The Jacksonville Jaguars have announced their team captains for the 2018 NFL regular season.OffenseQB Blake BortlesOL Brandon Linder RB Leonard FournetteDefenseLB Telvin Smith DE Calais CampbellSpecial teamsDE Lerentee McCrayBlake Bortles was the team captain for the 2015 and 2016 seasons but lost that designation for the 2017 season. He seems to have regained the trust around the locker room as compared to last year at this time when he was fending off Chad Henne for the starting quarterback position. He had a productive outing last year
Dede Westbrook Jerseys 2019 , finishing with above a 60 percent completion rate and throwing for a career-low 13 interceptions.Leonard Fournette carried quite a bit of the offensive load on his back, facing 8-man boxes more than any other running back in the league last season. He is the player through which this offense runs (no pun intended) and so naming him a captain is a no-brainer.Brandon Linder came in second place in the Big Cat Country “Offensive Player of the Year” award. The offensive line was the strongest unit last year for the Jaguars and Linder was the best player on that unit. According to Matt Harmon at NFL.com, they only gave up an average of 10 pressures per game (13th in the NFL) and gave running backs an average of 0.32 yards before defenders closed within one yard (also good for 13th in the NFL). Linder was the only offensive lineman to start and not give up a single sack and his run-blocking ability is second-to-none on this team.Telvin Smith was a captain last year and deservedly so — the quick, athletic linebacker was a Pro Bowl player and Second Team All-Pro selection.Calais Campbell led the AFC with 14.5 sacks last year and is the new franchise record holder for sacks in a single season. He’s the veteran of the group, keeping the locker room composed and helping the players on the defensive side of the ball walk that line between playing with an edge and playing composed and within the rules. He’s an obvious choice for captain on defense and won the Big Cat Country “Defensive Player of the Year” award last year.Lerentee McCray is a special teams ace who was in on 13 of the team’s 16 regular season games last year. He finished the 2017 season with seven tackles, 1.5 sacks, one pass defended, and a new contract. HOUSTON (AP) — Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell will return next season.The futures of quarterback Blake Bortles and running back Leonard Fournette are far less certain.Team owner Shad Khan issued a statement after the season finale saying top executive Tom Coughlin has decided to retain Marrone and Caldwell
Black Dawuane Smoot Jerseys , even though the team flopped to last place in the AFC South.The Jaguars fell to 5-11 with Sunday’s 20-3 loss to the Houston Texans, a year after finishing 10-6 and reaching the AFC championship game.“We get judged on wins and losses,” Marrone said. “Obviously, this year, I didn’t do a good job. Period. I’m never going to step away from that. I’m happy with the faith because I do believe I will get this right.”Khan gave Coughlin, Marrone and Caldwell one-year contract extensions after Jacksonville faltered in the title game and seemingly viewed this season’s slew of injuries — most of them on the offensive side of the ball — as a main culprit for the team’s failure.“I have the same trust in Tom, Dave and Doug as I did upon their introduction two years ago, and I do believe our best path forward for the moment is the one less disruptive and dramatic
Dawuane Smoot Jerseys 2019 ,” Khan said. “Stability should not be confused with satisfaction, however. I am far from content with the status quo and while it’s best to put 2018 behind us, I will not overlook how poorly we accounted for ourselves following a 3-1 start.“There were far too many long Sundays over the last three quarters of the season, with today’s loss in Houston being the final example that cannot repeat itself in 2019,” he continued. “That’s my message to our football people and players, but also our sponsors and fans, both of whom were remarkable.”The Jaguars returned to Bortles as the starter after benching the quarterback following a loss to Buffalo on Nov. 25. But he did little to get Jacksonville’s offense going. He was 15 of 28 for 107 yards as the Jaguars managed only six first downs.Bortles compiled a 24-49 record as a starter in five seasons. The third overall pick in the 2014 draft is due to count $21 million against the salary cap, and the Jags can save $9.5 million by cutting him with a post-June 1 designation.Bortles was asked if he thought Sunday’s game would be his last for Jacksonville.“I don’t know
Black Cam Robinson Jerseys ,” he said. “If I did … I hope I’ll get an opportunity to come play again, but if not, I’ll figure it out and go play somewhere else. We’ll see what happens. I’ve got to wait until they let me know.”When asked how he wants to be remembered for his time in Jacksonville, he said: “Hopefully, not by this game.”Marrone said his team’s offensive struggles went far beyond Bortles.“My confidence level is not about Blake Bortles. It’s about what we have to do offensively,” Marrone said. “Right now, that confidence is low, judging by the numbers. I’d be a fool to say I have confidence in anything
Cam Robinson Jerseys 2019 , from an offensive standpoint.”The Jaguars also could be done with Fournette, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft who missed eight games because of injuries and a suspension.Fournette, who was inactive because of foot and ankle injuries, was caught by TV cameras sitting on the bench during the game and chatting with running back T.J. Yeldon while the offense had the ball. They were clearly disengaged with teammates and coaches.Coughlin had strong words for both of them afterward.“I am disappointed in the behavior today from T.J. Yeldon and Leonard Fournette,” Coughlin said in a statement. “They were disrespectful, selfish and their behavior was unbecoming that of a professional football player.”