There's no doubt about it. What made the Jacksonville Jaguars go in 2007 were the legs of running backs, Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. While the passing game mired in mediocrity, ranking 17th in the league, Taylor and Jones-Drew led a running attack that ranked 2nd in the league, behind only the Minnesota Vikings. While most running backs peter out as they past their 30s, Taylor seems to be getting stronger with age as he once again stayed healthy enough to play in 15 games, most likely due to the rest he's able to get now with Jones-Drew in the mix. Taylor's health allowed him to put together one of his best seasons in 4 years, going for 1202 rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs. His 5.4 yards per carry placed him just behind Adrian Peterson's 5.6 yards per carry for the league lead among runners with 150 carries or more. No question, 2007 was an outstanding year for "Formerly Fragile" Fred. 2007 was also a good year for Jones-Drew, though maybe not as great as many expected after his 1377 total yards and 16 TDs in 2006. Still, Jones-Drew was solid going for 1175 total yards and 10 scores.
The Jags made a huge move prior to the beginning of the 2007 season when it came to their passing game, letting go of quarterback, Byron Leftwich, once the future of the franchise, and handing the reins over to David Garrard. Playing in 12 games, Garrard didn’t put up huge yardage or TD totals, but he did manage to get solid fantasy numbers each and every week and help the Jags win games, thanks to his penchant for avoiding costly interceptions. On the year, Garrard threw just 3 passes that ended up in opponents’ hands. Part of the reason, Garrard was able to stay out of trouble was the way in which he spread the ball around. The only problem with that was that no Jaguars wide receiver was really able to distinguish themselves as a viable fantasy option each and every week. Reggie Williams probably came the closest with his 629 receiving yards and 10 TDs.
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Key Departures
Quinn Gray (QB) - In the four games that Garrard wasn’t under center, Gray stepped in admirably, throwing 10 TDs to just 5 INTs. Still, accuracy was a problem as Gray completed just 55.6% of his passes. Gray now heads to Houston, where he’ll most likely be 3rd on the depth chart, unless back-up Sage Rosenfels is dealt. Meanwhile, the Jags will look to Cleo Lemon to back-up Garrard in 2008.
Ernest Wilford (WR) – One of four wide receivers to put up solid numbers for the Jags in 2007, catching 45 passes for 518 yards and 3 TDs, Wilford now heads to the Miami Dolphins, where he’ll most likely start opposite of Ted Ginn, Jr. Wilford’s departure isn't exactly a huge blow to the Jags as they still have Reggie Williams, Dennis Northcut, and Matt Jones to go along with the new additions of Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson.
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Key Additions
Cleo Lemon (QB) – The Jags did well to fill the holes left by their free agent departures this off-season, including the signing of Cleo Lemon to back-up Garrard. Lemon is a conservative passer, a good thing for the Jags. Rather than have to try and force things as he did with the Dolphins in 2007, leading to a mere 56% completion percentage, Lemon, if Garrard ever goes down, will simply need to manage games as the Jags will continue to be a run first team. That makes this a great fit for both parties.
Jerry Porter (WR) – After a 1 reception year in 2006 that was a result of a rift between Porter and former coach, Art Shell, Porter bounced back in 2007 with a solid season of 705 receiving yards and 6 TDs. Porter’s numbers are even more impressive when you consider that they came for a team that ranked 31st in passing offense last season, the Oakland Raiders. Porter will be the Jags number 1 receiver heading into 2008 and should improve on his 2007 numbers, but that improvement will be limited based on Garrard’s desire to spread the ball around.
Troy Williamson (WR) – With their depth at wide receiver, Williamson isn’t guaranteed a roster spot in Jacksonville. Still, if the speedy wide receiver does make the team, he could have some solid weeks in 2008 courtesy of the big play. With the Jags owning such an impressive running game, teams are forced to play up on them on defense. This leads to many openings down the field that Williamson should be able to take advantage of.
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2008 Bruno Boys Crystal Ball
David Garrard (QB) – All you need to know about Garrard’s first year as the Jags starter is that Jacksonville was impressed enough with it to sign Garrard to a six year contract extension. Garrard is a smart quarterback, not prone to make mistakes, as evidenced by his 18:3 TD to INT ratio in 2007. He’s also accurate, completing 64% of his passes last season. As the Jags will continue to be a run first team, Garrard’s fantasy value is limited. But, with the upgrade to the Jags’ wide receiving corps, Garrard can be a fantasy starter as long as he continues to play within himself and not make mistakes.
