Tag: Marvin Jones

Watch: Jags introduce free agent additions, prepare for draft in Episode 2 of ‘The Hunt’

Joe Cullen likes the additions the Jags brought in during free agency and discussed Shaquill Griffin, Jihad Ward, and others on ‘The Hunt.’

With the momentum of Urban Meyer’s hire propelling them, the Jacksonville Jaguars previewed the first episode of their video series for the offseason entitled ‘The Hunt’ last month, which left fans wanting more of the former Gators coach. On Thursday, they got just that and more in Episode 2.

This week’s episode started with the Jags’ 2021 free agent class introducing themselves. The notables featured were Shaquill Griffin, Carlos Hyde, Marvin Jones, Roy-Robertson Harris, and Jihad Ward to name a few. Jags defensive coordinator Joe Cullen also was featured in this week’s video as he discussed some of the team’s defensive additions and explained his principles of coaching players.

As for Meyer, Episode 2 featured his introductory meeting with the roster (virtually). He discussed the “+2 mentality” that he wants his players to have in the process, which basically is the mindset of working hard while providing extra effort.

Lastly, Episode 2 gave fans another preview of Trent Baalke and the front office scouting players in preparation for the draft. An anonymous player appears to have caught Meyer’s eye, leading him to request an interview with the player. Baalke also spoke on the team’s goal with their early draft picks, which is to hopefully land five starting caliber players.

https://youtu.be/T-qCbyL8utI

Jaguars remain 32nd in NFL.com power rankings after free agent signings

The Jags got better in free agency last week but they still have to prove they don’t belong at the bottom based on NFL.com’s power rankings.

Like most teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars made new upgrades to their roster last week during the opening moments of free agency and were able to acquire various new starters. However, despite those upgrades, several people aren’t high on the roster at the moment.

Among them is NFL Network’s Dan Hanzus, who recently released his post-free agency power rankings. In them, he had the Jags remaining where they were in his power rankings from February, which was at the very bottom of the NFL at spot No. 32.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

Urban Meyer went public with his criticisms of the NFL’s free agency process, but that didn’t preclude the Jaguars from being more active than just about anyone in the first week of the league year. Cornerback Shaquill Griffin and wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr.were the highest-profile additions as the team closes in on draft day and the presumed arrival of Trevor Lawrence as the new face of the franchise. Meyer is rebuilding Jacksonville from the ground up.

The Jaguars free agency class certainly could’ve been better as they led the league in cap space, but were unable to acquire names like Jonnu Smith, Hunter Henry, and John Johnson. While there could be an argument made that a healthier Jags team in 2020 would’ve been better than the New York Jets, their general manager Joe Douglas surpassed the Jags with the solid free agency period they had last week. The signing of Carl Lawson gave them a pass rusher who the Jags needed, and they were also able to add former Jags rival Corey Davis and former Jags receiver Keelan Cole.

While the Jags missed out on several names who would’ve been huge additions, they were able to acquire some players who will be significant contributors or could be great starters. Those players were additions like Marvin Jones Jr., Rashawn Jenkins, Roy Robertson-Harris, Tyson Alualu, and Shaq Griffin. They also re-signed players who could contribute like cornerbacks Sidney Jones IV and Tre Herndon, and defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot.

When considering the impact all of the aforementioned names could make, in addition to Trevor Lawrence, the Jags look ready to take another step forward. The bigger question is how big of a step will it be?

Marvin Jones Jr. shows a high level of confidence in Darrell Bevell’s offense

The Jags needed more experience at WR and got just that with the signing of Marvin Jones, who brings familiarity to the offense.

While the addition of Urban Meyer was the biggest acquisition for the Jacksonville Jaguars tis offseason, his decision to add Darrell Bevell to the staff was one fans loved, too. Bevell is one of the NFL’s most respected offensive minds, and it’s showing even before he’s started coaching the players on the roster.

During the first week of free agency, the Jags signed two of Bevell’s former receivers from the Detroit Lions in Jamal Agnew and Marvin Jones Jr. Both had nothing but kind words to say about their former interim head coach and offensive coordinator, and Jones even went as far as saying the offense was “fun” to him on multiple occasions.

“I think just the camaraderie that we have with each other and just the leader that he is,” said Jones when asked what helps him the most in Bevell’s scheme. “Obviously, his offense kind of speaks for itself with the success that he’s had since he’s been in the league, and it’s just a fun offense. It’s a fun offense where I can go inside, go outside, do a lot of the things that I didn’t do before having his offense. So, it’s a lot of stuff that you can do, and I think it fits perfect for me.”

