This article is part of our Team Previews series.
STATE OF THE FRANCHISE
Jacksonville stumbled through another difficult season in 2014, struggling to move the ball while breaking in rookie quarterback Blake Bortles. Looking to avoid a repeat of the failed Blaine Gabbert experiment, the rebuilding Jaguars named veteran Chad Henne the starting quarterback to begin the year. The belief was that Bortles would benefit from a season as Henne's understudy, but the Jags' offense was so inept early on that Bortles was thrown into the fire midway through a Week 3 loss to the Colts. Bortles would go on to take every snap the rest of the way, and while he showed flashes of his potential, his decision-making was questionable at best, leading to 17 picks compared to just 11 touchdowns. Gone is top target Cecil Shorts, but second-year receivers Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee return healthy, and the Jags added one of the top free agents on the market, tight end Julius Thomas, providing Bortles with a true go-to target. With a full offseason to continue to develop, Bortles figures to return a more efficient quarterback, and the Jaguars' offense should improve after finishing dead last in scoring (15.6 points per game) in 2014.While the Jaguars had difficulty moving the ball through the air, the ground game was surprisingly efficient, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. The issue was sustaining drives, as the team recorded the fifth-fewest rushing attempts in the league and finished 21st in rushing yards per game (102.1),
STATE OF THE FRANCHISE
Jacksonville stumbled through another difficult season in 2014, struggling to move the ball while breaking in rookie quarterback Blake Bortles. Looking to avoid a repeat of the failed Blaine Gabbert experiment, the rebuilding Jaguars named veteran Chad Henne the starting quarterback to begin the year. The belief was that Bortles would benefit from a season as Henne's understudy, but the Jags' offense was so inept early on that Bortles was thrown into the fire midway through a Week 3 loss to the Colts. Bortles would go on to take every snap the rest of the way, and while he showed flashes of his potential, his decision-making was questionable at best, leading to 17 picks compared to just 11 touchdowns. Gone is top target Cecil Shorts, but second-year receivers Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Marqise Lee return healthy, and the Jags added one of the top free agents on the market, tight end Julius Thomas, providing Bortles with a true go-to target. With a full offseason to continue to develop, Bortles figures to return a more efficient quarterback, and the Jaguars' offense should improve after finishing dead last in scoring (15.6 points per game) in 2014.While the Jaguars had difficulty moving the ball through the air, the ground game was surprisingly efficient, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. The issue was sustaining drives, as the team recorded the fifth-fewest rushing attempts in the league and finished 21st in rushing yards per game (102.1), despite the respectable per-carry numbers. Toby Gerhart appeared poised to emerge as the featured back, but nagging injuries and shaky offensive line play stifled what many expected would be a breakout year. Instead, the Jaguars turned to a running-back-by-committee, with Storm Johnson and Denard Robinson also seeing time as the No. 1 back. All three backs return this season, but they'll face stiff competition for snaps from second-round pick T.J. Yeldon, as well as free agent addition Bernard Pierce.
Defensively, Jacksonville made only minor strides after allowing more than 28 points per game in 2013. An inexperienced secondary struggled, registering only six interceptions, tied for the fewest in the league. The run defense was also a weakness, as the Jaguars surrendered 127.1 yards per game, sixth-worst in the league. Pressuring the quarterback was a strength, however, as Jacksonville recorded 45.0 sacks – sixth-most in the NFL – led by the duo of Chris Clemons (8.0) and Sen'Derrick Marks (8.5). Jacksonville attempted to further bolster its pass rush with the selection of Florida edge-rusher Dante Fowler with the third overall pick in the draft, but he'll miss the 2015 campaign after tearing his ACL in May.
OFFSEASON MOVES
Key Acquisitions
Julius Thomas – TE, BroncosThe ex-Bronco will look to prove that he's more than just a product of an elite offense.
T.J. Yeldon – RB, Alabama (ROUND 2, 36th overall)
The versatile rookie has the talent to be a three-down back out of the gate.
