Alright, I'll be honest. As I pen this article, I'm beginning to have doubts about the Jaguars' front office. Three weeks ago I began trumpeting the positives of our GM Shack Harris. However, What I've seen lately has been nothing short of abhorrent. I keep patiently waiting for Jerry Porter and Drayton Florence to show up to play ball, however, week after week I'm disappointed. The relatively easy drop by Porter in Monday's game was the straw that broke the camel's back, and may have been the turning point in the game.

Drayton Florence is constantly getting beat. He's a prototypical cover 2 corner, but we're playing the guy in a single high set-up. Why draft and sign players for one system, and then go hire a Def. Coordinator who specializes in man-to-man and blitzing schemes. The coaching staff and front office haven't been on the same page all year, and it shows.

I'm beginning to think we're going to see Shack fired before the first of the year, and Gene Smith promoted to GM. Harvey, Groves, Florence, and Porter have all been disasters thus far. Harvey and Groves have excuses, they're first year players and will take time to develop. The real fault is on JDR and Shack Harris (and us fans), for thinking a couple of rooks could really impact the season.

Harris bet the farm, and came up WAY short. I hope the cat stays, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's gone. I'm not sure any of the other deals Harris could've made would've been any better. Jason Taylor has been hurt and Jared Allen hasn't been the same force he was in KC. Add to that the fact that most of the early picks in the draft are underperforming, and it seems like there really wasn't a quick fix. That being said, I don't see the killer instinct a DE needs from Harvey. I see it from Groves, but he doesn't have the physical tools Harvey does. I'm not throwing Harvey under the bus, I'm still a major proponent of the guy, I'm just calling it like I've seen it thus far. We all have to hope that these two DE's really come on next year. We need one of them to step up and become another Tony Brackens for this team.

I like the skill set and natural size and speed of Derrick, but I'm dissatisfied with Ted Monachino's ability to coach up the guy. Ted was given a first and a second round pick and hasn't been able to get hardly anything out of either player. Ted, some guys coach their whole career and never get the opportunity to teach a 1st rounder. You got two players rated as first rounders in the same year and haven't gotten anything out of them. I'm officially calling for your head Teddy... The Defensive line has been a source of weakness for this team, and it is on YOU. John Henderson isn't playing with his usual intensity. Jimmy Kennedy (A former first rounder as well) was brought in and you couldn't help salvage his career. That's three first rounders with tons of natural ability, and bup-kiss for production. Seth Meier and Paul Spicer are having the worst season of each one's career, and the only bright spot I've seen is Derek Landri. Fire Todd Monachino, regardless of what's done with Shack. Ted must go, their must be accountability in the coaching ranks.

The Greatness of Fred Taylor

 by Tkopa on Nov 28, 2008 11:12 PM EST

Cutting Fred Taylor would be unforgivable

 by socaljagsfan on Nov 27, 2008 12:23 AM EST

As you all know, I'm a huge fan/supporter of James Shack Harris. I think the guy's got an eagle eye for talent, however, many of you disagree with me and believe it is time for Shack to be fired. Because of this I've started a new series called the "Tao of Shack" in which I'll try to convince those of you who disagree with me the err of your ways. I know this is an issue that splits our beloved Jaguar Nation. Some feel as I do that Shack needs to stay, while others don't. All I ask is one thing... Just listen with an open mind... enjoy!

Below I've compiled all of the draft picks of the James Shack Harris regime. I'll break it down year by year for you. Our first installment will cover Shack's first 3 drafts with the Jags, 2003, 2004, and 2005. Below the story I've compiled a list of ALL the team's draft picks each year, and the trades that took place that year as well. Being a savvy draft day trader has always been Mr. Harris' forte, and I think a mere glance over the deals he's made is enough to see he is an excellent negotiator. I've only discussed in detail the impact players chosen from each draft, whether they are still with the team or not.

2003's impact players : Rashean Mathis (2nd) Vince Manuwai (3rd) George Wrighster (4th) LaBrandon Toefield (4th). 

Two of those players are stars, and 3 are still with the team. Wrighster showed his ability last season and hopefully we'll see a return to form with him back in the line-up. Toefield gave the Jags years of quality running and acted as a decent 3rd down and short yardage back during his tenure with the team. Vince Manuwai was perhaps our best lineman until he went down on IR earlier in the season. He is a beast of a run-blocker. Leftwich was the team's first round bust that year, and was Shack's first pick ever as Jaguars' GM.

2004's impact players : Reggie Williams (1st), Daryl Smith (2nd), Greg Jones (2nd, traded up to grab Jones), Ernest Wilford (4th), Josh Scobee (5th), Bobby McCray (7th),

Four players from that draft remain with the team, and I think you already know how important they are. Greg Jones and Daryl Smith are stars on the Jags roster and are still playing pro-bowl caliber football, Greg recently signed a long-term extension and look for Daryl to get his in the offseason. As for Reggie, his knee surgery earlier in the season has really been hampering his ability to create seperation this year. He seemed to be coming into his own last season, as he led the team in touchdown receptions, but he hasn't been able to reproduce that success again this year. The team may very well decide to void the final year of his contract which the have they option of doing because of the contract Reggie signed (Savvy negotiating again).

