5/23/13: Jacksonville is an interesting story. It is a good city, but there are a lot of concerns these days of whether Jacksonville should have been given an NFL team at all. In 1988, Jacksonville made a very lucrative offer to land the then St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals chose Phoenix instead. Jacksonville got a team in the early 1990's and had a fair share of early success. But recent struggles and the economic downturn leave empty seats. Now the Jags are among the worst teams in the league. With a new coaching staff, hopefully they can turn out of their recent tailspin.

5/16/13: Former Jags wide receiver Jimmy Smith may well be the best player in franchise history. As he sits in a Mississippi prison for the next six years, he may be the best in their penal league as well. Smith was sentenced to six years for possession of cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Second year Jags WR is trying to hold up his part of the tradition with a four game suspension to start the season for substance abuse. Blackmon has all the skill needed to be a superstar in the league, but must start using some common sense so he does not become a Titus Young.

5/9/13: Casual and invested fans alike may have been surprised when Florida International University safety Johnathan Cyprien was selected by the Jags with the first pick of the second round. Most people probably had not heard of Cyprien, and just chalked it up to another bad Jacksonville pick (like taking the punter in the 3rd round). But Cyprien was a hot item. The Jags turned down three separate offers for the pick. One does not have to come from a football powerhouse to be a great NFL player, but the scouts have to do extra work to locate these diamonds in the rough.

5/2/13: It sounds strange to say, but the Jags may have had a good draft this year. They did not select a punter in the third round. They did not make a huge reach for a tremendously raw quarterback, and they did not pass over a local legend. Jacksonville benefited from the Chiefs taking OT Eric Fisher with the first overall pick, leaving them OT Luke Joeckle from Texas A&M. New HC Gus Bradley put his prints on the team by getting good value on the defensive side of the ball. But don't worry, they did take Michigan slash player Denard Robbinson (a former quarterback) and reportedly want to use him at running back.

4/25/13: There is not a lot of hope in Jacksonville that the Jags will do much of anything this season. The hope is that they can better their record from two dismal wins. The division got tougher. Houston is still the favorite and should win at least 10 games again. Indianapolis returns a young team that made the playoffs, and has only improved through experience. Even the Titans got better, and there is a chance that WR Kenny Britt can get on his annual work release program for the first half of the season. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew returns this season, so that will help, but this team must concentrate on improving each week, and eventually the wins will come.

4/18/13: Many people who have met new head coach Gus Bradley say that his enthusiasm and passion for the game is infectious. He seems to actually have belief that Blaine Gabbert may be the answer at quarterback for the Jags. But in Bradley's first workouts, he ran a very uptempo practice He even pumped in various music to keep people motivated. The enthusiasm is good for the Jags. It is nice that they can feel good now, because neither this team nor its dwindling fanbase will not be this happy again for the rest of the season.

4/11/13: Times are tough in Jacksonville. Many thought that the city never should have been awarded an NFL franchise in the mid-90's, especially when St. Louis, Portland, and Salt Lake City could have been available. However, the team was surprisingly good for their first decade or so, and has really only fallen on hard times for the past few years. The Jags hope that a new braintrust and ownership will get them back on track, but they do have to face the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts twice every year, and those teams look like legitimate playoff contenders for the next several years.

4/4/13: New head coach Gus Bradley says that the Jags will have an open QB competition this year. The current competitors are Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne. Some competition - like watching a drunk guy trying to figure out his options when the bar closes. The Jags will probably draft another QB and try to make this interesting. The team has said they will not pursue Tim Tebow, which makes little sense because they need to sell tickets and they cannot get any worse than they already are. In any case, without Tebow, not many people will be paying attention to the Jags this season.

3/28/13: The Jaguars waived wide receiver Laurent Robinson earlier in the month, which was odd considering how much they courted and payed Robinson to get him to Jacksonville and away from the Cowboys a year ago. Bu t this is a different regime and has no ties to the past roster. The team did sign slot receiver Jordan Shipley as his apparent replacement. Shipley was a third round pick of the Bengals a few years ago, and had a good rookie season. He has since battled injuries and was waived last September. Now healthy, he hopes to make a go of it in Jacksonville.

