Jaguars Free Agents for 2012 – Who Should Stay and Who Should Go?

Now that the 2011 season is officially over following the Super Bowl, now we can all look ahead to free agency.

The Jags have a number of players that will be unrestricted come March 13th when they can sign with other teams. You can see the complete list below, and give your thoughts about what players the team should keep, and what ones they could let go.

Exclusive Rights Free Agents (4)

FB Brock Bolen
TE Zach Potter
TE Martin Rucker
DT Nate Collins

Restricted Free Agents (5)

OT William Robinson
DT Leger Douzable
LB Russell Allen
CB William Middleton
S Courtney Greene

Unrestricted Free Agents (11)

QB Luke McCown
OT Guy Whimper
DT C.J. Mosley
DE Jeremy Mincey
DE Matt Roth
CB David Jones
CB Dwight Lowery
CB Rashean Mathis
S C.C. Brown
K Josh Scobee
P Nick Harris

Jaguars Looking to Expand Fan Base

Vito Stellino of the Florida Times Union talks today in his Sunday column about the Jaguars trying to reach out to more fans, which always seems to be one of, if not their biggest issue.

Stellino says that senior vice president/sales and marketing Macky Weaver is looking for the renewal base to jump from 78 percent to 90 percent in 2012.

Even if the Jaguars get a 90 percent renewal rate, they’ll still need to sell thousands of new season tickets and have a robust group sales program to fill the general bowl.

New president Mark Lamping has said broadening the Jaguars’ regional fan base outside the First Coast is a priority. Weaver said the Jaguars took some steps in that direction the past two years, but he knows developing a more regional following won’t happen overnight.

“It’s a process that takes time, but you need to start building,” Weaver said. “We may look back and say this is when the Jaguars started becoming a regional franchise.”

To me, the Jags need a young player to draw crowds, much like what the Panthers did with Cam Newton, or the Broncos did with Tim Tebow.

Maybe that will come with a new coach and in this years NFL Draft. If not, getting from a 78 to 90 percent renewal base for tickets is not going to be easy.

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Jags Add Ron Prince as Assistant OL Coach

The Jaguars announced the addition of Ron Prince as assistant offensive line coach, completing the staff under first-year head coach Mike Mularkey.

Prince was an assistant offensive line coach with the Indianapolis Colts the last two seasons after spending the bulk of his coaching career at the college level, including three seasons as the head coach at Kansas State.

Prince has also coached at Alabama A&M, South Carolina State, James Madison, Cornell and had two stints at Virginia, serving as offensive line coach and then offensive coordinator prior to landing his head coaching job at Kansas State. Prince returned to Virginia as a special teams coordinator in 2009.

The 42-year-old also served minority coaching internships with the Jaguars, Washington Redskins, Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants from 1996-2000.

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Former Jagaurs Coach Jack Del Rio Hired by Denver to Run Their Defense

It didn’t take former Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio long to find another gig, as Friday night the long time Ex-Jags coach signed on to become the new defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos lost their defensive coordinator in Dennis Allen just three days ago, as he became the new head coach of the rival Oakland Raiders.

The move will put Del Rio back with Broncos coach John Fox. The Ex-Jags coach was Fox’s first defensive coordinator in Carolina in 2002 before leaving after one year to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars, who fired him in November.

Del Rio is the Broncos’ seventh defensive coordinator in seven seasons. Other men who have filled the Mile High musical chair in the last six seasons are Larry Coyer (2006), Jim Bates (2007), Bob Slowik (2008), Mike Nolan (2009) and Don Martindale (2010). Allen was the only one who left for a head coaching job.

“We are thrilled to be able to add such a well-respected defensive coach to our staff,” Fox said in a statement issued through the team’s Twitter account.

“He was an integral part of our turnaround on defense during my first year with the Panthers in 2002,” Fox added. “His defenses with the Jaguars have ranked among the NFL’s best, and we are excited he’s a Bronco.”

The Broncos also hired Luke Richesson as their head strength and conditioning coach. Richesson spent the last three seasons with the Jaguars.

Mularkey Rounds Out Coaching Staff

New Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey has completed his staff by hiring Tom Myslinski as strength and conditioning coach.

Mularkey also named his son, Patrick, as strength assistant. Patrick Mularkey joins the coaching staff after spending the past two seasons as a scouting assistant in Jacksonville’s personnel department.

Myslinski played nine seasons in the NFL and then spent the last seven years as a strength and conditioning coordinator, beginning at Robert Morris (2005-06) and continuing with the Cleveland Browns (2007-09), Memphis (2010) and North Carolina (2011).

While playing in the NFL, Myslinski served as a volunteer assistant strength and conditioning coach at the University of Pittsburgh (1998-2001). Prior to his stint at Pitt, he spent 1996 as the volunteer strength and conditioning coach at the University of North Florida.

Olson Turned Down the Bears QB Coaching Job

Before Greg Olson accepted the quarterbacks coach position with the Jaguars, he was interviewed for and was offered, but declined an opportunity to become the Bears’ passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.

According to Biggs, Olson is the only candidate to interview for the position, but chose the Jaguars’ offer, which included a longer term (three years compared to the Bears’ two-year offer) and the additional title of “assistant head coach”. The Bears’ search for a quarterbacks coach will continue next week.

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