I did a quick breakdown of the Jaguars’ roster after free-agency and before the draft a few weeks ago, and our own Dave did a thorough projection of the final roster on the defensive side. I decided to present the Jaguars’ roster (as listed on ESPN.com) and explore where we could see some good competition for roster spots over the next 2-3 months.
| OFFENSE | ||||
| QB | Blaine Gabbert(22) | Chad Henne(26) | Dan LeFevour(25) | |
| RB | Maurice Jones-Drew(27) | Rashad Jennings(27) | DuJuan Harris(23) | |
| FB | Greg Jones(30) | Brock Bolen(27) | Montell Owens(27) | |
| WR | Laurent Robinson(26) | Jarett Dillard(26) | Taylor Price(24) | Chastin West(24) |
| WR | Justin Blackmon(22) | Mike Thomas(24) | Cecil Shorts(24) | Brian Robiskie(24) |
| TE | Marcedes Lewis(27) | Zach Miller(27) | Zach Potter(25) | Colin Cloherty(24) |
| C | Brad Meester(35) | John Estes(25) | ||
| OT | Eugene Monroe(24) | Cameron Bradfield(24) | Kevin Haslam(25) | |
| OT | Eben Britton(24) | Will Robinson(27) | Daniel Baldridge(26) | |
| OG | Uche Nwaneri(28) | Will Rackley(22) | Jason Spitz(29) | |
| DEFENSE | ||||
| DE | Jeremy Mincey(28) | John Chick(29) | George Selvie(25) | |
| DE | Andre Branch(22) | Austen Lane(24) | Aaron Kampman(32) | Aaron Morgan(23) |
| DT | Tyson Alualu(24) | D’Anthony Smith(23) | Jeris Pendleton(28) | |
| DT | C.J. Mosley(28) | Terrance Knighton(25) | Corvey Irvin(26) | |
| LB | Daryl Smith(30) | Clint Session(27) | Kyle Bosworth(25) | Jammie Kirlew(24) |
| LB | Paul Posluszny(27) | Russell Allen(25) | Brandon Marshall(22) | Stephen Franklin(23) |
| CB | Rashean Mathis(31) | Aaron Ross(29) | Morgan Trent(26) | T.J. Heath(24) |
| CB | Derek Cox(25) | Mike Harris(23) | Ashton Youboty(27) | Kevin Rutland(24) |
| S | Dwight Lowery(26) | A. Owusu-Ansah(24) | Terrell Whitehead(23) | Darcel McBath(26) |
| S | Dawan Landry(29) | Chris Prosinski(24) | Courtney Greene(25) | Rod Issac(23) |
| Special Teams | ||||
| PK | Josh Scobee(29) | |||
| P | Bryan Anger(23) | |||
| LS | Jeremy Cain(32) |
A handful of positions seem to be set – kicker, punter, quarterback for example – but there are numerous positions where the starting role and the reserve spots are for the taking.
We settled the crap out of the punter position.
The area that will garner the most interest during the OTAs (Organized Team Activities) and training camp is the wide receiving corps. It’s safe to conclude that two of the newer acquisitions, Laurent Robinson and Justin Blackmon, are going to be in the rotation. Assuming the Jaguars elect to take 6 receivers into the season, there will be a 6 player battle (Thomas, Shorts, Price, Robiskie, Dillard, and West) for 4 spots. Thomas and Short are good bets to make the roster, so it’ll be interested to see who emerges for the last spot or two.
The other area that should provide some entertainment is the defensive line. With the injuries to Tyson Alualu and Terrance Knighton, don’t be surprised if the Jaguars take some extra bodies with them to start the season on the defensive line. Outside of Mincey, Branch, Knighton, Mosley, and Alualu, it’s hard to find a lock to make the roster along the line. Kampman is still recovering from injury and showed nothing when he came back last year; John Chick is still rehabilitating a devastating injury; Austen Lane hasn’t solidified a spot in the rotation in two years; D’Anthony Smith hasn’t played competitive football in two years; and Jeris Pendleton is a 28 year old rookie from a small college. I fully expect Lane to make the roster, but outside of him it’s hard to make a prediction before seeing anyone take the field for practices.
Another position that will provide some intrigue in training camp is right tackle. Eben Britton seems intent on solidifying his claim to the position, but should he really be penciled in as the starter at this point? He was just OK his rookie year and he struggled mightily his second year before getting injured. He was serviceable in spots last year before being placed on the injured reserve list but he mostly played guard. Don’t be surprised if Will Robinson or Cameron Bradfield challenges Britton in training camp for that spot.
Thankfully, the Jaguars don’t have pressing questions at too many positions. Actually, one of their strongest positions last year, defensive tackle, seems to be in the highest state of flux due to injuries. It should be an exciting couple weeks before the season starts as the final 53 is locked in.
-Daniel Lago