3/21/13: When the Jags signed unrestricted free agent linebacker Geno Hayes early in free agency, barely anyone outside the 904 area code noticed. But Hayes is a very talented player with an instinct for the ball. He dominated in college at Florida State - singlehandedly beating then number two Boston College in Boston on a nationally televised game. Now he is reunited with Gus Bradley - the new head coach of the Jags - and could not be happier to be in the system. The Jags have a long way to go before they are competitive in the AFC South, but they should have a defense that gives them a chance.

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3/14/13: Jacksonville said they would not be too active in the free agency, and they are being true to their word. To date, their only move has been to sign Geno Hayes. The Hayes signing means they may have found a replacement for Daryl Smith. Hayes was a sixth round pick out of Florida State in 2008 by Tampa. He was a dominant line backer in college, and has proven to be a solid pro. He spent four years with the Bucs and last season with Chicago. The signing is a reunion, as Hayes played for new Jags head coach Gus Bradley in his rookie season.

3/7/13: Fans and media alike have criticized quarterback Blaine Gabbert ever since he came into the league in 2011. But now even his off field and locker room attitude are being criticized by former coaches. One former coach claims that "nothing is ever his fault" and that he is known around the franchise as Blame Gabbert. Even though he is only two years into his NFL career and never had much talent around him, the team may elect to cut him and go with Chad Henne or a veteran retread next season simply to stop the bleeding now.

2/21/13: Jags quarterback Blaine Gabbert has been more of a punchline than a longterm answer for Jacksonville since he was drafted with the 10th overall pick in 2011. While it is true that he has not adjusted to the game like Andrew Luck or Cam Newton, there are some mitigating factors - like the fact that he plays in Jacksonville and does not have the talent around him that others do. But his former QB coach said that if he came out this year that he would be the number one ranked QB on the board. That really is a testament to how weak the quarterbacks are in this draft.

2/14/13: The Jags have a lot of first timers in major positions now. Owner Shad Kahn cleaned house after the season, firing long time GM Gene Smith and head coach Mike Mularkey after a dismal 2-14 season. Jacksonville hired David Caldwell as GM, his first time in that position. Caldwell hired Gus Bradley as head coach, his first time in that position. Bradley then hired Jedd Fisch as the offensive coordinator, his first time in that position, as well as Bob Babich as the defensive coordinator. It is not Babich's first time as a DC, but Lovie Smith controlled the defense when Babich was the Bears defensive coordinator.

2/7/13: It will take several years for the Jags to overhaul the roster into something that fans will get behind, so they took shortcut and unveiled a new logo. The traditional growling Jaguar logo is being replaced by something out of Thundercats, in that it looks far less intimidating and more cartoonish. Jacksonville management claims this is part of an overall rebranding project for the team. That being said, fans will support anything and buy merchandise when the team starts winning, and that does require overhauling the roster to put a competitive product on the field for the first time in years.

1/31/13: The biggest question surrounding the Jaguars - outside of who is Gus Bradley and why not get Tebow - is who will be the starting quarterback next season. Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne are on the roster. Gabbert has not shown he can play at the NFL level in two seasons - though he is still very young and the Jags do not seem inclined to dump him yet. Henne played the final few games and was better, but he is not seen as a long-term solution. Some possibilities could be Matt Flynn, T.J. Yates, or Alex Smith. Let the speculation begin.

1/24/13: What do the Jags do with star running back Maurice Jones-Drew? MJD is among the best RBs in the game when healthy, but he missed most of 2012 with a foot injury. He held out all of training camp in a contract dispute, as new owner Shad Khan would not renegotiate his contract. He has one year left on his deal now and is creeping towards 30 years old. Perhaps the best option is to trade him for draft picks and rebuild the team over the next few years, rather than sign MJD to a bloated long-term agreement that will hamper the franchise for years.

1/17/13: Jacksonville introduced their new General Manager, David Caldwell, who wasted no time in resetting the direction of the organization. Caldwell promptly fired head coach Mike Malarkey, who led the team to their worst record (2-14) in franchise history in his only season. The firing brings the body count to 8 head coaches this year, or 25% of the teams in the NFL. Caldwell also dismissed the notion of bringing Tim Tebow back to his hometown, meaning Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne will likely have an open competition for the starting QB job, though the team may bring in another arm for training camp.

1/10/13: Jacksonville has missed the playoffs for the past four seasons, and the last two regular season campaigns have been substandard by any measure, including the worst record in the team's 18 year history (2-14). Those results prompted owner Shad Khan to fire GM Gene Smith. Jacksonville is reportedly close to hiring David Caldwell as Smith's replacement. Caldwell has been the Director of Player Personnel with the Falcons for the past few season and was also interviewing with the Jets. Head Coach Mike Mularky's future will likely be defined by the new GM, so he still may be replaced.

