Tis’ the Season of Speculation
By Daniel Lago
It’s been the offseason for almost four weeks for the Jaguars, which means it’s time to start speculating. Now, the writers on ESPN get paid to speculate, but I don’t. I can afford to say even stupider things. I’m not holding back – this is the time to bring up crazy, far-fetched ideas because why not? We have our new coaching staff in place, so it’s time to start wondering about the roster. Click the jump to see the madness.
Now there are a handful of players in both the draft and free agency that the Jaguars are likely to go after – Justin Blackmon, Quinton Coples, Alshon Jeffrey, Reggie Wayne, Marques Colston, etc. – we’ve all heard and read their names. But this article is about acquisitions that are completely out of left field and have a remote (much less than 1%) chance of happening. Let’s get to it…
Jaguars trade for Tim Tebow.
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
Jaguars sign Desean Jackson.
At first glance, this doesn’t seem so unlikely. But given the kind of players Gene has acquired (and released) over the past three years, it’s hard to see someone with such a dominant, diva personality high on Smith’s list. There’s no doubt he would be a monumental upgrade for the Jaguars, but there are so many options in the free agent market for receivers that Jackson won’t be a priority. Some team (the Bengals and Jets come to mind) could be willing to hand him a long term deal, but if he lingers on the market for a while, he might have to settle for a one year deal to prove he can function on a team. Gene might be willing to give him a one year deal as a low-risk/high-reward signing, but probably not.
Jaguars sign Mark Brunell.
I think most Jaguar fans, myself included, would be pretty excited if Brunell came back to Jacksonville. He is a free agent and he wants to keep playing in the NFL, but at 41 years old it’s probably time for him to hang up the cleats. He would be a good veteran mentor for Gabbert, and the fans would love it, but it’s hard to imagine Gene spending a roster spot on a player to essentially be an assistant coach.
Jaguars trade for Michael Crabtree.
There is literally no reason to think this has any chance of happening, but it makes a lot of sense to me. It’s fair to say Crabtree has been a disappointment since being drafted 10th overall in 2009 by San Francisco. After holding out longer than any other rookie (and declaring that he was willing to sit out the whole season) he went on to have three underwhelming seasons. He capped it all off with a miserable game in the playoffs against the Giants this past weekend. The 49ers could be looking to overhaul their entire receiving core after a playoff game where Alex Smith completed only one pass to a wide receiver the entire game.
So why should the Jaguars trade for him? Crabtree still has the talent that made him the best receiving prospect in the 2009 draft. Players respond differently to different situations, and it looks like Crabtree has run his course in San Francisco. With a strong coaching staff and (hopefully) a veteran wide receiver next to him, he could thrive in Jacksonville. If he can be had for a 5th or 6th round pick, why not?
It’s a time for dreaming Jaguar fans, so who else have you thought about in a Jacksonville uniform? Feel free to share any crazy thoughts you’ve had.
-Daniel Lago