MJD says Jacksonville Jaguars will be America’s Team
By Luke Sims
Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew may be biased, but he sees a bright future in the franchise as the 2016 NFL Draft gets closer.
“America’s Team” is a term that gets thrown around a lot. Usually it’s affiliated with a large-market team that wins an impressive amount of games in a season or consistently makes it deep in the postseason. The Dallas Cowboys are the definitive “America’s Team” but there is always a debate for who should take up the nickname in the coming year or years.
2016 is no exception.
Over at NFL.com, experts weighed in on who they thought would be America’s Team in 2016 and Maurice Jones-Drew did his former team proud by mentioning them as a tempting underdog to steal America’s hearts:
"With the offseason moves, the Jaguars will surprise some people by coming on strong in 2016. They have a young, high-profile offense with third-year quarterback Blake Bortles, two solid running backs ( Chris Ivory and T.J. Yeldon) and a dynamic receiving duo ( Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns). With these players, the Jags can score on anybody. The addition of key players on defense will turn heads Jacksonville’s way and boost this team to the next level."
The hype surrounding the Jaguars has already taken off for 2016 so it isn’t shocking to see MJD include them as the team he thinks could earn the support of the general populace. The Jags have an exciting offense (which always draws eyes) and the promise that has lingered around Jacksonville since Gus Bradley arrived may finally yield results in 2016.
MJD’s prediction is certainly biased and at least a tad optimistic, but it’s always good to see the Jags get a little more national exposition. It isn’t just about winning games or putting together a good roster, it’s about convincing the public that the Jaguars are for real and can compete. The team has not been competitive in recent years, but they may finally prove to be in 2016.
…and who knows? They could win over some fans from across the country in the process.