1/3/13: Jacksonville wrapped up the season at Tennessee, in what was perhaps the most mocked game of Week 17. Considering the offensive struggles both teams have had, the combined 58 points was a veritable points explosion. Of course, about half of those points were scored on defense and special teams. The Titans won 38-20, leaving the Jags at 2-14 on season and holding the second overall pick in the April draft. GM Gene Smith was fired on Black Monday - essentially being held accountable for the lack of talent on the team. Head Coach Mike Mularky, finishing his first year, was not released, but may be once the organization hires Smith's replacement.

12/27/12: It may not be worth much, but the Jags can take some comfort in a moral victory in their 23-16 loss to the Patriots last Sunday. Jacksonville jumped out to a 10-0 lead and seemed to have the vaunted New England offense in check. But the Patriots tied the score by halftime and owned the third and fourth quarters. More disapointing than the game was the crowd. Thousands of New England fans showed up, giving the Jaguars their biggest home crowd in eight years. Patriot fans were loud enough to affect the Jags snap count, particularly in a crucial down at the end of the game. The good news, only one more game to go.

12/20/12: The Jags took a trip south to face in-state rival Miami last Sunday, but put in another poor performance in a 24-3 loss to the Dolphins. Jacksonville jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but that was all the scoring they could muster. QB Chad Henne threw for 221 yards, 106 to breakout wide receiver Cecil Shorts, but the team could not cross the goal line. The loss puts the Jags at 2-12 on the season, and the coaching staff will have to figure out what to do at the quarterback position. Now the speculation will be if the Jags will acquire hometown hero Tim Tebow in the offseason.

12/13/12: The Jets and Jaguars game did not look good on paper, and it did not look too good in real life either. The Jags were without Maurice Jones-Drew, Cecil Shorts, and Blaine Gabbert, and though Chad Henne has been an upgrade, the team could not generate the points needed to win. Jacksonville lost 17-10, dropping their record to 2-11. The quarterback play was weak on both sides, as the Jets Mark Sanchez only threw for 111 yards, while Henne had 185 yards. Jacksonville will have a top pick in the draft and it will be interesting to see what direction they go in. Until then, the Jags must travel south to Miami for a Florida showdown this Sunday.

12/6/12: The Jaguars struggles returned a week after upsetting the Titans for their second win of the season. Jacksonville visited Buffalo, and while the temperature was unseasonably warm, the rain did nothing to help the already stagnant passing game. Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick directed five consecutive scoring drives as the Bills went on to win 34-18. Maurice Jones-Drew continues to miss time with a foot injury, and backup Rashad Jennings went down with his own ailments. The Jags return home to host the Jets, but the game will likely not feature Tim Tebow, who is also hurt.

11/29/12: Finally, a win for the Jags. Jacksonville shelved starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert for the season and has turned to back up Chad Henne. Henne seems to have a better rapport with receivers and better understanding of opposing defenses. This past week, the Jags put up three touchdowns and outlasted the visiting Tennessee Titans 24-19. While it is too late for a turning point this season, it may show that Henne will take over as the starter next season and may be the end of the Blaine Gabbert era. Jags travel to Buffalo this week to face the equally struggling Bills.

11/22/12: The Jags, who are considered one of the lesser teams in the league, gave the Texans, who are considered one of the best teams in the league, all they could handle last Sunday. Jacksonville led late, until surrendering two fourth quarter touchdowns which forced overtime. Unfortunately, Matt Schaub connected with Andre Johnson for a touchdown which ended the game. Blaine Gabbert was hurt again, and is now out for the year, but Chad Henne looked great in relief, bringing out the best in Justin Blackmon and Cecil Shorts. Also, MJD should return soon and revive the running game.

11/15/12: There is just not much to say about the Jaguars this year, except that they are pretty much assured of a high draft pick in April. The Jags fell again, this time a 27-10 drubbing to the Indianapolis Colts and Andrew Luck. The lone bright spot, again, was young wide receive Cecil Shorts. Justin Blackmon was drafted to be the go-to wide receiver, but Shorts is the man making plays these days. He had 105 yards and the lone Jags touchdown. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury, though he may play this week at Houston.

