This year?  Defense without question.  The offense has too many young and new pieces, with the most important young and new piece (Bortles) not likely to see the field anytime soon.

 

Ask me this again next year and we may see a different answer but for now it's the defense.

---

An interesting take.

 

I think I could buy the argument the offensive additions make the offense more talented, but I don't think it will manifest itself until later in the season.

 

Granted nobody knows what will happen with this team next offseason, but I don't think it will be a stretch to say by next year, the offense will be the strength of this team, given the youth on the offense and guys like Clemons and Bryant will likely be in decline.

 

 

Nice topic, Bullseye.  And I agree that the D is the leader right now.  

 

I'm interested in seeing how the new D with our FA acquisitions will perform in the pass rush.  I think we'll know early on whether our D is stout based on how much pressure we get on opposing QBs.  The cause for much frustration and drinking has been the lack of ability to force a punt in 3rd down situations.  I really hope we've fixed this issue.  But it's gonna be something I worry about untill it's not.

 

Offense is the name of the game now.  So eventually we'll have to fix that.  When forced to make a prediction, I expect Bortles to start by November.  But that doesn't necessarily mean we're gonna be a contender in 2015.  I still think we're 2 seasons away from that--- 2014 still rebuilding, 2015 working out the kinks, 2016 being the first year of a long stint of playoff runs.  

 

It takes a while for an offense to really spark, and of course QB is important.  Bortles really won't be on the ascension untill 2016. By that time we'll probably have lost a few of our older players on D, but we'll probably have already supplanted most of them with upgrades.  

 

I think our front office and coaches deserve the benefit of the doubt in terms of being positive on the direction and talent acquisition of this team.  Unlike the previous regime where there were so many head scratching moves, this group is dialed into a strategy that does not need any sort of spin or wishful thinking.

---

I would say I trust our Defense being that GB has more of a infinite knowledge on that side of the ball.

 

Depending on how the offense looks during the preseason and early regular season, if the tempo is right, and they dont put the ball too much in Henne's hands, I could tip the trust scale to a even status but wont change my mind completely.

---

Whether someone has a liberal, or conservative viewpoint, a authoritative figure should not lock a thread for the sole purpose to get the last word in all the while prohibiting someone else from being able to respond.

IMO..........how this team gets out of the gate will be a real telltale sign. Their first 4 games should be a yardmarker for what to expect from the remaining part of the season. Of course, optimism is high......... as it should be. They have made great strides......on paper! But, getting the results out on the field are a different story. Could they become good enough to make the playoffs? I think they absolutely could...........but I can't stress enough in order for that to happen, they MUST get a good start in regards to wins. Playing catch-up for a young team like this is probably not in the cards. This season might turn out to be a wonderful surprise for alot of us, or it could also be dis-appointing. It's that much of an unknown. But who amongst us isn't EXCITED!  

---

I think the defense will be the one carrying the offense, especially early on in the year.

 

I agree with this, OP.

 

I do believe the offense will make a few splashes though - especially late in the season as you suggest.  There is so much potential lurking among the additions of Lee, Robinson, Bortles, Gerhart etc. Plus -  the development of D-Rob is still intriguing to me. I think he will make the highlight reel a couple of times this year.  The offense may sputter at times with Henne behind center - but I think we'll see more big plays this season from them - and I think #89 will have a very productive season under Fisch's developing playbook.

 

Still - the D will be more effective overall IMO.

---

The offense needs to help the defense by decreasing the number of three and outs we were so accustomed to seeing last year. Improvement on the offensive side of the ball will carry more weight than improvement on the defensive side.

---

Only a chump boos the home team!

Nice topic, Bullseye.  And I agree that the D is the leader right now.  

 

I'm interested in seeing how the new D with our FA acquisitions will perform in the pass rush.  I think we'll know early on whether our D is stout based on how much pressure we get on opposing QBs.  The cause for much frustration and drinking has been the lack of ability to force a punt in 3rd down situations.  I really hope we've fixed this issue.  But it's gonna be something I worry about untill it's not.

