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By no means should the Jaguars taking a receiver or tight end in the NFL Draft be the highest priority, but they shouldn’t make it a total afterthought by waiting until the fifth round or later to supplement those positions.
Once the Jaguars took the bold offseason step of trading Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans and releasing tight end Evan Engram, it became imperative to give quarterback Trevor Lawrence more weapons than what’s presently on the roster.
While signing Dyami Brown in free agency, as well as retaining Gabe Davis and Parker Washington, provides some depth, the Jaguars could use another receiver for additional reinforcements.
Having six picks in the top four rounds, the Jaguars will have plenty of chances to add to Lawrence's targets, but the tricky part for general manager James Gladstone is knowing when to pull that trigger when potentially bigger needs in both interior lines and the secondary also command attention.
Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen must weigh how much impact they think someone like Brown — he signed a one-year deal after ascending in the NFL postseason for the Washington Commanders with 14 catches and 229 yards in three playoff games — will have to take the burden off No. 1 receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
The Jaguars will surely be counting on third-year tight end Brenton Strange, a second-round pick in 2023, to upgrade his production (40 catches, 411 yards) from last year, but adding another piece at that position also merits strong draft consideration.
Starting with the 36th overall pick in the second round, the Jaguars should begin considering a receiver, though it’s more likely they wait until the four slots — No. 70, 88, 107 and 126 — over the next two rounds.
Acquiring a tight end feels like a tougher call in the middle rounds because that position isn’t as deep as receiver, but Gladstone would be doing Trevor a disservice to let this draft slide without adding to both rooms.
When Coen was asked about current wideouts who can alleviate the burden on Thomas, he surprisingly failed to mention Davis, alluding to Washington, Brown and Strange as ascending weapons.
Coen understands the importance of spreading the wealth. The more options he has to do that, including rookies, the better.
“How do we use our two running backs to be able to supplement some of that usage, get more people involved in the game early on, so defenses can’t just cloud BT [Thomas] and be all over him,” said Coen.
“Those guys that I just mentioned right now are guys that we’re going to spotlight.”
Looking at the draft board, there’s a dozen receivers with appropriate value that could line up for the Jaguars in the second, third or fourth rounds.
If Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka is available at 36, or possibly Iowa State wideout Jayden Higgins (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) and his 80-inch wingspan, those might be appealing targets at that spot.
Further down the draft board, Ole Miss’ Tre Harris and the TCU pair of Jack Bech and Savion Williams (6-3, 222) are day-three prospects worth considering.
Tight end doesn’t appear to have as many viable mid-round options, though Dane Brugler of The Athletic mocks Texas’ Gunnar Helm to the Jaguars at No. 88 overall.
Given all the team’s needs, the best course of action for the Jaguars may be to grab the best available player at a need position when they’re on the clock.
But if the new regime wants to do what it can to help Lawrence, as Coen and Gladstone have intimated multiple times, then use the draft to get him more weapons that make the Jaguars’ offense harder to defend.
What transpired the past week with Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, whose greed got the best of him, was an inevitable fallout of NIL and the transfer portal bringing free agency to college football.
UT head coach Josh Heupel decided he had enough of a me-first QB who blew off practice ahead of the Volunteers’ spring game, reportedly wanting a raise from $2.5 million to $4 million for his services.
Instead of staying with the program that had the defense and running game to make the College Football Playoff last year, losing 42-17 to Ohio State, now Iamaleava will likely find himself in a much worse situation.
Whether the Long Beach, Ca., native lands at UCLA, as reported by Colin Cowherd, or somewhere else, there didn't appear to be a large group of suitors lining up to sign the country’s former No. 1 recruit.
At least at Tennessee, he had the benefit of a superb defense and solid running game, but Iamaleava won’t have that luxury if he winds up at UCLA. The Bruins were ranked 126th in scoring (18.4 ppg) and allowed 34 sacks (107th) in 2024, then lost both their offensive coordinator (Eric Bieniemy) and offensive line coach (Juan Castillo).
Plus, who knows if UCLA or anybody else will have the resources to give Iamaleava the hefty pay raise he was reportedly seeking. He might even take a pay cut.
Not that you can blame kids for pursuing the greener pastures that prompts a lot of coaches to leave for a bigger payday, but Iamaleava and his representatives clearly overplayed their hand in this case.
Unlike the Gordon Gekko character in the movie “Wall Street,” greed for Iamaleava was not a good thing.
While the historic completion of Rory McIlroy’s Grand Slam will always resonate most from the 2025 Masters, one thing that should not be overlooked is the magnanimity displayed by Justin Rose and the potential implications of what his third runner-up finish at Augusta National could mean for his legacy.
Rose, the epitome of an English gentleman, came within one shot of likely securing a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame had he captured a second major to go with his 2013 U.S. Open win at Merion.
