Jacksonville Jaguars Preview With Black And Teal

November 18, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Chad Henne (7) talks in the huddle during the fourth quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

I sent over some questions to Daniel Lago of Black and Teal to help preview the Jacksonville Jaguars and here were his responses:

Which player(s) on roster need to step up in order for the season to be successful?
This is a tricky question because “successful” this year for the Jaguars may not mean playoffs or even a winning record. This season will be a success if the Jaguars can find foundational players to build their roster with moving forward. Speaking in terms of pure wins, the two players who need to improve most significantly are quarterback Blaine Gabbert and defensive end/LEO Andre Branch. Gabbert showed some improvement in his second year but he’ll have to make a monumental leap in performance this year for the Jaguars to not draft a quarterback in the first round in 2014. Andre Branch was drafted in the second round last year with the expectation of becoming an impact pass rusher. Playing the LEO role, which is more suited to his skillset, should help him show up on the stat sheet more often this year. The quarterback and the guy who gets to the quarterback are usually the two most important players in today’s league.

What position battle(s) will you be paying attention to during training camp?
The most intriguing position battles are in the Jacksonville secondary. The Jaguars are going to have at least three new starters in the defensive backfield after moving on from cornerbacks Rashean Mathis and Derek Cox and safety Dawan Landry. Second round pick Jonathan Cyprien is a lock to start at strong safety and third round pick Dwayne Gratz should start at one of the cornerback spots. The second corner spot and the nickel spot are completely up for grabs. Veterans Alan Ball and Marcus Trufant are going to have to hold off rookies Jeremy Harris and Demetrius McCray as well as second year player Mike Harris. There’s also been a lot of buzz about sixth round pick Josh Evans unseating Dwight Lowery at free safety, but Evans will likely back him up this season.

Which rookie(s) on the team will make an immediate impact?
Luke Joeckel. It’s easy to choose the guy who was taken second overall in the entire draft, but Joeckel is monumental upgrade over what the Jaguars have had at right tackle. Between Eben Britton, Guy Whimper, and Cameron Bradfield it’s easy to see why some people think Blaine Gabbert hasn’t had enough protection to be successful. Analytics show Gabbert is an above-average quarterback when given 2.6 seconds or more to throw. Joeckel is vital to determining Gabbert’s role with the Jaguars after this season.

Which player(s) on the roster is the most underrated?
Marcedes Lewis gets a lot of grief for his drops, but Lewis is a much more consistent receiver than people give him credit for. Throw in his elite run and pass-blocking skills and you have one of the most balanced tight ends in the league. With Joeckel holding his own at right tackle, Lewis will be free to run routes on obvious passing downs and regain his Pro Bowl form from 2010.

Prediction for the season?
The Jaguars are going to be one of the youngest teams in the league top to bottom. There are going to be a lot of growing pains, particularly in the secondary. The season really hinges on the development of Blaine Gabbert and his first two seasons haven’t inspired much confidence. The Jaguars will probably be picking fairly high in the 2014 draft.
Jaguars 2013 Record: 4-12