 

Offense is the name of the game now.  So eventually we'll have to fix that.  When forced to make a prediction, I expect Bortles to start by November.  But that doesn't necessarily mean we're gonna be a contender in 2015.  I still think we're 2 seasons away from that--- 2014 still rebuilding, 2015 working out the kinks, 2016 being the first year of a long stint of playoff runs.  

 

It takes a while for an offense to really spark, and of course QB is important.  Bortles really won't be on the ascension untill 2016. By that time we'll probably have lost a few of our older players on D, but we'll probably have already supplanted most of them with upgrades.  

 

I think our front office and coaches deserve the benefit of the doubt in terms of being positive on the direction and talent acquisition of this team.  Unlike the previous regime where there were so many head scratching moves, this group is dialed into a strategy that does not need any sort of spin or wishful thinking.

 

I also think the pass rush is a concern.

 

I believe the run defense will be better this year.

 

Red Bryant's presence will solidify the edge on the right side.  I don't think teams running off tackle or outisde to the right will have a soft edge against which to run.  His girth will allow him to hold up the point and make it harder for teams to run.  Furthermore, I think additions like Ziggy Hood will give the team better depth for rotations, keeping the DL fresher and better keeping linemen off of the LBs.

 

Now the extra depth should help the pass rush some.

 

However, I think a lot of the anticipated improvement from the pass rush comes from the acquisition of Clemons.  While he has proven to put up good pass rush numbers in the past, he is 32 (?) years old and recently coming off a serious knee injury.  I can't see him replicating his double digit sack total of a couple of seasons ago.  I am hoping Branch and Davis can improve their games to give us a credible pass rush.

---

 

Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Imagine a defense that can take advantage of the field position presented by our special teams.  I'll be happy to see teams pinned back in there end and be forced to actually give us decent field position.

 

Henne is Henne and the offense needs time.  This could be the year we don't have to be blown out so much thanks to an improving defense.

 

And I agree that 2015 playoffs will be tough.  We need solid contributions from at least 3 years of drafting.  The depth on this team was destroyed for years.

---

Birth of the Franchise - November 30, 1993
Death of the Franchise - November 29, 2011

Fans deserve better. Thanks for all the good times too many are in the past.

Anyone who has read this board over the past year can tell you virtually nobody here has confused this team with a juggernaut.

 

We all know that despite the promise this offseason seems to have, we are still in the very early stages of a massive build.  This is far from a complete team, and there will likely be some uneven performances by the team overall.

 

The question is, if you had to pick a side of the ball to trust to carry us this year while the team improves, which side of the ball would it be, offense or defense?

 

Why?

 

Does your answer change over the course of the season?  What would determine it?

 

I think the defense will be the one carrying the offense, especially early on in the year.

 

First, the defense has more proven performers.  While older, guys like Poz, Bryant and Clemons give this team ability and leadership, and at face value, Bryant and Clemons seem to represent immediate upgrades over their replacements from last year, as does Dekoda Watson, while Ziggy Hood should gives us better quality depth, if nothing else.  While Beadles and Gerhart represent veteran additions on the offensive side of the ball, I am not sure if the dramatic impact they may have will be as evident, especially early on.

 

 

  Secondly, I think there are more young players in ascent on this side of the ball.  Cyprien, Gratz and Branch showed signs of improvement over the course of last year.  Cyp and Gratz are in their second years, while Branch is entering his 3rd.  The young guys on the offensive side of the ball are mostly rookies, especially at WR.   Rookie WRs rarely make much positive impact.  While Joeckel is technically in his second year, he is still a rookie for all intents and purposes.  He started out on the right side fro 4 games or so, then in his fifth, he moved back to LT where he got hurt for the year early in the Rams game.  Bortles likely won't play this year-according to the coaches-and even if he does-it likely won't be until later and it is highly unlikely he replicates Marino's or Roethlisberger's rookie year successes.  While Henne may show improvement with new skill players and linemen and another year in the offense, I think the offense's true improvement will come when Bortles is finally inserted in the lineup.  Shorts is in his prime, but Blackmon is not available, and he should be in his prime.  Rookie WRs rarely make much positive impact.  I think the latter part of this year and 2015 is when you will see the offensive improvement.

