MVN - Most Valuable Network

With a wink and a nod, the Jaguars discuss draft strategy

With the 2008 NFL Draft barely 48 hours away, the Jacksonville Jaguars are quickly methodically formulating a strategy that will allow them to make the necessary upgrades along the defensive line in order to take the team to the next level of success.

When asked about their goals in a press luncheon earlier this week, Del Rio was very clear to point out that they would address the defensive line.  His lack of specificity was not questioned, and speculation that his point was that they would target players in the draft to upgrade the defensive line was probably a slight misrepresentation. 

Let’s take a look at what Jack Del Rio actually meant by his comment.

The Jaguars coaching staff, front office, and scouts know better than anyone what their needs are with the draft looming. 

Even for an untrained novice with the slightest knowledge about the Jaguars roster can see that there are issues of need at Defensive End and Defensive Tackle. 

So, it is a foregone conclusion that this area of need is one that the team is focusing their efforts on to address.  Unfortunately, free agency did not yield the quality that the team had hoped.  The prospect of trading away a treasure trove of draft picks to secure Jared Allen failed to appeal to the cash wise Jaguars either. 

So, all speculation centered on the comment, and the assumption was made that Del Rio was talking about the draft.

Not so fast.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are a team that is notorious for making head fake maneuvers in the weeks leading up to the draft in order to disguise their true intent.  People tend to read more into comments than they probably should, and then speculate wildly about what it really means when Del Rio says such things.

While the team will undoubtedly target an end or tackle on the first day of the draft, if the value simply is not there, or the player that they are really targeting is off the board, they may opt to go in a completely different direction at the 26th pick (assuming that they will not find a willing partner to trade up in a draft lacking much in the way of top tier talent).  

The reality is, the Jaguars will address the defensive line.  That is what Jack Del Rio said, and that is clearly their focus.  He never said that it was something that would be done exclusively through the draft. 

The team has been putting feelers out to get a sense for what trade options are available to them.  With Jason Taylor dancing with the stars in Hollywood, his fate in Miami is far from certain.  Miami has given all indication that they want to reel in a first round draft pick for the Dolphin’s aging terpsichorean. 

The general logic is that he is the target of the Jaguars, and that with the Dolphins clearly in rebuilding mode, their goal is to stockpile high draft picks to speed that process along.

But, is Jason Taylor REALLY the only trade option available to the team at Defensive End?

That would hardly be the case.

The Jaguars have a couple of options here to go after quality ends via the trade route.  In both cases, the players that would be targeted are on teams that are in the midst of rebuilding, and shopping for additional draft picks.  The question becomes a simple one: what is the best deal for the Jaguars?

Two players that have to be on the top of the list for the Jaguars to talk trade between now and Saturday afternoon would be Atlanta and Carolina.  The connection between those two franchises and the Jaguars is crystal clear. 

Jack Del Rio was the defensive coordinator under John Fox in Carolina, and helped to craft one of the more potent defenses in the league.  With Julius Peppers coming off of a disappointing 2007 campaign, but still looking to secure a long-term deal, the Panthers might be willing to talk trade.  The familiarity between Fox and Del Rio certainly helps that process along.  The Panthers are clearly in need of rebuilding their defensive line, and the pending announcement that Mike Rucker is calling it quits only forces them to weigh their options quickly. 

Peppers, who is six years younger than Jason Taylor, would be an ideal fit for the Jaguars.  The concern is that his statistics dropped off dramatically in 2007.  What needs to be determined is what the actual cause of his quick decline was caused by?

If the reason for his decline is due to an injury, a legitimate erosion of skills, or a lack of desire, then the Jaguars will probably want to look elsewhere.  However, if it can be attributed to the fact that the Panthers entire defensive line struggled, and he was simply a victim of that, then there would be nothing of any substance to scare off trade inquiries.

The more likely trade partner that the Jaguars have been mum about is in Atlanta.  The Falcons are clearly in a major rebuilding effort, and they are looking to stockpile draft picks to advance their cause as quickly as possible.  With first year head coach Mike Smith at the helm, the Jaguars have a friend in this process.  This might make it the most logical target for any type of trade scenario that the Jaguars might craft that does not involve another Florida team.

John Abraham is a player that is just turning 30 (May 6th), coming off of a solid 2007 season on a team that was in complete disarray.  Because the Falcons are going to be intent on getting younger and building for the long haul, the inclination might be there to shop Abraham to an AFC team in the hope of securing those coveted extra draft picks.  The only real concern regarding Abraham is how motivated he will be in coming to a new team. 

Abraham has expressed the desire to play for a contender in the past.  That is clearly not going to be the case in Atlanta for the short term, so his only hope of winding up in a situation that is acceptable from that perspective is to be traded to another team.  Jacksonville is the ideal location based on the relationship between the two franchises, and because the Jaguars are being built up as a Super Bowl contender.

The Jaguars could be in a position where they anticipate a veteran end coming free in the second wave of free agency as teams trim their rosters in June, July, and August to address cap issues.  The expectation that this would be their focus for veteran help is pretty unlikely as most teams have found ways to work within their current cap structure thanks to the rapid expansion over the past two seasons. 

With draft day looming, having a deal in place to land a veteran defensive end early in the process will help to drive the Jaguars efforts on Saturday and Sunday.  Clearly, they will address the defensive line in the draft, adding depth at tackle, and acquiring a player that they can develop for the long-term at end.  However, it makes their efforts a lot easier if they have a deal secured to bring in a proven veteran before they begin that process.

Stay tuned!
 

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 24th, 2008 at 8:15 am and is filed under Jaguars' Journal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.