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Julius Thomas: Surgery disrupts Jaguars’ offensive plans

By Luke Sims

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Julius Thomas will be having surgery on his finger, requiring him to miss a minimum of four weeks.

This is the type of news that can really set back a team that was going to rely on a specific player to really spark their offense. Julius Thomas was to be that spark for the Jacksonville Jaguars and now he’ll be missing a quarter of the season right away.

It’s disappointing news, but is it going to really affect the team too much?

So far, all that Thomas contributed through the preseason was one catch for two yards (the play he was injured on). He was expected to take attention away from other receiving threats like Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns on the outside and to better integrate players like tight end Marcedes Lewis in the offense.

Through the preseason, the passing offense didn’t seem to miss a beat. Without Julius Thomas, Blake Bortles has continued to impress, throwing the ball into tight windows and playing with a confidence that is rare for a player who had as miserable of a rookie campaign as a player like Bortles.

It looks like Bortles can fall into a rhythm with or without Thomas.

That isn’t to say that the Jaguars couldn’t use the services of a player like Thomas. He is a red zone threat and a scoring option throughout the game. He is an incredibly gifted receiver and gives the Jaguars a chance to be more diverse on offense. The Jags were planning around Thomas. He was to be a focal point for the offense.

Can Blake Bortles continue to look polished with limited weapons as pass catchers?

While the team hoped he’d be back by the first game of the season, it’s looking like his return will be October 2 against the Indianapolis Colts.

Thomas had a second opinion regarding surgery before deciding on having the surgery.

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