P-Rez25

The news that the Jaguars re-signed fullback Greg Jones wasn't surprising. After all, Jones was widely liked by the staff, especially coach Jack Del Rio, who became as emotional about any Jaguars player in his time with the club when he announced two years ago that Jones would miss the entire 2006 season after suffering an ACL injury in a preseason game.



No, the news wasn't that Jones was inked to a new deal. The news was the amount of money he'll receive.


No one has come out to confirm the figure, but the reported numbers being tossed about are that the former Florida State standout, who suffered his first ACL injury in college, received more than $17 million over five years. It's quite a hike from the scheduled $545,000 in base salary that Jones was due to make for the coming season.


The deal is supposedly even better than the six-year, $18 million contract that Atlanta Falcons fullback Ovie Mughelli received on opening day of free agency a year ago. His deal included a $5 million signing bonus as one of the biggest arrangements for a fullback. It's uncertain what Jones' signing bonus was.


The new agreement takes Jones off the free-agent list, which he was about to test in a couple of weeks. Jones has performed well for the Jaguars when healthy, but it has been almost exclusively as a blocker. Last season he got the ball for 42 rushing attempts in 16 games and netted 119 yards, a 2.8 average. His longest run was for just 11 yards.


He caught 11 passes for another 99 yards and scored twice on rushes and another two touchdowns on receptions.


The Jaguars are well under the salary cap, but they haven't dished out big dollars in the past to players who aren't in the spotlight. In this case they thought enough of Jones' blocking and how effective it was in helping teammate Fred Taylor hit the 1,000-yard mark for the seventh time in the last nine seasons.


Jones played well enough to get voted as the first alternate in the Pro Bowl but didn't make the trip to Hawaii. He said he was pleased to rebound from the surgery 18 months ago and is hopeful to produce an even stronger season in '08.


"Yes, I feel I did (surpass his expectations in '07), but I feel I can do better than what I did last season," he said. "They say it's a year after the surgery that you can become your normal self. Hopefully this 2008 year will be better than 2007."


No question it will be better financially.


Notes, Quotes
• Jaguars fans were miffed that AFC coach Norv Turner didn't give Jaguars running back Fred Taylor another shot at scoring a touchdown in the Pro Bowl game in Honolulu. Taylor, who failed to make the Pro Bowl squad in his first nine years in the league despite rising to the top 20 career rushers all-time in the NFL, was a first alternate to this year's team. He got his chance to play when Pittsburgh's Willie Parker had to withdraw due to a postseason injury.


On one of Taylor's three carries in the game, he was stopped just short of the goal line on a second-down run. But on third down, Turner called for Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to pass to T.J Houshmandzadeh, who made the touchdown reception. It derived Taylor the opportunity to score a touchdown in his first, and possibly only, Pro Bowl game. The usual team-oriented Taylor down-played the call afterward and just talked about how happy he was to have been a participant.


The game set Taylor back a fairly good financial amount as he had over 30 family members, friends and teammates as his guests in Hawaii for the week-long festivities leading up to the game.


• Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio filled out his staff by adding two more coaches to the staff on a full-time position. The Jaguars coach named Thom Kaumeyer as assistant secondary coach and Nate Kaczor as assistant special teams coach, after both had spent the past 17 seasons at the collegiate level. Del Rio had previously picked Gregg Williams to serve as the team's defensive coordinator and Donnie Henderson to serve as the secondary coach.


In addition, Del Rio promoted Ted Monachino to defensive line coach after spending the previous two seasons as the team's assistant defensive line coach and moved Tom Williams to defensive assistant following a season as assistant special teams coach.


"I'm glad to have our staff completed. Now we can turn our attention to preparation for the 2008 season beginning with the upcoming scouting combine in Indianapolis, and soon, thereafter, with the start of free agency," Del Rio said.


• There's still no word on what figures to be the two biggest Jaguars contract signings during the offseason, that of head coach Jack Del Rio along with quarterback David Garrard. Both are approaching the final year of their current deals, which will end after the 2008 season.


Both are too important to Jacksonville not to have signed to new deals before the season starts. Del Rio's name continues to pop up for job openings at some NFL openings and even a few college spots, but he's indicated he wants to stay put until he can fulfill his desire of getting the Jaguars to the Super Bowl.


"I love it here in Jacksonville," he said following this past season that ended with a loss to the Patriots in an AFL division series game. Del Rio made $3.3 million this past season and will likely get a boost to at least the $5 million mark.


Garrard's new deal will exceed that, as he's likely to command a package worth in excess of $8 million a year. Such a deal would make him the highest-paid player in team history.