With 11 PGA Tour and 11 European Tour victories, that alone is probably not enough to get Rose into the HOF. But when you add an Olympic gold medal, a FedEx Cup title and holding the world No. 1 ranking for 13 weeks in 2018 and ‘19 — along with three Masters runner-up finishes, including another playoff loss to Sergio Garcia — his case becomes a lot more compelling.
The 44-year-old Rose still has time to add one more major to strengthen his resume, but that’s a separate issue from the class he displayed after McIlroy beat him on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Rose focused a lot more on complimenting his European Ryder Cup teammate for his historic achievement than lamenting his disappointment over coming up short.
Rose may or may not get in the Hall of Fame, but there’s no debate about the class he demonstrated in another close Masters call.
Every year, the Jacksonville Icemen face the arduous task of trying to advance in the Kelly Cup playoffs through the difficult South Division bracket, and that challenge will be even greater this time around.
The No. 3 seed Icemen face their primary nemesis, three-time defending ECHL champion Florida Everblades, for the fourth consecutive season, which begins Friday April 18 on the road in Estero.
After blowing a 3-1 series lead to Florida in last year's opening round of the playoffs, the Icemen (92 points) face a tougher hurdle this time because the second-seeded Everblades are coming off a 106-point season. Florida finished second in their division to the 109-point South Carolina Stingrays, who were on a 17-game winning streak until losing a meaningless final regular-season contest.
For the Icemen, getting just one series win will require goaltenders Matt Vernon and Justen Close to be in top form. Jacksonville's 2.64 goals against average is 5th in the ECHL, with the Stingrays and Everblades finishing 1-2, respectively, in that category.
Icemen leading scorers Chris Grando, Christopher Brown and Brendan Harris, along with Olivier Nadeau (28 goals in 27 games), will have to try to light the lamp against the ECHL's top goaltender, CamJohnson, who has a 1.92 goals-against-average.
Whoever comes out of the South Division bracket will be an overwhelming favorite to win the Kelly Cup, but Jacksonville has won only two playoff series in their eight-year existence. Those wins came in 2022 and 2023 before the Everblades eliminated them in the second round. The Icemen will play at home against Florida in Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary) on April 23, 24 and 27 at VyStar Memorial Arena.
[email protected]: (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars need more WR ammunition for Trevor Lawrence than Brian Thomas Jr.
Continue reading...
Once the Jaguars took the bold offseason step of trading Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans and releasing tight end Evan Engram, it became imperative to give quarterback Trevor Lawrence more weapons than what’s presently on the roster.
While signing Dyami Brown in free agency, as well as retaining Gabe Davis and Parker Washington, provides some depth, the Jaguars could use another receiver for additional reinforcements.
Having six picks in the top four rounds, the Jaguars will have plenty of chances to add to Lawrence's targets, but the tricky part for general manager James Gladstone is knowing when to pull that trigger when potentially bigger needs in both interior lines and the secondary also command attention.
You must be registered for see images attach
Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen must weigh how much impact they think someone like Brown — he signed a one-year deal after ascending in the NFL postseason for the Washington Commanders with 14 catches and 229 yards in three playoff games — will have to take the burden off No. 1 receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
The Jaguars will surely be counting on third-year tight end Brenton Strange, a second-round pick in 2023, to upgrade his production (40 catches, 411 yards) from last year, but adding another piece at that position also merits strong draft consideration.
Trevor needs more firepower
Starting with the 36th overall pick in the second round, the Jaguars should begin considering a receiver, though it’s more likely they wait until the four slots — No. 70, 88, 107 and 126 — over the next two rounds.
Acquiring a tight end feels like a tougher call in the middle rounds because that position isn’t as deep as receiver, but Gladstone would be doing Trevor a disservice to let this draft slide without adding to both rooms.
When Coen was asked about current wideouts who can alleviate the burden on Thomas, he surprisingly failed to mention Davis, alluding to Washington, Brown and Strange as ascending weapons.
Coen understands the importance of spreading the wealth. The more options he has to do that, including rookies, the better.
“How do we use our two running backs to be able to supplement some of that usage, get more people involved in the game early on, so defenses can’t just cloud BT [Thomas] and be all over him,” said Coen.
“Those guys that I just mentioned right now are guys that we’re going to spotlight.”
Targeting right draft options at WR, TE
Looking at the draft board, there’s a dozen receivers with appropriate value that could line up for the Jaguars in the second, third or fourth rounds.
You must be registered for see images
If Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka is available at 36, or possibly Iowa State wideout Jayden Higgins (6-foot-4, 214 pounds) and his 80-inch wingspan, those might be appealing targets at that spot.
Further down the draft board, Ole Miss’ Tre Harris and the TCU pair of Jack Bech and Savion Williams (6-3, 222) are day-three prospects worth considering.