 

Finally, I think it's going to be easier for the defense to gel than the offense.  Two of the newcomers on the defense already know the scheme.  Meanwhile, the OL has four new starters from opening day last year.  It'll take them a while to get in synch, all recognize blitzes and know what to do, etc., which, in turn will affect the performance of the rest of the offense.  Besides, lets face it.  Bradley is a defensive coach.  This will be a defensive team under his watch.

 

So which side of the ball do you  trust to carry the team this year?

 

Mine would have to be Defense.  You figure the free agency pick ups of DEs Big Red Bryant, Chris Clemons both from Seattle worked under Gus when he was the Defensive Coordinator.  Then you throw in DT Ziggy Hood, along with the existing roster of Sen'Derrick Marks and Roy Miller for the interior it may not be the flashiest Defensive Line but its a very solid one.  The DBs are a bit of a concern, but we all have very high expectations for SS Johnathan Cyprien to make it to the ProBowl this season if not come very close.  The CB Blackmon held his own along with Ball.  The LBs are lead with the star Poz ProBowler MILB, and the rookie Telvin Smith has been impressive so far. The free agency pick up of Dekoda Watson, among a couple others and the coaching staff's ability to coach up LBs in Jacksonville are among the best in the league (see Urlachers choice to come to Duval to talk to the players based on his relationship with our coach).  The FS position, and CB really concern me the most but they arent so bad that the Defense wont be at least in the middle of the pack in my opinion with the rest of the NFL (despite the feared collapase of Offense remaining under Chad Henne's direction).

 

I mean maybe Toby Gerhart will look better than MoJo (well at least how he played last year), and maybe Chad Henne will shock everyone with his better protection and tons of receiving options but if I had to bet on one at this point I would take the Defense as doing the better job.

---

I would put my trust in the Defense over any other group. There are leaders there, and young talent that has had a season to both grow up and grow together. While I don't think they will be world-beaters this season, I think they will be the strength of the team. The Offense should be better this season, but that's about as far as I'll give them. While I trust Henne to run the Offense and at least be productive, I can't get the memory of how bad his last game against Indianapolis was.

---

I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

I would put my trust in the Defense over any other group. There are leaders there, and young talent that has had a season to both grow up and grow together. While I don't think they will be world-beaters this season, I think they will be the strength of the team. The Offense should be better this season, but that's about as far as I'll give them. While I trust Henne to run the Offense and at least be productive, I can't get the memory of how bad his last game against Indianapolis was.

Aside from my mind purging the memory of Henne's last performance from itself as a form of self preservation, you and I are in complete agreement here.  I COULD see the offense being the strength of the team in 2015, and maybe as early as the latter parts of this season, but right now, the defense will be the strength of the team. 

---

 

Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

Aside from my mind purging the memory of Henne's last performance from itself as a form of self preservation, you and I are in complete agreement here.  I COULD see the offense being the strength of the team in 2015, and maybe as early as the latter parts of this season, but right now, the defense will be the strength of the team. 

 

I want to see the Offense where it seems as if the Player's have a firm grasp of it and are making plays themselves, and not just a by product of Fisch's playcalling. I thought the world of Fisch last season because you could tell that he was using every trick he had just to get some yardage out of the group. All of that moving of Sanders and the wacky play fakes just screamed of him trying everything he could to squeeze some production out of the roster.

 

While I don't expect massive yardage this season, I'd like to at least feel like the Offense is capable of making plays on their own.

---

I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

The defense will be better and still be the strength of the team. However, I believe the continuation of fisch's offense and stability under Henne (not saying we can't or won't improve there soon as well) will be the biggest difference from last year's team. That will allow the defense to rest a bit between series, coupled with our extra depth, to really improve the team overall.


If the defense can help the offense with consistent turnovers, look out.

---

If we're building on strengths from last year, it's special teams.

 

Only on special teams did we have league leaders (in returns and punting.)

 

I'd like to say D, but there are still many unanswered questions.  Additions look fine on paper, but they don't count until that paper is the stat books.  LEO needs to show up, no matter how many names he'll go by.  The youngsters need to continue to grow.  So, I can't say the defense gives me confidence they can carry the load.

