Remember Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner’s record-setting 24-of-26 passing performance Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars? Of course you do. His 92.3 completion rate surpassed the previous mark set by Vinny Testaverde of the Cleveland Browns back in 1993 (Vinny was 21-of-23). Well, Kurt’s jersey and a football from the Cardinals’ win will be shipped to Canton, OH and placed on exhibit in the Hall’s Pro Football Today Gallery.
I was at the Hall of Fame last week and it’s one of my happiest places to be. I am there every August to work at the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame …read more

Receiver Dennis Northcutt was traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Detroit Lions today. In exchange, the Lions send 24-year-old safety Gerald Alexander to the Jags. It’s no surprise that Dennis was traded because his availability was made known earlier this week.
The Lions get a smart, veteran receiver who actually led the Jags in catches last season with 44 (for 545 yards). Dennis will provide depth at the receiver position and he’ll be a reliable target (who knows his way around opposing defenses) for either Daunte Culpepper or Matthew Stafford.
Source: ESPN.com

As expected, the Jacksonville Jags signed free agent receiver Torry Holt to a three-year deal worth about $20 million today. Sure, Torry is 32-years-old, but he’s a seven-time Pro Bowl player who gives the Jags their best, most-established, go-to receiver since Jimmy Smith. If Torry comes close to producing the same kind of numbers as Jimmy, the Jags will consider themselves very lucky.
As far as I’m concerned, Torry’s got six-to-eight more years left in his career. You can’t base an opinion on his production — or lack thereof — with the Rams last season (64 catches, 796 yards, three TDs). …read more

The Jacksonville Jaguars expressed their devotion to running back Maurice Jones-Drew today by giving him a four-year extension worth $32 million ($17.5 guaranteed). In the process, they announced very clearly that his days of sharing the spotlight at the running back position were over. Former teammate Fred Taylor chose to finish his career in New England so MJD is now the Jags’ go-to guy.
With next season (2010) scheduled to have no salary cap, the Jags really could’ve forced Maurice to spend a number of consecutive years as a restricted free agent, something he obviously would’ve wanted to avoid. So, to …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
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 …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
The opponents for all 2009 regular-season games have been determined and a complete list of each team’s home and away matchups was issued yesterday by the NFL. The scheduling formula implemented in 2002 with realignment guarantees that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis. Under the formula, every team within a division plays 16 games as follows:

Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games)
The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (4 games)
The four teams from a division in the other conference on a …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
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 …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Here’s a great story on former Jacksonville Jags offensive lineman Richard Collier that was on ESPN’s Outside the Lines yesterday morning. I realize he lost a leg in this terrible crime, but because of the adversity he’s already been through in his life, I believe “Big Rich” will find a way to walk again.

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
With starting quarterback Dan Orlovsky nursing a thumb injury that might require surgery, new Detroit Lions QB Daunte Culpepper is expected to start tomorrow against the Jacksonville Jags. If this happens, it will be a stunning turn of events in a very short amount of time. After all, he announced his retirement just two months ago. But why not? What have the Lions got to lose? As long as Daunte is physically able to perform and has enough of the offensive scheme down to get through a game, he might as well play himself into …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
Not surprisingly, Jacksonville Jags leading receiver Matt Jones has been suspended three games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. The suspension comes a week after Matt was accepted into a drug treatment program that could erase a felony cocaine charge against him. Matt has to participate in NFL-sponsored substance-abuse counseling and random drug testing through the end of the football season. Then he’ll have to complete the intervention program. I think he’s lucky to get three games. We’re not dealing with an over-the-counter supplement here. Sure, he pleaded not guilty to the felony drug …read more