Jacksonville Jaguars: How much more rebuilding?

After making it to the divisional round of the playoffs in 2007, the Jacksonville Jaguars have fallen into a pit of obscurity and have failed to make the postseason since. Following seemingly perpetual turnaround involving poor quarterback play, the Jaguars have been in a rebuilding mode for the past two years.

The team has a good head coach in Gus Bradley, and they have a lot of young, hungry talent on the roster. But how much longer do the people of Jacksonville have to wait to see the Jaguars return to the postseason?

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Bradley and general manager David Caldwell have put together a talented team, but they can’t be a rebuilding team forever. The Jags, however, do seem to be headed in the right direction, which means they’re one step closer to becoming a relevant contender in the AFC.

Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller referenced the fact (via Twitter) that the Jaguars don’t have a dire need at many positions because they either have an established veteran or a young player at that position. That’s exactly what’s going on in Jacksonville, and the team was very smart in free agency, as they didn’t overpay for appealing free agents (DeMarco Murray).

Although the players that will be starting for the Jaguars in 2015 aren’t quite household names, they undoubtedly have talent.

On defense, the Jaguars have a very stout and underrated defensive line that features veterans like Chris Clemons, Tyson Alualu, Jared Odrick, Ryan Davis and Sen’Derrick Marks. Marks had a break out year in 2014, and he should continue to excel next year.

At the linebacker position, reliable Paul Posluszny is the man in the middle, and he’s one of the best leaders in the NFL. His quiet confidence and work ethic have made him a formidable presence in the middle of the Jaguars defense. Playing beside him are Telvin Smith, a player who’s likely ready to take the next step, and guys like Khairi Fortt and Dan Skuta.

The secondary isn’t exactly Seattle-like, but a talented defensive line should help make the defensive backfield’s job much easier. The unit does feature talented safety Jonathan Cyprien, though.

On the offensive side of the ball, Blake Bortles is the key to Jacksonville’s success.

The front office has now surrounded the second-year quarterback with a bevy of talent, and Bortles now has the weapons to make significant strides in year two.

When evaluating Bortles’ rookie year, you have to remember the plan was never to start him from day one. The Jaguars were prepared to start Chad Henne all year. But with Henne being well, Chad Henne, the Jags were rather forced to begin the Blake Bortles experiment sooner than expected. Bortles was obviously shaky in the beginning, but he made some big strides in the latter half of the season. Bortles’ stats – 11 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, 2,908 yards, 69.5 completion percentage – aren’t great, but Jacksonville’s inexperienced receivers dropped the ball far too often, which didn’t help Bortles.

Nov 30, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end

Chris Clemons

(91) runs onto the field prior to the game against the New York Giants at EverBank Field. Jacksonville Jaguars defeated New York Giants 25-24 Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The acquisition of Julius Thomas gives Bortles a big-bodied option to throw to, and the Jaguars have an extremely talented group of young wide receivers.

Allen Robinson, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns, Ace Sanders and Tommy Streeter make up the group. Oh, and ultra-talented Justin Blackmon should be ready for 2015, and it seems like he’s been making tremendous strides off the field.

In the backfield, Denard Robinson surprised many as he had somewhat of a breakout year last year. Robinson’s success came in the wake of Toby Gerhart‘s falters. Behind them is Storm Johnson, who is a player I watched at Miami until he transferred to UCF. Johnson should see an increase in carries in 2015. Recently signed Bernard Pierce will add another element to the offense.

Like the secondary, the Jaguars offensive line is shaky, but good enough to get the job done. Luke Joeckel, the second-overall pick in 2013, has struggled, but it’s far too early to call the 23-year-old tackle a bust. Vito Stellino of Jacksonville.com reported that Joeckel is looking for a “breakout year” in 2015.

So while the Jags don’t have any players who are in commercials or appearing on talk shows, the team is made up of a bunch of talented young players who love playing football and appear to be having fun. In that sense, the Jaguars are the NFL’s version of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Both teams feature good defense and a variety of promising young players. But like the Sixers, the Jaguars need to see results. Hence, 2015 could very well be the year Jacksonville escapes the cellar of the AFC South and become relevant once again.

For what it’s worth, the Jaguars were able to bring their fans back in 2015, and it seems like they’re in it for the long haul.

Jacksonville is one or two good playmakers away – I’ll be covering that soon – from being a legitimate NFL team again.

And yes, I’m dead serious.

Next: 2015 NFL mock draft: Marcus Mariota to New Orleans

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