3 Bold Predictions for the Jaguars 2013/14 Season

May 13, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Matt Scott (5) throws a pass during organized team activities at The Florida Blue Health

This is year 1 of the Jaguars “rebuilding” phase so anything can happen really. I was as sure as anything that Tebow would be in Black and Teal back in January. This goes to show, we never know what the future holds. So here’s 3 predictions, and while they may seem crazy, they aren’t that far fetched.

1. Matt Scott finishes the year as the Jaguars starting Quarterback. Bradley, Caldwell and Co. didn’t cave in to the hype and dug their heels in deep stating that Tim Tebow will not be a part of the Jacksonville Jaguars. I’ll admit, I was a little hurt. Then they didn’t draft a QB. There was chatter that they had an interest in Scott prior to the draft. Showing his premature genius, Caldwell played the draft to the Jaguars best interest by realising they could draft need and still pick up Scott as a free agent. My guess this decision was made somewhere around the 4th round. Scott is raw, but so was Kaepernick and Wilson heading in. By week 10 they’ll need to see what they’ve got and he’ll get the nod.

2. One vet stays, one vet goes. Eugene Monroe proves he’s an elite Left Tackle and receives the Franchise tag. MJD returns to form and rushes for over 1,300 yards. He doesn’t get the tag, instead he gets a team friendly deal. He’s smart enough to see what happened in Free Agency this year and opts for a decent payday that allows him to continue his legacy in Jacksonville. Monroe on the other hand will be traded to the highest bidder. This high draft pick will be used on our franchise Quarterback. After finishing the season with the #1 pick in the 2014 draft, the Jaguars take Jadeveon Clowney with their first pick. They’ll trade back into the 1st rd (ala Monroe trade pick) to take A.J. McCarron. This’ll be looked back on as the time that everything came together.

3. Despite a losing record, the Jaguars finish the year with a top 10 Defense and Special Teams. This is where Gus Bradley shines, and shines bright (like a diamond). Jason Babin leads the AFC in sacks, and Branch and Alualu both reach double digits. Their young secondary makes Andrew Luck look like Blaine Gabbert. Special Teams is no slouch either. Denard Robinson and Ace Sanders end the year with a combined average of 26.5 yards per return. And Bryan Anger will be one of four Jaguars selected to the Pro Bowl (MJD, Cecil Shorts III and Jason Babin are the other three).

-Jason Abarca