Wide receiver Curtis Marsh Sr. was apart of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-ever draft class in 1995 (No. 219 overall) and now his son, Cassius Marsh, has the opportunity to make an impact as well for the organization 25 years later. Cassius, a former fourth-round selection for the Seattle Seahawks officially signed with the Jags as a free-agent this month, and as expected, his father was pretty pumped to see his son don black and teal as he once did.
“He was pretty pumped, man,” Marsh said to Jaguars reporter Ashlyn Sullivan this week. “I know this is where his dream came true, in Jacksonville, being able to be in the league. I am pretty sure he was on the first team ever out there, which is pretty crazy. ”
With Tom Coughlin leading things at the time, Curtis was able to accumulate seven passes for 127 yards as a Jaguar, all of which came during his rookie season. However, unlike his father, Cassius will be looking to bring down the quarterback as a pass-rusher as opposed to helping them and will enter the 2020 season with 14 career sacks and 159 total tackles.
With six years worth of experience to his name, Marsh will bring versatility to the Jags’ roster as he’s played both linebacker and defensive end in his tenure. That seemingly drew in coach Doug Marrone to the young pass-rusher being that there could potentially be a scheme change for the Jags though it’s not a certainty.
“When I was younger in my career I had a coach that said all the time, ‘The more you can do, the more you can do,'” Marsh said. “I wasn’t really gung-ho about trying to do everything that I could but I was able to build myself into a pretty versatile player, playing both inside and rushing from the outside, playing both outside linebacker and defensive end, all of that good stuff. I’ve been blessed to be able to display a lot of diversity in my gameplay.”
Marsh will be apart of a massive overhaul to the defensive side of the ball with veterans Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye being the latest to depart. While it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to replace their production, Marsh did emphasize that he’d at least bring energy and playmaking ability to the mix, which will be needed from the unit that will be really young.
“What you guys can really expect from me is a hard-working, passionate player,” Marsh said. “I care about my teammates and coaches and I care about the people I surround myself with and I buy-in. I’m going to provide energy and playmaking ability. I don’t do too much talking either. I like to let my play speak for me. Look for me to be a great part of the team.”
With Yannick Ngakoue’s future uncertain and a rookie coming in to potentially play in his spot, the Jags are going to need Marsh’s all. If they get that, maybe the team will have a chance to field a respectable defense because as the saying goes, “It all begins with the pass-rush.”