In our continuing look at the last 20 years of the Jaguars in town, this week in honor of Blake Bortles first start, as a rookie, we’re looking at the Top 20 Impact Rookies in Jaguars history. This list actually comes in three parts: The top few are players who were strong as rookies and continued their career as standouts for the Jaguars. The middle is players who had solid if unspectacular careers in Jacksonville but were in the lineup from Day One. And the third group is guys who were in the lineup as rookies and never fulfilled the promise they showed in their first year or just never made it here or anywhere else.

Our top rookie could be debated for the brevity of his career but Tony Boselli is number one on our list. He missed the first two games of his rookie season, and didn’t start in game three but once he got in the lineup, he was a stalwart and dominant from his left tackle position. I mentioned to Tony on our pregame show last week that he “was the best offensive lineman for five years of his career,” to which he responded (playfully I hope), “What, my first year doesn’t count.” Boselli was not only the best player at his position; he was the best player on the Jaguars and the best offensive lineman in the game. On his way to a Hall of Fame career, only injury cut that path short, starting with his rookie year. That’s why he’s our #1.

In our second spot, Fred Taylor easily fits the description of a rookie who was in the lineup and fulfilled most of the promise he showed during his first year in the NFL. Taylor started 12 games, had more than 1,600 total yards and scored 17 TD’s as a rookie.

Third on the list is Blake Bortles. How can Bortles be on the list when he’s only played 30 minutes of football for the Jaguars? Because he’s given hope to a franchise that’s been downtrodden for nearly a decade. He has an “it” factor that hasn’t been seen around here in a while. Bortles has created a buzz unlike any for a rookie in recent memory. He might do nothing. He might go to the Hall of Fame. But right here, right now as a rookie, he’s on the list.

Fourth on the list is the player who I think should be next in the Pride of the Jaguars, Brad Meester. Meester started at guard as a rookie and never left the lineup. He’s the guy who it seemed every year the Jaguars were talking about replacing, but never could. Too valuable, too talented, too smart, too durable. Meester makes the list and should be on the wall of the stadium soon.

Fifth and sixth are kickers, Mike Hollis and Josh Scobee. There’s a thought in the NFL that your kicker should be good enough to neutralize the opposing kicker and clutch enough to win the game for you at the end. Hollis and Scobee fit that description and more and have done that since their rookie seasons. The both started as rookies, kept the job, excelled and have had long careers in Jaguars uniforms.

Rashean Mathis is 7th on our list. He came in as a 2nd round pick out of BCC, started immediately and you knew you could pencil his name in there every week. That’s why Derek Cox is 8th. Same thing. Started as a rookie, never had to worry about him, although his career here was shorter than expected.

We liked James Stewart in the 9th spot. As a rookie in 1995, Stewart was the back Coach Tom Coughlin was looking for when it came to running, catching and durability. Stewart perhaps never got the credit he deserved from Jacksonville fans, but was certainly an impact rookie.

In the 10th position we have Marcus Stroud. Played and started as a rookie, had most of his best years in Jacksonville and has an easy position on this list. Same with John Henderson at eleven. Rookie impact, solid career, Henderson and Stroud will always be linked in their Jaguars history.

You could easily make an argument that Daryl Smith should be higher than 12th on this list and you probably could convince us. Smith came in as a rookie and started and stayed there. Still the most underrated player in Jaguars history.

Thirteenth is Vince Manuai. Drafted out of the University of Hawaii to be plugged into the starting lineup, he didn’t disappoint. Manuai started as a rookie and held his position in a fashion that never gave the coaches any worry.

Fourteen is Eugene Monroe. Drafted as the starting left tackle, he stepped in there and developed into the Jaguars best player in some lean years. He might have his best years in Baltimore, that’s why he’s in our second ten.

And this is where it starts to get a little strange. Fifteen is Kevin Hardy. Second player picked overall, he had impact as a rookie but never fulfilled the promise of his talent. For whatever reason, he never got there. Sixteen and 17 are two guys who were drafted to be plugged into the lineup as starters and did just that as rookies, and struggled the rest of the way. Brian DeMarco was supposed to be the other bookend to Tony Boselli but despite all of his starts as a rookie, he never played any better. And Eben Britton was supposed to be the bookend to Eugene Monroe, but injuries and whatever ended his stay in Jacksonville early.

Eighteen is Renaldo Wynn. A first round pick, Wynn had a solid if unspectacular career in Jacksonville. A starter as a rookie, he continued his career in Washington in the same fashion.

Byron Leftwich is nineteenth on our list. Thrust into the starting lineup as a rookie, he looked the part of a long-term solution at QB. But he never developed into the player they were hoping for, but certainly had an impact.

