Calais Campbell named the NFL defense player of the week

The Jacksonville Jaguars have historically struggled to find impact free agents, but Calais Campbell has already made his mark and is garnering notice.

You don’t have to look too far back to compile a rather long list of free agent busts the Jacksonville Jaguars have signed in recent seasons. Toby Gerhart, Chris Clemons, Zane Beadles, Davon House, and Julius Thomas are all signings from the past few seasons who never really made an impact commensurate with their pay scale.

One guy who absolutely will not be included on that list is the NFL defensive player of the week – defensive end Calais Campbell.

Calais Campbell had one heck of a debut performance for the Jacksonville Jaguars, setting the single game franchise record for sacks in the first half of the Jaguars epic beatdown of the Houston Texans. Campbell played on the outside significantly more than he ever did as a member of the Arizona Cardinals and he took advantage. Pro Football Focus broke down exactly how many snaps Campbell took against opposing tackles.

"Campbell had spent his career largely playing inside as a 3-4 defensive end, typically aligning more than any other spot at 3-technique (on the outside shoulder of a guard), but in Jacksonville in Week 1 he spent 60.3 percent of his snaps outside the tackle as more of an edge defender."

Campbell rounds out what looks like one of the most diverse and athletic defensive lines in the entire league. The “old man” of the group, Campbell is a versatile piece that can move inside and outside depending on the rotation. Yannick Ngakoue looks ready to make the leap as an elite edge rusher, while Dante Fowler Jr. looked better then he ever has as a pass rusher. That leaves out Malik Jackson, the Jaguars other prize free agent acquisition, who is a high-end interior disruptor.

Campbell won’t have 4 sacks every week, but he looks like a guy who could set the single season sack record for the Jaguars.