Jaguars News

"The Indianapolis Colts have added depth to their quarterback position by signing Quinn Gray. The former Jacksonville Jaguars backup signed a one-year contract with the Colts on Wednesday, according to his agent. %u201CThis is a fresh start for Quinn and I%u2019m confident he will take full advantage of it,%u2019%u2019 agent Drew Rosenhaus said this morning. %u201CHe%u2019s getting an opportunity to work in a great offense with a great coaching staff.%u2019%u2019 Gray, 29, appeared in 11 games, four as a starter, with Jacksonville the past three seasons. He%u2019s 2-2 as a starter. A report by the NFL Network said the Colts also have signed quarterback Jared Lorenzen."

"Jaguars rookie defensive ends Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves remain unsigned one day before the team is scheduled to report to training camp. The No. 8 overall pick, Harvey likely won't sign by Friday, although Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio recently expressed optimism about getting Harvey into camp before the first practice Saturday. The picks above (New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis) and below (Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers) Harvey also are unsigned, one of several factors that could delay his signing. Groves, a second-round pick, said he expects to be in camp by the start of Saturday's workouts. Groves' agent, Sean Kiernan, declined to comment Wednesday about ..."

"The Jaguars check in for training camp between 2 and 4 p.m. Friday, and the first team meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. But two days before all that is set to occur, the club still needs to sign the top two picks in its draft class - defensive ends Derrick Harvey of Florida and Quentin Groves of Auburn. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio is optimistic he'll have them signed by the start of camp. "Usually, this is the time discussions start heating up and guys start getting signed," Del Rio said. "We remain hopeful.""

"Everybody has questions. How soon can quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco start in Atlanta and Baltimore? Where does Brett Favre play in 2008, if he plays at all? Is there another team such as the New York Giants that will come out of the shadows at playoff time to seize the Super Bowl? There are no ready answers in July and August. Training camp is a time to grind, but it's also a time for optimism. Let's set the stage for the NFL's 89th season."

"Training camp practices are open to the public through Aug. 6. The first practice is 10:15 a.m. Saturday on the practice fields northwest of Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Training camp includes 18 practice sessions before the start of the Jaguars' preseason on Aug. 9. There is no admission charge to watch practices."

"The Jaguars open training camp next weekend on the practice field adjacent to Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. Players report on Friday. The first practice is Saturday morning. Some quick facts about 2008 training camp: How long does training camp last? Eighteen practice sessions over a two-week period before the preseason opener Aug. 9 vs. Atlanta. Is training camp open to the public? Yes. How many players will be reporting? A total of 80. The roster must be cut to 75 by Aug. 26 and to 53 on Aug. 30."

"Yes, the Bears have some issues as they head into training camp this week. But they are not alone. Each of the 32 teams in the NFL will be trying to answer deep questions, tie together loose ends and bury ghosts of the past. Here is a look at the other 31:"

"Count wide receiver Jerry Porter out of Jaguars training camp and the entire preseason. The team's highest-profile free-agent acquisition, Porter is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a hamstring tendon that has been slow to heal, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said Friday. The Jaguars are hopeful that Porter will be ready for the Sept. 7 season opener at Tennessee."

"Cornerback Trae Williams signed a four-year contract with the Jaguars on Wednesday, leaving the team with two rookies to sign before the start of training camp. The second of the team's two fifth-round draft picks, Williams received a contract similar to the one signed by rookie linebacker Thomas Williams last week. Thomas Williams' deal included base salaries of $295,000, $385,000, $470,000 and $555,000 and a signing bonus of $174,500. Only the bonus was guaranteed. Trae Williams' signing bonus is in the $170,000 range."

"Rookie linebacker Thomas Williams signed a four-year contract worth nearly $2 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars today. Williams, a fifth-round draft pick from Southern California, got a $174,500 signing bonus to go along with the $1.7 million contract. His base salary in 2008 will be $295,000, followed by $385,000, $470,000 and $555,000.Williams started 14 games at Southern California, but the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder excelled on special teams. The Jaguars hope he can do the same in the NFL."