And 20th, is Terrance Knighton. A starter as a rookie, he could have easily played his whole career in Jacksonville but coaching changes and a change in scheme have put him in Denver.

There’s a whole other list of guys who were “impactful” as rookies but had virtually no career here in town. Rob Johnson didn’t play much as a rookie but turned into Fred Taylor when the Jaguars traded for him. Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Reggie Nelson, Derrick Harvey, Quinton Groves and Justin Blackmon qualify as impactful rookies who’s career’s never went anywhere in Jacksonville.

Blaine Gabbert could have been anywhere on the list as an “impactful” player since the team pinned their hopes on him and he flamed out. So in terms of negative impact, he might be number one.

Here are other rookies who played, had an impact, but didn’t make the top 20:

• Pete Mitchell
• Willie Jackson
• Bryan Schwartz
• Aaron Beasley
• Donovin Darius
• Fernando Bryant
• Micah Ross (the first JU player on the Jaguars roster)
• Mike Pearson and
• Tyson Alualu

And who knows where these guys might end up but all have contributed as rookies.

• Jonathan Cyprien
• Luke Joeckel
• Denard Robinson
• Ace Sanders
• Luke Bowanko
• Allen Hurns
• Brandon Linder
• Allen Robinson

Did we miss somebody? Let us know your thoughts on twitter with the hashtag #jagstop20 or @sports4jax.

We’ll reveal your thoughts on Jaguars Friday Night at 11:20.

If you look at the play sheet from an NFL game, you can pretty easily pick out where the game changes. Usually somewhere in the first half there’s a missed opportunity and somewhere in the second half one team makes a critical play to either stop a drive or keep one going. For the Jaguars you have to go back to their first possession on offense against Washington to see where things changed, immediately. On 2nd and 10 from their own 24, Chad Henne pumped, rolled to his right and saw Alan Hurns running down the sideline, right past the man who was covering him. Hurns was 5 yards in the clear when Henne hit him in stride for a sure 76-yard TD and a 7-0 lead on the road.

Except Hurns dropped the ball.

That lead to a sack, a punt, a momentum shift and zero yards gained in the first quarter. With nothing going on for the offense, the defense was worn out quickly and it was 21-0 Washington before you knew it.

And this was without Robert Griffin III who left in the first quarter with an ankle injury and DeSean Jackson who also left with a shoulder problem.

I didn’t think these kinds of games were still in the Jaguars repertoire. Historically bad, double-digit losses were supposed to be a thing of the past.

A nice throw and catch and a run down the sideline put the Jaguars on the scoreboard 21-7. It was the longest gain of Lewis’ career. But with only 5 first downs through nearly three full quarters, something was amiss on offense. The offensive line was overwhelmed in nearly every situation. No holes open for the run game, and when Henne went to pass, he was under pressure and swamped consistently. Add in a couple of Mike Brown drops and the lack of production isn’t surprising. To succeed, everything has to be “precise” according to Gus Bradley. Without that kind of precision up front on the offensive line, everybody else has to be perfect. And they’re not.

In the 4th quarter we saw Luke Bowanko at center and Sam Young at right tackle. Perhaps that’s the combination the Jaguars need now to have five guys who can just grow together.

“Disappointed rather than embarrassed,” Gus Bradley said after the game. ”

“Disappointed because I know we can make those plays. We just didn’t,” Chad Henne said in his post-game press conference.

Without a running game, Henne was sacked repeatedly.

“You start to know you don’t have much time so we tried to go to the short game and they had that covered. We wanted to throw the ball downfield but didn’t have time for that,” he added.

They didn’t have the kind of improvement you would like to see from week one to week two. “We talk about getting better, we didn’t do that this week,” Bradley explained. “We’ll have to. It’s a race we’re in a race to maturity and we’ve got to get going.”

Marcedes Lewis has a high ankle sprain and was wearing a boot on his left foot as he left the stadium. The Jaguars said Alan Hurns was being “evaluated” after he suffered an injury to his left leg on the second to the last play of the game. His didn’t look good and if Hurns is injured, an already depleted wide receiver corps will need help.

Next week is the first home game of the year for the Jaguars. Indianapolis is the opponent at 1 o’clock.

As Eagles fans were just settling in their seats, the Jaguars went to work utilizing some of their off-season acquisitions to some success early in the games. Toby Gerhart carried the ball very effectively, moving the pile and getting positive yardage (although he was stopped on 3rd and 1 on the first drive) and the Jaguars defense was pretty stout against the vaunted Eagles offense. I think people were a little surprised that the Jaguars just didn’t roll over the way they seemed to last year early in games. In fact, after giving up a 3rd and long conversion, the Jaguars’ Chris Clemons sacked Nick Foles and stripped the ball. The Jaguars recovered and took advantage of the turnover with a 34-yard TD from Chad Henne to Alan Hurns to take a 7-0 lead. Again the Jaguars defense was swarming to the ball like we haven’t seen in, well forever, and forced Foles into another fumble. Henne to Hurns again from 21 yards out (and a great catch by Hurns BTW) to make it 14-0 Just over 8 minutes into the game, the boo birds were out in Philadelphia.

