JACKSONVILLE -- The Jacksonville Jaguars made it through their bye week with no new injuries, no off-the-field issues, no player indiscretions.
That alone makes it a successful week compared to some of the incidents that have plagued the franchise in the past during their off week. Instead, some, i.e. outside linebacker Telvin Smith, is calling it a win-win week, for him personally and the Jaguars defense.
First the personal news.
Smith inked his name to a new four-year, $50-million deal last Wednesday. It came on the brink of what might have been Smith's last year with the Jaguars as his four-year rookie contract was set to expire at the end of this season, leaving him the option of looking for a lucrative deal elsewhere.
Instead, he's locked in with the Jaguars, and will continue to be an integral part of what is becoming one of the league's elite defenses.
Which brings about the second good news story of the week in Smith's opinion. That would be the team trading a sixth-round draft pick to the Buffalo Bills to acquire defensive tackle Marcell Dareus.
The 6-foot-3, 331-pound seventh-year veteran has made a name for himself as a run-stopper in the middle of the Bills' defensive line, not to mention the 34 sacks that he acquired in his first six seasons with the Bills. He added one more to that total in five games with the Bills this season. The Bills loss is the Jaguars gain in Smith's way of thinking.
"I've seen a lot of people say it and I'm going to steal it, that we won the bye week (with the addition of Dareus), and we did," Smith said. "That's definitely an upgrade for our defense. It definitely adds depth to our defense, helping (starting defensive tackle) Abry (Jones) out.
"He was doing a great job in there, but with a guy like Marcell to come in behind him and play with him, that's going to be a crazy rotation. So (I'm) definitely looking forward to adding another head to this monster."
The Jaguars are hoping Dareus can provide a lift to a defense that has excelled against the pass but has struggled at times against the run. The Jaguars are allowing a league-high 5.16 yards per carry to opposing runners and are last in rushing yards allowed per game (138.6).
At 331 pounds, Dareus eats up a lot of space in the middle. He's played nose tackle and defensive tackle and at times has moved to an outside spot. Jaguars defensive ends Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue are among the league leaders in sacks, but the interior of the line has been vulnerable to opposing teams' running attacks.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone feels Dareus has the potential and talent to help the Jaguars in that area. Marrone should know. He coached Dareus for two years when he served as the Bills head coach 2013-14.
"It's an opportunity for us to try and get better," Marrone said in explaining why the Jaguars wanted Dareus. "We've struggled at times against the run and I think he's going to be able to help our defense that way. I was very happy with the things that I saw (in watching tape of him). Right now, we're just trying to get him acclimated (to our system)."
There are other positive implications to the Jaguars acquiring Dareus. It adds another able body in the rotation of the front line. Following the Indianapolis game prior to the team's bye week, Marrone cited a concern about the physical condition of the team.
Part of that had to do with the added playing time that the front-liners were putting in. There was a definite drop-off when the Jaguars started pulling starters and putting in fresh faces. With a proven quantity like Dareus that should give more rest time to the likes of Campbell, Jones and defensive tackle Malik Jackson.
Dareus will be challenged to stay out of trouble, something he's had problems with in the past. There's no question he has the talent to be among the elite defenders at his position. He's started 85 of the 91 games he's played with the Bills and has 35 career sacks, though only one in five games this season. His best year was in 2014 when he finished with a career-best 10.0 sacks and was a first-team All-Pro selection. He was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2013 and 2014.
But Dareus has had issues off the field, has been suspended several times and has missed a number of games due to bad decisions. A year ago he was suspended four games for violating the NFL's policy on drug use. The previous season he was banned for one game. He was sent home before the Bills' final preseason game in August this year against the Baltimore Ravens for unspecified reasons.
In Marrone's final season with the Bills, he benched Dareus for the first quarter of a December game against the Miami Dolphins, reportedly for being late to team meetings throughout the season. Marrone was asked about the risks involved with Dareus' acquisition.
"We're all at risk - myself, everybody," the Jaguars' coach said. "At the end of the day, some people get themselves in situations and you hope that they learn from it. If they don't, then obviously there's consequences. That's the same for all the players."
Bottom line is that if Dareus stays clean and plays like he did in his Pro-Bowl years of 2013 and 2014, he could be the missing piece of the puzzle for the defense. They've already proven they are an elite group in pressuring quarterbacks and defending against the pass. If Dareus can solidify the interior of the line and help shut down running attacks, it will leave the Jaguars in prime position to lock up their first playoff berth in a decade.
--Most people who are in position to make $50 million over a four-year span would want to shout it from the roof top. Not Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith. The fourth-year veteran out of Florida State would rather talk about the weather, his alma mater, his teammates. Anything but his new contract.
Smith appeared before the local media on Monday, five days after he inked his new deal in the final year of his four-year rookie contract. He made it clear from the start of the questioning that he wasn't comfortable in talking about it.
