick, as I’m sure if there was a trade to be had, Gene Smith would have pulled the trigger. Mel Kiper isn’t hiding extras brains in all that hair, just look at Jimmy Clausen. How did Did Mel Kiper’s ranking and clairvoyance work out for the “Best Quarterback in the Draft.” He woke up today in the same spot he was yesterday, knowing all 32 teams passed on him.

The only other question I have is did fellow Califonia alum Maurice Jone-Drew have a say in this pick? Pocket Hercules gets a vote if I were Wayne Weaver.

Check out some of the videos and check back here for the Jacksonville Jaguars Round Two and Three picks.

Tyson Alualu Highlights from jack bauer on Vimeo.