Ernest Wilford gave us his best years and was the definition of a solid possession receiver during his tenure with the Jags. Josh Scobee is still nailing out FG's and touchbacks every week, so I think he was clearly a great find in the 5th. Bobby McCray was perhaps the deal of the draft. He was taken with a 7th rounder and ended up giving us a 10 sack season. We let him walk in free agency because he wanted too much money. It turned out to be a brilliant move, as Bobby hasn't replicated his success in New Orleans yet... Sometimes it is just as important to know who NOT to give a contract extension to (Just like NOT signing Mike P to an extension in the offseason was an equally brilliant move).

2005's impact players : Matt Jones (1st) Khalif Barnes (2nd) Scott Starks (3rd), Alvin Pearman (4th) Gerald Sensabaugh (5th)

Matt Jones wouldn't have made this list last season, however, his stellar play up to now is reason to believe he's finally "clicking" at the WR position. Khalif Barnes has been a fixture at the left tackle spot for years now, and although he's been in some off the field incidents, he plays well and has allowed very few sacks this season. He shut down Jared Allen last week vs. Minnesota, so you know the guy's got talent. Scott Starks has been a valuable asset to the team since he was drafted in 2005. He's fast and has been an excellent CB for the Jags. If he wasn't on IR, he'd of been playing instead of "Will James". Do you think that would have made a difference in a few games?

Alvin Pearman was the very definition of an NFL utility man. He was solid in pass protection, was a third down change of pace back, and even returned punts. Alvin's greatest gift though... the draft pick we were able to trade him to the Seahawks for. Talk about a return on investment! Finally, the last impact player drafted was Gerald Sensabaugh. Gerald is now our starting SS and has regained his form this season after having surgery on both his shoulders and finishing last year on IR. The guy is a punishing tackler and will likely be resigned in the offseason.

All in all, I'd say that through the first 3 years of Shack's tenure, the Draft definitely wasn't his weak point. The guy has an eye for talent and nobody finds better small school players than James Harris does. 

Next Installment : Draft History Part two, 2006-2008 

-Collin

James "Shack" Harris... One helluva VP

 by silencecs on May 15, 2008 10:18 AM PDT in Better know

[Editorial Note: This was actually written by by patantron31 on Nov 24, 2008 as a comment to a story, however, As I've said, we're in offseason mode here at BCC so any and all scouting reports on players are appreciated. Thanks Patantron31.]
ONE SHOT!

the NFL needs another SMASHER somebody in the secondary that will deliver the BOOM! and be a huge playMAKER!! Trey Young yes Trey Young he has never got a chance in the NFL but all he needs is one chance because he is quiet humble and underrated So type Trey Young in on youtube.com and watch his 2005-2008 video in high quality and youll see why he deserves a chance to play in the NFL! Trey Young folks Trey Younghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiUgLOcPePc

The Jimmy Kennedy experiment is officially over. Kennedy was cut today along with Milford Brown, an offensive guard signed after the slew of injuries occurred on the o-line. Jimmy Kennedy was one of the "calculated risks" taken by Shack Harris. He was a signed from the Chicago Bears for only 50k more than his salary as a restricted free agent demanded. The Bears opted not to match the contract and therefore the former 12th overall pick became a Jaguar for only 750k for a one year deal. Jimmy Kennedy had played well in spurts, but like many members of the defense, a lack of consistency was his downfall. 

Del Rio has started cleaning house already, and I love it. I may be reading too much into this move, but I think there may have been a disipline issue involved with Kennedy's release. I really felt like the guy was playing fairly well, definitely better than some of our higher paid D-linemen (remember, Kennedy was only making 750k). Why cut the guy when you may suffer an injury at the position, unless he's made some serious mistake off the field. This may be just a statement to get everyone's attention that underperforming won't be tolerated. One way to show a team you mean business is to cut players mid-season who aren't playing up to their ability level. If it was just one player being released, I'd say it's to make room for a replacement punter. However, since Milford Brown was cut as well, it shows there is more going on here than meets the eye (Milford could've been cut to make room for a punter and Kennedy could've stayed). Either way, another "calculated risk" by Harris hasn't panned out.  Logically, the move was solid with very little downside, unfortunately, it didn't pan out and Jimmy wasn't able to resurrect his career on the "First Coast".

The Jags now have 51 players on their roster and will likely sign a punter and move a WR off of the practice squad in anticipation of Matt's imminent suspension. What do you guys think is going on here? Has anyone heard of any discipline problems with Kennedy lately?

-Collin

[Editorial Note: I didn't even consider that this might've been done to make room for the two PUP players not on the active roster, Jeremy Mincey and George Wrighster.]

Well, 10 games into the season and the Jags are all but out of the playoffs and because of that we are going to be phasing out some of our stories involving the playoff race such as "Ideal Scenario". In the place of that story series I'll be doing another series about the Jacksonville Jaguars' GM Shack Harris. 

"The Tao of Shack" or "Keeping Shack Harris, a recipe for continued success"(working titles).

