Jan 1, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Florida State Seminoles fullback Lonnie Pryor (24) runs for a touchdown against the Northern Illinois Huskies in the second half of the 2013 Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. FSU won 31-10. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports

I don’t know how many of you guys are on the “Lonnie Pryor for Fullback” bandwagon, but you can sit down next to me.  The more I hear about the undrafted free agent rookie, the more I like.  The Jacksonville Jaguars have brought Pryor on to get a shot at the fullback position and, while we don’t know how he’ll do against NFL competition, he has been impressing.  Pryor was singled out by head coach Gus Bradley as being a strong runner and a good blocker.  Bradley hinted that a bigger ball carrier like Pryor could be of benefit to their approach to football.  I’m not saying Pryor is going to be Mike Alstott, but he could easily be Greg Jones 2.0.

Here are some college highlights of Pryor’s senior season at Florida State.  The run at 00:34 is particularly Jones-esque.

Like Jones, Pryor comes to the Jaguars out of Florida State.  Also like Jones, Pryor used to be a ball carrying tailback before transitioning to fullback.  Further like Jones, Pryor is a bit of a built player at 6′ 227 pounds – Jones is 6’1″ 248 pounds.  With a little time, I’m seeing Pryor make the Jaguars’ transition away from one of my favorite all-time Jags a lot easier.

For comparison purposes, here is a short mix of Greg Jones running at Florida State.  The quality isn’t great, but that’s Youtube for you

I couldn’t be more excited that Pryor is getting attention and I’m even more excited that he is with the Jaguars.  He can lead block effectively and he can run the ball with some serious authority.  He will still need to outplay Will Ta’ufo’ou for the starting fullback job, but I think Pryor may be able to.

It’s unlikely Pryor comes close to what Jones has been doing consistently for years in just his rookie season.  But in Pryor I see the potential to develop into one of the better fullbacks in the league and make the memory of seeing Jones walk to the Houston Texans a little easier to bear.  Things are looking up in Jacksonville.

- Luke N. Sims

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June 12, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars fullback Greg Jones (33) runs during minicamp at Florida Blue Health

In John Oehser’s “What We Learned” segment covering the annual NFL owners meeting in Phoenix, Arizona he mentions that he thinks Greg Jones could be back following the re-signing of veteran center Brad Meester.  Meester signed a one-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this week and if the numbers come out right, Oehser guesses Jones will be next.

Greg Jones could be next. OK, we didn’t learn that this week. Caldwell has said throughout the process that the team would like the veteran fullback to return. He’s in a similar situation as Meester where the numbers need to work. The guess here is he’s next. Again, just a guess.

If this guess is proven to be right I will be very pleased.  Jones is an excellent fullback and tremendous lead blocker.  He will command a pretty penny for a dying position, but if there is a fullback in the league that’s worth it, it’s Jones.  The Jaguars are looking for value free agents and while Jones is going to be expensive, he will also provide veteran leadership and experience for a young team.

Of course, in this season of speculation you can never be too sure.  Everyone has a guess about what is going to happen next and who it’s going to happen to.  The market has been quiet on Jones for a while now so the prospect of returning to Jacksonville has got to be getting more appealing.  We here at B&T will welcome him back with open arms if he does re-sign with the team.

- Luke N. Sims

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July 27, 2012; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars fullback Greg Jones (33) stretches during the first day of training camp practice at Florida Blue Health

Fullback is a position that is rapidly fading from the NFL.  Big, bruising, lead blocker type backs are no longer needed by teams that aim to pass the ball more or seek a dual threat in a tight end that can act as a lead blocker.  While some teams move away from the fullback position entirely, the Jacksonville Jaguars have said that they will use a fullback as they overhaul the team.  Greg Jones is arguably the best fullback in the business and has been with the Jags since he was drafted in the second round of the 2004 draft.  The team is in negotiations to bring him back but he is set to hit free agency on Monday, the 12th.

Jones will likely command a large salary in free agency.  The Jags have kept him on from a half/fullback hybrid type player to more of a lead blocker fullback following a number of injuries in his career. Now, with the opportunity to leave the team, he will likely find a team willing to pay him more.  Pro Football Focus has him ranked as their top available fullback but also as the most overvalued based on Performance Based Value.  Here is what they have to say:

 A number of factors have led Jones to be the most overvalued fullback of 2012. The first is that he was at the end of a five-year contract, so his cap hit was higher than any previous year with Jacksonville. The second is that he played in just 246 snaps, which was just the 20th most for fullbacks. Any time they tried to give Jones the ball it didn’t work out well, as he had two dropped passes, and 60% of his carries went for 1 yard or less.

Jones is decidedly not the ball carrier he used to be, but he is an excellent blocker.  He graded out as the third best blocking fullback per PFF in 2012 and could likely do even better with a stronger offensive line in front of him.  Despite injuries and losing a step due to age, Jones still moves pretty well and is a monster in the weight room.  He can light up players and provides a strong presence when breaking through the hole, or creating it, for the ball carrier.

- Luke N. Sims

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