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Is Byron Leftwich Better Off Somewhere Else?

Posted May 25th 2007 4:45PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South

Nobody ever wants to be the man who replaces The Man, especially at the quarterback position. It didn't go well for Brian Griese when he replaced a retiring John Elway, or for Jay Fiedler when he replaced Dan Marino. There's always a sense among fans who loved the old guy that the new guy will never live up to that standard, no matter what he does. Only Steve Young was able to shake that label, and it took a Super Bowl victory for that.

This is the dilemma of Byron Leftwich. According to this Pete Prisco column, Jacksonville Jaguars fans harbor a little resentment toward Leftwich for nudging fan-favorite Mark Brunnell out of town, and now fans almost seem eager to put David Garrard back out there instead of dealing with another season of the inconsistent Leftwich.

Prisco seems to imply, though, that race might play a role in this, and I have my doubts about that. Lots of Jags fans wanted Garrard to take the snaps simply because he was more like Brunnell. He ran around in the pocket and tried to make plays. Of course, Garrard wasn't nearly as good as Brunnell, which is why Leftwich is the starter. It was one of those "Be careful what you wish for" situations, much like the calls in Carolina to bench Jake Delhomme for Chris Weinke, which turned out just as well for that team.

Leftwich is clearly putting in some effort to stay healthy this offseason, and he deserves at least one more shot to prove he's not a bust like David Carr. If he doesn't deliver this season, though, he might be better off trying to catch on with another team. Clearly, he won't be loved as much as Brunnell until he gets the Jags to an AFC Championship game. Hey, Brunnell did that in his second year. What's taking Leftwich so long, right?


Adam Podlesh Has a Big Leg

Posted May 20th 2007 2:15PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Eagles, Jaguars, AFC South, NFC East


If you think that punt from new Jacksonville Jaguar Adam Podlesh looked impressive, consider this: During the Jaguars' minicamp last weekend, the 4th-round draft pick reportedly boomed one 80 yards down the middle. Podlesh admitted it was wind-aided, but still, 80 yards is 80 yards. A leg that strong could challenge Cowboys punter and native Australian Mat McBriar, who led the NFL last season in average yards per punt. (48.2)

In fact, Podlesh might have the biggest leg of any non-Aussie in the NFL next season. Be on the lookout for Saverio Rocca, the former Aussie Rules star who could be the Philadelphia Eagles' next punter. Rocca is legendary for kicking long goals in the Australian Football League, as is his younger brother Anthony, the Collingwood Magpies star who has been known to kick goals from 75 meters away.

I think I'd like to see the Rocca brothers, McBriar and Podlesh in a distance-kicking contest. Maybe during Pro Bowl week...

Video of NFL Players' Harrowing Plane Flight

Posted May 19th 2007 8:21AM by Michael David Smith
Filed under: Eagles, Jaguars, Ravens

We previously mentioned the scary ordeal experienced by Jaguars running back Fred Taylor, Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard and Ravens cornerback Samari Rolle, when the door came off the small plane they were flying in during a trip to Africa. Now we have video:


FanHouse commenter db said this:
I was on this flight -- no, it was not an emergency but it was scary as hell when it first happened. We all realized fairly quickly that we weren't in any immediate danger and nobody panicked, but it was a wickedly bumpy flight to begin with, and when the door flies open, well, you get a little freaked out!

In the end, the biggest thing was the noise -- it was incredibly loud....

I'm sure the video (which is also at Larry Brown Sports) doesn't come close to conveying how frightening the experience was, but it gives an idea.

Jaguars New Offense To Be Less Gray and Fuzzy

Posted May 18th 2007 7:00PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South

You wouldn't try to cook hamburger meat that was gray and fuzzy, would you? Of course, you wouldn't. Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio thinks you shouldn't run an offense like that, either.
"What we are doing is making it black and white on offense, as it's always been for us defensively. I believe the most important thing that a coach does for his players is to make the situations as black and white, in terms of your decision-making, make it as black and white as you can so the guys can go play and use their athletic ability," he said.

"Any time you see fuzziness, uncertainty in that gray area, to me that makes you hesitant. I don't think you can play at an optimal level doing that."
Sounds like 2006 was just one big learning experience in Jacksonville, doesn't it? In addition to this lesson, Byron Leftwich learned that if he drops a few pounds, he might not ruin his ankles halfway through the season again.

