Jaguars To Play In London

            At 2:00 P.M. today Jacksonville Jaguars Owner Shahid Khan and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the Jaguars will be playing 1 “home game” in London from 2013-2016. As a Jags fan this is a source of mixed emotions.

On the negative side it may be upsetting for the local supporters of the franchise to be losing one home game a year for the next four years. However, over the last few seasons Jaguars attendance has not been the best so how much are the people of Jacksonville really missing out on.

On the positive side this could be a huge step for the franchise as a whole. The revenue and attention the team stands to receive from this deal severely outweigh the loss of one game at Everbank. One of the least popular teams in the NFL has just been handed a chance to become the first truly international American Football franchise. The Jags are essentially becoming London’s “home” team. And who better to make the trip across the pond every year than a team from Florida, which had 9 million visitors from the UK last year.

The atmosphere around the team has been dramatically improving all off season and this seems to be one of the most exciting times to be a Jaguar fan. With the London announcement it seems like there’s no stopping the wave of enthusiasm that is surrounding my beloved Boys from the Bold City.

@Run_BMC

Khan and Jones-Drew Have a Private Meetings

By Matt Loede
Outside the Redzone via Jaguars Gab

NFL rushing champion Maurice Jones-Drew is now more than three weeks into a training-camp boycott that has cost him more than $600,000 ($30,000 per day in fines) and no indication that he plans to report anytime soon. Owner Shad Khan made it clear that he has no intention of giving Jones-Drew the new deal he desires, Michael Silver of Yahoo Sports reports.

“He’s not here, and that’s his decision,” Khan said of Jones-Drew, who has two years remaining on the five-year, $31-million deal he signed in 2009. “Believe me, it’s not a great concern. You hope for the best, and you plan for the worst. Our goals for the season don’t change, and if he isn’t here, he isn’t here. I don’t control it. It’s his choice.”

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The Sky Isn't Falling In Jacksonville

Nationally there has been a lot of negative talk regarding the Jacksonville Jaguars. Some of it may just be the national media talking out of their asses without having actually seen anything on the ground in Jacksonville and some it may very well be warranted. However here are the 4 biggest positives I’ve seen so far in training camp in the pre-season:

1.      Blaine Gabbert – Gabbert was undoubtedly one of the biggest question marks coming into camp. His rookie year was for lack of a better word dismal. He shied away from hits, made poor decisions when throwing the ball, and was virtually dead last in every important statistical category. However all of this needs to be taken with a grain of salt. A big one. The Jaguars’ offense was in shambles last year. Due to the holdout Gabbert barely saw training camp and just two weeks before the season, the QB he was supposed to be sitting behind and learning from for at least a year, is cut from the team. Fast forward to week two and Blaine is making his first NFL start behind an O-Line riddled with injuries and a receiving corps that could barely pass as backups on any other team. That is simply a recipe for disaster. Blaine could only go up and that’s what he’s done. He’s been making good throws in both camp and in the first pre-season game. He steps up in the pocket more confidently when making throws and with the two shiny new targets of Blackmon and Robinson he actually has someone to throw to.

2.      Rashad Jennings- I have always been high on Jennings. He had a good year in 2010 behind MJD with 459 yards rushing on only 84 touches with 4 TD’s. He’s also averaged 5.4 yards per carry over his career. Last pre-season he suffered a severely sprained knee which forced him to miss the entire 2011 season however this year he is back at full strength. With Maurice Jones-Drew still holding out Rashad Jennings has found a window of opportunity to perhaps earn a few more carries this season. Jennings is a much more bounce it to the outside kind of a back which is a nice compliment to MJD’s between the tackles type of running. The two paired together is almost reminiscent of MoJo’s first two seasons when he was paired with Fred Taylor. I’m not saying that Jennings is of Taylor’s skill level but perhaps with a few more carries he can become a big contributor to the Jacksonville offense.

3.      Brian Anger- Ok this may not be one of the “biggest” positives I’ve seen so far but the kid is worth a mention. I would like to go on record that I in no way support the Jaguars decision to draft a punter in the 3^rd round, but if they had to make a stupid decision at least they made a good stupid decision. The gut can punt a football, and I mean seriously punt it. His kicks always seem to have a hang time in the 4.8 sec area and go about 50 yards. In the game against the Giants he had a punt muffed which was recovered by the Jaguars and in turn resulted in a Jacksonville touchdown. I’m not saying that a punter is going to win the Jags a lot of games this season, but with the amount of time they could be spending deep in their own territory I imagine he could come in handy.

