JACKSONVILLE – Looking forward to Wednesday.
The D is clearly in retreat. Is one season enough to achieve respectability?
People keep using the word “regression” when referring to the Jaguars defense. I don’t know that it applies. This unit shut out the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 when the Colts were without multiple key offensive players and held the Los Angeles Chargers to 10 points the following week when the Chargers were also without key offensive players. They also held the 1-10-1 Houston Texans to 13 points. Those are the only three games this season in which the Jaguars have held their opponent under 20 points. They have major issues in the secondary and their pass rush isn’t good enough to hide those issues. They are not retreating defensively. They are not very good defensively until they prove otherwise. Can one offseason “fix” it? If the corner improves and young players develop throughout the front seven, then … the unit can absolutely improve.
The defensive investments in the draft and free agency seem to have missed the mark. How long are we stuck with these contracts and what savings can be made in the next year or so?
We won’t know if the 2022 NFL class has missed “the mark” for a while — at least until next season — even though we have a better idea of the players that were selected before that. Figuring out exactly what savings might be available for this season is complicated and would make for a long answer without much effort. In general, the Jaguars can move on from multiple free agents signed in the upcoming 2021 offseason – players such as cornerback Shaq Griffin, defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris and safety Rayshawn Jenkins. They would have much more trouble moving on from players signed last season such as goaltender Foye Oluokun, defensive back Foley Fatukasi and goaltender Darious Williams due to the salary cap implications of the release those players. Players like Griffin, Robertson-Harris and Jenkins make about $10 million in dead money if released and would cost about $38 million if retained. Players like Oluokun, Fatukasi and Williams are worth a total of about $49 million if released and would cost about $43 million if retained.
Jason from Green Cove Springs, FL
With five games left in the season the Jaguars 2022 rookie class looks bad. Outside linebacker Travon Walker has struggled to get pressure, inside linebacker Devin Lloyd has been benched and inside linebacker has struggled Chad Muma some big plays on Sunday. The Luke Fortner Center is pretty solid. Do you think this draft class will turn things around and become the top players this team desperately needs?
I do not know. I know you can’t come to a final conclusion about a draft class during a rookie season.
Would the players in this defense, namely Josh Allen, fare better in a 4-3 vs. 3-4 game? And if so, why did we draft it in the first place? If we were running 4-3, why change to 3-4 without the appropriate personnel. I’m not assuming anything. Really trying.
The Jaguars were running 4-3 when they selected Allen No. 7 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. They switched to a 3-4 last season, and at the time it was widely believed that Allen would do well as a 3-4 outside linebacker because he was playing posted at Kentucky. The Jaguars went 3-4 last season as what then-defensive coordinator Joe Cullen believed was best. They continued to run the defense this season because they believed they had the right personnel to do so and because defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell’s background is in a 3-4 game.
The problem with the blowout to the Lions on Sunday is that it changes the perception of the blowout win over the Baltimore Ravens the week before. At the time, that game looked like two good teams going toe-to-toe with the Jags coming out on top. Now it looks like a bad team is playing their best game and beating a good team that had an off day. In the end, a win is a win and a loss, but losing last Sunday makes the Ravens game feel more like last year’s Bills game.
I imagine many fans feel the same way you do. Losing stings in the short term. The Jaguars have for the most part played much better this season than they did against the Lions, and I would expect that to translate to a lot in the long term.
I wonder if CJ Henderson could help this secondary because Dan Arnold sure isn’t doing much on the bench. Isn’t the Urban trade great, smh!! What do you think, John?
Henderson not working out for this franchise hurts – just like Jalen Ramsey not working out still hurts. When you draft position No. 9 and No. 5 as the Jaguars did to those players you do so with the idea that they will be core players for a long time. And don’t forget: The hole in the corner is a real thing. It’s hard to say trading Henderson was the wrong move, though. Not that they couldn’t use a really good corner. I don’t know if it’s consistent enough or reliable enough to really regret the trade.
Cross. You said in your recent column that you expected before the season that the defense would be a strength for the team, but then you mentioned that there is and was a big hole in the secondary. Didn’t they pay Jenkins, Griffin and Williams ridiculous contracts to fix the problem?
Yes. When you enter high profile free agency you run the risk of paying premium money for less than premium players.