The Jags do have one potential gray area, though, and that's who's going to start at receiver. Rookies Mike Walker and John Broussard reportedly made the incumbent receivers look slow and sloppy at the Jags' minicamp, and Fred Taylor went so far as to say Walker, the Jags' 3rd-round pick from Central Florida, reminded him of Texans wideout Andre Johnson. Taylor then said, "If he can play like that, I'll fall in love with him." Tony Dungy would not approve.

Fred Taylor Almost Fell Out of a Plane

Posted May 14th 2007 11:15PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, Featured Stories

You know that panicked feeling you get when you're sitting in an airplane and the door suddenly flies off and you lose cabin pressure and you think it might be a good time to start making peace with God? Fred Taylor remembered that feeling from somewhere...

The plane door flew open at around 6,000 feet, causing panic, prayer and several uneasy minutes as the pilot landed at a nearby runway.

"I thought that was it," Taylor said Monday following the final day of Jacksonville's three-day minicamp. "I put my head down and started praying. The runway was about two miles away, but it seemed like it took 10 or 15 minutes to get there."

Taylor joked that it was the first time he felt like he was near death "since I was playing for (coach Tom) Coughlin."

And now we know why Tiki Barber retired. He wasn't in any hurry to find out what the afterlife is like.

Taylor had his scare during a recent trip to Africa with cornerbacks Samari Rolle and Lito Sheppard, and he told reporters that, compared to the people he saw in Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa... well, he might be a little soft.
"I don't think we can survive in Africa the way those people do," he said. "It's amazing how strong-minded and strong-willed they are."


For example, those people might actually be able to play football for Tom Coughlin. Maybe the Giants should start recruiting players at this weekend's Super 14 rugby final in Durban. In the stands. Hey, if you can live in South Africa, playing for Coughlin is a cakewalk. Right, Fred?

Byron Leftwich Makes His Own South Beach Diet

Posted May 12th 2007 1:30PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South

What's the best way to determine how your workout plan is going? Take a walk along the beach and see if the girlies are checking you out.

That was Byron Leftwich's strategy, anyway, which he revealed to Rich Eisen on NFL Total Access this afternoon. Leftwich reported to the Jacksonville Jaguars minicamp 25 pounds lighter than last year, prompting Eisen to quip, "You don't take nearly as much of the screen up anymore."

"I'm workin' on six pack, and I'm close," Leftwich replied. "I got, like, a two-pack, and it's gonna take me another two months to get the full six."

We'll presume he's talking about his abs and not that copy of All Eyez on Me on his iPod. It seems he made sure, though, that all eyes were on him when he went down to Miami. "When I worked out hard," he told Eisen, "I went down to South Beach and just walked around... and one day, you might get a lady sayin', 'Ooh, you lookin' good,' so I worked out even more..."

Hey, if the image-obsessed hotties of South Beach give you a thumbs up, you must be doing something right. Fat slobbery doesn't play well in Miami. Just ask Dan Marino...

Previously at the FanHouse:
Byron Leftwich Fighting the Battle of the Bulge

Jaguars Camp Open to Public Today

Posted May 12th 2007 10:15AM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South

Hey, Jags fans, want to watch your team practice today? (Yes, I know, we're talkin' 'bout practice.) The Jacksonville Jaguars are opening up their minicamp to the public today. The workouts will be held at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium and will start at 10:30 AM and 4:15 PM, and unlike those equally meaningless preseason games, admission is free. (Of course, they'll probably make you pay out the rear for the concessions, if there are any. This is the NFL, after all.)

So if you'd like to see for yourself if Byron Leftwich actually lost weight and started throwing accurately again, here's your opportunity. Who knows? You might even spot his new cougar in the stands, and wouldn't that be a great photo to link to in the comment section of this blog? (Hint, hint...)

Leftwich's Ankle Might be Weak, but He Keeps His Pimp Hand Strong

Posted May 10th 2007 7:14PM by mjd
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, NFL Rumors

I'm always amazed at how many athletes and celebrities show up at the Kentucky Derby ... I mean, I've heard it's a good time, but how it morphed into the place to see and be seen, I don't know. But it's also apparently a quality opportunity for an NFL quarterback to pick up some famous trim.

From the New York Post:
JACKSONVILLE Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich, 27, flirting with "Access Hollywood" correspondent Shaun Robinson, 40, at the Pama-sponsored party at the Kentucky Derby.
I try not to spend too much time thinking about who Byron Leftwich is dating (or trying to date), but I didn't know who Shaun Robinson was, so I looked her up, and ... damn. Byron Leftwich knows how to pick a 40-year-old.

There was no word on whether or not his advances were rewarded, and I have no way of knowing how Shaun Robinson feels about slow quarterbacks who wear teal.