"It is more stressful right now than having to deal with it when I actually had to go through signing it," Smith said.
Why, he was asked.
"Because we are talking about it. Let's talk about ball," he pleaded. "Let's talk about ball. Money is money. I got paid. I'm grateful to the organization. I am happy for my family. Everyone who played a part in it, I am happy for. It is just another step in life. I have been here and now I just have a bigger bank account to say I am here.
"That is why it is hard for me to speak on it because it is still a business. I still look at it as a business that if it wasn't here, then it was going to be somewhere. I am who I am. I am grateful to the organization. Again, like I said in that sense.
"I earned it. Why do I have to talk about what you earn? You feel me? It is done."
And with that, the questions turned to the Jaguars defense.
--The bye week came at a perfect time for the Jaguars this season. A year ago, Jacksonville had its bye week in Week 5. That didn't turn out too well as the team lost. The Jaguars won in their first week after the bye but then lost 10 of their final 11 games. This year their off week comes one game shy of the halfway point of the regular season, an ideal time to be taking a week off.
It will hopefully be a time when three starters can use the extra week of rest and rehab to overcome injuries/illness. Center Brandon Linder has missed three consecutive games due to an unspecified illness. Marrone said Linder's conditioning and strengthening was at a good level.
"I think now we have it back to where it was," the Jaguars coach said. I feel very good about that. He's cleared, ready to go and he's out on the field and we're watching him as he comes back. He did a nice job getting back."
Marrone wasn't as confident-sounding when talking about running back Leonard Fournette or left tackle Cam Robinson, both of whom are nursing sprained ankles.
"I think it always helps the players when they're banged up, especially the young guys," Marrone said. "They go through the college season, where Cam has probably gone through an NFL season. You know what I'm saying. I don't mean that from a standpoint from it being harder at Alabama, but they just play so many games. The playoffs and everything.
"I think it helped both players, but I don't think that I can honestly sit here and say - I don't think Cam would have been able to play last week and then this week, obviously you saw him on the field, so we'll see how it goes once he gets out there a little more."
So you feel good about Fournette playing this Sunday, right coach?
"I'm never saying that. Nope. Never say that. I always say, 'we'll see.'"
Marrone was chastised by Buffalo media members several years ago when he all but guaranteed a player would be ready and would play in a Sunday game. However, the player didn't play that Sunday and Marrone endured a lot of heat afterwards. Thus, the reason for the cautionary approach ever since.
--Trades are part of the business in the NFL, but it can be unsettling to players that have not experienced it before and who are comfortable in their current surroundings. Enter the case of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus who got his first taste of "the business" when he was dealt to the Jacksonville Jaguars last Saturday after playing the previous six years with the Buffalo Bills.
Dareus got the news Saturday morning when he was reviewing some of his assignments for Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders.
"I was surprised when I got the call," Dareus said in his first media session on Monday with Jacksonville reporters. "It was a little overwhelming on Saturday. I was getting prepared for the game, was zoned in. When I got the call, it made me a little emotional. I knew it was a one-way ticket. It was a culture shock to me.
"I still haven't gotten over it yet. I'm still in shock. I'm shocked for the trade, I'm shocked for this defense, this team."
Dareus said he's treating the trade as an opportunity for a fresh start. He said he knows it's all part of the business of playing in the NFL.
"(It's a) new city. (It's) new surroundings. I'm just happy to be here with these guys. They've been playing fairly well and I'm just happy to be here to help any way I possibly can.
"It's such a different experience. I thought Buffalo was my home and I was extremely happy for everything they've done for me as an organization. But at the same time, it's a business and this is where I am. It feels good to be wanted."
NOTES: WR Dede Westbrook could be ready to make his NFL debut either this week against Cincinnati or the following week against the Los Angeles Chargers. Westbrook was placed on reserve/injured in August and designated for return Monday. The Jaguars have three weeks to make a decision on their rookie receiver. "We got him back on the field today and also that's step one. Step two, we'll be getting him in there, getting him involved with practice, and see how he performs," head coach Doug Marrone said. ... WR Marqise Lee will be watched closely by Jaguars officials the rest of this season to determine if they want to re-sign him in the offseason. Lee's rookie contract expires at the end of this season, and if rookie receiver Dede Westbrook has a strong second-half finish, Lee may not be re-signed. ... CB Aaron Colvin has a contract that expires at the end of the season. Colvin has been used exclusively as the team's nickel back which doesn't attract as much money as a cornerback would. Colvin may look elsewhere for a starting job and bigger dollars with another NFL team. ... C Brandon Linder was back on the practice field on Monday, his first action in nearly a month. Linder has missed three straight games due to an unspecified illness. "He's cleared, ready to go and he's out on the field and we're watching him as he comes back. He did a nice job getting back," Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone said. ... NT Abry Jones will likely become a backup following the acquisition of Marcell Dareus from the Bills. Jones had started the first seven games of the season, taking over for the departed Roy Miller who was not retained by the team. Jones signed a new four-year contract with the Jaguars last March. ... WR Montay Crockett was added to the Jaguars' practice squad on Monday. Crockett was originally signed as an undrafted rookie on May 5 after a four-year career at Georgia Southern.