Will outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson or Griffin be back this year to help the defense?
Both players are on injured reserve, Chaisson with a knee injury and Griffin with a back injury. The Jaguars placed Chaisson on the designated-to-return list on Nov. 23 and now have one more week to activate him. Griffin has not yet been named to return.
Now that the Jags have about the same chance of making the postseason as Andy Dalton getting accepted into a PhD program, do you think they’ll try Lloyd at OLB?
A little. In spots. It’s probably not full-time.
Josh Allen is emblematic of the reason the Jaguars are perennial losers – we keep spending late draft capital on players who are good, not great. There are no real difference makers on our roster at any position. I’m not willing to pass final judgment on Trevor or running back Travis Etienne Jr. yet (and certainly not this year’s rookies) – but Josh Allen has proven he’s not elite. I doubt Chaisson is on the roster next year. Henderson and defensive lineman Taven Bryan are already off the roster. Running back Leonard Fournette and Ramsey were good, but we didn’t sign him to a second contract. Defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. and quarterback Blake Bortles didn’t last more than five years with the team. Left tackle Luke Joeckel and wide receiver Justin Blackmon are both out of the NFL. That’s an entire decade’s worth of first-round picks (most of them in the top 10) that didn’t become a single core/foundational player for this franchise.
Trevor Lawrence is developing at quarterback. Etienne looks great but she needs to get rid of the joke problems. The rest of the team is a result of underperforming players on second contracts, free agent hires (which you often point out other teams point out), missed draft pick opportunities and unproven players. The poor evaluation of talent from years and years past is hurting and cementing progress. How do we get out of this cycle?
This is a bit too broad a generalization. Wide receiver Christian Kirk was a very good free agent signing – and it’s generally inaccurate to say that wide receiver Zay Jones, linebacker Tyson Campbell, Jenkins, guard Brandon Scherff aren’t productive players. But you’re right that free agency isn’t the best way to build a roster, and it often pays premium money for less-than-premium plays. What is the way out? Let Lawrence continue to develop and raise his level, draft well around him, let the drafted players develop. That is not always an easy road. It is always the best way.
Chris from Niagara Falls, Canada
Hey, Belt. Ever since Owner Shad Khan bought this franchise it has been terrible. The training wheels are off and it’s time to make better decisions about hiring personnel. This team has a great fan base and they deserve so much better. For many years now we have picked early and failed to pick many impact players, and Trevor is not talking about me, my dog could pick him. Happy Christmas!
Can we survive without the ozone layer?
Life could not exist without this protective ozone, also known as the ozone layer. Read also : College Football World reacts to a photo of the Miami cheerleaders. Too much UV (ultraviolet) radiation can cause skin cancer, cataracts, and harm plants and animals.
What would happen to people if the ozone layer were destroyed? Ozone depletion can cause increased amounts of UV radiation to reach the Earth, which can cause more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and weakened immune systems. Too much UV exposure is believed to be contributing to the rise in melanoma, the deadliest cancer of all.
What if there is no ozone layer? Without the ozone layer, too much harmful UVB radiation would reach the Earth’s surface. This would be bad news. Increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer and eye cataracts, and damage crops, plants and microorganisms, affecting ecosystems and food chains.
What does the ozone layer protect us from?
Ozone in the stratosphere protects life on Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation and is therefore often called ‘good’ ozone. See the article : The Prosper community helps injured cheerleaders celebrate their Sweet 16. This is in contrast to ozone in the troposphere, the lowest layer of the atmosphere, where it is an air pollutant and can be harmful to humans, animals and vegetation.
What is the ozone layer and why is it important to us? The ozone layer is a region of high ozone concentration in the stratosphere, 15 to 35 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. The ozone layer acts as an invisible shield and protects us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
Does the ozone layer protect us from heat? You will notice that the cloud absorbs some of the heat and light coming from the sun. In the same way that a cloud blocks the heat on a hot day, the ozone layer in the stratosphere blocks the sun’s deadly ultraviolet rays. It acts as our planet’s natural solar block. The sun doesn’t just produce heat and light.
What does ozone do to protect us? It absorbs most of the sun’s ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation, which limits the amount of this radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface. As this radiation causes skin cancer and cataracts, the ozone layer plays an important role in protecting human health.