Leftwich Says He's Healthy. Too Bad It's May.

Posted May 9th 2007 2:00PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich -- shown here standing next to the QB that every Jaguars fan wishes the team had -- decided that six months of silent treatment was enough, and he finally told the media that his ankle is healthy and he wants to be the long-term answer for this team at QB, and so all you Brady Quinn fanboys can just bugger right off.

Del Rio renamed Leftwich the team's starter at the February NFL Combine, but the quarterback had been mysteriously silent about regaining his job until now.

"I always thought there was really no reason for me to react because I always felt that way. It wasn't news to me," Leftwich said. "I felt when I was healthy that I would be the quarterback for this team.

"What happened this offseason with everybody having a chance to evaluate [the quarterback position], [the coaches] think I'm the best option for this team to win. If not, I wouldn't be here."

The article also said that his ankle appeared to look healthy during practice drills. There's only one problem with that -- it's May. The Jaguars don't play any meaningful games for another four months. What happens then? Does Leftwich aggravate that ankle again after the season starts? And does that injury ruin his accuracy like it did last season?

A healthy Leftwich means a legitimate playoff contender. That's what Jags fans want to see. It's nice to see now, but will they still see it five months from now? Carrying a franchise on your back is hard to do on a brittle ankle.

Ahmad Caroll Is Not Very Smart

Posted May 7th 2007 1:33PM by Ryan Wilson
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South

Jeebus. Let's just say Ahmad Caroll is not very smart. In fact, he sounds like he's really, really dumb. The former Packers cornerback and first-round draft pick was arrested last week for a disturbance at the Beautiful Restaurant. And after consenting to a search, police found "a 9 mm handgun tucked in his pants and 11 pills believed to be the drug ecstasy in his vehicle." Maybe this was a cry for help.

Anyway, the Jaguars -- his current team ... for the moment -- plan to release him soon, which speaks to how far he's fallen since coming into the league in 2004.

Nicknamed "Spider-Man" "Batman" in college because he "stuck to opposing receivers," he did so much "sticking" in the NFL that he broke all kinds of pass-interference records. Green Bay cut ties with Carroll after 2005, and he played in five games for the Jaguars last year. During his three-year career, which will almost certainly end this week, Carroll racked up a whopping three interceptions. Peter Parker Bruce Wayne would not be impressed.

Another Jacksonville Jaguar Arrested: Ahmad Carroll

Posted May 6th 2007 7:00AM by Michael David Smith
Filed under: Jaguars, NFL Gossip, NFL Rumors, NFL Police Blotter

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have an image problem on their hands at the wrong time for the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell. Jaguars defensive back Ahmad Carroll was arrested after he was pointed out to police as being involved in a disturbance at a restaurant. And then it got worse:

Carroll acknowledged to police that he was carrying a 9mm pistoll Police then searched his car and found 11 pink tablets that were believed to be ecstasy. He was arrested and charged with carrying a weapon without a license, possession of drugs and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

It's the fourth time this off-season that players for the Jaguars have been named in the NFL police blotter. In March Gerald Sensabaugh was arrested for speeding and "carrying arms." Prior to that Charles Sharon was charged with stealing a handgun. In November Khalif Barnes was arrested for drunk driving, and in March video surfaced of him calling the cop who arrested him a "KKK Devil."

Pro Football Talk has called the Jaguars the "Bengals South." When you're being compared to the Bengals, you know it's bad.

Del Rio Wanted Quinn But Was Voted Down

Posted May 5th 2007 5:05PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, NFL Draft

For all you Jacksonville Jaguars fans who think your team made a mistake in passing on Brady Quinn in the draft, you might want to know that your head coach feels your pain.

(Jack) Del Rio, who wanted to correct the perception that the Jaguars bypassed Quinn because Del Rio might need to make the playoffs this year to save his job, suggested that he wanted to take Quinn, but James "Shack" Harris, the team's vice president of player personnel, disagreed.

Del Rio said the team only picks players in which they have a consensus, and they all agreed to draft Reggie Nelson after they failed to reach a consensus on Notre Dame's Quinn, who was projected as a top-10 pick but slipped down the draft board.

I can't imagine that either Byron Leftwich or David Garrard were happy to hear this. Just two months ago, Del Rio gave Leftwich a vote of confidence by naming him the starter for 2007. Drafting Quinn might have soured this already-sketchy player-coach relationship even further, not to mention Leftwich would have been looking over his shoulder throughout the season, and a bad start would have had fans and press alike screaming for Quinn.