"The New England Patriots didn't do much this off-season, which is why not much has changed in the American Football Conference. New England did lose All-Pro cornerback Asante Samuel, but otherwise looks like the same team that went 16-0 last season. The Patriots have won 20 regular-season games in a row, dating to a 21-0 loss at Miami on Dec. 10, 2006. They have broken their own NFL record of 18 consecutive victories set in 2003-04. The Indianapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn't change much in the off-season, either, which is why they are given the best shots to challenge the Patriots for AFC supremacy this season."

"Rookie linebacker Thomas Williams and the Jaguars agreed to terms Friday on a four-year contract, which is expected to be signed sometime next week. The first of the team's two fifth-round draft picks last April, Williams will receive base salaries of $295,000, $385,000, $470,000 and $555,000 and a signing bonus of $174,500. Only the signing bonus is guaranteed. Williams became the Jaguars' second draft pick to sign a contract. His former USC teammate, running back Chauncey Washington, struck a deal with the Jaguars last month after being a seventh-round pick."

"On advice from an attorney, Jaguars wide receiver Matt Jones isn't speaking about being charged with felony possession of cocaine. But his father, Steve Jones, issued a statement to KNWA-TV in Fayetteville, Ark., in which the receiver denied having any responsibility for the six grams of cocaine that were found in a sport-utility vehicle and ultimately led to his arrest early Thursday morning. "Matt is anxious to make a statement and wants to make a statement," said the statement issued to the television station. "His attorney has advised him to not say anything until they have had a chance to speak together. They will release a statement at the appropriate time."

"Whatever the legal outcome on Matt Jones' cocaine possession charge, the Jaguars wide receiver is piling up demerits that are making it harder for the team to keep him around. Jones' father, Steve, issued a statement to an Arkansas television station Thursday that admitted there were drugs in the vehicle with his son and two other passengers, but that Matt "does not claim any responsibility for the drugs." This is a huge stretch, but let's say that the drugs belonged to one of Jones' friends and the Jaguars receiver wasn't using the white powder."

"Jimmy Smith will be remembered as the last of the original 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars to play in the NFL. But local fans with long memories may know Smith as a second-round Dallas Cowboys draft pick. After being taken 36th overall by the Cowboys in 1992, Smith struggled with injuries, even missing the 1994 season. He wouldn't record a reception until 1995 with the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars."

"Things would have been easier, people told Jaguars defensive back Brian Williams, if he hadn't withdrawn his no-contest plea to a 2006 drunken-driving arrest. He wouldn't have had to bite his tongue as the community raged about a racist, sexist rant Jacksonville police accused him of. He wouldn't have racked up thousands of dollars in legal bills. He wouldn't have faced a high-profile criminal trial this week that could have ended in jail or at least the probation sentence he started out with two years ago. Williams' gambit paid off Thursday when a Jacksonville jury acquitted him of drunken driving after 45 minutes of deliberation. The veteran player beamed from ear to ear as he left the ..."

"Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver says his team isn't leaving Jacksonville, but didn't rule out the possibility of selling the club in the future. In a statement and subsequent interview with the Times-Union on Thursday, Weaver responded to reports surfacing a day earlier that he was in negotiations with New Jersey-based billionaire C. Dean Metropoulos to sell the NFL team. If the club switched hands, however, Weaver guaranteed it would remain in Jacksonville. "I'm not selling the Jaguars," Weaver said. "The team is not moving to L.A. I don't know how I can say it any more clearly than that. At some point, maybe I will sell the team. But not now.""

"It didn't take long for word of Matt Jones' arrest early Thursday morning to spread through the state of Arkansas, where the former Razorbacks quarterback is still considered a legend. Sports talk-radio shows were flooded with phone calls, and news of Jones' arrest in Fayetteville on a felony drug charge became the hot topic on Internet message boards. By Thursday afternoon, more than 400 comments about Jones, a former first-round draft pick who has struggled in three seasons as a Jaguars wide receiver, had been posted on Hogville.net, a popular Internet message board for Razorbacks fans."

