Here we have some of the community’s response:

@fredtaylormade @jimmysmithjags @joshscobee10Check out my tribute video to Rashean Mathis…. Thank you… youtu.be/t8Xfe3VE4UA

— Craig Fordham (@AussieJag) March 6, 2013

THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!RT @jaxdotcom: The @jaguars won’t offer CB Rashean Mathis a new contract bit.ly/ZpqvwJ

— Roof MF Ashley (@_UCIT_) March 6, 2013

I hate to see Rashean Mathis and the #Jaguars parting ways, but this is the nature of the beast, Thanks for the GREAT memories, Rashean!

— Zoltan Paksa (@iktriad) March 6, 2013

Mathis getting on twitter to tell us goodbye is both awesome and depressing at the same time.

— Tim M. (@TDJaxTim) March 6, 2013

#Jaguars | Good to see Rashean Mathis, Jaguars on good terms as team decides not to re-sign veteran corner after 10 years . . .

— John Oehser (@JohnOehser) March 6, 2013

Farewell to Rashean Mathis. A true Jaguar legend and an even better person. #Respect

— Russell Allen (@RussellAllen50) March 6, 2013

Thanks or the last 10 years Rashean Mathis! A very classy man from a classy family. Good luck with your career. An honor to know you.

— Tom McManus (@meathead55) March 6, 2013

Most of the response is extremely positive.  Mathis’ career has made him an important part of Jaguar history.  Especially his early years will be remembered fondly.  Great man, great player, great Jaguar.

Aug 10, 2012; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Rashean Mathis (27) warming up before the start of the preseason game against the New York Giants at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

Long-tenured cornerback Rashean Mathis has been informed by the Jacksonville Jaguars that he will not be returning to the team for the 2013 season.  This comes on the heels of a disappointing season in which Mathis returned on a one-year, incentive-heavy contract.  Mathis appeared in just 12 games, starting four, and had just five passes defensed and 20 tackles.

This is the end of a very long career in Jacksonville for Mathis.  Mathis has played every season for the Jaguars since being drafted in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft.  From 2003-2006 he never missed a game before injuries started to take their toll.  From 2007-2012 Mathis completed just one full season (2010) and saw his production decline.

Mathis leaves Jacksonville as the franchise leader in interceptions with 30.  2006 was his lone Pro Bowl appearance.  He was also named to the All-Pro team that season.  The move away from Mathis definitely marks the beginning of a new era in Jacksonville.

A long-time Jaguar, Mathis has left his mark on the franchise and the community.  Ryan O’Halloran talked to GM Dave Caldwell about the decision.  ”It was a difficult decision because he’s done so many things not only for the team but for the community,” said Caldwell.  In speaking to the Times-Union, Mathis showed his continual class in saying, “I’m not bitter, I’m blessed, and I truly mean that…hopefully another opportunity will knock.”

It will be tough to see the veteran go, but it is the right time for the Jaguars to move on.  The team is looking for more productive, younger pieces for the future and Mathis simply no longer fits that mold.  In an offseason that promises to bring many changes, Mathis’ dismissal will likely be the first of many familiar faces to leave.

We here at B&T wish you best in your future endeavors, Mr. Mathis.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims

CB Aaron Ross allowed receivers to catch 100% of balls thrown at him in three games in 2012, including once against the Texans.  Source: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Over the next week or so we will be going through the Jacksonville Jaguars 2012 roster to try and find the problems that led to the franchise’s worst-ever record: 2-14.  There were so many problems with this team that it goes well beyond one article. So, for the sake of simplicity, we’ll take it one position at a time.

This time: cornerback.

Here are the other parts of the series: QB, OL, WR, TE, RB, DT, DE, LB

Like many positions for the Jaguars in 2012, cornerback was shorthanded.  Long-tenured Rashean Mathis was brought back to compete with free agent acquisition Aaron Ross for the starting position opposite young Derek Cox.  Neither Ross nor Mathis showed starting caliber play and were ultimately replaced in favor of sixth-round rookie Mike Harris.  Unfortunately, Jacksonville’s “shutdown” corner, Cox, struggled with a hamstring injury (again) and the poor play of William Middleton (one of the NFL’s run stopping CBs in 2011) wasn’t good enough to replace him.  The Jags had six different cornerbacks start at least one game this season, the depth was absolutely horrendous.  Passing against the Jags must have been a breeze.

Here are the Jags’ cornerbacks numbers, ordered by games started:

Ross and Mathis, when compared to Cox on the opposite side and Harris who replaced them, were underperforming despite winning the training camp battle.  This may have been a result of Mel Tucker not noticing Harris’ potential by limiting the competition, or it may have been an absolute oversight and misevaluation.  Middleton lost his all-but-secured nickelback position with the arrival of Ross and return of Mathis who were “rewarded” after losing their starting spot with the nickelback position.

Now, inherently there are different skill sets for an outside “starting” corner and the nickelback.  Unfortunately, the Jags simply were not well equipped, outside of Cox, for the positions.  Back in May I thought the Jags were going to be stacked at corner, but I was proven wrong by abysmal play.  I was almost hoping Ashton Youboty would make another appearance on the field just to end the misery.

Middleton’s game against Green Bay was his worst of the season, but was still better than many games that Mathis and Ross had.  Source: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The oddity of it all is that Middleton and Harris, who were defending the pass much better than Ross and Mathis saw the field on only 199 and 538 snaps each.  Ross and Mathis were on the field for 486 and 682 snaps each.  When your corners are underperforming, it seems counterintuitive to not give the better corners opportunities over them, especially someone like Middleton who has a proven track record of decent play at the position.  This misevaluation of talent hurt the Jags and contributed greatly to the Jags falling from the eighth ranked passing defense in 2011 to 22nd in 2012.

With the poor play of the defense’s front seven, the Jags’ corners were being called on to do much more than usual.  A big part of this was tackling and the need to generate stops.  Stops, as defined by Pro Football Focus, are tackles that limit the offense to getting less than 40%, 60%, and 100% of required yardage on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd/4th downs respectively.   The Jags were run over by opposing teams and needed every hat to the ball on multiple occasions to stop the offense.  Unfortunately, the Jags’ cornerbacks were not exceptional at this either.  The best on the team was Harris with a stop percentage of 2.41%.

The Jags were unable to be an effective pass defending team largely due to a misevaluation of their talent.  While Ross was expected to help the Jags push toward even better pass defense, he ended up being a problem.  Mathis and Ross both contributed in limiting the amount of time Middleton and Harris had on the field, which is a shame because the Jags had two decent corners who could have stepped in and helped earlier in the season.

Next up we’ll look at safety.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims