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The Jacksonville Jags released running back Fred Taylor today. I wasn’t surprised and I’m sure Fred wasn’t, either. He hasn’t been the team’s number one running back for several seasons and didn’t fit with the team’s ongoing, offseason facelift. So after 11 years in Jacksonville, Fred was given his walking papers. It’s difficult to see this happen — especially when the guy has been such a good player for one team for so long. But I can understand why the decision was made. And apparently, it wasn’t about the money. Fred is 33-years-old and was scheduled to make $6 million next season. Let’s face it. In the National Football League, 33-year-old running backs do not make $6 million. But he was willing to take a pay cut. So, Fred’s age played more into this decision than anything financial. The Jags wanted to work with their crop of younger running backs. Head coach Jack Del Rio talked about it:

“He clearly wanted to play football so, out of respect to him, we’re doing this early so he’ll have a chance to catch on. We just see a very talented group of backs, a very competitive group, and felt it’s time to move on as a football team. He’s still got some talent. I’m sure there will be interest by other teams.”

I think Fred could expect roughly 10-12 touches per game playing as a backup to a younger teammate at the running back position. After all, he’s got some tread on his tires. He’s piled up 11,271 yards in his career, good for 16th place on the all-time NFL rushing list. It’s rare a running back lasts as long as Fred has. So a limited role is really the only reasonable option.

Source: Jaguars.com, Photo: Newscom

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Jaguars Release Fred Taylor

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It’s been a really bad season for the Jacksonville Jags. Not only are they playing some of the worst football in their recent history, the Jags are a mess off-the-field as well. Most troubling was when offensive lineman Richard Collier was tragically shot, taking his leg and ending his pro football career. That’s enough to ruin any team’s season. Now, Jag’s top receiver Matt Jones (65 catches, 761 yards, two touchdowns) has been officially suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. Head coach Jack Del Rio issued the following brief statement today:

“We have received notice from the league and will move ahead accordingly. We spoke earlier and Matt indicated to me how intent he is on putting this behind him.”

I’m sure coach Del Rio would just as soon see this season be over right now. The Jags have lost four straight and look as uninspired as ever, prompting coach, in his Monday presser, to say “We’re just not functioning at a level that gives us a chance as a football team.” And that explains the 4-9 record. Matt has been one of the few bright spots for the Jags, but off-the-field — well, you know what he did.

For a team that was expected to challenge for the AFC title this season, they have been a monumental disappointment. A housecleaning might be in order starting in January. I really don’t see any other solution for a group of players who have practically no sense of how to play well together.

Source: Jaguars.com, Photo: Newscom

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Matt Jones Suspended

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To follow-up my September 2 post on the shooting of Jacksonville Jags offensive tackle Richard Collier, the news is not good. Richard is paralyzed from the waist down and he had his left leg amputated. Jags head coach Jack Del Rio reacted upon hearing the news yesterday:

“It’s a tragedy this young man was caught up in this violence. It’s a great tragedy for a young man who had such a promising future.”

This comes as a surprise because the media and Richard’s teammates were kept in the dark this past month. His family wanted to make sure he understood what had happened to him before releasing any information to the public. He’s been on a ventilator for about three weeks and has no memory of the shooting. As bad as this all sounds, Richard’s lucky to be alive. He sustained 14 bullet wounds to his back, left groin, left legs and right buttock. In addition, a bullet severed his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down. The amputation was due to blood clots in his left leg and groin.

I’m just really saddened by the violence that ended Richard’s football career and messed up his life. When you think about what could have been for a guy who wasn’t even recruited out of high school and why a thing like this happened, you just struggle for the reasons. I’ve heard nothing but good things about what kind of guy Richard is. Everyone says he is a good and kindhearted person. The motive behind the attack remains unknown.

Source: Jaguars.com, NFL.com, Photo: Newscom

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Richard Collier Paralyzed After Shooting

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Rookie defensive end Derrick Harvey ended his 33-day holdout and signed a five-year, $33.4 million contract with the Jacksonville Jags today. The deal includes $17.177 million guaranteed. Derrick is the last first-round Draft pick to sign a contract. The whole process frustrated Jags head coach Jack Del Rio, who just a few days ago was ultimately blaming Derrick’s agent for his client’s absence. He wasn’t thrilled with the system either:

“What’s happened at the very top of the first round is ridiculous. When you’re paying the guys who have never done anything more than star football players in this league that have played for years and established themselves at this level what they’re capable of, it can be a little frustrating.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell plans to address this rookie pay scale issue in the near future. But as it turns out, Derrick didn’t get the money he was holding out for. The Jags traded up 18 spots to get him with the No. 8 pick. Meanwhile, Vernon Gholston, selected with the sixth pick by the New York Jets, signed a five-year deal worth $50 million, with $21 million guaranteed. And New Orleans gave the No. 7 pick, defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, a five-year deal that reportedly included $19.5 million guaranteed. Derrick’s agent wanted a similar deal but finally settled and compensated by negotiating for easier-to-achieve incentives. I think both sides are just happy the deal has been sealed and Derrick can concentrate on football.

Obviously, Derrick has missed a lot of time and reps with the Jags defense. Just how quickly he’ll be able to catch up is yet to be seen. He did go through OTAs and minicamps, so it’s not like he’s unfamiliar with the system. But his primary objective won’t require a ton of study anyway. He’ll put his hand in the dirt off the edge of the defensive line and rush the quarterback. Derrick had 20.5 career sacks with the Florida Gators and was the defensive most valuable player of the 2007 BCS national title game against Ohio State. He’ll get the job done in Jacksonville, too.

Source: Jaguars.com, Photo: Newscom

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Derrick Harvey Ends Holdout With Jags

Following his recent arrest for felony possession of cocaine, Jacksonville Jags wide receiver Matt Jones‘ father made the following statement to the Arkansas Razorback nation at NWAHomepage.com this past week:

“Matt is anxious to make a statement and wants to make a statement. His attorney has advised him to not say anything until they have had a chance to speak together. They will release a statement at the appropriate time. We want to make it clear that Matt was not in possession of any drugs, but that there were drugs in the vehicle and were located in the closest proximity to Matt. He does not claim any responsibility for the drugs. There were two other individuals in the vehicle which did not belong to Matt. Matt has talked to Jacksonville head coach Jack Del Rio, telling coach he made a mistake and realizes that.”

Matt claims no responsibility? Hmm. But let’s give him the benefit of the doubt until he is proven guilty. Still, the police report claims Matt was cutting up cocaine with a credit card. Even if that’s not true, what was he doing in a car with cocaine (and marijuana) in the first place? And who were these two people he was with? Is Matt hanging with drug addicts?

Source: NWAHomepage.com

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Matt Jones’ Father Says Son Not Guilty

Jacksonville Jags wide receiver Matt Jones was arrested on felony drug charges after police found him cutting up cocaine with a credit card in his car today. Police said they searched the vehicle and found a plastic bag filled with a white substance that tested positive for cocaine and a jar with possible marijuana residue. Matt was released on $2,500 bond but his arraignment on a charge of felony possession of a controlled substance was set for August 11.

Matt was already in head coach Jack Del Rio’s doghouse most of last season, but that was for his on-field behavior. This is obviously not going to help the relationship and will most certainly bring an end to his days in Jacksonville. Of course, there is already early speculation that because Matt went to the University of Arkansas, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones (fellow Razorback alum) will take interest once Matt’s (likely) forthcoming suspension has been served. I disagree. Even though the Cowboys need more depth at receiver, Jerry’s not running a rehab. Which is where Matt needs to be.

Source: The Sports Network

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Matt Jones Arrested on Felony Drug Charge

The winter storm that has an icy grip on Indianapolis has slowed things down outside. But as promised, today was a whirlwind of activity around the Media Work Room here at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine. The players being shuttled in and out were mostly wide receivers, running backs and quarterbacks.

My day was really one big press conference with a few of my own interviews thrown in for good measure. I took part in every head coach presser — Tom Coughlin (Giants), Brad Childress (Vikings), Gary Kubiak (Texans), Tony Dungy (Colts), Herm Edwards (Chiefs), Scott Linehan (Rams), Jim Zorn (Redskins), Jack Del Rio (Jags), Mike McCarthy (Packers) and Romeo Crennel (Browns).

Several team VIPs were also speaking with the media — Packers GM Ted Thompson, Texans GM Rick Smith, Redskins VP of Football Ops Vinny Cerrato, Jags VP of Player Personnel James Harris, Browns GM Phil Savage and Rams Executive VP of Player Personnel Bill Devaney.

We also had a surprise guest — Cleveland Browns RB Jamal Lewis who recently signed a new three-year contract with the team. Jamal said he wants to play three more years and finish his career as a Cleveland Brown. He was thankful the team gave him that opportunity. He just wants to help the Browns get to the Super Bowl and feels they are making strides to get there. When asked how much gas he had left in his proverbial tank, he said:

“I’ve been answering that question for the last three years. I’m the old Jamal. A lot of gas is left in the tank. I work hard in the offseason to prepare myself for a 20-to-24-game season. I’m healthy and when I’m healthy I’m a good Jamal.”

Coach Childress gave some great insight into the career of Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson. While Tarvaris had an up-and-down 2007 season, his second half play in a loss to the Broncos in the final game of the season was what the team would look for mentality and physically next fall. Coach said he looked forward to Tarvaris logging more games in his third season as a starter. Personally, I think I would’ve pulled the plug by now. But I would like to see Tarvaris succeed. He certainly needs to keep working on his mechanics and he needs to be more consistent. Coach Childress also mentioned that DE Kenechi Udeze, who is battling a form of leukemia, told him: “Coach, this is nothing more than a cold. I’m gonna beat this.”

That would have been a full day in itself. But the offensive skill position players were in and out of the Media Work Room all day as well. Big names that are expected to be called very early in this upcoming Draft — like Matt Ryan (Boston College), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Rashard Mendenhall (Illinois) and Mario Manningham (Michigan) — all stopped by for a visit. And Brian Brohm (Louisville), who hopes to have a great Combine workout to challenge Matt Ryan for the top QB spot, felt his game was NFL-ready:

“I think the system I was in is going to help me tremendously to play in the NFL. Under Coach Petrino, it was pretty much the same type of system the New York Giants run. It’s where he got the offense when he was with Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville. We were in that system for three years. Then we switched over to a more accountable one back spread with zone running my last year. But just being able to adjust to new systems and being in a pro style system, I think is going to help me out a lot.”

I couldn’t agree more, but I don’t think he’ll be able to do enough to be the first QB taken in April. I think this is a solid group of QBs. The aforementioned Matt Ryan and Brian Brohm. Kentucky’s Andre Woodson. Michigan’s Chad Henne. USC’s John David Booty. Hawaii’s Colt Brennan. These guys were superstars in college and I feel like they can make an impact in the NFL.

Finally, what better way to end the day than to slide (literally — remember, I’m stuck in the middle of a winter storm here in Indy) four blocks down Maryland Ave. to Conseco Fieldhouse for the Pacers/Nets game. A special thanks to Pacers Director of Media Relations David Benner for the hook-up. By the way, Indiana won 113-103. (Check out our Sports Channel’s NBA blog — NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.)

Additional Photos by David Kindervater

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NFL Scouting Combine 2008: Day Two

Jacksonville Jaguars QB David Garrard was making throws he hadn’t made all season. Bad throws. One of the main reasons the Jags were in the playoffs with an 11-5 record was the consistent, virtually error-free play of one David Garrard. That’s the main reason head coach Jack Del Rio sent Byron Leftwich packing and handed the starting job to David. But with a push of playoff pressure, David had already thrown two INTs. Big deal? Well, in the playoffs, it most certainly is. But factor this in — he had only thrown three all season!

In this Wild Card playoff game, these weren’t just accidental interceptions. These were awful decisions thrown into ample coverage. This was not like David Garrard. In the process, Jacksonville had squandered an 18-point fourth quarter lead and given the Pittsburgh Steelers all the momentum they would need to achieve the biggest final quarter comeback in the history of the NFL. Then the Jags took it back. David Garrard took it back. On a 4th and two, David ran 32 yards to the Pittsburgh 11 to essentially seal the victory (Jags 31, Steelers 29 on a Josh Scobee FG) — the play of the year so far for Jacksonville. And that play was everything I like about David Garrard. Mobile, elusive, smart. For as big as he is, he moves quickly. He’s not fast … there’s a difference. And once he found himself in the Steelers’ secondary and close to contact, he had both hands wrapped around the football as if he was carrying his own child toward the endzone. This is a quarterback who is thinking. This is a quarterback I want on my football team.

Are the Jags a team of destiny? Well, until they meet the Patriots they are. So, I guess that means no. But I like what they bring to the playoff table in the meantime. They run the ball and stop the run. Their QB rarely makes mistakes. And look at the depth. Here’s just one example. When monster DT John Henderson went down with a strained hamstring, enter Derek Landri. The De La Salle high school product (see also Maurice Jones-Drew) and Notre Dame rookie only had one tackle but he added a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery for very good measure. Now that’s productivity off the bench. Depth will always be a key ingredient to any successful championship run.