 

I'd also like to say O, but unfortunately the story is the same.  The OL again, should be improved on paper.  Ditto WR, RB can't be worse, and O should be solid if Henne can give us more games like the second half than the first half.  Still not enough to give me confidence O will carry when needed.

 

I think both the D and O will both have their moments, both good and bad.  The only unit that's shown they can be relied on game in and out is special teams.  To tie this into the other thread on improvement... if either of the O or D can earn our trust, that will certainly be a welcome improvement this season.  But, I can't see one having the edge over the other... maybe D wins the "push" with Bradley's coaching experience being what breaks the tie.

---

"You do your own thing in your own time. You should be proud."

Since everyone is saying defense, for good reasons, I'm going to go out on a limb and say our strongest area will be our running game.

---

Since everyone is saying defense, for good reasons, I'm going to go out on a limb and say our strongest area will be our running game.

 

That would be really good to see...especially if it represented an actual strength.

 

Especially if it represented an area that would enable the team to control and win some games.

 

I think Gerhart can get decent yardage for us given the blocking.  It's just a matter of how quickly the OL comes together.

---

 

Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

If we're building on strengths from last year, it's special teams.

 

Only on special teams did we have league leaders (in returns and punting.)

 

I'd like to say D, but there are still many unanswered questions.  Additions look fine on paper, but they don't count until that paper is the stat books.  LEO needs to show up, no matter how many names he'll go by.  The youngsters need to continue to grow.  So, I can't say the defense gives me confidence they can carry the load.

 

I'd also like to say O, but unfortunately the story is the same.  The OL again, should be improved on paper.  Ditto WR, RB can't be worse, and O should be solid if Henne can give us more games like the second half than the first half.  Still not enough to give me confidence O will carry when needed.

 

I think both the D and O will both have their moments, both good and bad.  The only unit that's shown they can be relied on game in and out is special teams.  To tie this into the other thread on improvement... if either of the O or D can earn our trust, that will certainly be a welcome improvement this season.  But, I can't see one having the edge over the other... maybe D wins the "push" with Bradley's coaching experience being what breaks the tie.

 

I get your point, but I can't realistically put special teams as an entity that carries this team anywhere.

 

Punt coverage is on the field, at most, once every three plays.  Punt return teams were on the field less frequently because the D didn't stop many teams.

 

Kickoff coverage was also a rare sight because we rarely scored last year.  Kick returns were common, but they weren't enough to change momentum in any games.

 

I share your concern regarding the LEO position.  While Clemons seems to be an improvement, given his age and injury history and seeming lack of surrounding help, it would be a stretch to expect a double digit sack season from him, though I would love to be wrong on this point.

---

 

Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

I'd have to role with the defense on this one. It's hard to argue that the defense isn't more upgraded than the offense when you consider that with the addition of Bryant and Clemons that you have two pro bowl caliber veterans playing key positions who are already familiar with Gus's defensive scheme.

 

We may have a really great offense this season too, but right now we don't really know. Most of our offensive line is either rookies or new to the jag's system. Henne is a known quantity, but he has never been thought to be anything except average (at best) and a stop gap until Bortles is ready to play. We can only hope that our running game is better, as well as our receivers. But right now, most of our offense is just a big question mark.

 

So I guess of the two, the defense looks to be more of a tangible threat from the outset. We'll see....

---

I y'ams who I y'ams and thats all I y'ams...

That would be really good to see...especially if it represented an actual strength.

 

Especially if it represented an area that would enable the team to control and win some games.

 

I think Gerhart can get decent yardage for us given the blocking.  It's just a matter of how quickly the OL comes together.

 

I like the backfield as a whole. It's a tight race to make the final roster so I like that. Competition makes people better. 

 

Denard coming into his own would really help a lot. 

---

 

The question is, if you had to pick a side of the ball to trust to carry us this year while the team improves, which side of the ball would it be, offense or defense?

 

Why?

 

 

Definitely not the offense.  Last year we were one of the worst offenses in the league and our strategy in the offseason is to rebuild the O through the draft.   Not a knock on the offense but just stating the plan -- fix D, rebuild O

---