In addition to his familiarity with the offense and the abilities he brings to the table, Jones will be the most experienced receiver on the Jags’ roster with nine seasons under his belt. That said, he’ll be instantly thrust into a leadership role for the receivers as the Jags’ two biggest ascending stars in the passing game, D.J. Chark and Laviska Shenault Jr., aren’t even 25 yet.

“It feels good obviously because I’m still here and I’m still playing at the top of my game,” said Jones when speaking on being the most experienced receiver. “I just met everybody, met the young receivers and they didn’t know I was 31. They were like, ‘Man, you look like us.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah. I’ll show you the way. I’ll show you how to get there.’ I’m here, I’m here to be that mentor and for them to follow me. I love that and I love that type of pressure. So yeah, it feels good.”

There aren’t many receivers out there who would be better for Chark and Shenault to learn from than Jones, who is coming off a tenure where he went under the radar while accumulating 286 receptions for 4,296 yards, and 36 receptions with the Lions. Now, it will be a matter of the trio putting in the work and getting in sync with probable  No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence before the regular season. If all of those things happen, Jags fans can expect an improved passing game, with Jones being a key reason behind it.

NFL free agency: WR Marvin Jones to join Jags on a 2-year deal

The Jags receiving corps got better Tuesday by adding a longtime veteran who is familiar with OC Darrell Bevell.

While Day 1 of the tampering period was slow for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Day 2 went way better. In fact, they ended the day by signing one of the more notable receiver free agents on the market in Marvin Jones.

Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, his deal is a two-year one with $14.5 million and $9.2 million is guaranteed.

Jones, 31, will be joining the Jags after his former coach from the Detroit Lions, Darrell Bevell, was named the team’s offensive coordinator this offseason. The two were together for two seasons as Bevell was named the Lions offensive coordinator in 2019 and eventually became their interim head coach in 2020 when Matt Patricia was fired.

Jones, who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, had been with the Lions since 2016. While in Detroit, he managed to accumulate 289 receptions for 4,296 receiving yards and an impressive total of 36 touchdowns. He was even able to register over 930 yards three times there in 2016-17 and last season.

Jones is a great addition for the Jags because he brings a veteran presence into the mix. He’ll work alongside receivers DJ Chark, Laviska Shenault Jr., and Colin Johnson, all of whom have shown promise and are under the age of 24.

Jacksonville adds a veteran presence in Marvin Jones Jr.

Fantasy footballers have a touchdown-scoring wideout returning to a familiar offense.

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost three receivers to unrestricted free agency in 2021, and new head coach Urban Meyer will have a veteran wideout in Marvin Jones Jr. to help incoming rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence get off to the right start.

Jones is thoroughly familiar with the new offense in Duval County, one orchestrated by Darrell Bevell. As one may recall, Bevell was the playcaller in Detroit in 2019 and 2020, ultimately becoming the interim head coach after Matt Patricia’s dismissal.

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The Jaguars have the 2021 NFL Draft’s top pick, which undoubtedly will be spent on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Jones brings the better part of eight seasons of play (missed 2014) as experience and scored 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons in Detroit. He’s coming off a 76-catch performance, which is a career high. The offense will take no time to learn, which means he can help his rookie quarterback and a pair of young receivers in Laviska Shenault Jr. and DJ Chark Jr.

Fantasy football outlook

Jacksonville has pieces in place to be a capable offense in Lawrence’s first year, and the defense is still porous enough that he could be asked to pass more than preferred. That’s a win for Jones and fantasy gamers alike.

In 2021, Jones’ numbers are likely to take a hit. He recently turned 31 years old and has averaged less than 13 yards per grab the past two seasons, which is down from at least 14.5 the prior three campaigns. This is due to a combination of the role in the system and his age, but we’re likely to see it continue.

Even being a tremendous prospect, Lawrence is still a rookie quarterback in an offseason that may be disrupted once again by COVID-19. He has to learn the ropes and build chemistry with his receivers.

With that in mind, and a pair of blossoming youngsters as positional mates, just how many catches can we expect from Jones? He averaged 64 catches from 2013-20 when extrapolated to 16 games. Consider that to be is likely ceiling. In fact, somewhere closer to 55 is a safer estimation.

Factoring 12.5 yards per catch gives us somewhere between 660 and 800 yards as a reasonable range. He has averaged a touchdown every 8.1 catches in that same time frame, so seven scores is a fair estimate based on the past. Given the weapons around him and the likely commitment to rushing the ball with James Robinson, Jones should finish closer to five touchdowns.