No, I’m not predicting the Jags will get to the Super Bowl. I don’t think they’ll get past New England or Indy, but they will make those teams play four full quarters. Jacksonville is going to make life miserable for the rest of the AFC.

Post from: Every Morning Quarterback

Jaguars Spoil Steelers’ Comeback Effort, David Garrard Leads Jacksonville to Win

It was another beautiful day here in Indianapolis. Cold, for sure. But not a cloud in the sky. I spent most of my day inside as the action picked up considerably from yesterday with more than 15 head coaches speaking with the media and an endless stream of QBs, WRs and RBs.

I arrived early and set up shop in Media Work Room 105 here at the Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome. This is one of several “overflow” rooms for the media, but I prefer it because it’s MUCH quieter. I can’t write with all the chaos in the main Work Room.

My first order of business was an interview with NFL Draft Scout Senior Analyst Rob Rang. Rob had just arrived in town from his home base in Seattle and we had a great discussion on the Combine and this year’s Draft class. You can hear the interview on BPR61.

The day officially started with the Cleveland Browns winning a coin toss with Tampa Bay for the right to the third overall selection in April’s Draft. Both teams finished last season at 4-12. Then Miami Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron started the coaches parade with a 10 a.m. press conference. He mentioned he was from nearby Terre Haute, IN. Coach Cameron was eager to develop a good working relationship with the media. He’s not short on words, so that’s a good start. The other coaches who were here today were Lovie Smith (Bears), Tom Coughlin (Giants), Brad Childress (Vikings), Jack Del Rio (Jags), Rod Marinelli (Lions), Herm Edwards (Chiefs), Tony Dungy (Colts), Eric Mangini (Jets), Jeff Fisher (Titans), Marvin Lewis (Bengals), Mike McCarthy (Packers), and Romeo Crennel (Browns). In addition, there were GMs Ted Thompson (Packers) and Phil Savage (Browns) and Colts President Bill Polian.

The players began filtering in just before lunch. At one point there were five QBs in the Media Work Room. Obviously I couldn’t talk to all of them so I spent some time at a roundtable discussion with Justin Palmer (UTEP, brother of Bengals QB Carson) and then caught fellow Pitt grad Tyler Palko for a one-on-one which you will also hear on BPR61.

After grabbing a quick lunch (the NFL provides food) and visiting with my friends from the EAS booth across the hall, it was right back to work as wide receivers were everywhere. I spent some time with a couple of very promising prospects — Boise State’s Jerard Rabb and Illinois State’s Laurent Robinson. (Note: As I eluded to in yesterday’s post, I can’t get any decent audio for the podcast by putting my digital recorder on a podium and shouting questions from a distance. I can’t. I won’t. And this is the norm here. So, if I want an interview with one of the “higher profile” Draft prospects, I will just contact their agent in the coming weeks and we’ll try to get something setup. Last year we had players like Maurice Jones-Drew, Antonio Cromartie and Chris Chester — to name just a few — on telephone interviews for the podcast.)

Jerard spoke about Boise State’s miraculous Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma and what impact that has had on his life and the lives of others. It was a good interview, very candid. He’s a cordial, bright kid. Laurent was a little more reserved, but very polite and confident. He admitted it was a dream come true for him to be here at the Combine. You can hear both Jerard and Laurent on BPR61 as well.

I sat in on one more roundtable talk — this time with Penn State RB Tony Hunt. When asked about passing PSU greats Curt Warner and John Cappelletti in the school record books, he said, “It kind of surprised me. It just happened. I didn’t really see it coming. It just happened. I didn’t know how many yards I had, I just heard people talking about it. It’s just an honor to be mentioned in the same category with those guys.”

In today’s workouts, kickers and punters did their thing on the RCA Dome floor while O-linemen and tight ends benched. Texas Tech guard Manuel Ramirez and Texas guard Justin Blalock each bench-pressed 225 pounds 40 times.

One funny thing that happened to me today was when I was walking out of Media Work Room 105. Now, bear in mind that I am working amidst anyone and everyone who is involved with the NFL it seems — you never know who you’ll run into around any corner — head coaches (obviously), former and current players, presidents and GMs, etc. Well, Buffalo Bills legendary Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy had just passed by the door as I was walking out so I said, “Coach Levy!” He turned around and smiled. So, I introduced myself and we had a nice chat.

It was a very good day of work. A long and tiring day of work. I spent 95% of it on my feet. And now I’ve got an eight-hour drive ahead of me, back to NY and the home studio.

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NFL Scouting Combine: Day Two