11/8/12: The Jags are struggling in the worst way, and at least they have one win under their belt at the half way point. But at 1-7, they are effectively out of the playoff hunt. Maurice Jones-Drew continues to be out with a foot injury. Top rate rookie wide receiver Justin Blackmon has been non-existent. And quarterback Blaine Gabbert has never lived up to his high draft status. The latest loss was to Detroit 31-14. Now the Jags have to prepare for Andrew Luck and the Colts - something they will probably have to do for the next 10 or 12 years.

11/1/12: The Jaguars just can not catch a break. The team played the Packers tough for the first half, before finally falling 24-15 at home. There is still no timetable on star running back Maurice Jones-Drew's return from a foot injury - though Rashad Jennings is a capable backup. Rookie wide receiver Cecil Shorts has been a pleasant surprise, far outplaying fellow rookie Justin Blackmon. However, the Jags are 1-6, tied with the Chiefs and Panthers for the worst record in the league and the right to the number one draft pick next April. Next up: Jacksonville hosts Detroit on Sunday.

10/18/12: The Jags had their bye this week, and hopefully used that time to get back on track. Jacksonville is 1-4 and sits alone in the cellar of the AFC South. A playoff appearance is highly unlikely at this point, barring a miraculous mid-season turnaround. The next two games are on the road, against Oakland and Green Bay. The Raiders are also struggling at 1-4, so this is a great opportunity to get one in the W column. The Jags need to get on the scoreboard, though, as they only have 65 points through 5 games, and scoring 13 points per game just will not win a lot of NFL games.

10/4/12: Four weeks into the season and Jacksonville is as expected - winning 25% of their games, and losing the rest. The difference is that the Jags have played much better than expected, and quarterback Blaine Gabbert improved much more than anticipated. It doesn't hurt that a rookie wide receiver is making a name for himself by catching big touchdowns at the end of the game - no, not Justin Blackmon, but Cecil Shorts. Come Sunday, the Jags face off against the Chicago Bears, who just demoralized the Cowboys on Monday night, so the team has their work cut out for them.

9/22/12 ? Blaine Gabbert and Cecil Shorts are making a habit of late touchdown heroics. In week one, Gabbert and Shorts connected on a long touchdown to give the Jaguars the lead with only seconds left in the game. This week, the duo would come through again to give Jacksonville a 22-16 win over the Colts. After the Indianapolis Colts took a 17-16 lead. Gabbert found his wide receiver for a short pass, which Shorts turned into an 80-yard touchdown and the game-winning score. Gabbert finished with 155 yards passing on 10 of 21 completions and a touchdown. Maurice Jones-Drew carried the load early running for 177 yards on 28 carries including a 59-yard touchdown run. The win is the Jaguars first of the season and first as the Jaguars Head Coach for Mike Mularkey.

8/16/12: The Bucs are wrapping up training camp, and not a moment too soon for many players. New head coach Greg Sciano ran one of the toughest camps in recent history, which was a far cry from the Club Med vibe under former HC Raheem Morris. Coaches and fans are falling love with rookie running back Doug Martin. Many expect him to win the starting job over incumbant LeGarrett Blount. Both have played/practiced well, but neither has won the job. In any case, the Bucs look stronger and more focused than last season, and could surprise in the NFC South.

8/2/12: Running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who led the league with over 1600 yards last season is still a no-show at training camp. Jones-Drew wants a contract extension that will pay him like other elite backs - the $7-8 million per year range. The problem is that MJD has two years remaining on his deal and is creeping towards 30 years of age. The Jags are reluctant to throw big money after a guy with a limited shelf life. Jags fans hope a deal can be worked out in the near future, and it is in the best interest of everyone involved that some sort of understanding can be in place.

7/26/12: The Maurice Jones-Drew contract situation is now officially a serious issue for the Jaguars. MJD has repeatedly said he wants a new contract and will sit out until he gets one. The Jags say he has two years left on his deal and needs to honor the terms. The team has said they want MJD to report/play and they will work on a new deal then, but that leaves MJD open to injury. Another option is a trade. There are plenty of teams who would want the league's top rusher. At this point, that may be the best option, and could bring the Jaguars assets to help them rebuild.

With training camp officially beginning for many teams throughout the league on Thursday, that also means the beginning of another year of holdouts hoping for new contracts. This year, one of those holdouts is Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who is hoping to renegotiate his original five-year, $31 million deal that he signed three seasons ago. The deal now has two years left on it, along with roughly $9 million, and Jones-Drew is holding out to receive what he believes he deserves from the Jaguars front office after having yet another outstanding season last year when he led the league with 1,606 yards rushing.

