The Jaguars need more consistent play from their wide receivers

The Jaguars need more consistency from the guys catching the football this season.

What may be more mystical than the Jacksonville Jaguars having a lack of impact running backs in the teams 25 years of existence in the NFL is how many wide receivers have come and gone and have not been able to secure themselves as one of the better pass catchers in the NFL.

What I mean by that is other than Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell, can you name a player who has sustained success with this franchise more than a year or two? For that reason alone it is important this coaching staff finds the right combination of receivers for new quarterback Nick Foles.

Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook, and DJ Chark have all shown flashes of being a big-play wide receiver in camp, but it’s cautionary because it is still early in the process of learning a new offense. The past has shown players have looked good, but either hasn’t stuck around or were flash-in-the-pan type pass catchers.

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Allen Robinson teased us with his playmaking abilities before he injured her knee in the first game of the 2017 season and left last year for colder pastures in Chicago. Allen Hurns was good as a free agent, non-drafted wideout, but he had injury and consistency issues. He was released after 2017 and signed with Dallas, only to be cut this past week.

Marqise Lee could be a very good possession-type receiver with speed to burn, but an injury history is more of a topic than how many catches has had since he was drafted in the second round in 2014.

There have been others who have shown glimpses of talent, but none have been considered “great“ and haven’t stuck around for long. See Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, and Cecil Shorts. Now that the 2019 season is almost upon us, what will the current wide receivers do to change this narrative?

The wide receiver room lacks a true top-shelf stud, but there are enough bodies who could have an impact this year. I’m interested to see if there will be a battle between Keelan Cole and Terrelle Pryor – two players who are more than capable of stepping up and becoming that “go-to” player the team needs.

Smith was just named No. 3 on the Jaguars list of 25 All-Time players. McCardell, who is in charge of making sure the current crop gives the offense of player making ability and needs, came in at No. 7 overall. In the mid-90s, you’d be hard-pressed to find a combination as lethal has these two when they roamed the fields in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars will do their best to remain a run-first team this season, but don’t be surprised if there are issues running the football, that offensive coordinator John DeFilippo doesn’t look to open the passing game. That means more opportunities for the wide receivers and tight ends to be part of this nucleus. And if the running backs have issues moving the football on the ground, they will be incorporated in the passing game.

Smith is talked about as the teams greatest wide receiver of all time, but his success on the field was predicated by the fact the teams were locking in on his teammate as well. McCardell was no slouch and was often a key target on third down to move the sticks.

Combined with the arm of Mark Brunell and one of the best offense of lines in the NFL during that time, the Jaguars had one of the most complete offenses in the league.

The emphasis on balance has been discussed many times during camp already, where continuity and chemistry will determine how far the offense will improve in 2019. The Jaguars have a long way to go to show they are a better team on offense. Their wide receivers may have an even longer road to travel to prove they are better than their precessors who couldn’t be a consistent force with this franchise.