Quote:Blackmon: Not happening.

Alualu: Also not happening, for a different reason. He has more value here than anywhere else. He'd be a backup DT on every other team, here he's a starting DE with some potential. He's not nearly as bad as people make him out to be. He's just not worth anywhere near where he was picked. No team is going to trade for him either. 

MJD: Hopefully we get something for him. I'd take a 5th. I love the guy but it's time to part ways. 

 

You can just about guarantee Shorts isn't going anywhere. He's the biggest lock on the entire roster of staying. If we could get a 6th for Lewis I'd be thrilled. 5th for Lowery?

 

Blackmon might fetch a #1 draft pick. I could see it going down much like Cleveland unloaded Trent Richardson while he still had value. Keep in mind that Gus Bradley and company did not draft Blackmon, thus, they are not tied to him. It doesn't mean they won't hold onto him, but trading him for a pick is still a definite possibility. 

 

Alualu is playing the LEO role (assumption, since I don't watch many Jaguar games), which is the same role Chris Clemons plays for the Seahawks. Clemons, who was acquired from the Eagles when Pete Carroll first arrived, was a head scratcher to many fans, because the guy was in his late twenties and hardly had any production. Chris Clemons is now a pro-bowl DE, and I would attribute nearly all of his success to the system he is in, and how his skill-set fits into that system. For Alualu, the question is, does he fit the system? Throw out terminology like whether or not he is a "good" player, everything now becomes about players fitting a certain mold and production. It doesn't matter if he could be a backup NT for another team if Gus needs him to play the LEO spot and get 10-11 sacks a year. If Alualu can't do it, Gus will get rid of him and find someone who can. I'm certain of that. That said, I don't watch many Jaguar games, so it's possible he is being double teamed a lot. Bottom line, if he is up for a new contract, is he worth paying top 10 DE money to? Personally, I'd say no, but I haven't seen or heard much about him since his rookie season.

 

One last thing, the only reason I threw Shorts in there, is because outside of Blackmon, he would command the most amount of draft capital. Having Shorts on the team is a great benefactor if the FO decides to go QB in next years draft, as it gives the QB a reliable receiver to throw to. If they decide to go a different direction next year, and say, trade out of the #1 spot for a ton of picks, I don't see it outside the realm of possibility where Shorts also gets traded.

 

If you haven't caught onto my recurring theme here, it's about gaining as much draft capital as possible. Having two stud receivers doesn't mean much at the end of the day if your OL can't pass protect, your offense has no running game, and your QB is below average. If Gus builds the team the way Pete Carroll did, the first year is usually spent building up the trenches, which means DL and OL picks. They aren't sexy, but they setup the team for success years down the road.

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