Tag: Abry Jones

Jags’ DL comes in at No. 23 spot of PFF rankings

The Jags’ defensive line has been known to be a force in recent times, but PFF appears to have some concerns.

All teams typically need a strong performance out of their defensive line to have success, but that will especially be the case for a young Jacksonville Jaguars roster that isn’t expected to win much. Last season, the group’s performance wasn’t the worst but it certainly wasn’t up to the standard fans witnessed in 2017-18.

Many will have their eyes on the group in 2020 because there was a lot of overturn, with veterans Calais Campbell and Marcell Dareus no longer on the team, making the unit a younger but less experienced one. For that reason, Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson ranked them 23rd entering the 2020 season.

When looking at the group, Monson did at least admit that the Jags could be good, but stated that the group’s improvement hinges on the development of Taven Bryan and Josh Allen. He also pointed out one of the group’s strength that could help them tremendously.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars

A couple of years ago, the Jacksonville defensive line — a united that adopted the nickname “Sacksonville” — was among the very best in the game. That unit has since been chipped away at, though, and the departure of Calais Campbell this offseason sees the best player from the group leave town.

There is still the chance that this front could be very good, but it relies on improvement from the players drafted to ensure a smooth succession plan. The team spent back-to-back first-round picks on Josh Allen and Taven Bryan, but both have yet to become impact players. […]

This team is unusually well-stocked with run-defending nose tackles, with Abry Jones, Al Woods and rookie Davon Hamilton all on the roster. The talent is there for this defensive front to still be a plus unit, but it is far more of a question mark than it has been in the past couple of seasons. It now relies on the development of the talent the team has earmarked over the past couple of drafts.

These are good points. Starting with what was said about Bryan and Allen, they both are first-round picks who the Jags clearly have high hopes for. Of course, Allen appears to be on his way to stardom after having a phenomenal rookie season where he totaled 10.5 sacks, went to the Pro Bowl, and was in the running for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

As for Bryan, he had a better 2019 season than some realize. While there is still room for significant improvement, Bryan registered the defense’s second-highest grade (75.6), only under D.J. Hayden (76.9). In particular, Bryan flashed during the first half of the season, occasionally making his way to the backfield and disrupting plays.

All of that said, if both take a step in 2020, the Jags defensive line can make quarterbacks uncomfortable and the loss of veterans Calais Campbell and Marcell Dareus would be minimal. They would also be set with a young defensive line pair that could be a part of the team for years to come.

As for the strength the Jags have at nose tackle with Abry Jones, Al Woods, and Davon Hamilton, it’s not surprising. Coach Doug Marrone entered the offseason wanting to improve against the run after the Jags finished 28th in the NFL in the category, surrendering an average of 139.3 yards per game. With that being the case, the team proceeded to get Woods in free agency — a 10-year veteran — and drafted potentially the future at the position in Hamilton in the third-round.

When adding in Jones — the Jags’ longest-tenured veteran —it certainly appears the defense could significantly improve against the run, which would go a long way towards helping the defense take a leap. However, as we always say, fans will have to wait until the season to see if all of the pieces fall in place.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

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Gardner Minshew, Leonard Fournette amongst 6 players ruled as questionable vs. Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars only ruled out one player for their season finale against the Indianapolis Colts in receiver Michael Walker (hamstring), but there were several starters ruled questionable. On the offensive side, Gardner Minshew II …

The Jacksonville Jaguars only ruled out one player for their season finale against the Indianapolis Colts in receiver Michael Walker (hamstring), but there were several starters ruled questionable. On the offensive side, Gardner Minshew II (shoulder) and Leonard Fournette (neck) will be game day decisions, while A.J. Bouye (wrist) will be one on the defensive side.

Fournette and Walker didn’t practice Friday, however, Bouye and Minshew were limited. That’s likely not a good sign for Fournette, who has played in all of the Jags’ games this year and has done a good job staying healthy. If he’s unable to play, rookie Ryquell Armstead and Devine Ozigbo are the only two other tailbacks on the roster, while Nick Foles would replace Minshew and Brandon Watson or Parry Nickerson would get an opportunity in Bouye’s place.

Another key player who surfaced on the injury report was receiver Dede Westbrook (neck/shoulder), who didn’t practice Friday after fully participating Wednesday and Thursday. If he can’t play, the Jags will have DJ Chark Jr., Chris Conley, Keelan Cole, C.J. Board available at the receiver position.

As for the Indianapolis Colts, they ruled two players out in cornerback Quincy Wilson and tailback Jordan Wilkins. However, it hasn’t been revealed as to what players have been ruled questionable, but we’ll provide an update on their full report when it becomes available.

Jaguars remain 7.5-point underdogs with slight change to the over/under

The Jags’ still are viewed as big-time underdogs to the red-hot Falcons.

Not much has changed on the wagering side when it comes to the matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Atlanta Falcons.

According to BetMGM, the Jaguars are still 7.5-point underdogs heading into Sunday’s game against the Falcons. The only thing that has changed slightly is the over/under which is now set at 46.5 points. That represents an small increase from the earlier total of 45.5 points from the beginning of the week.

As for the money line, the Dirty Birds are down as -334-point favorites, meaning that a bettor would have to place a $334 wager to win $100. The Jags are on the money line as a +260-point underdog, which means that a wager of $100 would win $260.

Both teams not only share identical records at 5-9, but they also share the same record against the spread at 5-8 meaning that both teams have been tough to bet on this season.

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Abry Jones says fans who believe Jags have quit shouldn’t attend until 2020

At just a little under 24 hours past Sunday’s beatdown to the Los Angeles Chargers, fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars are still steaming about the team’s performance – and rightfully so. The embarrassing 45-10 loss was the Jags’ fourth of 20 points …

At just a little under 24 hours past Sunday’s beatdown to the Los Angeles Chargers, fans of the Jacksonville Jaguars are still steaming about the team’s performance — and rightfully so. The embarrassing 45-10 loss was the Jags’ fourth of 20 points or more within the last five weeks, which has led some fans to question the team’s effort.

After the game, one of the Jags’ top locker room leaders in defensive tackle Abry Jones had a message for those fans. He insisted that the team hadn’t quit and suggested that the fans who thought otherwise simply not show up until 2020.

I don’t know that it’s fair to say the players have quit, but one thing is clear: the Jags simply aren’t good and are extremely hard to watch at this point. That applies to the jobs that both the players and coaches are doing.

Atop the list of struggling coaches would definitely have to be defensive coordinator Todd Wash, who seems to be getting outmatched increasingly by the week. While he was without two starters in Myles Jack and Ronnie Harrison, the unit gave up a ridiculous total of 525 yards to Philip Rivers and company. A majority of those yards came from one person as Austin Ekler racked up 213 total yards on the day. It got to a point in the game where it looked like no player on the roster wanted to tackle him and he was pretty much the only weapon the Chargers needed.

On the offensive end, the Jags weren’t able to get much done either. Some of their struggles have been due to poor offensive line play. The unit has made it extremely difficult for Leonard Fournette to get going, which then causes John DeFilippo to struggle with play-calling. In Sunday’s game, the unit was only able to garner 10 points despite the change behind center, which is certainly something fans had a hard time sitting through just as they did while watching the defense get annihilated.

Luckily, the Jags only have one more home game for local fans to endure. They will be on the road the next two weeks, traveling to the Oakland Raiders and Atlanta Falcons. However, the season finale will take place at TIAA Bank Field against the Indianapolis Colts, but based off how the team has played as of late, it’s looking like there won’t be a strong crowd — and understandably so.