It's crazy to think that just about every hit DD laid on receivers back then now would be 15 yard penalties.

 

LOL He'd be fined every game and probably even suspended.

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Darius said pretty much the same thing.  He said that it's a matter of spatial awareness in many instances where they're not getting into the right position, and that's creating gaps that shouldn't be there. 

 

Agree.  It's going to take some time. 

Hopefully we as fans can be a little more patience. I was thinking about veteran presence the other day. Let's take Ed Reed (i know he's an all-time great) and he plays with Jimmy Smith (third year corner back). If Smith makes a bad break on a play and a guy picks up 20 yards, would Ed Reed speak with him while on the field and give in an in game tutorial on things to watch for. Then 2 plays later Smith makes a pick.

 

Now not saying it works just like this but I wonder how much of this we are missing out on because our guys don't have a wealth of knowledge to pull from and no one veteran guy to help them see things on the field as they are unfolding? You can watch a ton of film but some guys just do things in games and if you've never seen it before then it makes it that much harder to stop it. 

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Shouldn't these players know the difference between cover 2 and 3? They are "professionals" after all. 

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Donovan's assessment is what I see on the field. Tons of mental errors. I think bradley hit the nail on the head when he said they are in a race to mature. Fortunately, The owner is patient enough but the fans aren't. Hopefully Bortles' bombing antics will keep us entertained until the rest of the team can get their feet under them.

 

This team has all the makings of a sharp incline at some point either late this season or next season.

I think this is a perfect assessment.  Keep us entertained for now Bortles, hopefully the wins will come soon.

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There's a reason they're eager to get Colvin out there.  They want to see him starting on one side, and McCray on the other when that happens.  They see Gratz better suited to play the nickel. 

Where does this come from?

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Pretty discouraging that Gratz is not improving.  We may need to go CB early next year.

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Donovin Darius is on with Dempsey and Garrard on the Jags show on 1010XL, and he's talking about the fact that he's been mentoring for the Jaguars for the past couple of seasons, and specifically working with Cyprien and now Josh Evans.

 

He was asked about what he thought was the reason for the struggles this defense is having right now, particularly in pass coverage.  He talked about the fact that it's not the coaching or the play calling that's really hurting these players.  He said it's the fact that you've got so much youth on the team, particularly in the secondary, that these players need to develop a routine where they're working overtime on technique, and understanding the fundamentals of their positions.  Right now, he said that the younger players are struggling to understand things like the difference between cover 2 and cover 3, contain, etc.  He said that it's a matter of the young guys buckling down and putting the time in, and he's doing his part to mentor these guys to help them to develop a work ethic that will allow them to succeed.

 

Anyone who knows where Darius is coming from knows that this guy was the king of routine, and nobody was going to outwork him when it came to developing his skills as a player.  To hear that he is in there working with the youngsters to help them develop is a great move by Gus.  Darius was saying that Cyprien has developed, and it's showing on the field in how he's recognizing things more quickly.

 

Darius was talking about Bortles, and how he had an opportunity to spend some time with him talking football, and he said that the guy has the mentality and leadership skills to be a great player for the Jaguars for a lot of years. 

 

BTW, Daris is an Emmy Award winning producer now.  He's been doing training videos in partnership with the league and ESPN, and evidently these videos landed him an Emmy Award. 

 

DD was and still is the man. I wouldn't mind hearing more of him during some of these shows or pre-games. It's really cool to see Freddy, Toni and Mark here in Jacksonville still too. Spicer on the staff is cool. Hoping someday Freddy gets a shot at being a RB coach here. Just proud of how this has all folded out for some of the all-time greats we've grown up on here.

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"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

Pretty discouraging that Gratz is not improving. We may need to go CB early next year.

No need. That's why they have Colvin.

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"Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot."

No need. That's why they have Colvin.

 

not exactly a proven commodity

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Double D is my favorite player from the Jags of all time mainly because he laid wood to anybody that close to him on the field. But this is why I don't like all this youth on the team w/o experienced vets on the team that can teach. Not just any dude who's been in the league, I'm talking about respectable vets who are still good and can play. Just telling these rookies and 2nd year players to figure it out and getting help thru coaches ain't enough. You need people in the classroom with them helping get what they're doing besides the coach who can teach from a playing perspective. Rashean Mathis would be a valuable asset in that secondary right now.

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not exactly a proven commodity

Neither is anyone else in the draft.

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"Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot."

Neither is anyone else in the draft.

 

a top 5 CB is probably better than Colvin

 

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a top 5 CB is probably better than Colvin

Maybe, maybe not. Its probably best to see what kind of player they have in Colvin first before using a top pick at the position.

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"Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, if he gets angry, he's a mile away and barefoot."

Donovan's assessment is what I see on the field. Tons of mental errors. I think bradley hit the nail on the head when he said they are in a race to mature. Fortunately, The owner is patient enough but the fans aren't. Hopefully Bortles' bombing antics will keep us entertained until the rest of the team can get their feet under them.

 

This team has all the makings of a sharp incline at some point either late this season or next season.

I agree completely with this, especially the closing statement.

 

I think as long as the team is healthy down the stretch, it will come to pass.

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Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!

For people ragging on 2nd year players not knowing the difference in cover 2, 3, etc... there is a difference in knowing of and knowing in the situation.  Some people may spend 12 hours studying tape but if they don't focus on the key bits and connect how it impacts them on the field, it will result in big deficiencies.  I think they know of the coverages, but have struggle applying what they've studied in the film room to on the field calls.  They need to gel and the offense isn't cutting them any slack.

 

They looked good in the preseason bc they were playing vanilla vs vanilla offense, which just relies on their talent vs their mental grasp of how to apply their talent and technique.

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I know its coach speak, but earlier in the year something Les Miles said in the post game after the Wisconsin win struck a chord with me.  He said they made a lot of mental mistakes but it'll be easier to correct considering they won.  Losing can drain the spirit of these highly athletic and competitive players, which doesn't help in learning.

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a top 5 CB is probably better than Colvin

 

See recent top CBs Dee Milliner and Morris Claiborne.  They were both #1 CB in drafts.  In fact, if you look at all 1st round draft CBs over the past few years, there are a whole bunch who havent preformed up to draft status.  Then you have Richard Sherman and Honey Badger late.  CBs are tough it seems.  Who recently has been a slam dunk in round 1 outside of Patrick Petersen? I'm not thinking of one off the top of my head right now.

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See recent top CBs Dee Milliner and Morris Claiborne. They were both #1 CB in drafts. In fact, if you look at all 1st round draft CBs over the past few years, there are a whole bunch who havent preformed up to draft status. Then you have Richard Sherman and Honey Badger late. CBs are tough it seems. Who recently has been a slam dunk in round 1 outside of Patrick Petersen? I'm not thinking of one off the top of my head right now.

Joe Haden is about all I can think of

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We need to draft more corners from Stanford. 

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Joe Haden is about all I can think of

Why does everyone keep bringing this guy up as a great CB? From what I've seen, he's nothing special

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10 years ago we had Bob Hope, Johnny Cash, and Steve Jobs..... Please don't die, Kevin Bacon.