The danger of having so much cap money and an awful record at the same time is that there's pressure to make things happen right now; agreeing to ridiculous contracts for players who've made a splash on other teams who are in completely different circumstances than those the Jags are in. Not only is the temptation to offer too much money to draw big 'names', but to entice those 'names' even if they aren't for the most critically deficient positions we have.

 

The problem with pursuing such an action is that the risks of doing this sort of thing far outweighs the probable gains from it. Lets say we agree to a handful of these sort of massive contracts... suddenly, we no longer have a lot of 'cap space'. Then those players we've just over paid for and have been given up front money just sit back and go on 'cruise control'; with such massive amounts of money guaranteed, there is no impetus to excel any longer, and the Jags are once again holding the bag sponsoring NFL veterans who'v decided to 'rest' here until they go to other teams with a much better record and chance of reaching the playoffs. We've seen it here before folks.

 

We all know that our o-line is our 'Achilles tendon' and if it were significantly strengthened the rest of our needs would become less serious. Right now though, with the ranting of so many fans about 'we've got to get so-n-so' or 'if we pass on Mr. trouble we're foolish' if makes us sound like a drowning man who's grasping at anything that he thinks might help him float. Among other words, it makes us sound panicked and desperate! This is like 'blood in the water' for those free agent 'sharks' who could care less about turning this team around but are looking to make millions fast.

 

I suggest we don't worry too much about the big names who might be coming on the free agent market... and look for solid players who can bolster our inexperienced players while not throwing away our cap money on 'big names' or positions that are not our greatest needs. Save the monster contracts for players who prove themselves monsters here.

 

It won't matter if we've got the greatest receiver corps in the history of the NFL if our young quarterback is on the ground before he has a chance to make a good read and an accurate pass. Likewise, a great defense is no help if you can't put more points on the board than the other team. The best defense is a good offense.

 

Let's hope that we don't abandon the plan that was set in motion a couple of years ago at this point... make smart offers to players who can really help us long term.

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