Tag: JAGUARS

Jaguars sign TE Carson Meier, waive RB Roc Thomas

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 The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed rookie TE Carson Meier, the club announced today. To make room on the roster, the Jaguars waived/injured second-year RB Roc Thomas. Thomas will revert to the team’s reserve/injured list if he clears waivers.

Thomas, who is suspended for the first three games of the 2019 season (violation of the league’s substance abuse policy), was signed by the Jaguars last week after he was released by the Vikings.

Meier, 6-5, 254, played in 54 games in his college career and earned second-team All-Big 12 Conference as a senior after catching 19 passes for 327 yards and four TDs. Meier, who primarily served as a blocking tight end and fullback his first three seasons at Oklahoma, signed with the Jaguars as a rookie free agent following the 2019 NFL Draft and participated in Jacksonville’s rookie minicamp.

The Jaguars have 90 players on their active roster.

Jags’ Allen: ‘I have two All-Pros with me’

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Being a rookie in the NFL is never easy. However, if you are rookie that is surrounded by Pro Bowl talent, well, maybe it’s not so bad, which is the case for Jaguars rookie DE/LB Josh Allen. The 22-year-old, who was the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, is fortunate enough to have a lot of great players to learn from in Jacksonville.

He has four-time Pro Bowler Calais Campbell.

“I mean, ‘it’s Calais Campbell. You all have seen his work, ‘you’ve seen what ‘he’s been doing for the last 10-plus years,” Allen said on Thursday. “So, having a guy like that, that wants to teach me, that needs me, ‘I’m going to listen to anything he tells me to do. And what ‘he’s telling me to do, I can do it, so when I do it, ‘he’s making a play and ‘I’m making a play, ‘we’re going to be an unstoppable duo.”

Allen also has the pleasure of playing with two-time Pro Bowler DT Marcell Dareus and DE Yannick Ngakoue, so essentially, Allen has a lot of resources.

“I have two All-Pros with me [Marcell Dareus and Calais Campbell]. I have Abry Jones, and I have Calais with me,” Allen said. “They are teaching me so much about the game. I know when [Yannick] comes back, my game is going to get so much better. Right now, we are just focused on winning, and I know when he comes back, we are going to have a good tandem going on.”

Allen, who was a 2018 All-American last season, and also the 2018 SEC Defensive Player of the Year,  knew how to get after the quarterback at Kentucky; Allen had 17 sacks last season, which were the most by an SEC player in a single season since the NCAA started official sack records in 2000, and he finished his four-year career at Kentucky with 31.5 sacks.

Allen is going to have growing pains, but with the talent he has around him, the transition may not be all that bad.

Fred Taylor named No. 2 on Jags All-25

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 Former Jaguars RB Fred Taylor has been named No. 2 on the Jaguars All-25, the club announced today. Jaguars All-25 presented by Sharpie is a collection of the top 25 non-active players in franchise history, as voted on by members of the local Jacksonville media. 

“I want to give a big shout out to all the Jacksonville Jaguars fans around the world.  I salute you,” said Taylor.  “I also want to thank you for naming me to the All-25 team.  It’s a privilege and an honor to be alongside 24 other men who laid it all on the line each and every Sunday, so as always, DUUUVAL!  Go Jacksonville!  Go Jaguars!”

Taylor, 6-1, 228, was drafted ninth overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Jaguars following a standout career at the University Florida.  He made an immediate impact in Jacksonville his rookie season.  He broke the rookie scoring record with 102 points in 1998, and his 17 TDs (14 rushing and three receiving) as a rookie still sit atop the Jaguars single-season TD list. Taylor ranks fourth in franchise history in scoring with 424 points (70 TDs, two 2-point conversions) and he is one of just two Jaguars rookies (Leonard Fournette) to rush for 1,000 yards (1,223). Taylor, the Jaguars career-rushing leader with 11,271 yards, leads second-ranked Maurice Jones-Drew (8,071 career rushing yards) by 3,200 yards.

