Jacksonville Jaguars 2012 Offseason Team Needs

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a rough year with Blaine Gabbert as the starting quarterback, and he really didn’t show me much of anything that says he is a future stud quarterback in the NFL. But, I think they will press forward with him and try to make him better, rather than just giving up on him which would be foolish. The Jags don’t have a ton of needs, they are just a young team and they have a couple of key positions missing talent.

Here are some of the Jags’ biggest needs this offseason:

1. Wide Receiver

The Jaguars have tried and tried to get a receiver worthy of actually being mentioned among the NFL’s best, and they almost had one with Mike Sims-Walker, but he flamed out. Reggie Williams, Ernest Wilford, Sims-Walker, Troy Williamson, Matt Jones–none of these guys worked out. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Jags make receiver their top priority this offseason, getting Gabbert some much needed help in the passing game.

2. Pass Rush

The Jaguars seem to have a solid pair of defensive tackles in Terrance Knighton and Tyson Alualu, but their defensive ends are not very good outside of Jeremy Mincey, who had a pretty productive year compared to the rest of his teammates. The Jags could use their first round pick on a defensive lineman like Quinton Coples, who has been known to get pressure on the quarterback. They could also take someone like Andre Branch, Melvin Ingram, or Courtney Upshaw, and maybe pursue someone like Mario Williams or Cliff Avril in free agency.

3. Defensive Backfield

The Jaguars were actually pretty solid last year in terms of stopping teams from passing the ball, and their defense was actually quite good at times, but they need to force more turnovers. Rashean Mathis is a free agent and was supplanted as a starter after finishing the year injured, and the replacement starters combined for three interceptions. Getting a playmaker like Josh Norman from Coastal Carolina would fit the Jags’ MO and could be a great addition to their team.

William Middleton and Dawan Landry are free agents, so depending on which guys come back will determine what kind of emphasis the Jags place on the cornerback/safety positions in the draft and this offseason.

4. Offensive Line Depth

The only reason I put this on here is because Eben Britton has had problems staying healthy, and the replacements have not been very good. If the Jags lose him again, they could be in big trouble. I still don’t see this as a huge area of need, but the Jaguars could address it with one of their favorite small school guys in the middle of the draft.