My Jaguars roster provides clues to the direction of the team

What does the current Jaguars roster tell us as we head to training camp?

Take a look at the Jaguars current 90-man roster and you will find questions and answers about the direction of the team.

I decided to keep track of the Jaguars roster during the off-season. Why?  It kept me abreast of what the front office is trying to accomplish and kept my interest during a time period when very little of any substance is happening.

The Jaguars have added and subtracted many rookies and free agents prior to training camp.  Here is what has caught my eye?

The kicking team is set –  Our kicker Josh Lambo, our punter Logan Cooke, and our long snapper Matt Overton have been on the roster all off-season and no competition has been brought to camp. This leads me to believe that management has complete confidence in this group.

Are the Jaguars really a run-first team? – The Jaguars have rebuilt the running back position but are still building around Leonard Fournette. Management added Alfred Blue, Benny Cunningham, and Thomas Rawls, all of whom were free agents.  An additional running back Ryquell Armstead is a rookie.

"Per Brian Sexton and John Oehser of Jaguars.com, “This position will be defined by Leonard Fournette whose physicality and speed helped define an efficient ball control offense in 2017 and whose inconsistency and injuries defined it in 2018.”"

I must admit that I am hopeful but skeptical about putting this much faith in Fournette once again. No new running backs have been added recently.

The Jaguars are looking at many wide receivers – There are 13 wide receivers on the current roster. Rookie Marcus Simms was added immediately after the supplemental draft.  This team may still be in the market for another wide receiver. This group was certainly effected by poor quarterback play last season.

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"“The Jaguars aren’t the worst in the NFL but they are almost there, coming in at 31st in the league.  The Jaguars lack of production and dropped passes (which led the NFL),” David Levin of Black and Teal wrote."

John DeFilippo, the team’s offensive coordinator, has stated several times that he has confidence in his wide receivers.  There is potential with DJ Chark, Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, and possibly Marqise Lee. A new and more accurate quarterback should help but the team is still looking at wide receivers.

The team is looking for solid back-ups – There were many injuries during the 2018 season and not enough solid backups to replace the injured players. The offensive line didn’t have enough back-ups but this roster has 17 players vying for positions. This will add depth.

The starting quarterback is set but no experienced backups have been added so our three young quarterbacks will fill in if needed. The front office may look for an experienced back up.

The last concern in the safety position with only seven players on the roster. It’s a young inexperienced group so keep your eyes on the waiver wire.

The lesson learned from the 2018 season is “be prepared.” Never think that your team is set for the next season because anything can happen. The Jaguars seem to be working hard to have a good roster going into training camp.  Solid players and competition make for a great team.