They were really booing when Clemons batted Foles’ arm again on third down causing an incomplete pass to give the Jaguars the ball back. This is what the team spent their money on in the off-season and at least early, it’s paying dividends. Nothing compares to pressure on the quarterback. It makes the whole defense work.

A horse collar call on the Eagles gave the Jaguars good field position for a Josh Scobee field goal to make it 17-0 but Toby Gerhardt suffered a sprained ankle on the play. That’s why the horse collar is illegal. Gerhart limped off and had his ankle re-taped.

Again, pressure on Foles, this time by Ryan Davis gave the Jaguars a sack and good field position after the punt. Mike Brown is returning punts for the Jaguars and you figure if over the 4 games before Ace Sanders comes back if they can have no turnovers and some positive yardage, it’s a win on special teams.

An interception in the end zone ended an Eagles drive. The third turnover for the Jaguars and they pushed the ball downfield. Still without a conversion on third down, the usually automatic Josh Scobee missed a 50-yard attempt and had one blocked to hold the Jaguars at 17-0. Jacques McClendon is getting his first start at center and so far he’s struggled with a couple of high snaps and one he couldn’t get off the ground. I’m sure they’re hoping he’ll grow into that spot because they can’t afford those kinds of mistakes. If not, Luke Bowanko will get a chance there.

Grinding away in the second half, the Eagles offense wasn’t gaining a lot of yards but on 4th and short, the Jaguars defense got caught a little slow getting set and Darren Sproles broke a 49 yarder for a TD to make it 17-7.

The rest of the third quarter was all Eagles. The defense fell back into the bad-tackling mode and the offense couldn’t convert on third down. That gave Philadelphia a lot of chances and they converted, tying the game at 17 with 10 minutes to play. And When Foles found Jeremy Maclin running wide open down field; the Eagles had an easy TD and a 24-17 lead.

Missed opportunities in the first half came back to haunt the Jaguars but it also seemed the Eagles made some adjustments at halftime that worked and the Jaguars couldn’t compensate. It wasn’t until midway through the 4th quarter that the Jaguars started running the ball at the line of scrimmage instead of that stretch play. It worked for a while but on 4th down they outsmarted themselves trying to hit Marcedes Lewis in the flat and turned the ball over on downs at their own 30. Muscle up and run the ball there.

A field goal made it 27-17, and a fumble by Henne was run back for a TD giving the Eagles a 34-17 lead.

Lots of flashes of a new team, too often reminders of the old one.

On to Washington next week.

While the off season has been full of quarterback and giant video boards talk, the on-field product for the Jaguars this year will be tested in an unglamorous way.

Up front. Both sides.

We can talk about the future for Blake Bortles and whether Chad Henne is the right call all we want. We can debate whether the lack of a real veteran in the wide receiving corps will be exposed by opposing defenses once the regular season starts. And any discussion about the receivers can spark a debate on how the Jaguars spent their draft picks, taking Marquis Lee and Allen Robinson back to back. But any discussion about the success, or lack thereof of the 2014 Jaguars has to start with the offensive and defensive lines.

Acquiring Chris Clemons, Red Bryant, Ziggy Hood and Dekoda Watson in the off-season as free agents showed how General Manager Dave Caldwell wanted this 2014 team to perform. Too often last year, double-digit losses early in the season were because when the offense sputtered, the defense couldn’t hold. This season, Caldwell and Head Coach Gus Bradley are hoping the money spent on defensive free agents will keep the Jaguars in games. Bryant and Clemons will start on the defensive line, giving the Jaguars two veteran players who have proven track records. Bryant might be the linchpin, taking up double and triple teams, freeing Clemons, Sen’Derrick Marks and others to beat their man and make a play. At least that’s the plan.

Hood will rotate in and do the same, with the team hoping Watson will have the speed and the instincts to rush the passer when necessary. You might hear the terms “cheetah” and “lightning” thrown around a lot this year in passing situations, both denoting defensive personnel packages designed to get the maximum number of speed players on the field at one time.

