Got questions about the Jacksonville Jaguars? I’ll try to answer a representative selection of them every week. Submit your questions via Twitter to @ESPNdirocco.
On Sunday, I’ll answer the Question of the Week.
@ESPNdirocco #jagsquestion what is the Jags'most glaring weakness now? What is the best way it be addressed before the season starts?
— 386 DSFB (@minnickgregory) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: Before free agency and the draft, I would have said offensive line, but the additions of Jermey Parnell, Stefen Wisniewski and A.J. Cann have addressed that. So I’m going to go with linebacker. Paul Posluszny is healthy, Telvin Smith is an exciting young player and Dan Skuta fills a need at the otto spot, but there’s no quality depth behind those three. If one gets injured, as Posluszny did last season, the Jaguars will be in trouble because there’s no J.T. Thomas on the roster to be a capable fill-in. The Jaguars are bringing in a lot of undrafted and tryout linebackers in hopes of finding a couple of guys, but that’s not really much of a solution. It’s something that I expect the team to address by signing a veteran or two released after June 1 or late in training camp.
@ESPNdirocco #jagsquestion Did Tony Khan & the analytics dept play a significant role in any specific draft picks?
— Corey (@jaxnotjac) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: They play a role in every draft pick, in terms of evaluation anyway. They’ve prepared reports on everyone on the draft board, and GM David Caldwell and the scouting department use that information. But if you’re asking did the Jaguars take a player just because of analytics, the answer is no. Now, there are a couple of guys the team either signs after the draft or as a street free agent every year that are favorites of the analytics guys. One of those guys last year was cornerback Rashaad Reynolds, who ended up making the team.
@ESPNdirocco which UDFAs are most likely to make an immediate impact like Hurns last year? #jagsquestion
— w,ander(son) (@wanderson91) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: Ideally, none, because that would mean your roster is full of talented players. The goal is to be at a point where an undrafted player not only makes the team but has a role once every three or four years. The Jaguars are getting closer, but they’re not there yet. Of the guys who were signed this year, I think cornerback Nick Marshall and kick returner Corey Grant have a good chance to make the roster, but I don’t know if either will make the kind of impact that Hurns did. Remember, he led the team in receiving yards (677) and receiving TDs (six).
@ESPNdirocco
Who do you think will be the Jags go to receiver this yr?
#jagsquestion
— Jesse Vigil (@jvigil76) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: If you’re talking strictly wide receivers, then I’ll go with Allen Robinson. He was having a very good season as a rookie before suffering a stress fracture in his foot and missing the final six games of the season. He caught 48 passes for 548 yards and two touchdowns and had he stayed healthy he was on pace to break Justin Blackmon’s rookie record for receptions (64). He impressed me because he missed nearly all of camp with a hamstring injury, but was still their most effective receiver as a rookie before getting hurt. However, I think tight end Julius Thomas will end up being the team’s overall go-to receiver. He won’t duplicate his numbers of the past two seasons in Denver (24 TD catches) but I’d be very surprised if he didn’t lead the team in receptions and touchdown catches.
@ESPNdirocco Will Neal Sterling play WR or TE? #jagsquestion
— James Webb (@catfanatic1979) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: He’s going to start at receiver but the Jaguars have said they’ll take a look at him as a move tight end. Sterling said he wouldn’t mind the move, either.
@ESPNdirocco Which player is most likely going to make a pro bowl first from the the recent draft class? #JagsQuestion
— HardyBros (@hardybro35) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: That’s a hard question to answer because there’s no data upon which to make an informed guess. The most logical guess would have been Dante Fowler Jr., but his ACL tear obviously nixes that in 2015. However, if he returns as the kind of player the Jaguars thought he would be when they drafted him, he remains the most logical answer. However, I will say this: I liked the T.J. Yeldon pick and I think he’s going to win the starting job and be the feature back the Jaguars need.
@ESPNdirocco #jagsquestion of the 28 invited to camp. Any dark horse names we should know? How about the big DB from BYU?
— BPAG (@BPAG1) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: Honestly, not really. Those guys have very little chance of making the team. I don’t mean to be, well, mean, but those guys are mainly rookie minicamp bodies and just there to make sure there are enough players to have a practice. Somebody may emerge, but it’s way too early to pick out any favorites. Let’s see who gets invited to training camp first.
@ESPNdirocco With 11 new starters on this years's team, do u see a difficult transition period for the 1st half of the season? #Jagsquestion
— Chet Harris (@shoilski) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: Yes, there will be some growing pains as the new players -- especially those on offense -- get acclimated. But I don’t anticipate major issues. To be honest, the Jaguars can’t really afford to have any, either, because they need to get off to a solid start for a change.
@ESPNdirocco now that we have 4 RB's on the roster, whats the plan for all of them? And who will be the opening day starter? #JagsQuestion
— Davor Bozic (@Davor_Bozic) May 8, 2015@ESPNdirocco: I believe T.J. Yeldon will be the starter on Sept. 13 against Carolina. I also believe Toby Gerhart, Denard Robinson and either Bernard Pierce or Storm Johnson will make the roster. All of them could make it because the Jaguars aren’t going with a fullback this season.
