Welcome to Jax, J Boogie

(image courtesy of Florida Times Union)

BLACKMON!!!

There are no guarantees and every player can fail but yesterday was the most universally beloved draft pick for the Jags since Fred Taylor in 1998. Gene Smith supporters are happy. Gene Smith doubters seem to be in some state of shock or pleasant surprise. There is, as officially as it gets, buzz about the Jags.

You have to get the player right but the trade was perfectly executed. It's reasonable to assume the Rams would have taken him at sixth, so a move was necessary. They moved up the minimum amount necessary to get him. They gave up as little as could be reasonably expected (4th rounder). It always feels good when your team is doing the same thing as the traditionally smart teams (Eagles and Patriots moving up. Cowboys, although traditionally dumb, gave a reasonable amount to jump up and get Claiborne). Smith noted everyone wanted to move down. He went the other way.

An odd thing has happened to the Jacksonville receivers this off-season. They are good. They are competitive. It's a crowded room. My friend Russell (read his movie reviews here) instantly pointed out that Blackmon and Laurent Robinson are the best Jags duo since Smith and McCardell. I have my worries about Robinson (mostly injury related) but here's the thing, the Jaguars have a legitimately deep WR corp and one of the best WR coaches in history. In one off-season, it has gone from being an obvious weakness to a potential strength. That is odd in the best and most glee inducing way. Quick glance at Jags WR corp:

• Justin Blackmon - The presumptive #1.
• Laurent Robinson - Young, speedster. Caught ten touchdowns last year. Less pressure with addition of Blackmon.
• Mike Thomas - Good, young player who was clearly on the rise before all the WRs stepped back last season.
• Cecil Shorts III - Rough first year but flashed in the preseason.
• Lee Evans - Low risk, high reward veteran, who, at a minimum gives a lesson on how to be a professional, while, if healthy, legitimately pushing younger guys to be at their best. Also, it has been forgotten but he looked very good last preseason before injuries derailed him.
• Chastin West - Jags fans will scoff but he was a player Green Bay was disappointed got away. A full-season will give the Jags a chance to properly evaluate.
• Jarret Dillard - Certainly expendable now but he hasn't ever been properly coached or healthy. He's healthy and there's no coaching excuse now. He's legitimate competition if nothing else
• Taylor Price, Brian Robiskie - Young, former reasonably high draft picks. Once again, competition.

It's hard to look at that list and not think the Jaguars will keep six guys.

A supremely underrated quality of Gene Smith's is his ability to completely remake a position, incredibly quickly. If you don't evaluate well, it's all over anyway, but Jags fans should at least respect he has a clear vision. In recent years, he has, typically in a single off-season, completely overhauled nearly every position (OT, DT, S and LB being the most obvious.)

If he fails, he fails, but I think Jags fan truly fail to realize how many teams are shooting blindly in the dark.

-Q