The Lone free-agent acquisition on the offensive line is veteran Zane Beadles. Like the defensive newcomers, Beadles is in the prime of his career and has a proven track record. For the Jaguars, he’s the own known quantity up front. Luke Joeckel is technically a second year player and starts at the all-important left tackle spot. But with only 5 games in 2013 before he suffered a season-ending injury, you could call this rookie year 2.0 for Joeckel. He’s already good, worthy of his second overall selection. But he’s not the elite player yet the Jaguars hope he’ll be. The rest of the line is a big question mark. Most coaches admit that linemen in the NFL have a gradual growth in their development. There aren’t any giant leaps forward as there can be with the skill players. So often players are put in situations they’re hoping they’ll grow into. Such is the case of Brandon Linder at right guard. The Jaguars see great “upside” in Linder, so he’s starting right now with the team hoping he grows into the player they think he can be. But he’s not that yet. To his right, Cam Bradfield is a known quantity and a valuable stopgap player until Austin Pasztor returns. But Bradfield isn’t a superstar. And Pasztor is a project in his own right. In the middle, Jacques McClendon won the center job almost by default. Mike Brewster never could perform at the level the Jaguars had hoped he would and McClendon, a guard by trade, was plugged in until Luke Bowanko, a sixth round draft pick, can push himself into the starting lineup.

None of what Toby Gerhardt, Lee, Robinson, Marcedes Lewis or Chad Henne does can be done successfully without the five guys up front getting their job done consistently well. Same thing with Alan Ball, Dwayne Gratz, Jon Cyprien and Winston Guy. Without effective pressure up front and some kind of run stopping force from the D-Line, they’re job is almost impossible.

So watching the game against the Eagles Sunday, look at what’s happening up front. It’ll give you a clue as to what’s going to happen in the back.

And on the scoreboard.

From the opening series, the Jaguars were looking to get different players involved in the offense and use their up tempo look to move the ball downfield. Both were evident as Marqis Lee, Toby Gerhardt and Marcedes Lewis all had touches for considerable gains right away. The “no-huddle” started paying dividends right away, keeping the Bears base defense on the field for the first nine plays of the game, culminating in a Josh Scobee Field Goal and a 3-0 lead. While they team has worked on the stretch running play during training camp, they haven’t had much success with it and against the Bears on 3rd and 1, Gerhardt failed to gain a yard. Starting on the offensive line, Luke Joeckel, Zane Beadles, Mike Brewster, Jacques McClendon and Austin Pasztor gave Chad Henne good protection but didn’t provide a lot of room to run. Luke Bowanko was in the game in the second series at center for a few plays before Brewster returned. Center is an area of concern for the Jaguars coaching staff and they’re looking for the right combination.

Meanwhile, Henne showed good leadership and patience, finding open receivers both down field and coming out of the backfield. He has a good command of the offense and is finding the open man better than in the past.

Getting into the Red Zone is a big emphasis for the Jaguars this year, but scoring touchdowns is also what Gus Bradley is looking for. Again, they had a false start penalty near the goal line, (Brewster failed to snap the ball on time) and settled for another Scobee field goal, 6-0.

Will Blackmon is one of those players you need around for a lot of reasons and on special teams, he continues to make an impact. A strip and a fumble recovery on the kickoff gave the Jaguars the ball back. Henne continued to answer the bell, converting a key 10-yard pass on 3rd down enroute to a short flip for a TD to Lee and a 13-0 lead. With Chad playing well, he’ll solidify his spot at the starting quarterback and quieting some of the critics. Kind of. There continues to be calls for Blake Bortles to start NOW and take his lumps but the Jaguars are pretty confident in their plan of Henne playing till they think Bortles is ready. I will say Bortles has been impressive in the preseason, if only in his demeanor and his execution of what they’re asking him to do. I like the Jaguars plan, but if Bortles has to play for some reason, it won’t be a disaster like putting Gabbert in the game was.

As the preseason progresses, it’s obvious the league is trying to subtly change how the game is played. The illegal hits and leading with your head penalties have been minimized, as the players understand that’s now illegal. This year it’s the “Illegal hands to the face” and a “crack back” block that are the points of emphasis for the officials. Flags got plenty of work calling those penalties and will continue to do so until the players figure out what’s legal and what isn’t.

Another solid performance across the board for the Jaguars. Offensive line still needs work with some decisions in the middle but overall, a better game than last week. Second straight road game against Detroit next week and the starters will probably play through three quarters. We’ll see if Bortles gets any late time with the 1’s in the third quarter. And lots of decisions to be made shortly as the first cuts are due after the trip to the Motor City.

Competition is what it’s about for Jaguars Head Coach Gus Bradley. It doesn’t start at a specific time, and it’s obvious with him, it never ends.

“Everything counts,” Bradley said after practice. “Everything. They way they walk on the field, they way you handle yourselves in the huddle, the way you talk to your teammates, all those things. Everything counts.”