Fred Taylor (RB) – With Taylor playing in 30 of 32 games the last two seasons, it appears to be time to lift the “Fragile Fred” moniker. (Granted, with that sentence, I probably just jinxed Taylor for 2008). At the tender age of 31 last season, Taylor rushed for 1,202 yards and 5 scores, earning him his first pro bowl birth of his career. Taylor’s value will be limited as Maurice Jones-Drew will always vulture TDs, but he is continually underrated when it comes to fantasy circles. Use that to your advantage and snag Taylor in the middle rounds to bolster your running back depth.
Maurice Jones-Drew (RB) - In his rookie season in 2006, Jones-Drew won over fantasy football owners with his diminutive size, thunder thighs, and big play ability. Despite getting off to a slow start in 2007, in which he failed to net 5 fantasy points in each of the Jags first three games, Jones-Drew's sophomore season turned out quite similar to his inaugural year in the league as he finished the season by going for 8+ fantasy points in 10 of the Jags last 13 games. Jones-Drew totaled 1175 yards and 10 trips to the end zone in 2007, and with the Jags looking to continue to get their most dynamic player the ball often, 2008 should yield similar numbers.
Reggie Williams / Dennis Northcut / Matt Jones (WR) - It's only fair to group this triumvirate together. After all, it was a guessing game week in and week out in 2007 as to which wide receiver would step up with the double digit game. While Reggie Williams put up the better numbers in 2007, the addition of Jerry Porter probably hurts him the most as their style of play is very similar, meaning 2008 could very well see Northcut or Jones take the lead in production among this trio. Still, the Jags don't pass enough for any of these guys to really be worth your while on draft day, especially with the manner in which Garrard spreads the ball around.
Marcedes Lewis (TE) - Lewis' 391 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns aren't going to shoot him up draft boards this coming year, but they are solid and do make Lewis, a young TE on the rise, worthy of a selection as a back-up TE. Furthering the case to take a gamble on Lewis late in your league's draft is the fact that he went for 90 yards during last year's playoffs, including a 74 yard effort against the Patriots to end his season.
Josh Scobee (K) – Scobee was injured for the majority of 2007 with a quad injury, but the good news is that the kicker demonstrated his leg was still in good working order as he averaged 8.6 fantasy points a game upon his return. The Jags running game should be able to move the ball again this year, allowing Scobee to get his opportunities.
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Rookies to Watch
Derrick Harvey (DE) - Though ranked a respectable 12th in the league on the defensive side of the ball, the Jags still went all out in this year's draft shoring up their defensive front. In what has been dubbed the draft to stop Peyton Manning, the Jags went out and took two Defensive Ends with their first two selections. The first of those two, came at number 8 overall in the form of Derrick Harvey. Harvey may not be a pass rusher in the sense of a Jevon Kearse or Michael Strahan mold, meaning he may not rack up the sacks, but he is an all-around player. He's solid at stopping the run, can disrupt plays before they really have a chance to get started, and he's developed a knack for batting down passes. He should make a solid defense even stronger.
Quentin Groves (DE) - The Jags second selection in the 2008 draft, may play the same position as their first pick, Derrick Harvey, but he's a completely different player. Groves is a specialist, who will make his living when opposing offenses face passing situations. It is then that Groves' smaller stature becomes beneficial as he's able to explode pass sluggish offensive linemen and wreak havoc on quarterbacks with his great closing speed. He's an excellent complement to the Harvey selection.
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Other Team Capsules
NFC WEST - ARI I STL I SF I SEA
NFC SOUTH - ATL I CAR I NO I TB
NFC NORTH - CHI I DET I GB I MIN
NFC EAST - DAL I NYG I PHI I WAS
AFC WEST - DEN I KC I OAK I SD
AFC SOUTH - HOU I IND I JAX I TEN
AFC NORTH - BAL I CIN I CLE I PIT
AFC EAST - BUF I MIA I NE I NYJ