Jaguars Fantasy Preview

[The Lung]

From: http://fantasy.sportingnews.com/nfl/experts/george-winkler/20080805.html

Jaguars: Ready for more
Aug. 5, 2008

WHAT'S NEW

The Jaguars tasted playoff success with a first-round win over the Steelers last season, and judging by the way the front office was busy during the offseason, they want more. The team added free agent wide receiver Jerry Porter from the Raiders and made two draft-day trades to acquire Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves to bolster the pass rush as it attempts to become a more dynamic outfit on par with the AFC's best.

However, the momentum generated by last year's playoff run has slowed, thanks to injuries. The team hopes Porter can be in the starting lineup by Week 1 after having hamstring surgery. Fellow wide receiver Reggie Williams had surgery to repair torn knee cartilage and will miss the next two to three weeks, and center Brad Meester is out perhaps until Week 7 because of a torn biceps. If the Jaguars want their offense to take the next step this year they'll need these players to be involved.

As for the rookies, Groves got to camp on time after signing a four-year deal, but the team is still haggling with Harvey, who wants to be paid market value while the Jaguars appear to want to pay him small-market value. At any rate, the Jaguars need to boost a pass rush that lacks a true stud in order to compete with the pass-happy attacks of perennial AFC powers New England and Indianapolis and become an elite fantasy unit.

New defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who came from Joe Gibbs' staff in Washington, will give the Jaguars a different and perhaps more aggressive look. Williams also will need to find a way for the team to survive Marcus Stroud's departure to Buffalo. Jacksonville was 11th against the run last season even with the staunch Stroud in the fold.

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