There’s nothing tangible to warrant belief in an uptick in production. Let’s give Jones a modest line of 60-750-5 … that would have been WR45 in PPR last year, which coincidentally was Shenault’s placement. This would have been WR42 in 2019. In standard scoring, the placement hardly varies (WR42 aggregate). In all practicality, Jones is a low-end WR3 or ideal flex target for fantasy football gamers.

Marvin Jones Jr. agrees to sign with Jaguars

Marvin Jones Jr. agrees to sign with the Jaguars

Former Detroit Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. has agreed to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joining his former offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and former teammate Jamal Agnew.

The contract is a hefty payday for the 31-year-old receiver who had one of the most productive seasons of his career in 2020 with the Lions. Jones has agreed to a two-year, $14.5 million deal with $9.2 million fully guaranteed.

Jones came to Detroit as the first big-name free agent signing by former general manager Bob Quinn and was expected to replace the void left by Calvin Johnson’s retirement.

In his five seasons as a Detroit Lion, Jones caught the ball 289 times for 4,296 yards and 36 touchdowns.

He’ll now join Bevell and former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer down in Jacksonville. The Jaguars have the first overall pick in the 2021 draft and are expected to select Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence. The opportunity to play under such accomplished coaches and with a future NFL star must have been to good to refuse for Jones.

He should be the clear number one receiver in Jacksonville, but could see some competition from D.J. Chark, Phillip Dorsett, and Laviska Shenault.

Best remaining free agent fits at positions of need for Colts

Who are the best fits for the Colts after the first wave of free agency?

As expected the Indianapolis Colts were quiet on the first day of the legal tampering period, which saw several teams go wild scooping up big names on the market.

The Colts, as they have for the last four offseasons, remained quiet as they look for value during the second wave of free agency. They don’t aggressively look for long-term solutions in free agency but instead look to fill gaps in the roster.

Be sure to stay up on the latest news with our free agency tracker for the Colts.

As the first wave of free agency thinned out the crowd, here are the best remaining free agents at each position of need for the Colts:

Fantasy football free agency roundup

NFL free agency will drastically help reshape the fantasy football landscape as the new league year begins.

Now that NFL free agency is upon us, here is where we’ll run through the fantasy football outlooks for trades, re-signings, midrange players, and tag recipients.

This analysis will be updated as players sign/re-sign in free agency, so be sure to check back regularly.

Signed with new team or traded

RB Mark Ingram, Houston Texans: The 31-year-old inked a one-year, $2.5 million deal in Houston to pair with fellow well-aged runner David Johnson. The duo will create a one-two punch, so long as what we saw from Baltimore making Ingram a healthy scratch late last year wasn’t foreshadowing. Some of that was due to him not playing special teams and the team wanting to get a closer look at rookie J.K. Dobbins. Presuming quarterback Deshaun Watson returns, Ingram still has a dicey outlook. The Texans’ porous defense has so many needs that it’s tough to see the offense being able to consistently run the ball if the other side cannot contain opposing offenses. Ingram needs bulk to make a mark in fantasy lineups, which rarely will be the case, unless he finds regular success around the goal line, consider the veteran merely roster depth or a handcuff to Johnson.

Re-signed/extensions

QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: There’s no surprise associated with the four-year, $160 million extension Prescott signed prior to free agency opening. He wasn’t ever going to be allowed to leave the building, as evidenced by a formality of being tagged again. As long as his ankle rehab goes according to plan, this potential No. 1 overall fantasy quarterback has the tools to pick up where he left off.

QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers:While it’s technically an extension, Big Ben’s deal was reworked to provide cap relief for the Steelers and keep him in a black-and-yellow uni for one last go of it. Roethlisberger will almost assuredly be without WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Pittsburgh has a new offensive coordinator in Matt Canada, but there’s still enough to like about the situation for Roethlisberger to be in the conversation of a low-tier rotational starter.

QB Cam Newton, New England Patriots: The knee-jerk reaction is to scoff at Newton getting a one-year, $14 million deal to re-sign with the Pats. A closer look should elicit a more measured response. Last year, just about everything worked against Cam finding success. He signed late (June 28), there was no offseason program, the offensive system is intricate, New England lost several key players to the opt-out, the offensive line had to shuffle talent several times, no receivers to speak of, zero tight ends of consequence, an erratic rushing attack, and Newton was returning from foot surgery prior to joining New England. Excuses, you may say … perhaps, but all of those factors are undeniable reality. Newton is finally healthy after three straight offseasons of rehabbing from surgery. Wait to see how the Patriots address wide receiver and tight end concerns, but it’s unwise to entirely dismiss a rebound by Newton.

