Who’s name will be added next to the Pride of the Jaguars?  Will they be in the 2013 NFL Draft?  Source: Rob Foldy-USA TODAY Sports

I’m not talking about soulmates.

Ok, maybe I’m talking about soulmates.

Just not that guy/gal you’ve been looking for forever and just can’t seem to find but you know is out there because statistically, based on a 7 billion person planet, there are at least 4 to 5 potential “the ones” and only one that truly understands why you love the Jaguars.

I’m talking about that 2013 NFL Draft prospect that will become the face of your franchise no matter what.  The guy people remember in black and teal for the rest of his life.  The guy that puts his heart and soul out on the field every play because he just loves football.  The guy that makes plays upon plays upon plays for his team and is known across the league for it.

That guy may not be a quarterback – or it may be – but he definitely needs to be that impact player who defines your team.  For the Jags it has been Maurice Jones-Drew…for too long.

MJD is getting older and the team is likely heading in a new direction.  He came to the Jags as a second round pick and has fully held the mantle as the face of the franchise during dark times for Jacksonville.  The win/loss record won’t reflect well on MoJo’s time with the team, but in our minds we will always remember Pocket Hercules blowing up Shawn Merriman.

But it’s time for the Jags to find a new face of the franchise.

For a lot of teams, it’s the quarterback.  Peyton Manning sold the Indianapolis Colts better than any marketing strategy, and he’s not even that pretty.  Blaine Gabbert – complete with pretty boy hair – just hasn’t made the transition to face of the franchise.  So, where does one get a face for one’s franchise?

The NFL draft.

No matter how much Manning owns the city of Denver right now, he will just be a blip on the radar over the next couple seasons he spends with them, even if they are Super Bowl winning seasons.  Champ Bailey is just resting his face while Manning tosses more than a few TDs.  Free agents and traded players rarely come in to be the face of your franchise, no offense Brett Favre.

Man Ricky, how’d you convince the Saints you were the one?  Source: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The draft gives you a world of possibilities, and when you find that guy, you take him.  I’m talking trade the entire draft to get him…well maybe not like the New Orleans Saints did to get Ricky Williams (but a team in dire straights has to do something).  Will Geno Smith be that guy for the Kansas City Chiefs?  If he falls to the Jags, do they think he is their guy?  Or do the Jags value another possible second rounder with first round talent, like Margus Hunt to be their face for the foreseeable future?

Statistically, the Jaguars probably should have someone on their roster by now who could be the next face of the franchise.  The team had a decent run with Mark Brunell, then Fred Taylor, then MJD.  There was some serious overlap, and a lot of bad seasons, during their time together and its time someone on this roster should step up.  The problem being, I just don’t see anybody who is going to do that.

As good as Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts III are and are going to be, they are dependent on their quarterback.  Jerry Rice had Joe Montana and Steve Young, Randy Moss had Tom Brady, and Reggie Wayne has Manning and Andrew Luck.  Do you think Wayne is having 1,000 yard seasons with Curtis Painter at quarterback?  It’s been tried, it doesn’t happen.

The Jags are looking for an impact player who will among the best at his position.  They’re looking for a quarterback, running back, defensive end, or million time pro-bowler at the other defensive positions.

I don’t know if the Jags will find “the one” yet, but I know they need him.  GM Dave Caldwell said he is going to come out swinging and I think he meant it.  The Jags aren’t looking for just a bunch of guys.  They’re looking for a player to define them.  MJD’s time may be running out here in Jacksonville, they could really use another smooth transition from him to _____.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims

Jason LaCanfora continues to point us toward potential HC candidates and notes that the Jaguars will look to interview McCoy if the Broncos lose their divisional playoff game to the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.  The top ranked Broncos may well continue on and McCoy – along with San Francisco 49ers OC Greg Roman and other Jags candidates – may not be available for an interview until after the playoffs.

Tebow benefitted greatly from McCoy’s willingness and ability to adapt.  Source:  Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

McCoy earned a lot of attention last season with his complete overhaul of the Denver offense to accomodate Tim Tebow at quarterback.  The passing offense finished 31st in the league (32nd in attempts), but the rushing offense finished first and provided a decent ball-control complement to the punishing Denver defense.  Tebow consistently found magic in McCoy’s schemes, despite struggles throughout games.  The Broncos managed to make the playoffs and shock the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime.  With the arrival of Peyton Manning, McCoy’s offense has reached even greater heights.

