2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Wide Receiver Preview
How strong is the receiving core after adding Jerry Porter?
Bringing In The Big Name Player
The key addition to the group was disgruntled wide receiver, Jerry Porter. Porter arrives from an Oakland team that had moderate success behind a strong running game but rarely featured the dynamite receiver. The Jacksonville Jaguars are known for focusing on tall wide receivers and Porter is no exception, standing at 6'2" and weighing in at 221 pounds. He'll allow Garrard to have yet another big target to rifle throws to inside the red zone.
Losing Players Means Focusing On Depth
The Jaguars lost Ernest Wilford to the Miami Dolphins, allowing them to take on Porter as a replacement. They also added much maligned Troy Williamson from the Minnesota Vikings, where he was notable for his concentration lapses and inability to turn the corner and display the brilliance he has flashed. The Jaguars also retain the services of receivers Reggie Williams and Dennis Northcutt, along with young players in the making such as Mike Walker. The Jaguars will likely only carry five wide receivers to start the 2008 season, however, it looks like inconsistent Matt Jones and youngsters John Broussard and D'Juan Woods may be on the outside looking in. All three will need not only strong training camps but also a strong pre-season to try and get that fifth spot.
Can This Group Overcome Drops and Make Plays?
The big question is whether this team can avoid the issue of drops and inability to bring the ball in that has plagued past Jaguar receiving cores. Troy Williamson and Jerry Porter have both struggled with inconsistent catching. Williamson caught only forty seven percent of passes thrown his way last year while Porter caught only forty three percent of his targets. Reggie Williams and Dennis Northcutt were both inviting targets as Williams caught sixty three percent of his targets and Northcutt caught sixty percent. While Porter and Reggie Williams will most likely be the starters, Dennis Northcutt will be competing with Mike Walker and possibly Matt Jones for the slot role. Northcutt's pleasant surprise and consistency last season should make him all but assured as the number three slot receiver and allow Garrard to have two receivers with reliable hands on the field for most of his games.
Overall Impressions For the 2008 Season
This Jaguars group looks talented to make an impression on opposing secondaries but the question still hangs over them on whether they can pull the ball in. Jerry Porter is a capable big play threat but the Jaguars do not have much depth after Williams and Northcutt in the way of reliable, consistent targets for David Garrard. It looks like the Jaguars will once again be relying on Garrard's decision making and the run game to carry them to the playoffs. If the Jaguars and Garrard want to make an impact through the air, they'll need both Porter and Troy Williamson to overcome their concentration lapses and improve their consistency with their hands.
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