H-TownRules said:
I'm not sure about anyone else but I'm laughing at the term "coming like a bat out of Cap Hell season." Come on...this season will be like any other Jaguars season...Enter with high hopes, injury to someone a few games in, mediocre until the last day. But I did like the creativeness displayed in last years "injury to someone a few games in."
95 Jags enter league with a 4 wins. I'll let you all guess who we beat first.
96 Jags go to the AFC championship game after only 2 years in the league.
97 Jags make it to the playoff's again.
98 You guessed it Jags make it to the playoffs again.
99 Right again the Jags are back in the AFC Championship game.
2000 Jags enter Cap Hell
2004 Jags exit Cap Hell with a new head coach, and a new QB.
Jags made it to the playoff's 4 years in a row. The bottom fell out when TC's Backloaded contracts caught up with him. We let the cap get out of control, and at one point we were furthur over the cap than any team in the history of the cap. But instead of rebuilding, we took a gamble and tried to keep high priced players in an attempt to try and pull of what the Titans have been successfully doing the past three years while having one foot in and one foot out of cap hell.
It was a one way ride to the bottom of cap hell for the Jags as injuries plagued this team on both sides of the ball. Add to that poor drafting in the later rounds, our depth was virtually non existent. But through it all the Jags never laid down. They were competitive year in and year out. Jags started the season strong in 02 with a 3-1 start and even with injuries to our corner stones Brackens and Mo Williams, Jags still out scored their opponents combined at the end of a losing season. But that wasn't enough to save TC's Job.
Enter Jack Del Rio. Jack came in to a team whose cupboards roster wise was virtually bare. He took the core jettisoned Marks Bloated contract and replaced him with a rookie who will IMO be the next Dan Marino. Last seasons mantra was mistakes. Mistakes such as the one Byron made when he did not protect the ball was one of many that cost us games. The Jags where a mess last season, from the QB controversy, to the new system, to the ax incident, and all the horrible game costing mistakes, it was one of the hardest seasons to swallow.
Through all the changes and mistakes last season Jags managed to have arguably the best run defense in the league, the 6th ranked defense and 12th ranked offense yardage wise. This was all accomplished under a rookie head coach, and a rookie QB. They say a QB makes more improvement in his second season than any time in his career. After having finished only second to Dan Marinos Rookie season rating wise last season I see Byron playing a huge role in our attempt to get back on top of the division.
This has been an excellent off season for the Jags, who for the first time in for years can consider themselves officially out of Cap Hell. Jags finally have respectable depth in virtually every position. Injuries, Lord ought not to have as a significant impact on this team as they have in years past while we were in the pits of Cap Hell.
With the additions of Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford, the jags receiving core ought to be one of the best in the league with Byron at the helm IMO. The addition of Greg Jones gives us an opportunity to finally be able to pound the ball in the red, clutch and on 3rd and short situations; something we lacked in 03.
With Hugh Douglas coming back in excellent shape this off season in an attempt to pull of a vintage season, add to that a healthy Tony Brackens our pass rush will be kicked up another notch. The additions of Bobby McCray, Brandon Green, Jorge Cordova, and Anthony Maddox ought to help shore up last season beleaguered pass rush.
Jags secondary got a huge shot in the arm with the additions of Juran Bolden, Lewis Sanders, Dewayne Washington, Blue Adams, Chris Thompson, and Deon Grant. Chris Thompson is a sleeper to watch out for. He did not allow a single TD from anyone he covered last season.
Daryl Smith and Greg Favors come in as an up grade to Danny Clark who went to the Raiders.
All in all my expectations for the Jags are probably to far over the top to discuss them in this forum, what the heck life is short.... One thing is for sure I dont expect all the players who went out on IR for the Texans to come back in vintage form. Having said that I see the Texans stuffing the Titans in the basement, and giving the Colts all they can handle While the Jags Take the South Title hands down this season while being on pace to play the Super Bowl at home as well as every post season game.
While some here possess hatred for the Jags I on the other hand possess a love and passion for the Jags that is second to none. I will come off as acting like a homer from time to time, but in truth I know this team is capable of greatness for some time to come, and with the Colts on the verge of Cap Hell, I see the Texans and the Jags rivalry heating up for some time to come. I am looking forward to the Jags reverting back to their 7-1 form in the division contest. Having said that I can understand and respect your Hatred, not for what we have done mind you but for what we are about to do.