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QB Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team: The former Panther parlayed an admirable playoff start into a two-year extension in Washington. He knows the system and the brain trust’s nucleus from his time in Carolina. Alex Smith’s release opens the door for Heinicke to compete for a starting job while having the upper hand against a newcomer who won’t be as familiar with the playbook. It’s unlikely, however, Heinicke is the season-long starter for this offense as an incoming rookie or free-agent acquisition will have that momentum on his side.

Franchise/transition tagged

WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: No one paying attention expected the Buccaneers to allow Godwin to walk into free agency. Look for a stronger showing in 2021 after an injury-pocked season a year ago derailed Godwin’s campaign from nearly the onset. He’s a legit WR2 in all settings, but his upside is capped at that position overall with the bevy of talent around him in the passing game.

WR Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears: It seemed for quite some time that Chicago wouldn’t have the cap space to tag Robinson, but he was indeed slapped with the tender of $17-plus million for 2021. While he would like a long-term deal, and the team may still yet find a way to meet his demands by July 15, there also remains a chance this could get ugly. Robinson doesn’t want to play on the tag, nor must he sign the tender. He then wouldn’t play or get paid, so there’s that, and $17.89 mill is nothing to sneeze at during an offseason in which the salary cap actually goes down. At 27, Robinson could put his John Hancock on the offer sheet and still hit free agency in 2022 young enough to get one last shot at a huge deal when teams will have more money to throw around. Long story short, he mostly is quarterback-proof, but Chicago still needs to put a better product on the field. Whether it is Nick Foles or someone else under center in 2021, A-Rob is a viable PPR WR1 with a hint of downside.

Remains unsigned

  • Quarterbacks: Alex Smith, Mitchell Trubisky, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett
  • Running backs: Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Kenyan Drake, Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, Tevin Coleman, James White, Matt Breida, Brian Hill, Leonard Fournette, Malcolm Brown, Jerick McKinnon, Adrian Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, Kalen Ballage, James Conner, Marlon Mack, Wayne Gallman, Jamaal Williams, Mike Davis
  • Wide receivers: A.J. Green, T.Y. Hilton, Emmanuel Sanders, Larry Fitzgerald, Golden Tate, DeSean Jackson, Adam Humphries, Sammy Watkins, Marvin Jones, John Brown, Breshad Perriman, Corey Davis, Willie Snead, John Ross, Keelan Cole, Kendrick Bourne, Will Fuller, Demarcus Robinson, Antonio Brown, Curtis Samuel, Damiere Byrd, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nelson Agholor, Rashard Higgins, David Moore, Kenny Golladay
  • Tight ends: Hunter Henry, Rob Gronkowski, Kyle Rudolph, Jared Cook, Tyler Eifert, Gerald Everett, Jordan Reed, Jonnu Smith, Trey Burton

Colts’ 2021 free agency target: WR Marvin Jones

Previewing Marvin Jones as a fit for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts could be spenders in free agency during the 2021 offseason so we will be profiling several potential targets at positions of need.

Adding to the wide receiver position will be vital for the Colts this offseason even if they retain veteran T.Y. Hilton, who is set to be a free agent in March. With Michael Pittman Jr., Parris Campbell and Zach Pascal currently leading the room, the Colts can look to free agency for some help at the position.

So as free agency gets closer, we will do our best to preview and profile potential targets for the Colts this offseason. With roughly $43 million in projected salary-cap space, the Colts can go after whoever they want.

Please note that these articles aren’t reporting who the Colts will go after or who they have an interest in. This isn’t inside information but instead are suggestions as to potential fits for the Colts to consider.

6 WRs Titans should target if Corey Davis leaves in free agency

The Titans can’t spend big money on a No. 2 receiver this offseason.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis had his best season as a pro at the right time as he prepares to hit the open market in 2021 after the team declined his fifth-year option last May.

Davis tied or broke career-highs in receptions (65), receiving yards (984), touchdowns (five) and 100-yard games (five) in 2020 as a key cog in Tennessee’s elite offense.

While the Titans would no doubt like to keep Davis on board, general manager Jon Robinson will have a tough task ahead of him in doing so.

Per Over the Cap, the Titans are projected to be $2.1 million over the cap if the final 2021 salary cap figure gets set between the new floor of $180 million at $180.5 million.

The Titans will have a tough time winning a bidding war that drives up Davis’ price, and the team really shouldn’t be spending big money on a No. 2 receiver in the first place.

With the possibility that the Titans lose Davis this offseason, here’s a look at receivers who the team can realistically target in free agency to fill the void left at the No. 2 receiver spot.