Taylor, who started 136 of 140 games, is one of five players along with Brad Meester, Marcedes Lewis, Jimmy Smith and Josh Scobee to play for 11 or more seasons with the Jaguars. While Taylor ranks among the best in nearly every Jaguars rushing statistic, he also sits at fifth in career receptions (286) and sixth in receiving yards (2,361). After two seasons with New England, Taylor returned to Jacksonville to retire in a ceremony at TIAA Bank Field on Sept. 2, 2011. Taylor became the fourth inductee into the Pride of the Jaguars on Sept. 30, 2012.

“When you put on his best moments, Fred does things no other back from his era could do,” said John Oehser, Jaguars.com senior writer and a Jaguars All-25 voter. “If you take his body of work over the years he played here, to me he’s absolutely a Hall of Famer.”

Originally from Pahokee, Fla., Taylor played for Head Coach Steve Spurrier at the University of Florida and was on the 1996 national championship team.  He finished his college career with 3,075 rushing yards and 31 TDs, which both rank fifth in school history.

Ramsey: ‘I’m serious about football, of course, but at the same time, I’m going to have fun’

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Football is meant to be fun. However, it’s usually only fun when you’re winning, which was not the case for the Jacksonville Jaguars last year.  Jacksonville had a lot of expectations in 2018, especially after making the AFC title game in 2017, but things did not go as planned, and the Jaguars finished the 2018 season at 5-11.

One guy who likes to have a lot of fun is Jaguars CB Jalen Ramsey. The two-time Pro Bowler arrived at training camp in an armored car, which makes a lot of sense because Ramsey wants a new contract.  But, no matter the situation, Ramsey is going to try to find a way to have a good time.

“At this point, I feel like you all know me. I’m serious about my craft.,” Ramsey said on Sunday. “I’m serious about football, of course, but at the same time, I’m going to have fun. I’m going to be an entertainer as well as a football player. If I can bring awareness just to the game of football, the game that I love, and have more people watching like people who just watch Haha Davis, like comedy, and they get to crossover, and they see,’ Oh, who is this?’ And now they’re watching training camp and football. I love that. This is the game I love; I want to bring as much attention to it as I can.”

Ramsey gave this little piece of advice about having fun at the end of the press conference on Sunday.

“I think you all are done, right? I appreciate it. Stop reaching. Enjoy your life. Stop reaching,” Ramsey said. “I don’t know if it was you or who came up with that or whoever [asked the question about the eight locks]. You all are reaching. It’s not a hidden message in everything we do. We are humans. We like to have fun at the end of the day. We like to enjoy ourselves. Yes, we are very serious about our crafts, of course, as we should be, but we enjoy life. We enjoy some of the same things that you all enjoy. Live life, be light-hearted. Have fun, don’t wake up serious. For the haters, don’t wake up hating. You can’t hate all your life. Just be blessed. There are people who didn’t get to wake up this morning, for real. I’m not trying to get all serious, but for real, be blessed and thank God every day and just live your life like that.”

If Jacksonville is winning, no one will care about his antics, but if the Jaguars have a season as they had in 2018, well, fans won’t be very receptive to all the funny stuff.

 

Jimmy Smith named No. 3 on Jags All-25

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Former WR Jimmy Smith has been named No. 3 on the Jaguars All-25, the club announced today.

Smith became the most recent member of the Pride of the Jaguars when he was inducted on Dec. 11, 2016. He signed with the Jaguars on Feb. 18, 1995 after an offseason tryout and played 11 years with the franchise. Smith is the Jaguars’ all-time leader in all major receiving categories, including receptions (862), receiving yards (12,287), receiving TDs (67) and yards per reception (14.3, minimum 100 receptions). Smith’s 12,287 career receiving yards rank 23rd in NFL history.

The former Jackson State standout earned five Pro Bowl nods, tied with LT Tony Boselli for the most in Jaguars history. He was named Associated Press All-Pro twice, including in 1999 when he posted a Jaguars single-season record 1,636 receiving yards. In 2000, his best career game came against the eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, when he made 15 receptions for 291 yards (seventh in NFL history) and three TDs. From 1995-2005, Smith’s 862 receptions and 12,287 receiving yards ranked second in the NFL in that span, trailing only Hall of Fame WR Marvin Harrison (927 receptions for 12,331 receiving yards). Smith played with WR Keenan McCardell (No. 7 on the Jaguars All-25) from 1996-2001 and together formed one of the best WR duos in the NFL.

