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Jacksonville Jaguars vs New York Jets: Players to watch

By Luke Sims

Aug 22, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Rashad Greene (13) catches a ball in front of New York Giants safety Bennett Jackson (24) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 22, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Rashad Greene (13) catches a ball in front of New York Giants safety Bennett Jackson (24) during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 27, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars strong safety James Sample (23) is flagged for a pass interference penalty on New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) as cornerback Davon House (31) intercepts the ball in the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. New England defeated Jacksonville 51-17. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 27, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars strong safety James Sample (23) is flagged for a pass interference penalty on New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) as cornerback Davon House (31) intercepts the ball in the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. New England defeated Jacksonville 51-17. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports /

2) Safety James Sample

Johnathan Cyprien and James Sample have quietly been going against each other this offseason. While Cyprien appears set to win the job and continue as the starter despite his mediocre play over the last three seasons, Sample should push him to overperform.

Sample was expected to come onto the Jacksonville Jaguars roster and push out Sergio Brown for the free safety gig in 2015. Unfortunately, he broke his arm and was barely on the field during the season. Now, with Tashaun Gipson securing the free safety spot, Sample will get a chance to vie for his more natural strong safety position.

Sample’s past chance to take the job away from Cyprien didn’t work out well as he struggled to perform at a high enough level during the earlier offseason program OTAs. He’ll have a chance to get back to form in the game situation against the Jets and, perhaps, make things interesting in the build up to the 2016 NFL season.

Sample isn’t going to go away this year (possibly say goodbye to safety Josh Evans, though), but he’ll need to shine if he wants to be a starter. Keep an eye on him.

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