4.      The Atmosphere- That’s right #4 isn’t even a player. It’s the environment the players are in. There have been countless stories of how bad day to day activities were handled by the Del Rio regime. Players were unhappy, Coaches were unhappy, and there was just a general negative vibe around the team. However with both a new coach and new owner there is a buzz about the team. The word rebirth has been thrown around on several occasions. Jaguar great Tony Boselli likened the excitement in the community to that of an expansion franchise. People are excited for Jaguar football this year and I have to say, I’m one of them.

5

Scobee Signs

It’s the same story with every franchise. Everyone feels the need to hate on the kickers until the team is two points down and forty yards away from the end zone with the clock winding down. There are few Kickers in the NFL who are better in these game-winning situations than Josh Scobee, and luckily he will remain a Jaguar for at least the next four years. Yesterday Scobee signed a contract worth $13.8 Million, with $4.75 million guaranteed.

For some people this may seem like a hefty amount to pay a Kicker, but for Jacksonville it was the right move. Josh Scobee has developed a bit of a cult following in his years in Jacksonville and as I see it is now one of the more popular players on the team. I’m not saying that if the Jaguars were to lose Scobee in the near future it would be devastating but on a team with two playoff appearances in the last decade, fans tend to latch on to what bright spots they can find, and Josh Scobee delivered several happy moments. So congratulations Josh, and thank you Jacksonville, for letting us fans keep one of our favorite players. Now if we can just do the same for MoJo…

Tealergangin' Em

"Jag-swag" is my least favorite Jaguar-related phrase. It's catchy like that "Call Me Maybe" song and both are referenced by people who mostly suck at living. Hopefully, like that song, it'll fade out. "Tealergangin'" might not rhyme but it'll make you feel just as much a rap artist. Words aside, check this shit out:

Damn straight. This is the Jag's alternate jersey. Khan said, "all black everything." So did Jay-Z. Whether it's your skin, mustache or jersey... it's boss shit. Money, power, blackness?

Tealergangin' Em

Need Answers? There's An Old Guy For That!

For those who are not aware, the senior writer for the Jaguars is John Oehser. On Jaguars.com, he answers the fans questions in what is known as the O-Zone. Not only will you find the teal truth for your amateur inquiries, but they will be coated with ingenious wit that is all but not amusing. Oehser, despite working for the Colts, is one of the greatest players not found on this franchise's roster. Pay homage and seek your unknown here: The O-Zone.

Hot update: The O-Zone is live. This means you won't have to check back during a 3-day reply period because John wishes to get your foolish questions out of the way immediately. Hot heaven! You're not off the hook though. Check every version of the O-Zone for every entertaining question voiced by your slightly educated peers. And, hot excitement!

The Glass Is Half Full

Justin Blackmon will play the largest role in the Jaguar's upcoming season, if he can find a place to stay besides jail or a casket.

I had hoped his signing bonus might provide the service of a personal driver, maybe even cab money, but this was not the case. The case was Blackmon's second DUI charge. The Jaguars drafted the rookie to fill a void in the struggling offense and provide our second-year quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, with potential weapons. In this effort, they signed three key wide-receivers; Justin Blackmon, Laurent Robinson, and Lee Evans.

Evans is a veteran with solid hands. The most he can do is find inspiration to revamp his career and break-out. The least he can do is mentor the receiving squad. Robinson's career was on a statically-noticable decline until a break-out season last year with the Cowboys. He found the end-zone 14 times and kept an injured offense on track. I have faith that he has found the inspiration to revamp his career, leading me to believe that Evans and Robinson will be able to draw from each other's values and provide wisdom for our young quarterback and wide-receivers.

Blackmon was drafted after four incredible years at Oklahoma State. This guy is the real fucking deal. He consistently displays a wide clutch, as well as an explosive drive after the catch. ESPN's Sports Science exposed his abilities, which include the receiving range of a two-car garage. You're going to observe that, here: Sports Science: Justin Blackmon.

With a full off-season for Gabbert to test out the new artillery, the Jags are looking good and we're feeling even better. There is absolutely no room in this bandwidth for the pessimist to remain pessimistic. The wide-receiving unit must be a unit, feeding off each other's strengths and facilitating each other's weaknesses. If Blackmon can make it to the stadium and consistently display his catch, drive, and swerve on the field, he will fortify this unit and assume the greatest role on this franchise's roster.