Some quarterbacks play the role perfectly. Kerry Collins, Kurt Warner, and Brad Johnson all managed to transition from top league quarterbacks to successful backups.  They worked hard with their teams, they helped guide younger quarterbacks as they tried for success in the NFL.  And when their teams called their numbers?  Collins responded by leading the Titans to the AFC South title, Warner led the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl, and Johnson led the Vikings to a 7-2 record in games he started, just falling short of the playoffs.

Kerry Collins turned the Titans into a threat again by staying sharp despite not starting for years. Source: Jim Brown-US PRESSWIRE

These quarterbacks all stayed sharp. They all had success during their time starting for teams.  What sets them apart from the Byron Leftwiches, the David Carrs, and the Trent Edwards?  Is it all about skill?  Is it all just superior performance?  Or does it have something to do with the ability to sit down and understand one’s role?

I’m willing to argue the latter.  David Carr had a rough go of it in Houston.  He is the most sacked quarterback in his first season.  Byron Leftwich had a big arm and could read defenses.  He wasn’t the most mobile quarterback, but neither was Drew Bledsoe or Collins.  And what about Trent Edwards?  A little gun-shy, sure, but the kid could take his backup time and work harder to understand pressures and regain a starting role.

Chad Henne will be coming into a backup role in Jacksonville.  For the good of the franchise and his own professional career, it behooves the signal caller to work hard, study hard, and try to help the franchise as a whole.  If a player is truly invested in the team he plays for.  Henne won’t be as far removed from starting as Warner, Collins, or Johnson were. He never experienced the success that all three of those quarterbacks had (All three went to a Superbowl), but he has a strong arm and knows how to lead an offense.

He won’t be leading the first team offense during practice, but by working hard he will be able to improve the Jaguars chances of winning every time he steps on the field.

And if Henne is forced into the leading the Jaguars, I want him as prepared as he possibly can be.  I wish him the best of success in his learning the role of the backup quarterback.  It’s often overlooked, but the role can be considerably more beneficial than people realize.  Just ask Warner, Collins, and Johnson.

- Luke N. Sims

Fortunately the only player drafted by Gene Smith to receive a grade lower than 0.0 was Eben Britton.

This seems odd to me because Britton was widely considered to be a solid player by the Jags coaching staff and the NFL community during his rookie season.  Perhaps time spent on the field played a major factor in the downgrade.  At the same time, D’Anthony Smith (our favorite injured player) received a 0.0.

Alas, the look at 21 players drafted in the three year span was rather superficial and poorly researched.

While I give ProFootballFocus a lot of credit for the work they do, this time they got it wrong.  The tidbit on Derek Cox allowing the lowest completion percentage in the league when he was playing last year was nice (32.1% is pretty good!) but it didn’t give him nearly enough credit for a very effective rookie campaign in 2009.

That said, the Jags obviously have a solid number of drafts to build on.  Of the 21 players listed by ProFootballFocus, all but eight are still with the team and five of those eight were from Shack Harris in 2008.

The foundation has been laid by Gene Smith. There are a number of middle round contributors that play and start for the team regularly.  Which brings us to this next season: putting the icing on the cake.

I like to compare the Jaguars to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Tony Dungy.  Dungy developed a winning strategy in Tampa, he had a number of good players beneath him, but he never could get over the hump.  The next year Jon Gruden was brought in and he brought a Superbowl Championship to the Bucs along with him.

The team had a very solid base, built around QB Brad Johnson, WR Keyshawn Johnson, DE Simeon Rice, and LB Derrick Brooks.  Am I saying the Jags are going to go from a 5-11 team to a superbowl winning team?  No.  But if a 9-7 foundation in Tampa can turn into the superbowl champions, I don’t see why the Jags can’t get into the playoffs.

OK, Warren Sapp was there too. Source: MPS-US PRESSWIRE

Sure Blaine Gabbert isn’t Brad Johnson.  But the team in Jacksonville is built around a different piece: Maurice Jones-Drew.  Sure he isn’t Mike Alstott and Michael Pittman all rolled up into one, but he’s the best in the business.  He’s unbelievable.  And he has his complement on defense in Daryl Smith.  So really what the Jags need is a solid passer to complement the running game (like Pittman did for Johnson and the passing game) and a strong/decent performance from the passer or wide receiver to get into the playoffs.

Ok, it’s a tad simple, I agree.

But the point is that the Jags have a very solid team.  They’re just missing that final piece.  The icing on the cake.  The defense will still be solid (it helps to have your defensive coordinator and most of your starters returning).  But the offense is an entirely new ball game.  And that’s good.

Mike Mularkey and Bob Bratkowski may just know what it takes to push the Jaguars over the edge.

Gene Smith has laid a solid foundation.  He’ll add a couple key pieces this year.  It’s time.  The table is set.  Unless Smith strikes out, it’ll be tough to not be successful with the team the Jags have assembled.

This draft is becoming unbelievably important for the Jaguars.  We’re a WR or a DE away from the playoffs.  Smith has identified that we’ll get the guy we need in the draft.

Now it’s up to Mike Mularkey, like Jon Gruden, to get the Jags over the hump.

- Luke N. Sims