I'm a huge Shack Harris fan and I'll be breaking down his performance as GM since his inception. I believe that this season's collapse can be traced to the destruction of our offensive line. We lost Vince Manuwai, one of the league's premier guards. That disaster was compounded when Brad Meester, a top-flight center, injured his biceps. Now, as if losing two start caliber players on the line wasn't enough, we lose our two most competent back-ups, one to injury, the other to a fluke shooting (Williams and Collier). What does Shack do? He signs Chris Naeole, a solid veteran who still is familiar with the Jaguars' system. What happens next is indicitive of our entire season. Naeole breaks his hand in pre-game warm-ups just prior to his first start. These utter disasters are not the fault of James "Shack" Harris, they are fate and part of football. Let us not forget about the injury to our star free agent Jerry Porter. We won't even know if he's a bust until next season. No one could predict the need for hamstring surgery... I'd never even heard of it prior to Jerry needing it and I've been watching football for 18 years (Since I was six for those keeping count).

To all the fans calling for Shack's head, I say your anger is misplaced. Bitterness should not beget rash decisions. 

The story is going to be broken down into multiple sections, one on free agency, one on the draft, one on compiling a coaching staff, and one on contract extensions. 

If any of you have any story ideas or biographies on any of the staff let us know in the comments. We want to write about what you want to read about so let us know. Also, if any of you want to start working on scouting reports of any players, please do and post them as fan-posts. 

-Collin

“Daryl Smith is our starting middle linebacker,” Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said in a telephone conversation after Friday’s practice, as the Jaguars got ready for the undefeated Tennessee Titans."

[Editorial Note:  I've got to start this story off by giving props to Cuffs007 for posting this as a fan-post. You guys never cease to amaze me. This site has ballooned in popularity within the past year, and its thanks in large part to fans like Cuffs007 who always diligently post any such stories Chris, John, or myself may have missed. I'm only singling Cuffs out because he posted this particular story, there are many others who also make this site their home and add their own flavor to it by posting fan-posts and commenting on a regular basis. None of us make anything off this website, we do it out of love, and it is so rewarding to have participation from such diehard fans. You ALL add so much to the site... Thanks.]

NOW, on with Mike's fall from grace...

He was supposed to be Del Rio's Ray Lewis (minus the murder charge), he was supposed to bounce back from two consecutive seasons on IR and have a big year. He was supposed to play at a high level, earn a contract extension, and show us time hasn't ravaged his ability to play the position. What's happened this season is nothing short of the complete unraveling of Mike. Now Mike's calling the AP to vent... WHAT!!!

Seriously, what a stupid move on Mike's part. If you haven't seen the story yet, click here, and be prepared to be blown away. The article is littered with new quotes from Mike, and only one quote from Jack Del Rio that basically was the equivalent of "no comment". In other words, this article is a direct result of Mike picking up the phone, calling the AP, and bitching up a storm. In my opinion, Mike just sealed his fate. Don't expect to see him on the field for the rest of the season. Mike's only real asset was his leadership ability as his play had deteriorated to the point of being a detriment when he was on the field. This became painfully obvious in last week's whooping of Detroit in which Daryl Smith clearly played better at MLB than Mike has all year.  By opening his mouth to the press, Peterson eliminated the only part of his game that he still brought at a high level, his ability to be the defense's emotional leader. 

"The season's not going well, older guy, move him out of the way and get ready for next year," Peterson said Wednesday. "I guess that's the way it is. That's the way I'm taking it."

What's with the righteous indignation Mike? Your not gonna start again because you can't compete at the high level the Jaguars defense requires of the MLB position. As I've said before, Mike isn't fast enough to cover and blitz in Gregg Williams' scheme and he's been out of position more times than I care to remember this season. When you have big time DT's like Henderson and McDainiel to swallow up blockers, it is the MLB's job to make the tackle on the RB. That's why Mike's been the teams leading tackler so far, not because he's been playing exceptionally well, but because he's the MLB and that's the position where most plays are funneled in a 4-3.

The team won't release Peterson because his salary became guaranteed for the year when he was on the team at the season's onset. If he were to be released early he would undoubtedly be claimed on waivers and the team would have no competent back-up were Smith, Ingram, or Durant to go down. An injury to one of those three is likely the only way Mike will see the field for the rest of the year. He seems to have resigned himself to warming the bench for the season, and I expect that barring any major changes, that's where he'll stay. 

I hate that this is the way the Peterson saga will end in Jacksonville, but he's made his own bed and now he has to lie in it. This last cheap stunt likely erased any hopes of Mike returning to the field this season, you just can't go crying to the press when things don't go your way. You have to man up, and Mike certainly hasn't done that.

At this point, I think it will be best for me not to say too much and just end it before I say the wrong thing. We know what happens when that happens."

Too late... You passed that point when you picked up the phone and cried into the receiver, whining about some imaginary slight you suffered at the coach's hands. He is right about one thing though... We do know what happens when you say the wrong thing, and we're about to get a reminder thanks to you doing just that... 

Adios

Adieu 

Ciao

Don't let the locker-room door hit you on the backside...

-Collin