The versatility of McCoy may be his most intriguing factor.  McCoy has shown that he is able to generate a decent offense with a Tebow type quarterback, a mediocre standard quarterback in Kyle Orton, and with a legend in Manning.  His offenses are balanced (leaning toward the pass, usually) and use well thought out schemes that force the defense to play to the Broncos’ strengths.  McCoy’s tasks in bringing in a rehabilitating Manning or in scrapping an entire system on the fly in favor of Tebow are not to be overlooked.  Not many coaches are able to find success by completely changing their philosophy and investing in something that does not seem natural to them.

In McCoy’s case, it has worked out well.  If the Jaguars get a chance to interview McCoy soon I would imagine he quickly becomes one of the top candidates.  I like his body of work and I think that his ability to adapt is desirable in a head coach.  His four seasons as an OC have shown growth and that McCoy is not afraid of change.

- Luke N. Sims

Feel free to leave comments on here or visit us at Facebook or Twitter!

You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims

Somehow people still pay this guy to perform. Source: Brace Hemmelgarn-US PRESSWIRE

What’s even more worrisome about Robinson is that his struggles can be documented back to the beginning of training camp.  Robinson was found “pressing” and “trying to find his groove”, with the Jaguars passing game as a whole being criticized by its coaches early in camp.  After three pre-season games, it appears as if the Jaguars first-team offense has made strides; yet Robinson looks left behind.  He’s caused more pass-interference penalties (2) than he has catches, and although causing pass-interference penalties is clearly a positive thing, having one catch through three games is just as clearly negative.

However, there are reasons not to think that the state of Laurent Robinson is all that dire.  To start, remember that before the season started, Robinson was catching passes from arguably the worst quarterback in the NFL last year.  There clearly was an adjustment period that had to take place – one that was highly influenced by Blaine’s growth in the offseason and during training camp.  Furthermore, although there was quite a bit of negative press surrounding Robinson at the beginning of training camp, the tune turned positive as training camp progressed.  As we moved deeper into training camp, Robinson “appeared to get on the same page” as Gabbert and that the “growing confidence between the two players was evident”.  Moreover, Robinson has been “getting open consistently” – which was a major factor hindering the wide receiver play and Gabbert’s development last year.

Hey, if Coach Mularkey's not worried, I'm not worried. But he sure looks a little worried here, doesn't he? Source: Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

Lastly, it’s easy to forget Laurent Robinson’s history in all of this.  I know we expected a number 1 receiver at his peak age (27) when we signed Robinson, but for that expectation Robinson is very much a work in progress.  The injury-plagued star that we signed has started just 24 games – under two seasons worth – and played in 52 games – just over three seasons worth.   Moreover, he has had no experience as a number one receiver – a player who dictates the way defensive coverages are organized.   Although he’s 27, the injuries he’s faced thus far in his NFL career have hindered his development – making it more plausible that it took up to year  5 in the NFL and age 26 for Robinson to finally tap into his potential.  It’s not like Robinson hadn’t shown promise before – he had a 100 yard game toward the end of his rookie season and was the leading receiver for the Rams through three games before a fractured fibula sent him to the injured reserve in 2009.  At the end of the day, Gene Smith and Co. saw a player in Robinson that finally got an opportunity last year while he was healthy and made the most of it.  When they signed him, they expected him to build on that year to develop into the primary down-field threat for a future franchise quarterback – but they didn’t expect him to be “the guy” right away.  While as fans we look for a quick reward when it comes to signing free agents, a free agent signing truly can’t be judged for at least two or three years, especially one like this in which the player has to adapt to a new role.   But we may not even have to wait a couple years.  By all reports, Robinson and Coach Mularkey are both “optimistic”, and it’s not completely unexpected to see a guy who took some time to get adjusted at the start of training camp to also need a little time to get adjusted to game-action during the pre-season.

Patience, young grasshoppers.  Let’s give the cat a chance before we throw him to the wolves.

- Zain Gowani