Following what many have called the best off-season of 2016, it is time to break down how talented the Jacksonville Jaguars roster actually is. In this article, the offense will be the topic of discussion.
Jacksonville Jaguars Roster Evaluation: Offense
Quarterback
Starter – Blake Bortles
Backup – Chad Henne
Third String – Brandon Allen
Fourth String – Max Wittek
Blake Bortles looked as though he was coming into his own in 2015. He threw for 35 touchdowns on the year – which accounts for over 85% of the Jaguars offensive touchdowns. After reports out of Jacksonville suggested that Bortles was beginning to take further command of this offense, with the ‘no huddle’ shaped to be a much bigger feature in the coming season, it appears as though Bortles is set for a second straight career year. He will be helped by an improved running game thanks to Chris Ivory and a bolstered offensive line.
The only way an issue would arise with this group is if Bortles picks up an injury. With two rookies and Chad Henne (who represents both the bad and the ugly for this Jaguars side) as his backup, everyone associated with Duval County will be hoping Bortles stays healthy in 2016.
Overall Grade: B+
Running Back
Starter – Chris Ivory
Backup – T.J. Yeldon
Third String – Denard Robinson
Fourth String – Jonas Gray
T.J. Yeldon was hugely underwhelming in 2015. Through 12 games in his rookie season, he averaged a mere 4.1 yards per carry and produced only two scores. Thankfully, the former second-round pick has been given the backseat in 2016 in order to get him acclimated to the NFL. After all, it is incredibly difficult to translate your game to the professional level with such a poor offensive line in front of you.
Chris Ivory is the perfect player to have as relief for Yeldon. He is an explosive, powerful, angry back, who is perhaps most importantly coming off of a career defining year in New York. Ivory rushed for seven touchdowns and an average total of over 70 yards per game, a total good enough to bank him the number 78 spot on this year’s ‘NFL Top 100.’
Overall Grade: B
Wide Receiver
Wide Receiver 1 – Allen Robinson
Wide Receiver 2 – Allen Hurns
Slot Receiver – Marqise Lee
Third String – Rashad Greene
Fourth String – Tony Washington
Possibly the most dynamic receiving tandem in the NFL, all three of these third-year talents are explosive, rangy and very fast. Robinson and Hurns both had breakout years in 2015, placing 31st and 89th respectively on the top 100 list. Robinson set a franchise record with 14 receiving touchdowns last season, chalking up a tremendous 1,400 yards over 80 receptions. Hurns had an equally impressive season. His ten touchdowns from 64 receptions earned him a $40 million, four-year contract extension with the Jaguars. Hurns has become a true playmaker for his team, which is hugely impressive for a former undrafted free agent. If these two are able to repeat their stellar 2015 seasons, this offense will undoubtedly be primed for success.
Slot receiver Marqise Lee may have failed so far to live up to the potential that saw him break into the top five all-time records in receptions and receiving yards in the PAC-12 Conference during his time at USC. But if Lee is able to recapture some of that form which saw him taken 39th overall in 2014, then he will prove to be yet another breakout talent during what could potentially be the emergence of the Jaguars within the AFC.
This group of players is without a doubt the strongest on the roster, largely due to the astonishing ability which the dynamic duo of Robinson and Hurns possess.
Overall Grade: A
Tight End
Starter – Julius Thomas
Backup – Marcedes Lewis
Third String – Nic Jacobs
Fourth String – Braedon Bowman
There is little doubting that Julius Thomas can be a matchup nightmare. The tight end was selected to two consecutive Pro Bowls in 2013 and 2014. This was a stretch which also saw him become the first NFL tight end to go for 12 touchdowns in back to back seasons, during which he caught record-breaking passes. Literally. Peyton Manning broke the single-season touchdown record and also recorded his 500th career touchdown pass on throws to Julius Thomas. A very impressive resume for someone yet to complete a 16-game season in the NFL.
Injuries couldn’t escape Thomas during his first season in Jacksonville, as he managed only 12 games in Duval County. With the broken hand which he suffered during last preseason fully healed, Thomas and Bortles look to build a healthy rapport during off-season activities in order to add another dimension to the passing attack in 2016.
The issue with this group is depth. Marcedes Lewis played in all 16 regular season games last season, but managed only 16 receptions and no touchdowns. The fact that Thomas was the most effective tight end on the roster last season despite only playing 75 percent of the games is very disconcerting for those associated with Jaguars football.
Overall Grade: B (when healthy)
Offensive Tackle
Left Tackle: Kelvin Beachum
Right Tackle: Luke Joeckel
Backup: Jermey Parnell
Backup: Josh Wells
Third String: Chris Reed
Third String: Rashford Hill
The Jaguars offensive line certainly needed help this off-season, and it didn’t get quite as much attention as it perhaps required. While there can be little dispute over the way in which Jacksonville used their draft picks, there was perhaps a little left to be desired in terms of their offensive moves in free agency.
Names such as Cordy Glenn, Donald Penn and Kelechi Osemele would all have been stellar options to bring in alongside Kelvin Beachum and allow the Jaguars to move struggling former second overall pick Luke Joeckel into one of the guard positions. There is little doubt that Beachum provides an upgrade for Jacksonville’s pass protection, but it is difficult to see how moving Joeckel to right tackle will improve his play. Most players wouldn’t want to get pushed around by J.J. Watt twice a year if they were having a crisis of confidence.
Overall Grade: C+
Interior Offensive Line
Right Guard: A.J. Cann
Left Guard: Mackenzy Bernadeau
Center: Luke Bowanko
Backup: Brandon Linder
Backup: Jeff Linkenbach
Backup: Tyler Shatley
The saying ‘save your best until last’ goes out of the window here, as there’s very little room for optimism when you analyze the Jaguars interior offensive linemen. Former third-round selection A.J. Cann is the highlight, and can hopefully be an anchor for Jacksonville’s new found running game in 2016.
While Bernadeau will automatically be a starter for Jacksonville in 2016, this can be seen as a cause for concern, as he failed to start more than two games in his final season in Dallas. While his absence in 2015 can be attributed to the arrival of La’el Collins, it fails to explain why he only started one game the season before.
Perhaps to their dismay, Jacksonville let Stefen Wisniewski walk during this year’s free agency, and have left themselves without a center with starting experience. This is something which Bortles probably didn’t appreciate seeing, as he has already been sacked 106 times during his first two seasons, which is more than any quarterback in the history of the league. This record may continue to grow after the Jags front office allowed their interior offensive line to become even weaker.
Overall Grade: D+
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