Jaguars Gab

It’s been thought for the longest time that the Jags and their fans wanted a fresh start at QB, and that the player to get them there would be Florida QB Tim Tebow.

Not so fast.

At least the Jag fans are not all in favor of getting Tebow, as today’s Times-Union reports that fans have spoken out, and they DON’T want the Jags to spend a pick on the hometown QB:

The conventional wisdom that Jaguars fans want the team to draft former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow might not be accurate. During the team’s first telephone Fan Forum with general manager Gene Smith on Tuesday night, an event limited to season-ticket holders, fans were asked if the team should draft Tebow.

Of the 800 fans who voted by phone, the answer was no by a 55 percent to 45 percent margin.

Vic Ketchman, the senior editor of jaguars.com who gave the fans’ questions to Smith, said he was “stunned” by the result. In the past, Ketchman has suggested that Tebow would have a better future in the NFL as a tight end than as a quarterback.

It will be interesting to see if the team follows along with what the fans want, or if they draft for another need position since David Garrard is a guy they had banked their future on in the past at the QB spot.

The Jaguars Sunday made their first real big inking of free agency, as they signed former Packers DE Aaron Kampman. the 30-year-old comes to a team that sorely needs help in getting to the passer. The Jaguars finished with a franchise-low 14 sacks in 2009, the fifth-lowest total in NFL history.

Kampman he is coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and played in just nine games in 2009. He had 3.5 sacks. Overall he has has 54 sacks, and emerged as one of the NFL’s elite pass rushers in recent years, recording a total of 37 sacks from 2006-08, but struggled in 2009.

Jacksonville, which also elevated its special teams with the signing of Kassim Osgood this weekend, targeted Kampman before free agency began Friday.

The Florida Times Union gives all the details about the Jags inking of free agent WR Kassim Osgood, who came to the team Friday from San Diego:

Wide Receiver Kassim Osgood, a three-time Pro Bowl selection on special teams, flew into Jacksonville on Friday and met with the team Saturday, before agreeing to the deal, which is for three years and $6.675 Million, with $2.975 Million guaranteed. The total package could reach close to $11 Million with incentives. “Jacksonville is that hard-nosed team that likes contact and hitting people,” Osgood said. “They’re a smashmouth team with great coaches and it’s a great area to live in. The opportunity was just amazing. They’re a good team that’s ascending and I want to be a part of that. I just know they’re right there at the edge of breaking over the top and becoming one of the dominant teams in the league.”

The Jaguars agreed to terms with wide receiver Troy Williamson on a contract Tuesday but terms of the deal were not disclosed. Williamson, who was acquired by Jacksonville from Minnesota in February of 2008, had only three catches for 34 yards in two games last season, he suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder in a loss to Arizona on September 20 and spent the rest of the year on injured reserve. The seventh overall pick in the 2005 draft from South Carolina, Williamson has 87 receptions for 1,131 yards with four touchdowns in 49 career games — 25 starts — with Jacksonville and the Vikings.

The Jaguars had lady luck on their side on Friday, as the team won the coin flip over the Bears, and will draft 10th in the first round in April’s NFL Draft. The Titans won their coin flip vs Carolina and will draft 16th in the first round, and the Texans lost their flip with the Falcons and will draft 20th in the first round.  Below is the order with the results from Friday.

2010 NFL Draft

The Jags official site reports that the team is looking to move down in the April draft:

The Jaguars need to improve their pass-rush, which produced a league-low, franchise-low 14 sacks last season and the good news is that this year’s draft class is loaded with pass-rush prospects. “I think it’s a good group. You’ve got some 4-3 ends and some 3-4 outside linebackers, plus, you have some interior defensive linemen,” GM Gene Smith said. The Jaguars will have either the 10th or 11th overall pick, depending on a coin flip at the combine with the Denver Broncos. Defensive End’s Derrick Morgan of Georgia and Jason Pierre-Paul of South Florida would figure to be early candidates for the Jaguars but Smith confirmed to jaguars.com that he’d like to trade down and acquire an extra pick or picks, and the depth of the pass-rush crop would suggest that Smith could trade down and still get his man.

The Jags have re-signed veteran tight end Ernest Wilford to a one-year contract worth the veteran minimum of $630,000. Wilford would have become an unrestricted free agent next week.

A fourth-round draft pick in 2004, Wilford has spent five of his six seasons in Jacksonville. He spent one year in Miami before rejoining the Jaguars last fall.

He had 11 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown in 2009. He has 155 catches for 2,142 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career. Wilford is expected to play a backup role to starter Marcedes Lewis and second-year player Zach Miller.

Pro Football Talk is reporting that Jags RB Maurice Jones-Drew is interested in owning his own NASCAR team:

Now that Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew has gotten a big-money deal, he apparently feels like he needs to spend some of it.

So why not invest in a sport whose popularity is quickly eroding?

According to the Associated Press, Jones-Drew wants to own a NASCAR team.

“I’d be the best,” he said. “I’m a driver’s owner. What you need I got for you. I’ll make sure everything you need you got. But in return, you got to be strict. We have rules.”

Patriots receiver Randy Moss owns a team that runs in the Craftsman Truck Series, and two-time former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs has been a long-time NASCAR owner.

And that’s the full extent of our knowledge regarding a sport premised on one of the more basic everyday human tasks — driving a car.

What’s next? Synchronized vacuuming?

In a move that has been expected since Monday, the Jaguars today announced the release of veteran receiver Torry Holt, left tackle Tra Thomas and defensive tackle Rob Meier.

Head coach Jack Del Rio had already told the three aging veterans they would not be part of the team’s rebuilding process. Holt, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection with St. Louis, caught 51 passes for 722 yards with the Jaguars last season. He has 920 career receptions for 13,382 yards and 74 touchdowns.

Thomas, a three-time Pro Bowler with Philadelphia, started three games for the Jaguars last season. Meier, a 10-year veteran who spent last season on injured reserve, has 307 career tackles and ranks ninth in team history with 21 1/2 sacks.

Yahoo Sports has a breakdown of what all 32 teams need in the upcoming NFL Draft in April. Below are the AFC South teams with a link to the whole article.

AFC SOUTH

COLTS

Needs: Not much, despite Super Bowl flop. Continued development of OL; another sturdy LB; decision on PKs Vinatieri and Stover.

Strengths: Peyton Manning-led offense, bolstered by young receivers; aggressive and deep secondary; excellent coaching staff.

TEXANS

Needs: Running back to complement Steve Slaton; inside pass rusher to help Mario Williams.

Strengths: DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing are developing into one of best linebacker combinations in league; passing game when Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson both are healthy.

TITANS

Needs: Restock talent on defense; do they keep DE Kyle Vanden Bosch and OLB Keith Bulluck?

Strengths: Running game thanks to Chris Johnson and offensive line that should return nearly intact.

JAGUARS

Needs: More pass rush after finishing with league-low 14 sacks.

Strengths: RB Maurice Jones-Drew and WR Mike Sims-Walker have given offense more big-play ability.