T.J. Yeldon: 4 questions for 2015
By Luke Sims
Jun 16, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley shakes hands with running back T.J. Yeldon (24) during minicamp at the Florida Blue Health and Wellness Practice Fields. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
2) Can T.J. Yeldon succeed in adversity?
Adversity comes in many forms in life and in the NFL. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, adversity has been a lack of competency at numerous positions in recent years. While the healing of the roster is in process, there’s no guarantee that there will be a seamless transition.
T.J. Yeldon is one of those players hoping to ease the transition a bit.
For the 2015 season, he’ll be running behind a completely revamped offensive line. With as many as three new starters to the unit, the Jags are hoping that fresh blood can avert a repeat of last year’s horrendous outing. While 21st in rushing yards in 2014, the Jaguars were struggling with early hits to their runners and an inability to open holes consistently. Personally, I think the revamped offensive line will lead to success for Yeldon.
There are no guarantees in the NFL, however. While I think the offensive line could be a major upgrade, there will likely still be struggles and Yeldon will have to overcome them.
These potential struggles could be a real test for the rookie. I’m confident he will be able to persevere, but how he handles hiccups in the offensive line could dictate his rookie season. The Jaguars are a work in process and Yeldon is a part of that now. It’s up to the entire group of players to band together and create something better than the sum of their parts.
Next: Will Yeldon step up and lead?