So it was no surprise that in their first Organized Team Activity (OTA) the Jaguars had loud music, an up-tempo pace and a fairly stressful environment from start to finish.

“We went two periods of no huddle” the Head Coach explained regarding the tempo. “That really strained them. We’re trying to get to the point where we can execute under strain.”

The players run from one drill to the other, in between periods and whenever they’re not in the play, they’re fully engaged. In fact, Bradley and the coaching staff have instituted a couple of “flexibility” periods. It’s a chance to see where guys could play a couple of positions if necessary.

“You saw some of the younger guys are playing multiple positions. We’re looing for position flexibility,” was the explanation when Bradley was asked about moving players around. Offensive linemen were put in multiple positions. Linebackers were moved all over the place. JT Thomas played middle linebacker.

While doing that, Bradley said “the guys with their helmets off” were challenged to become coaches. You saw veteran players teaching and learning from the process. “It didn’t go as well as we would have liked, but we’ll get there,” Gus explained.

As far as the tempo, it’s part of the learning but part of the conditioning process as well.

“That heat, it’s no joke,” DL Red Bryant said in the locker room peeling off his practice uniform.

“It’s a race to maturity,” according to Bradley. “We’re trying to speed up the learning curve.”

Four players sat out of practice today, including Josh Evans who had a procedure for a bone spur on his foot. Bradley says he’ll be back for training camp. Chris Clemons was not at the “voluntary” practice, the only veteran not in attendance. He had “an issue” according to Bradley and is expected soon.

All four quarterbacks saw action today. All seemed well suited for what they’re being asked to do. “We’re trying to speed it up and by keeping it simple, we can do that,” Bradley said when asked about the QB’s. Blake Bortles looked like a rookie with a lot of talent, but still a rookie. “It’ll all settle down for him when he knows the offense,” Bradley explained.

The Jaguars also signed fifth round draft pick LB Telvin Smith from FSU. He’s the fifth of nine draftees under contract. That leaves Blake Bortles, Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson and Brandon Linder unsigned.

There was one dust-up in today’s workout. OL Sam Young and Bryant got into a minor skirmish when Young’s helmet went flying in the middle of a play. Both were separated and nothing seemed to come of it.

OTA’s are Wednesday and Thursday of this week and Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of next week with Thursday, June 5th open to the public. The Jaguars are still waiting on an official time for that day (there have been conflicting reports) but right now it’s set for 10:50-12:50.

As the main presenter on Tuesday, Jaguars President Mark Lamping reviewed what the team calls the “sustainability” of the franchise, outlining different ideas to create revenue and not raise ticket prices across the board. Owner Shad Khan admitted they have big ideas in their organization. From the no-reality of the big scoreboards, to the potential of the team being the developer of the Shipyards property with a Jaguars theme in the Sports Complex, a concept of a roof over the stadium, a change to the club seats to enhance the experience, and even their own version of “courtside” seats, the Jaguars owner wants his team to compete on the scoreboard and on the balance sheet.

“I can tell you if there’s one difference in the last two years, it’s that there’s no sense of entitlement,” Khan told me as his eyes flashed at the idea of complacency. “None of our former players will ever say again that they enjoyed their vacation in Florida,” referring to Aaron Ross’ comment when he went back to the Giants. (Ross was mediocre at best while he was in Jacksonville anyway despite signing a big free agent contract)

Khan wants a competitive organization in football and in his business and believes that’s what makes you successful. As one of the wealthiest people in America (and pretty high up on the worldwide list as well) the Jaguars owner wants all of his businesses to have that mindset. He told a local group recently that his biggest fear was “having too much money and too much time.” So if somebody at his level is still getting after it, he expects his organizations to be doing the same.

Lamping laid out the economic realities of having the smallest fan base in the NFL and also having among the lowest ticket prices. It’s a business model that’s not sustainable. So they are looking for new ways to create revenue.

“It seems to me they’re competing,” Head Coach Gus Bradley said after the presentation. “Just like the culture that we’re building on the team, they’re doing the same on the business side. They want to compete.”

Lamping agreed. “We’re competing. You can feel the buzz in the organization. We just need to give the fans what they deserve, a winning team. Shad’s confident Gus and Dave (GM Caldwell) have us in the right spot right now.”

Jaguars revenue is up 8% over last year, buoyed by their London foray. Otherwise they would have been fairly flat in 2013. Not bad after a 2 win season but they say the current uptick in the season ticket sales and the increased sponsorship dollars are the leading indicators of a competitive, sustainable franchise.

They’ve always said that Jaguars fans are the best in the league; they’re just not enough of them. So building a competitive organization means changing the culture on and off the field.