Quote To Note: "I don't anticipate making any changes (to his coaching staff)." -- Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said in mid-January, one month before Del Rio announced the last of six changes to the staff.


Strategy And Personnel
With the emergence of David Garrard at quarterback, the solid 1-2 punch of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew at running back, an improved showing from the wide receivers and a solid effort from the offensive line, the emphasis for improvement falls with the defense for the Jaguars.


The Jaguars had posted top 10 finishes in total defense the previous two seasons but fell to 12th in the league in overall defense last year. The defensive-minded Del Rio wants that number to improve. It starts with pass defense where the Jaguars finished a disappointing 11th in the AFL. Getting scorched for nearly 600 yards by Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and New England's Tom Brady in the postseason only stressed the importance of shoring up this area.


The two biggest areas of concern are finding help from the defensive end spots in applying quarterback pressure and improving the play at the safety positions. If not for a banner year by 32-year old Paul Spicer, the Jaguars would have gotten little production from the end spots. Reggie Hayward doesn't seem to have the same zip he exhibited before his season-ending Achilles tendon injury in the season-opener in 2006. Bobby McCray needed a big season on the eve of his becoming a free agent but it didn't happen.


Safeties Sammy Knight and Reggie Nelson are at opposite ends of their career and it showed at times. Knight has played 11 seasons in the league and was inserted into the starting lineup when Gerald Sensabaugh went out with a season-ending shoulder injury in mid-September. Nelson was a first-round draft pick and while he showed potential, he missed far too many tackles.


TEAM NEEDS/OFFSEASON STRATEGY


The defensive needs come before all else. Most crucial is what the team will do at the defensive end spot. Paul Spicer will be 33 years old when the season starts and his best football is behind him. He may have to be counted on more so as a backup than as a full-time starter that he was last year. With the uncertainty surrounding both Reggie Hayward and Bobby McCray, the Jaguars will make defensive end their top priority. They acquired Hayward through free agency two years ago and had it not been for the severe Achilles tendon injury in 2006, it would have been a good move. They could duplicate such a deal once free agency starts in March.


General thought is that free agents quarterback Quinn Gray, wide receiver Ernest Wilford, offensive lineman Maurice Williams and McCray will all find new deals elsewhere. Wilford led the team in receiving with 45 catches but hasn't shown the consistency the team is looking for in his four years with the club.



1. Defensive end: Spicer was the best of the four players at this position in 2007 but his age factor and the uncertainty of Hayward and McCray leave a very big question mark for the Jaguars. The club got just 20 total sacks from their defensive ends last season, an indication opposing passers had too much time to look for receivers.


2. Defensive tackle: Several years ago Marcus Stroud and John Henderson were as potent a combination at this position as there was in the league. But neither had a good year last season, with Stroud missing four games due to alleged steroid use. There's not enough quality backup other than Derek Landri who had a good rookie season and Rob Meier who was solid at both tackle and end. Free agency or draft picks will be needed to strengthen this position.


3. Wide receiver: It sounds like a broken record but the Jaguars still have not solved their needs at the wide receiver spot. Reggie Williams caught a team best 10 TD passes and had 629 yards, but only had 38 grabs for the season. Ernest Wilford led the team in number of catches (45), one more than Dennis Northcutt. When no one on the team can average 4 catches and 40 yards a game, there's a problem.


Medical Watch: During the regular season, the following players required surgery, some before the season started, others during the season. Those that were placed on IR and what was surgically repaired include: OL Chris Naeole (quadriceps), LB Mike Peterson (broken hand), WR Mike Walker (knee), SS Gerald Sensabaugh (shoulder), DT Tony McDaniel (wrist), TE Greg Estandia (knee), TE George Wrighster (knee), DT Marcus Stroud (ankle) and WR John Broussard (ankle).


No Jaguars had post-season surgery, nor is anyone listed to receive anything in the near future.


FRANCHISE PLAYER: None.

TRANSITION PLAYER: None.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS


• QB Quinn Gray will test the market to see if someone is willing to give him a shot as a starter. Otherwise will likely remain with the Jaguars in a backup role.


• WR Ernest Wilford had his best year and caught just 45 passes. He's a good guy in the locker room, but will likely find a new club for '08.


• OL Maurice Williams, who started 64 consecutive games at right tackle, watched the Jaguars bring in Tony Pashos to replace him prior to the 07 season. He started two games at left tackle and started final 10 including the two playoffs at right guard. Team would like to keep him, but he wants to start and he's likely played his last game for Jacksonville.


• DE Bobby McCray re-signed as a restricted free agent on the final day last year but is unrestricted this year and will most certainly land with another team.

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS


• CB Chris Roberson.


• S Gerald Sensabaugh.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_yl...pe=team_report

__________________