Of course, if Leftwich falters again in 2007, who takes the fall for the decision to pass on Quinn? Jack or Shack? Surely, neither is hoping it will come to that.

Bigger Upset: Warriors- Mavericks or Jaguars- Broncos?

Posted May 4th 2007 7:09AM by Michael David Smith
Filed under: Broncos, Jaguars, Featured Stories


The Warriors really did win last night, and it got me thinking about whether there's ever been a similar first-round upset in the NFL, a playoff game in which an inferior team somehow manages to shock the best team in the league in the first round of the playoffs.

The best example I can come up with was in January of 1997, when the Jacksonville Jaguars, an expansion team in only their second year of existence, beat the Denver Broncos, who at 13-3 were the AFC's best team. Jacksonville barely got into the playoffs that year, and when they won the wild-card game against the Buffalo Bills, it was a shock. Everyone was sure it would end there, though: There was no way the Jags were going into Mile High Stadium and beating the Broncos.

And then they did it. The game itself wasn't particularly memorable, but there's one big similarity between the aftermath of that game and the aftermath of this Warriors-Mavericks series: Fans and the media are now saying the Mavs' superstar, Dirk Nowitzki, just doesn't have what it takes to lead a team to a championship. That's exactly what people said about the Broncos' superstar, John Elway. The good news for Mavericks fans is that in each of the next two seasons, Elway led the Broncos to a Super Bowl title.

The biggest difference between Warriors-Mavericks and Jaguars-Broncos is that in the NFL, it's one-and-done. I don't know anyone who thinks the Jaguars would have beaten the Broncos in a seven-game series. So for that reason, the Warriors pulled off a bigger upset last night than the Jaguars did 10 years ago. But in both cases, fans are waking up the next morning and shaking their heads at what they saw.

NFL FanHouse Draft Grade: Jacksonville Jaguars

Posted Apr 29th 2007 6:08PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, NFL Draft

The Players
  1. Reggie Nelson, FS, Florida (#21)
  2. Justin Durant, ILB, Hampton (#48)
  3. Mike Walker, WR/CB, Central Florida (#79)
  4. Adam Podlesh, P, Maryland (#101)
  5. Brian Smith, DE, Missouri (#113)
  6. Uche Nwaneri, G, Purdue (#149)
  7. Josh Gattis, FS, Wake Forest (#159)
  8. Derek Landri, DT, Notre Dame (#166)
  9. John Broussard, WR, San Jose St. (#229)
  10. Chad Nkang, ILB, Elon College (#251)
  11. Andrew Carnahan, OT, Arizona State (#252)
The Good

The Jags traded down four spots and still got one of the safeties they needed in the wake of Deon Grant's departure. Justin Durant could be a small-college steal if he displays the playmaking ability he showed at Hampton. The Jags also added a potential replacement for punter Chris Hanson in Maryland's big-legged Adam Podlesh, plus additional help on defense with Justin Durant, Brian Smith, Josh Gattis and Derek Landri.

The Bad

The Jags waited a while to get the help they needed on defensive end. Mike Walker is a curious pick in the 3rd round, too. Did the Jags really need more receivers? Do they plan to convert Walker to cornerback, which he played in high school?

The Grade: A-

Jack Del Rio wanted to focus on defense in this draft, and he did well. Nelson, Durant and Podlesh could all be immediate help for this team, and the offensive linemen have potential. Very productive draft for the Jags.

Instant Analysis: Nelson Replaces Grant in Jacksonville

Posted Apr 28th 2007 4:11PM by David J. Warner
Filed under: Jaguars, AFC South, NFL Draft

Those rumors about Michael Griffin became a moot point after he went off the board at #19. Even if Reggie Nelson was Jacksonville's second choice, he may turn out to be a pretty good choice. With Deon Grant running off to Seattle in the offseason, the Jags had a hole to fill at safety, and now it appears to be filled with a guy who has a lot of range and is a solid tackler.

This is the Jags' first defensive pick in the 1st round four years, and it looks like a solid pick. What's more, the Jags moved down four spots, added a 3rd-round and 6th-round pick from Denver, and still got a player that was on their radar. You can't ask for much more than that.

Well, you could ask that Nelson, the 3rd-rounder and 6th-rounder all become Pro Bowl-caliber stars, but we'll torch that bridge when we get to it. In the meantime, here's the real question -- does Gerald Sensabaugh, who was supposed to move to free safety, move back to strong safety now? I suppose we'll find out in a few months, but there are much worse dilemmas for a team to have.

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