“When you come in you absolutely feel the drive and the hunger,” Khan told me afterwards in the back of the room. “Whether on the field or on the business side, you can feel it. And you have to have that in order to be a successful organization.”

It’s annually called the “Pre-Draft Luncheon” and it qualifies as that because it is before the draft and they do serve lunch. (Great potato chips and nice BBQ sliders this year). It’s mainly a chance to get the powers that be with the Jaguars on the record about their philosophy when it comes to the draft. They’re not going to tell us who they’re going to pick, nor are they the type of organization that is trying to send out false signals to the other 31 teams in the league.

For the last two years, it’s been a chance to hear General Manager Dave Caldwell and Head Coach Gus Bradley give us their ideas about the process, both in and out of Jacksonville, and how they’ll arrive at whatever decisions they make in the first round and beyond.

“I like it loud and busy,” Caldwell said today when asked how he likes to set up the draft room. “I get antsy when it gets too quiet.”

Caldwell will make the final decision if it comes down to picking one player or another, but Bradley is fine with that. “I completely trust Dave,” Gus told us at today’s get-together. “its kind of fun that we’re preparing him and the scouts and personnel people for making the picks next Thursday. We’ll have input, but he’s sharp, he’ll make the call.”

What role has Bradley played? “This year, knowing Dave better, being more comfortable, I’ve been challenging him, like you guys would,” the Jaguars head coach said pointing at the assembled media. “With this extra time (two weeks) I’ve had a chance to ask him, ‘What about this’ and ‘What if this happens’ over and over so he’s ready when it comes time to make the pick.”

Both guys on the hook for selecting what they hope are the Jaguars of the future have run through every scenario possible for the first round. With only two picks in front of them, they know somebody they like will be there. They both said they wouldn’t be surprised by pretty much anything that happens at that point. Later, that’s a different story.

“I’ve told Gus to be prepared for a good player to be available in the second round,” Caldwell related when asked about surprises. “I think we might be surprised at who might still be there and what we’ll have a chance to do at that point.”

Bradley isn’t worried about the first three rounds, saying, “They’re going to be fine. It’s the 4th round picks and guys like that you have to hit on. Looking at the stats of what guys in the 4th round have done in the league; gotten injured, didn’t make the active roster or whatever. If we can do a little better than the average in those spots, we’ll be ok.”

With picks near the top of each round, the Jaguars have plenty of leverage if they’re looking for more picks. Caldwell said at the owners meeting in March that ideally he’d like between 12 and 14 picks in this draft. The Jaguars currently have eleven. “That would be an ideal scenario,” he reiterated today.

With strength in this class in the top 10 picks, and at defensive line, offensive line, running back and wide receiver, the Jaguars think they could get 5 or six eventual starters out of the class of 2014. That top ten is important because Caldwell said he would have to be offered a pretty special package to move any lower than that in the first round. But he’s open to moving back, primarily because those guys in the top ten are all potential stars and starters and can help immediately.

So when it comes time to select in the third spot, will they make the pick right there or wait for the phone to ring?

“It depends on what happens in front of us with the first two picks, ” Caldwell said with a sly grin.

Interpret that anyway you like. I think if Jadeveon Clowney is somehow there, they’ll snap him up. If not, they’ll listen to offers to move back to take one of the other guys they have rated in the top ten. If no offers come to them they like, they’ll take Sammy Watkins or Khalil Mack. What about quarterback? They think it’s the last piece to the puzzle so taking somebody in the second or third round and seeing if he can develop into a reliable starter: AJ McCarron, Zach Mettenberger, Aaron Murray, is where they’ll begin.

The first round, finally, is next Thursday.

It’s been a while since there was this kind of buzz around the Jaguars. While the national media has always considered putting a team in Jacksonville “a mistake” and has always looked at Jacksonville as an outpost, they couldn’t ignore the early success the franchise had particularly in 1996 and 1999.

Although they tried.

In ’96 the Jaguars post-season success was considered a fluke but when you look back at the talent on those teams and how they won games at Buffalo and Denver in the playoffs, it’s easy to see why they had that kind of success.

They were that good.

A talented quarterback, a hot running back and an opportunistic defense took them to the AFC Championship game. A couple of mistakes against the Patriots in New England in the bitter cold gave rise to the national chorus of “they were lucky and too young.” But it’s clear by looking at subsequent successful teams that the Jaguars deserved to be there.

In ’99 they were the best team in the league, hands down. Before their salary cap problems came home to roost and injuries took away some of their key players, this was the year they were dominant. But of course the national discourse was how easy the Jaguars schedule was during the regular season. A 14-2 record (both losses to Tennessee) gave them the division championship and a first round bye. When Miami came to town with Dan Marino on a roll, the Jaguars might be in trouble. Instead, again with a Pro Bowl quarterback, a hot running back, two talented receivers and an opportunistic defense the Jaguars dismantled the Dolphins 62-3.