Bernard Pierce – RB, Ravens
Cut by Baltimore after a DUI arrest, the low-risk addition will fight for backfield snaps.
Rashad Greene – WR, Florida State (ROUND 5, 139th overall)
Jameis Winston's go-to target racked up nearly 2,500 yards over the last two seasons.
Davon House – CB, Packers
The physical corner will step into an every-down role.
Jared Odrick – DT, Dolphins
Inked a five-year, $42.5 million contract with the Jags, who will look for him to bolster the team's defensive line.
Key Losses
Cecil Shorts – WR, TexansHad trouble staying on the field and was the odd man, with a young group of receivers on hand.
Jordan Todman – RB, Panthers
Fell out of favor and logged just 32 carries in 2014.
TEAM NOTES
TAKING THE NEXT STEPBlake Bortles committed far too many mistakes last season, and taking care of the ball will be his top priority after throwing 17 picks as a rookie. Bortles trimmed up his body over the offseason while refining his mechanics under the tutelage of new offensive coordinator Greg Olson. An underrated athlete, Bortles ran for 419 yards in 2014, good for fourth in the league among quarterbacks. He often found himself flushed out of the pocket, but the team shored up some holes on the line with the additions of Jermey Parnell, Stefan Wisniewski and rookie A.J. Cann. Bortles will be flanked by a deep receiving corps, but his favorite target could be tight end Julius Thomas, who signed as a free agent.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Bortles was 13 years old the last time Jacksonville had a 1,000-yard receiver, and while the streak probably won't be broken this season, he'll have a host of talent at his disposal. Leading receiver Allen Hurns is back, and he's joined by Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee, forming a talented trio of second-year pass-catchers. All three are best suited for the outside, however, which should lead to some intriguing camp battles. On the inside, the elusive Ace Sanders will battle for snaps with rookie Rashad Greene, and tight end JuliusThomas also figures to slide into the slot in certain packages. It's difficult to predict which receiver will end up as Bortles' favorite target, and the wealth figures to be spread around fairly evenly. The wild card is Justin Blackmon, the troubled 2012 first-round pick who missed all of last season. While a return to the team hasn't been completely ruled out at press time, it appears as though the franchise is fully prepared to move forth without him.
RUNNING WITH YELDON
Jacksonville struggled to find a replacement for Maurice Jones-Drew last season, settling instead for modest contributions from several backs. Toby Gerhart opened the season as the starter but was never able to grab a firm hold of the job, finishing the year rushing for only 326 yards on 101 carries. Gerhart's ineffectiveness opened the door for Denard Robinson and Storm Johnson to see heavier workloads, but neither player looked the part of a No. 1 back. Robinson experienced the most success, leading the team with 582 yards and four touchdowns while accounting for both of Jacksonville's 100-yard rushing efforts. Consistency was a major issue, however, which is why the team selected Alabama's T.J. Yeldon in the second round. Yeldon has the highest upside of the bunch and is the favorite to win the starting job in camp. Also new to the mix is Bernard Pierce, a Baltimore castoff.
Value Meter
Rising:Allen Robinson played in only 10 games but still finished third on the team in receiving (548 yards) while notching at least four catches in all but one game.Declining:Denard Robinson a converted quarterback, turned some heads with two 100-yard performances in 2014, but he'll have difficulty finding carries in a crowded backfield.
Sleeper: Congested as the Jacksonville backfield is, the team didn't use a high second-round pick on T.J. Yeldon to deploy him as a backup.
Supersleeper: A lack of elite speed and a slight frame caused Rashad Greene to slip in the draft, but he's a polished route-runner.
IDP WATCH
Paul Posluszny – LBThe hard-nosed MLB has recorded 100-plus tackles in six of the last seven seasons.
Sen'Derrick Marks - DT
Recovering from an ACL tear but hopes to be ready for Week 1.
Johnathan Cyprien – S
Tied for second in the league among safeties in tackles last season (114).