You must be registered for see images attach
Tight end doesn’t appear to have as many viable mid-round options, though Dane Brugler of The Athletic mocks Texas’ Gunnar Helm to the Jaguars at No. 88 overall.
Given all the team’s needs, the best course of action for the Jaguars may be to grab the best available player at a need position when they’re on the clock.
But if the new regime wants to do what it can to help Lawrence, as Coen and Gladstone have intimated multiple times, then use the draft to get him more weapons that make the Jaguars’ offense harder to defend.
Vols’ QB deserves most of blame for messy divorce
What transpired the past week with Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, whose greed got the best of him, was an inevitable fallout of NIL and the transfer portal bringing free agency to college football.
You must be registered for see images
UT head coach Josh Heupel decided he had enough of a me-first QB who blew off practice ahead of the Volunteers’ spring game, reportedly wanting a raise from $2.5 million to $4 million for his services.
Instead of staying with the program that had the defense and running game to make the College Football Playoff last year, losing 42-17 to Ohio State, now Iamaleava will likely find himself in a much worse situation.
Whether the Long Beach, Ca., native lands at UCLA, as reported by Colin Cowherd, or somewhere else, there didn't appear to be a large group of suitors lining up to sign the country’s former No. 1 recruit.
At least at Tennessee, he had the benefit of a superb defense and solid running game, but Iamaleava won’t have that luxury if he winds up at UCLA. The Bruins were ranked 126th in scoring (18.4 ppg) and allowed 34 sacks (107th) in 2024, then lost both their offensive coordinator (Eric Bieniemy) and offensive line coach (Juan Castillo).
Plus, who knows if UCLA or anybody else will have the resources to give Iamaleava the hefty pay raise he was reportedly seeking. He might even take a pay cut.
Not that you can blame kids for pursuing the greener pastures that prompts a lot of coaches to leave for a bigger payday, but Iamaleava and his representatives clearly overplayed their hand in this case.
Unlike the Gordon Gekko character in the movie “Wall Street,” greed for Iamaleava was not a good thing.
Rose's classy Masters form was HOF-worthy
While the historic completion of Rory McIlroy’s Grand Slam will always resonate most from the 2025 Masters, one thing that should not be overlooked is the magnanimity displayed by Justin Rose and the potential implications of what his third runner-up finish at Augusta National could mean for his legacy.
You must be registered for see images
Rose, the epitome of an English gentleman, came within one shot of likely securing a spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame had he captured a second major to go with his 2013 U.S. Open win at Merion.
With 11 PGA Tour and 11 European Tour victories, that alone is probably not enough to get Rose into the HOF. But when you add an Olympic gold medal, a FedEx Cup title and holding the world No. 1 ranking for 13 weeks in 2018 and ‘19 — along with three Masters runner-up finishes, including another playoff loss to Sergio Garcia — his case becomes a lot more compelling.
The 44-year-old Rose still has time to add one more major to strengthen his resume, but that’s a separate issue from the class he displayed after McIlroy beat him on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. Rose focused a lot more on complimenting his European Ryder Cup teammate for his historic achievement than lamenting his disappointment over coming up short.
Rose may or may not get in the Hall of Fame, but there’s no debate about the class he demonstrated in another close Masters call.
Icemen face another uphill Kelly Cup playoff climb
Every year, the Jacksonville Icemen face the arduous task of trying to advance in the Kelly Cup playoffs through the difficult South Division bracket, and that challenge will be even greater this time around.
The No. 3 seed Icemen face their primary nemesis, three-time defending ECHL champion Florida Everblades, for the fourth consecutive season, which begins Friday April 18 on the road in Estero.
After blowing a 3-1 series lead to Florida in last year's opening round of the playoffs, the Icemen (92 points) face a tougher hurdle this time because the second-seeded Everblades are coming off a 106-point season. Florida finished second in their division to the 109-point South Carolina Stingrays, who were on a 17-game winning streak until losing a meaningless final regular-season contest.
For the Icemen, getting just one series win will require goaltenders Matt Vernon and Justen Close to be in top form. Jacksonville's 2.64 goals against average is 5th in the ECHL, with the Stingrays and Everblades finishing 1-2, respectively, in that category.
Icemen leading scorers Chris Grando, Christopher Brown and Brendan Harris, along with Olivier Nadeau (28 goals in 27 games), will have to try to light the lamp against the ECHL's top goaltender, CamJohnson, who has a 1.92 goals-against-average.
Whoever comes out of the South Division bracket will be an overwhelming favorite to win the Kelly Cup, but Jacksonville has won only two playoff series in their eight-year existence. Those wins came in 2022 and 2023 before the Everblades eliminated them in the second round. The Icemen will play at home against Florida in Games 3, 4 and 5 (if necessary) on April 23, 24 and 27 at VyStar Memorial Arena.
[email protected]: (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars need more WR ammunition for Trevor Lawrence than Brian Thomas Jr.
Continue reading...