Hosting the AFC Championship against Tennessee the Jaguars led at halftime but Head Coach Tom Coughlin gave them no credit in the locker room at intermission, highlighting their mistakes instead of their lead and they were dominated in the second half, losing their second chance at a trip to the Super Bowl in three years.

Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher called Jacksonville their “other home stadium” fueling the rivalry during Tennessee’s Super Bowl week. It was as much of a shot at Coughlin as anything. Their relationship might be different now as they’re both coaches on other clubs but at the time Fisher told friends he thoroughly enjoyed beating the Jaguars because Coughlin “acted like he @*&%! Invented football.”

I get asked all the time why the Jaguars don’t get any credit from the national networks and reporters. First of all, we’re not New York or Miami or Dallas or anywhere else in the league with restaurants and late night bars and adult entertainment. Most reporters coming to town to do a story go from the airport to the Hyatt to the stadium, back to the Hyatt and back to the airport. That route is no showcase for the city, but that’s pretty true just about everywhere. Nobody makes it to the Southside, the beaches, Riverside or San Marco, the river or anywhere else things are happening.

Also, as an organization, the Jaguars have never been stocked with “insiders.” The guys who talk about this team or that on the pregame shows on Sunday or on ESPN or the NFL Network rely on information from confidants in the league. The Jaguars were never stocked in the front office with those types who were chummy with anybody else in the league. When Coughlin was the GM as well as the Head Coach, he demanded that the team speak with one voice. Consequently, if there was information out there about his team that he didn’t reveal, he knew exactly where it came from.

So it didn’t happen.

Shack Harris, Gene Smith and Jack Del Rio weren’t “connected” throughout the league so juicy tidbits about the Jaguars were non-existent. And it didn’t help that the team was average to bad in those years as well. On top of that the other front office personnel with knowledge of what was going on were a banker and a lawyer who had somehow convinced Wayne Weaver that they knew something about football and running a team.

Recently there’s been a lot more information and chatter about the Jaguars movements in the offseason and their prospects for the future. Part of that is because of the free agents they’ve signed. All will be instant contributors if not starters for the 2014 team and the personnel types in the media have lauded the quality of player the Jaguars are seeking and signing.

Obviously, Gus Bradley’s engaging personality helps when it comes to PR but Dave Caldwell’s connection to Bill Polian and Thomas Dimitroff gives him the appearance of an NFL “insider.” And that’s what is helping cause that “buzz” around the Jaguars. Caldwell has plenty of name recognition and respect around the league. Not because he’s done anything, but because Polian and Dimitroff are telling everybody who’s asking that Caldwell is the real deal.

Last year’s draft class is, so far, a step in the right direction for showing that Caldwell does have the goods to get the job done. This year’s free agency signings look like the second step in that process.

So don’t be surprised if this year’s national coverage of the Jaguars includes a lot of raised eyebrows and “I told you so” moments with everybody taking credit for knowing that the Caldwell/Bradley combination would work. We’ll also get a lot of that, “There’s something going on in Jacksonville” storyline.

Which happens to be true.

While looking for a constant upgrade in the draft and through free agency, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley isn’t forgetting what last year was like. The ups and downs, the teaching and the learning and how he can take that and move forward.

“I know this sounds bad,” Bradley qualified his statement before going on Tuesday morning. “But I enjoyed last year. I’m not going to miss that opportunity to use our experiences to teach our players and to get better. Not the record, but the things we talked about. Don’t be consumed by defeats and don’t be overwhelmed by victories. I’m not going to miss out on that.”

At the AFC coaches breakfast, all 16 head coaches in the conference are at separate tables throughout a large ballroom with name placards and seats around the table. Some eat; some spend their time talking to some reporters as old friends. Some seem to be enduring the torture, knowing it’s only an hour. Bradley is experiencing this for the second time, but last year was nothing like today. As the hour wore on, more and more reporters made their way to the Jaguars table until there was no room.

“More people at the Jaguars table since what, 1999?” I asked one of the Jaguars PR staff.

“Oh, no,” he laughed, “EVER.”

While the Jaguars were a know force in the late 90’s, then Head Coach Tom Coughlin was considered just this side of what Bill Belichick is now. Bradley is on the other side of the spectrum: funny, engaging, honestly interested in answering questions and giving out what information he can. It’s all part of the “transparency” he thinks is important to success.

Owner Shad Khan mentioned that while in Orlando yesterday, praising both Bradley and General Manager Dave Caldwell for keeping things open and honest.

