JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks was the Jacksonville Jaguars' best defensive player in 2013 and 2014 before a torn ACL and torn triceps limited him to just four games last season.
He's completely healthy and back on the field -- but not completely happy.
Marks' role has changed significantly since the 2014 season ended. The Jaguars signed Malik Jackson -- who plays the same position -- in March and Marks is now working with the second team. The Jaguars have also given him some reps at the big defensive end spot, a position he has never played until now.
Marks didn't exactly embrace those changes at first and said he spoke with Coach Gus Bradley about it, but said he wants to make it clear that he's going to do whatever the team asks of him -- and do it as well as he can.
"I've expressed that I don't like being a damn backup, but it really don't matter," Marks said. "I was told that you come in, you get however many snaps a game, we want to try to keep you fresh. In my mind hopefully that may help enhance my career, [extend] my career, by not taking as many snaps as I was.
"I'm all down for it. I'm OK with it. I became at peace with it. I'll do whatever I'm asked to do."
Marks led the Jaguars in sacks in 2014 with 8.5, which is a significant number for an interior defensive lineman, but tore his right ACL in the season finale against Houston. He rehabbed throughout the offseason and missed the first five games in 2015 before returning against Houston in mid-October. He suffered a torn triceps in the Jaguars' victory at Baltimore on Nov. 15 and missed the remainder of the season.
The Jaguars gave Jackson a six-year, $86.1 million contract. Since they're both three-technique tackles (they line up on the outside shoulder of the guard), Jackson and Marks can't be on the field at the same time. Jackson is younger (26; Marks is 29) and the team didn't give him $42 million guaranteed to sit on the bench, so Marks fell behind Jackson in the rotation.
The Jaguars have also experimented with having Marks get some snaps at what they call the big end spot -- the strong-side defensive end opposite the pass-rushing end. He's never done that before and it doesn't feel natural.
"I can do it," said Marks, who has two years remaining on a four-year, $18 million contract he signed at the end of the 2013 season. "Like I said, no, I won't be comfortable with it but if I'm asked to do it I'll go out and do it and give it my best. Be me as a professional athlete, I'm a three-technique and in my mind I'm still a starting three-technique in this league, so no, I won't be comfortable with none of that but if it's asked of me while I'm under contract with this team, yeah, I'll do it."
Bradley said the Jaguars have been pleased with the way Marks has handled the new role. Marks' level of play hasn't declined from 2014 and he was dominant when he was on the field against Tampa Bay's second-team offensive line last Saturday night. He got consistent penetration and disrupted the Bucs' run game.
Bradley says he understands that Marks probably isn't happy but does believe Marks can be more effective with fewer snaps. Plus, it's likely that Marks and Jackson will be on field together on third downs in the team's lightning package.
"Knowing Sen'Derrick, there are times in his career that he has been here that when we did limit some of his reps that it helped him be even more effective," Bradley said. "He is going to argue this. He is going to argue all of this. I don't really look at him as a backup. We talk in terms of, 'We are going to need you all.' We have two groups.
"I give him credit. It is a challenge. There is strong competition in that spot. I know that is challenging for him, especially as being the starter for us [the past three seasons]. I was very pleased how he handled it, though. He went in there with the second group and competed his tail off and really showed up on film. I think message sent, message received from him."
