Out of the Box: Blast From the Past
By Steve Box
If you could choose a past Jaguars player at their peak and insert them into the Jacksonville Jaguars 2016 roster, who would you choose? Would you take a best available player approach, or re-draft for need? Maybe you find the best player that fills a need?
There have no doubt been some special players in Jaguars history, fan favorites and bonafide superstars. A host of players spring to mind as players we’d love to have on the team, but which one would be the difference maker?
There have no doubt been some special players in Jaguars history, fan favorites and bonafide superstars. A host of players spring to mind as players we’d love to have on the team, but which one would be the difference maker?
For this writer, using a best/need combination, it has to be Tony Boselli. Despite the signing of Kelvin Beachum and the hope that he provides a better option or at least a push for Luke Joeckel, at one of the most pivotal positions – left tackle. Boselli was a Hall of Fame talent whose career was cut short by injuries, but at his peak was the best in the game. His work in the pass and run game would match the best defensive ends on the field currently and would immediately give the Jaguars offense a leader and a superstar protecting Blake Bortles blindside.
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Some may argue for some offensive firepower with the explosive skillset of
at wide receiver, but it is clear that this is one of the strengths of the Jaguars roster currently. What about the backfield where
would be hard to overlook and be a playmaker instantly? There is no doubt he’d be atop the Jacksonville depth chart, but the value placed on the position weakens this argument.
There have no doubt been some special players in Jaguars history, fan favorites and bonafide superstars. A host of players spring to mind as players we’d love to have on the team, but which one would be the difference maker?
Would you substitute Mark Brunell in for Blake Bortles? One of the legends of the club no doubt, Brunell was a fan favorite, but Bortles has already broken most of Brunell’s single season records, so this doesn’t look to be the biggest game-changing choice.
Defensively, the Jaguars, despite taking big strides in overhauling their roster, could still use some pieces, but who is that difference maker? Is it Tony Brackens giving that much needed pass rush? This is a consideration that was certainly strong in making this decision, potentially a second choice option behind Boselli. What about the interior DL presence of Stroud and Henderson, both Pro Bowlers and genuine forces in the middle. No doubt either would be a big addition to the defensive line.
In the linebacker corps, Kevin Hardy along with Posluszny, Jack and Telvin Smith would be a dynamic quartet at the position, but one would doubt the individual impact of Hardy over any of the current starters. In the secondary, a position that has had enormous influx of talent, we could see Aaron Beasley, Rashean Mathis or Donovin Darius bring a strong skillset. Darius’ style may not match the current needs of NFL strong safeties and the others would compete for starting berths, but it is hard to argue for them as the ‘one’.
For this writer, Boselli over Brackens, but with a nice hypothetical walk down memory lane. Who would you choose?