“I’m glad he said that,” Bradley commented when I told him about Khan’s observations.

“Because I think that’s important, not just for our staff and the owner, but for our relationship with the players as well. If they’re having a problem, they need to know that they can come talk to anybody, anytime.”

Bradley said his policy of always getting better applies to him as well at these meetings. He said he’s meeting with fellow coaches to see how they’re doing things and how it compares.

“I did that this morning with another coach, talking about (the culture in) the locker room. How’s he do it? Does he walk through there? If I didn’t do that I might think ‘I got it” and you know those are the three most dangerous words.

His competitors in the division already know what to expect when playing a Gus Bradley coached team. Chuck Pagano, the Colts coach and at three years the most tenured in the division said they knew Bradley’s teams would be ready but afterwards realized, despite their record, they weren’t giving up.

“They played hard that’s for sure,” Pagano said this morning. “From snap to whistle, they gave it a full effort. They never backed off and played until the game was over. You don’t always find that.”

“I don’t know what their record was when we played them,” new Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt remembered this morning at his table. He faced the Jaguars last year as the Cardinals head coach. “But they didn’t have any wins and they played hard. There was no ‘give-up’ in that team. Spend 5 minutes with Gus and you see why.”

Bradley is careful to not criticize any of the players on last year’s roster, but is clearly excited about the upgrade.

“Maybe 30 new guys?” he guessed.

Take Bradley’s enthusiasm, transfer it to his team, add in the upgraded talent and it’s possible, the Jaguars could be the most improved team in the league.

Walking off the practice field last summer during Gus Bradley’s first training camp as the head coach of the Jaguars, I found myself at the back of the pack walking with the Jaguars new leader.

“What the biggest surprise,” I asked as the two of us made our way to the locker room.

“Just the scope of it,” Bradley said, spreading his arms wide. “As the DC you’re in charge of the defense but as the head coach it all falls to you. It’s exciting.”

I’ve come to learn that that’s a pretty typical Bradley response. Assessing the situation, grasping the solution, rising to the challenge and excelling at the execution.

During this first real conversation one-on-one between the two of us, I asked him what he thought of Blaine Gabbert.

“He has all the tools, great arm, right size, nice speed,” he explained, outlining all of the things everybody sees when they get a look at Gabbert on the practice field.

“What you’ll find is that he’s the most seductive practice player you’ll ever see,” I said, echoing my sentiment since about day one of Gabbert’s tenure in Jacksonville.

“What the heck is that supposed to mean,” Gus said with a playful poke to my shoulder.

“It’s just that when you watch him in practice, it makes you wonder how do we ever lose?” I explained. “He has all of the tools, size, speed, arm strength. He makes all the throws, has a command of the offense and runs the team like he owns it out here,” I added pointing to the practice field.

“But taking that from here, to there,” I said pointing to the stadium, “seems to elude him.”

“I guess I’ll have to see that for myself,” Bradley quickly replied. He went on to outline the research they’d done on Gabbert, noting that he completed over 80% of his passes when given a reasonable amount of time in the pocket and how he was like having a first round pick on the roster.

“Fair enough,” I said as we shook hands. “I hope you’re right.”

And Bradley named Gabbert the starter for game one before training camp was over.

Almost four years into his tenure with the Jaguars Gabbert has finally been given a chance to perhaps to make it elsewhere, traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a 6th round draft pick this year. The Jaguars could get another pick next year if Gabbert gets some significant playing time in San Francisco this season.

While Gabbert was surly and sullen generally during his time talking to the media in Jacksonville, it’ll be interesting to see if he can take his talents from the practice field to the game field at the same level with a fresh start. If you look at the Niners starter Colin Kaepernick and Gabbert in terms of what the NFL people call “measurables,” they match up pretty well. But that’s where the similarities end. Kaepernick has outperformed his draft position (2nd round) while Gabbert has never lived up to his (10th overall.)

Some of that can be blamed on Jack Del Rio putting Gabbert in the game as a rookie before he was ready. With no summer (strike/lockout) and only a few weeks of training camp, Del Rio threw Gabbert into the game three weeks into the season because Luke McCown had thrown a bunch of interceptions the week before. Gabbert was in way over his head, didn’t know much of the offense, couldn’t figure out the speed of the game and started looking for the rush instead of looking downfield. John Gruden called him out on a Monday Night Football national broadcast and Gabbert’s reputation as “afraid” in the pocket was cemented. That’s followed him around since then, and he’s done nothing to prove that theory wrong.

Given the benefit of the doubt and every chance to ascend to a true starting quarterback role in the National Football League, in Jacksonville, Blaine Gabbert never got it done. Maybe the West Coast will be the tonic that allows him to flourish.