Jaguars interested in Brady Quinn?
On Tuesday afternoon, reports swirled on a story reported by KDVR-TV that the Jacksonville Jaguars were inquiring about Denver Broncos QB Brady Quinn. The report also alluded that the Jaguars were interested in a LB/DE on the Broncos roster.
As soon as the Broncos moved back into the first round of last weeks draft and selected University of Florida QB Tim Tebow with the overall 25th pick, you had to know that Brady Quinn had to be considered the odd man out.
Although the Broncos quickly denied the rumor, it has to be considered somewhat feasible. The Jaguars do have journeyman QB Luke McCown on the roster, and while he is a serviceable backup, he is not a long term solution if Garrard fails. Quinn came out of Notre Dame with high expectations and never lived up to his hype in Cleveland. Prior to the draft, Quinn was shipped to Denver in a trade. While Quinn does come with a lot of questions surrounding his ability, if he can be obtained for a reasonable price, Jacksonville should think hard about the possibility of a trade for Quinn.
Jacksonville loses DE
The Jacksonville Jaguars spent the offseason trying to rebuild their defensive line and on Monday they lost a player on the line due to injury. DE Bryan Smith ruptured an Achilles tendon on Monday and will be lost for the 2010 season.
Smith only played in 6 games last year for the Jags while recording 6 tackles. Smith is entering his 3rd NFL season and is an alumni of McNeese State.
Jaguars Garrard turns to tennis
Jacksonville Jaguar QB David Garrard has turned to tennis balls as a way of practicing with his receivers this past weekend. In an article by Paul Kuharsky posted at ESPN, Kuharsky logged some of Garrard’s comments to the press after the weekend camp was concluded.
“We have been doing some tennis ball drills that we have learned that help you with eye hand coordination and really focusing in on a smaller object because when the object is smaller you are going to catch a football so much bigger and easier. We are just doing little things and just doing more to be better. If you want to be great you have to do extra. You can’t do what’s required of you and the Jaguars are being relentless in that area. We are really taking it the extra mile on doing stuff. You are seeing more guys stay after practice on the jugs machine, coming out early and staying late. If you really want to be great and win a championship you really have to do those things.”
(Can you share some more about the tennis ball drills) “You stand on one leg, one eye open, catching the ball as they come to you. Turning around, catching the ball over your shoulder, catching the balls off the wall, juggling off the wall, really just concentrating because a tennis ball is so much smaller.”
(Are you catching them?) “No. I’m throwing to them and making a game of it. See who can catch the most on one leg with their right hand. Make it competitive.”
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Garrard knows he’s under pressure to deliver this year. The Jaguars were rumored to be a team interested in Oakland Raider QB, Jason Campbell and were believed early on in the pre-draft debates to be interested in selecting University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. Jaguar ownership even polled the season ticket holders before the draft to gauge interest in Tebow. Garrard told the media, “I want to be better. I want to be greater.”
The Jaguars have addressed their need to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and will enter the 2010 season with an entirely re-vamped defensive line. Jacksonville had the league lowest, 14 sacks on quarterbacks last season. But now it’s time for Garrard to shape up or ship out. Garrard, 32, had pedestrian numbers last season while starting all 16 games for Jacksonville. 15 td’s, 10 interceptions and he was sacked 42 times.
Jacksonville is suffering from poor attendance numbers and perhaps an elevation in Garrard’s game could help the Jaguars put fans in the seats and Jacksonville back in the playoffs.