REPORT CARD AFTER 7 GAMES
--PASSING OFFENSE: B - It's a case of less is more. The less Blake Bortles has to pass, the better the rushing game and offense is probably going. In the Jaguars' four wins this season, Bortles has thrown 31 or fewer passes. In the three losses, he's thrown the ball 34, 35 and 35 times. When the running game is going good (185.0 yards per game in the four wins), the Jaguars don't need to rely on Bortles nearly as much. While he's improved his numbers this year, including fewer interceptions, fewer sacks and a higher passer rating than a year ago, his yards are also lower. Last year, Bortles had 10 games in which he threw for at least 245 yards. This year he's had one - last week's 330-yard effort. As long as the Jaguars continue to enjoy success in running the ball, the passing game will be that much better because of it.
--RUSHING OFFENSE: A - A quick check of the numbers from a year ago to this season shows the difference in the running game. In 2016, the Jaguars had five games in which they rushed for more than 100 yards, three times exceeding 155 yards. In the first seven games this year, Jacksonville has not only topped the century mark six times, all six games it has totaled 155 yards or more. As a team, the Jaguars are averaging an even 5.0 yards per carry compared to a respectable 4.2 a year ago. Leonard Fournette has been an instant success in his rookie season, breaking out for 596 yards in the first six games before he had to miss the seventh game due to an ankle sprain. The fact that the Jaguars still managed to gain 188 yards in Fournette's absence shows that the team has strengthened its overall running attack. All this considering they have been without starting center Brandon Linder, arguably their best offensive lineman, for the past three games.
--PASS DEFENSE: A - The addition of cornerback A.J. Bouye and strong safety Barry Church was done to shore up a secondary that has had a lot of difficulties in stopping opposing team's passing attacks. Bouye and Church have been a big part of the reason the Jaguars rank among the top five teams in the NFL in defending the pass, allowing an average of 161.7 yards per game through the air, a marked difference from their 2016 average of 226.7 passing yards per game. They've also dropped the number of touchdown passes allowed, going from 20 for all of last year to just four in the first seven games this season. Same success with interceptions, where a year ago, the Jaguars finished with a total of seven. Jacksonville has already picked off 10 passes - all of which came in the first five games of the season. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey is playing at an All-Pro level while Buoye, Church and free safety Tashaun Gipson are all playing exceptionally well.
--RUSH DEFENSE: C - The one weakness for the defense this season has been its inability to shut down opposing ground games. They've had some success, like holding Houston, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis to less than 100 yards on the ground. But the other four games, opponents have rushed for an average of 177.9 yards per game. The overall average of allowing 145.7 yards a game on the ground leaves the Jaguars in the bottom five of the league. A good portion of those yards have come from backs running right through the center of the front line. That's the main reason the team acquired Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus in a trade during the team's bye week. Dareus' 331-pound frame will take up a lot of space in the middle and could be the missing run-stopping piece the Jaguars need. One area where the front line has been exceptionally stout is putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The Jaguars lead the NFL in sacks and are on pace to establish an NFL record if they continue their current mark of just under five sacks a game.
--SPECIAL TEAMS: C - There have been too many ups and downs from this unit to warrant a better grade. The placekicking is the best example. Jason Myers led the team in scoring with 48 points in the first six games, converting on 11 of 12 field-goal attempts inside the 50. But it's the misses that sometimes matter and Myers missed two extra points and all three field-goal attempts from beyond 50 yards. As a result, he was let go the week of the Indianapolis game in favor of Josh Lambo who connected on a pair of field goals and all three extra points. Punter Brad Nortman has also had his good and bad moments. He's averaging 44.6 yards per punt but that includes a 16-yarder against the Los Angeles Rams that led to an easy Rams field goal. The Jaguars have covered kicks well, but are getting very little out of their own return game, averaging a meager 2.2 yards on punt returns and 19.1 on kickoff runbacks.
--COACHING: B-plus - Doug Marrone has done a solid job with the team in his first year as head coach after serving as interim head coach the last two games of the 2016 season. Marrone's message has stayed consistent all season, placing a special emphasis on solid defensive play, getting off to a fast start and finishing strong. Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett has done a good job with the play-calling, especially in terms of sticking with a running game that has emerged as the NFL's best after eight weeks. Defensive coordinator Todd Wash has benefited from the acquisition of several free-agent additions as well as the improved play of second-year players CB Jalen Ramsey, DE Yannick Ngakoue and LB Myles Jack. Wash's aggressive style has resulted in a league-leading 33 sacks. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis hasn't been as successful as his counterparts and will need to have a better showing in the second half of the season to guarantee his return in 2017.
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