"Fayetteville police say Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Matt Jones was arrested early Thursday on a felony drug charge after officers found him in a parked car, cutting up what was suspected to be cocaine."

"Arkansas police arrested Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Matthew Jones this morning after finding cocaine and marijuana in a vehicle occupied by him and two other men, an arrest report said...One of the officers walked up to the passenger side rear door and saw Jones sitting inside. The report said he had in his lap a white card with a white powder and in his had a credit card that he was using to chop up and scrape the powder."

"Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver today said the NFL team is not for sale despite a report in Philadelphia that he was negotiating to sell it. "In light of news reports from last night, I must once again reiterate the fact that I am not selling the Jaguars," Weaver said in a statement released by the Jaguars. "The team is not for sale, and I cannot say it any more clearly than that. I'm not going to speculate about the future - whatever happens in the future, the Jaguars will be the Jacksonville Jaguars."

"On the first day of his drunken driving trial Wednesday, Jaguars defensive back Brian Williams was painted as either a combative drunk or the victim of overzealous police who stopped him near The Jacksonville Landing in 2006. Arresting Officer Ernest Bridges told jurors Williams was combative from the moment he was pulled over. "He made the remark, 'I ain't gonna blow,' " Bridges testified, a reference to a breath test that measures blood-alcohol level."

"The Jaguars had no immediate comment Wednesday night on a Philadelphia Daily News report that team owner Wayne Weaver is negotiating to sell the team to billionaire C. Dean Metropoulos, who could move the team to Los Angeles. Team spokesman Dan Edwards said Weaver was traveling Wednesday and would not be available until today. Metropoulos, 61, the former chairman and chief executive officer of New Jersey-based Pinnacle Foods, denied the newspaper's report. "I must tell you I haven't had any such discussions," Metropoulos was quoted...Metropoulos, according to the report, is interested in a 100 percent purchase of the Jaguars immediately"

"The jury that will begin hearing Jaguars defensive back Brian Williams' drunken driving trial this morning won't hear about most of the profane rant the arresting officer accused him of, a judge ruled. Duval County Judge Brent Shore ruled late Tuesday that testimony about racial and sexual comments police said Williams made as he was being driven to the jail won't be allowed during the trial. Shore didn't exclude profanity police attributed to Williams following his 2006 arrest near The Jacksonville Landing. Williams' lawyers had argued that the statements were irrelevant because they were made post-arrest, if at all."

"Paul Spicer received an early wedding present from the Jaguars on Friday - a new contract. The veteran defensive end, who will be married July 13, signed a three-year, $10.5 million deal that ties him to the Jaguars through the 2010 season. Spicer, 32, was in the final year of his former deal with a $2.5 million base salary, but he landed $8 million in new money, including an undisclosed signing bonus."

"Running back Chauncey Washington, the only offensive player the Jaguars drafted in April, became the first of the team's five picks to sign Thursday. Washington received a typical four-year rookie contract for the minimum base salaries. Currently, they are $295,000, $310,000, $325,000 and $340,000 for the next four years, although the last has an escalator clause because Washington won't be eligible to be a restricted free agent that season. Washington also received a signing bonus in the $50,000 range, which makes the deal worth slightly more than $1.3 million. Only the signing bonus is guaranteed."

"Brad Meester was touched by the way his Jacksonville family came to the aid of his Iowa family. The Jaguars' veteran center announced Tuesday that $90,000 was raised in Jacksonville to help the victims of a tornado that devastated his hometown of Parkersburg, Iowa, on May 25. The small farming community has about 1,800 residents."

"With a desire to do more than simply write a check, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio announced Wednesday that he and his wife, Linda, will take an active role with his newly created foundation that's designed to "energize, educate and enrich the lives of our youth through generous investment of financial support, time and devotion.""

"The Jaguars closed the book on their decision to draft defensive end Brian Smith last year and virtually handed the long-snapper job to veteran Joe Zelenka on Monday. The team waived five players as they sliced their roster to the 80-player limit for training camp. The Jaguars cut both Smith, a fourth-round selection in 2007, and long snapper Brett Goode, leaving Zelenka as the only long snapper on the roster."