“There was a three-year span when Jimmy Smith was good as anyone who ever played the game, and that’s including Jerry Rice,” said Pete Prisco, former Florida Times-Union writer and All-25 voter.

Jaguars All-25 presented by Sharpie is a collection of the top 25 non-active players in franchise history, as voted on by members of the local media. The Jaguars’ silver celebration kicked off in mid-March with the start of the new league year and the unveiling of the team’s 25th season commemorative logo designed to embody the spirit of DUUUVAL.

Mark Brunell named No. 5 on Jags All-25

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Former Pro Bowl QB Mark Brunell has been named No. 5 on the Jaguars All-25, the club announced today.

“What an honor it is to be selected to the Jaguars All-25,” said Brunell. “I want to thank Tom Coughlin and all of my coaches in the early years. I want to thank the fans for their continued support and I want to thank my teammates. It was a privilege to take the field with you every week.”

Brunell became the fifth member inducted into the Pride of the Jaguars on Dec. 15, 2013. Owner of nearly every Jaguars passing record, Brunell is one of 14 players in Jaguars history to play nine seasons or more. He started 117 of his 120 games played and completed 2,184 of 3,616 passes for 25,698 yards with 144 TDs – all still ranking as Jaguars career records. Brunell’s 4,367 passing yards in 1996 led the NFL. In addition, he was voted to the AFC Pro Bowl squad three times (1996, 1997, 1999) and was named the game’s MVP in 1997.

The Los Angeles native was the first player acquired by the Jaguars in a trade, joining the team on April 22, 1995 from Green Bay. He served as Jacksonville’s starting QB from 1995 to 2003, posting a winning record as a starter and leading the Jaguars to four playoff berths, eight postseason games and two appearances in the AFC Championship game.

“Brunell could do so much,” said Vic Ketchman former Jaguars Insider and member of the Jaguars All-25 voting panel. “Steve Young was kind of the only guy in the league that did what Brunell was doing and I thought Brunell was doing it better. By 1995 and 1996, he wasn’t running to gain yards and to get out of bounds, he was running to gain yards and score touchdowns.”

Currently, Brunell serves as the head football coach at Episcopal High School in Jacksonville. He is married to his wife, Stacy and has one daughter, Caitlin, and three sons, Jacob, Joseph and Luke

Jaguars All-25 presented by Sharpie is a collection of the top 25 non-active players in franchise history, as voted on by members of the local Jacksonmedia. The Jaguars’ silver celebration kicked off in mid-March with the start of the new league year and the unveiling of the team’s 25th season commemorative logo designed to embody the spirit of DUUUVAL

Keenan McCardell named No. 7 on Jags All-25

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Former WR Keenan McCardell has been named No. 7 on the Jaguars All-25, the club announced today.

“Thank you all for putting me on the All-25,” said McCardell. “I loved my time here and I always will love my time here. My heart is here in Jacksonville, and go Jags!”

A two-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion, McCardell spent six seasons (1996-2001) with the Jaguars totaling 499 receptions for 6,393 yards and 30 TDs, which ranks second in all three categories in team history. He earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 1996 after totaling a team-best 85 receptions for 1,129 yards and three touchdowns. After signing as a free agent with the Jaguars in 1996, McCardell helped Jacksonville earn four straight postseason appearances from 1996-99.

McCardell played with former Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith and together, they formed one of the best WR duos in the NFL. McCardell and Smith were nicknamed ‘Thunder and Lightning’ and played together through McCardell’s entire tenure with the Jaguars. In 1999, they combined for 2,527 yards on 194 receptions and 11 TDs, helping Jacksonville post a 14-2 record.

“Keenan McCardell could go and make any kind of catch that you needed, and he was mister chain mover,” said Gene Frenette, columnist for the Florida Times-Union. “If you needed a first down on third and six, third and seven, third and four, Keenan was a guy that Mark Brunell often looked for to move the chains.”

Upon finishing his playing career, McCardell began coaching by completing a Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship with the New York Giants during the team’s 2009 training camp. He also coached the West’s wide receivers in the 2010 East-West Shrine Game. In 2017, he was hired as the Jaguars wide receivers coach and is in his third season in that role. McCardell and his wife, Nicole, have four children: daughters Keandra, Nia and Nakeeya’, and son Keenan II.

