Fearing big money deals, Jags still need free agents

Discussion in 'Tennessee Titans and NFL Talk' started by NewsGrabber, Feb 22, 2009.

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  1. NewsGrabber

    NewsGrabber Guest

    <em>Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky<img src="http://a.espncdn.com/i/teamlogos/nfl/med/jac.gif" alt="" width="80" height="80" align="right" /></em> <p>INDIANAPOLIS -- As the Jaguars look to revamp, they could be replacing as many as seven starters from their depth chart.</p> <p>While they've talked about how they will steer away from big ticket free agency and build from the inside through the draft, those holes are too big for a draft class to fill. The Jaguars have six picks in the draft and are not expecting any compensatory selections to beef up the class.</p> <p>So it's reasonable to expect the Jaguars to take the free agency approach other teams have employed in recent years that won't get fans especially excited in March but could pay off in November.</p> <p>Using the one-man's-trash-is-another-man's-treasure approach, they could seek players who come at reasonable costs and have the potential in their systems to pan out as effective pieces.</p> <p>Examples from elsewhere last year: quarterback <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2149" target="_new">Chad Pennington</a> in Miami, linebacker <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=4505" target="_new">Kawika Mitchell</a> in Buffalo, return man and corner <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9285" target="_new">Chris Carr</a> in Tennessee (a restricted free agent with no compensation attached), running back <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=5644" target="_new">Mewelde Moore</a> in Pittsburgh, linebacker <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=5655" target="_new">Brandon Chillar</a> in Green Bay and nose tackle <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1349" target="_blank">Bryan Robinson</a> in Arizona.</p> <p>New GM Gene Smith indicated to Michael Wright recently that <a href="http://www.jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2009-02-22/story/free_agents_expensive_lesson" target="_blank">selective free agent shopping</a> in the discount aisle is part of the plan a year after the team handed big bucks to receiver <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2178" target="_new">Jerry Porter</a> and <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=4504" target="_new">Drayton Florence</a>, who they recently cut.</p> <p>"We'll look at all positions where we feel a player may improve our roster," Smith said. "There is a role for pro free agency. I know a lot of people feel that a large number of players usually get overpaid and end up underperforming, and there are examples of that every year. When you pay a player a large sum of money there are naturally higher expectations placed on him. Some play up to the expectations and some don't.</p> <p>"Bottom line, it's tough for any new player to come into a new environment and new system and have an immediate impact. ... Some certainly will be role players and others will be competing for starting positions There are some positions that will be of more emphasis than others. We may not be the so-called 'big players' on opening day, but we'll stay the course on the targeted players we have an interest in."</p>

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  2. A Fightin'Titan

    A Fightin'Titan Starter

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    Sounds like cellar dwellars to me.

    Jaguars- :bump: -Texans
     
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