5/22/12: Nothing like a good old-fashioned Southern-style roadtrip to drum up fan interest. The Jags announced they would embark on a 9-day, 7-city caravan throughout Florida and Georgia to engage fans and drum up team interest. While the city of Jacksonville is the geographically the largest in the country, the market is considered small, and the Jags have to work extra hard in surrounding areas for support. Being born into a state that already has the Dolphins and Bucs, as well as Florida State, UF, and UM only makes it harder - but give the Jags new owner Shad Khan credit for undertaking the challenge.

5/16/12: With quarterback development progressing with incumbant Blaine Gabbert as the starter and Chad Henne signed to back him up, as well as the likely improvement of the receiving corps thanks to selecting Justin Blackmon with the 6th overall pick and signing Lee Evans, the Jaguars may have thought they were starting to right the ship on the offensive side of the ball. However, Maurice Jones-Drew, who is consistently among the top rushers in the NFL, wants his fair share as well. Jones-Drew is currently skipping OTA's and demanding a new contract. He is due $4.45 million this season, far less than comparable RB's like Arian Foster and Chris Johnson.

5/11/12: The Jaguars stuck it to former nemisis Jeff Fisher during the draft by trading with Tampa to select Justin Blackmon in the first round. Blackmon, ranked the best receiver in this year's draft, is expected to bolster a passing attack that ranked dead last in the NFL last season. Jags receivers caught a total of 121 passes in 16 games. Blackmon caught 111 in twelve. The Jags did start overwhelmed rookie Blaine Gabbert for most of the season. After failing to land Tim Tebow from the Broncos, new owner Shad Khan needs Gabbert and Blackmon to jumpstart the offense and get fans in the seats.

5/3/12: The Jags showed they are serious about improving their offense by trading up with Tampa in order to select the highest rated wide receiver prospect in Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. The Jaguars' offensive woes have been well noted, and the team did not offer Blaine Gabbert a viable receiving threat in his rookie year. Blackmon brings a legitimate number one wideout to Jacksonville for the first time since Jimmy Smiths played. Curiously, the Jags did not address needs for the league's worst-ranked offense in the remainder of the draft, and even used a valuable third round pick on punter Brian Anger.

4/25/12: The Jags endured a tulmultuous twelve months. First round draft pick quarterback Blaine Gabbert was overwhelmed in his rookie year, though he lacked true receiving threats. The team was sold by original owner and 'good guy' Wayne Weaver to Illinois businessman (and former almost-owner of the St. Louis Rams) Shad Khan. Jack Del Rio was fired late in the season and permanently replaced by Mike Mularky in February. The draft offers a chance for rebuilding, and the Jags have numerous holes to fill. The Jags traded with Tampa to move up two spots to #5 and selected the top wide reciever Justin Blackmon.

4/17/12: Jaguar fans learned the team's 2012 schedule on Tuesday, with the regular season kicking off at Minnesota on September 9th. The Jags play their division twice, the NFC North, the AFC East, as well as the Bengals at at Oakland. The NFL tends to reward successful, exciting, or intriguing teams with primetime games Since Jacksonville is 0-3 on those criteria, the only real surprise is that the Jags did get a Thursday Night primetime game against the Colts. However, this probably had more to do with getting Andrew Luck in the spotlight rather than Blaine Gabbert and the last-ranked passing offense from 2011.

Joining the NFL in 1995, the Jaguars are one of the newest teams in the league. The Jaguars have been underrated in their success, making the playoffs seven times in their first fifteen years. They play on the waterfront, at EverBank Field, which is very close to Jacksonville’s city center. The stadium is known for their tailgating, which was rated as one of the best in the NFL. Get Jaguars tickets to watch the Jaguars, who are known for playing entertaining, close games at home.

Jacksonville Jaguars Tickets - The Players

David Gerrard's production has increased and Maurice Jones-Drew is playing consistent. They cause trouble for defenses with a strong running game. However their lack of a strong receiver core causes them to be one dimensional and doesn't support a down field threat. Their defense isn't anything to talk about either. They don't stand out in any category and don't do much well. Its been tough for this team to be supported but with smart draft picks in the future this team could possibly start building a successful franchise.

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