Jaguars All-25 is a collection of the top 25 non-active players in franchise history, as voted on by members of the local Jacksonville media. The Jaguars’ silver celebration kicked off in mid-March with the start of the new league year and the unveiling of the team’s 25th season commemorative logo designed to embody the spirit of DUUUVAL.

Rashean Mathis named No. 8 on Jags All-25

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Former Jaguars CB Rashean Mathis has been named No. 8 on the Jaguars All-25, the team announced today.

“I want to thank everyone for including me on the All-25 team,” said Mathis.  “I couldn’t even have dreamed growing up in the city that I would one day be thanking you guys for letting me be a part of the Jaguars, and a very important part.  Thank you.  Go Jags!  DUUUVAL!”

Mathis, 6-1, 195, was selected 39th overall in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jaguars. He spent the next 10 seasons with the Jaguars, anchoring the team’s secondary. His 30 career interceptions, 512 career interception return yards and 35 total career takeaways (30 interceptions, five fumble recoveries) are all franchise records. Mathis appeared in 137 games during the 2003-12 seasons, ranking seventh in franchise history with the most by a Jaguars defensive back. His 129 starts, which include his first six as a rookie at free safety before moving to cornerback for the final 10 starts that year, rank fifth in franchise history.

In 2006, Mathis recorded a career-high, franchise-record eight interceptions en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.

“I’ve done this 20 years covering the NFL. I think he is the best athlete I’ve ever covered,” said Mark Long, writer for the Associated Press and a Jaguars All-25 voter. “He could’ve played professional basketball, could’ve play professional baseball. He was that good of an athlete.”

Mathis is a Jacksonville native and attended Englewood High School, where he was a second-team All-State selection before enrolling at nearby Bethune-Cookman University. At Bethune-Cookman, Mathis was a three-time Division I-AA All-American and totaled 31 interceptions in four years while playing cornerback and free safety.

 

Marcus Stroud named No. 9 on Jags All-25

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Former three-time Pro Bowl DT Marcus Stroud has been named No. 9 on the Jaguars All-25, the club announced today.

Stroud was originally selected by the Jaguars in the first round (13th overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft. He proceeded to play in all 16 games for the first five seasons of his career in Jacksonville, which included three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 2003-05. During his seven seasons (2001-07) in Duval County, he played in 100 games (84 starts) and amassed 274 tackles, 22.0 sacks, 23 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He tallied a career-high 6.5 sacks in 2002 before setting a career high with 13 tackles for loss in 2003. Prior to the 2008 season, the former Georgia Bulldog was traded to Buffalo, where he played three seasons and tallied 150 tackles.

In 2012, Stroud signed a one-day contract with Jacksonville and announced his retirement.

“Stroud was a tremendously talented big man. He was a 6-foot-7 ballerina. That was Marcus – really light on his feet,” said Brian Sexton, Jaguars senior correspondent and an All-25 voting member. “Incredibly quick for a big 300-pound guy and he loved the game. That passion showed through every time he put the helmet on.”

The Jaguars’ silver celebration kicked off in mid-March with the start of the new league year and the unveiling of the team’s 25th season commemorative logo designed to embody the spirit of DUUUVAL.

 

Jaguars place Lee, Armstead, Robinson on PUP List

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The Jacksonville Jaguars have placed rookie RB Ryquell Armstead(hamstring), sixth-year WR Marqise Lee(ACL), and third-year OL Cam Robinson(ACL) on the team’s Active/Physically Unable to Perform list, the club announced today.

Lee tore his ACL last preseason, while Robinson tore his ACL last season in Week 2 against the Patriots, and Armstead suffered a hamstring injury during OTAs.

In addition, the team placed rookie OL Donnell Greene and fifth-year LB Jake Ryan on the team’s Active/Non-Football Injury list.

Also, the team announced that they signed first-year DL Lyndon Johnson to their 90-man roster.

Johnson originally signed with the Jaguars as a rookie free agent following the 2018 NFL Draft and appeared in three games during his rookie season.

The Jaguars now have 90 players on their 90-man active roster.