"The interview for this piece nearly didn't happen. That's because Jaguars defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy is tiring of hearing, talking about or even thinking about the "B" word. He made that abundantly clear Thursday walking off the field after the last session of organized team activities. "As you know by now, it's frustrating to hear 'bust,' 'rejuvenate your career' and everything else," Kennedy said. "So I guess that's the reason I avoid the media and try not to put myself out there.""

"Del Rio said the club was able to install approximately 95 percent of its playbook over the course of the offseason on both sides of the ball. Those cram sessions have set the stage for several position battles in training camp, which begins July 26. On the offensive line, two younger players, tackle Richard Collier and guard Uche Nwaneri, are trying to overtake a two veterans, tackle Khalif Barnes and guard Maurice Williams. At wide receiver, assuming Jerry Porter, Reggie Williams and Dennis Northcutt are locks to make the roster, eight players are competing for the last two spots."

"Hoping to strengthen what was seemingly a solid offensive line last year, the Jaguars have initiated a few position battles. After moving Vince Manuwai from left guard to the right side for OTAs and minicamp, competition for the left starting guard spot heated up between veteran Maurice Williams, Uche Nwaneri and Dennis Norman. There also appears to be a brewing battle for the left tackle spot, which was primarily manned by Khalif Barnes the past two years."

"D.D. Terry lost his bid to earn a spot as the Jaguars' third running back. The club waived Terry on Wednesday and brought in undrafted free agent running back Lavarus Giles, one of four players who participated in a two-day minicamp last weekend on a tryout basis."

"The Jaguars announced plans Wednesday to produce and sell hats to raise money for people in center Brad Meester's hometown of Parkersburg, Iowa, which on May 25 was devastated by a tornado. Seven people were killed during the tornado, and a significant portion of the city of 1,800 was leveled, including Meester's high school, Aplington-Parkersburg."

"The expression on D.D. Terry's face never changes once expletives start flying, the shrapnel of a scold session from Jaguars running backs coach Kennedy Pola. Strike one: a botched blocking assignment. Strike two: Terry fumbles on the ensuing play. Strike three? Forget strike three. He's yanked from the drill as Pola continues to scream. This was how Monday's organized team activities shaped up for Terry, who enters his second season with the Jags after making the practice squad in 2007 as an undrafted free agent. Training camp and the '08 season - if Terry makes the team - will be this way, too. Interestingly, part of this is by design."

"Maybe one day this nomadic existence gets old. Maybe Craphonso Thorpe awakes one morning in yet another strange zip code, and finally decides to hang up the cleats. But then again, maybe not, said Thorpe, a former Florida State standout and new Jaguars receiver. Disappointment and setbacks have done little to dampen his desire to play pro football."

"The Jaguars reached a one-year, $370,000 deal with former Florida State wide receiver Craphonso Thorpe, ESPN.com reported Saturday. Thorpe, who caught 12 passes for 70 yards as an Indianapolis Colt last season, also has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs (2005), Houston Texans (2006) and Detroit Lions (2006). He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Chiefs in 2005."

"NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has worked hard to bring his players' behavior under control. Or at least as much under control as possible. Now, he is turning his attention to fan behavior, saying last week he is working with teams on ways to bring out-of-line fans in line and make games more enjoyable for all fans. Details of how the commish plans to do this are forthcoming, but we thought we'd offer our help in the form of these 10 recommendations:"

"The Carolina Panthers took a big step toward mattering again in the NFC South last week. "It's nice to have your starting quarterback out there," Coach John Fox said. Fox and his players rejoiced at the sight of Jake Delhomme taking snaps, dropping and firing balls to receivers for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right, throwing shoulder last fall...With Delhomme in mind, here's a look at 10 players on the mend but on schedule to take the field in time for camp."

"With the start of training camps less than two months away, there's reason to believe the division will be just as competitive this fall. The Colts, Super Bowl champs two years ago, didn't do much in free agency, but the core of their team is back, led by quarterback Peyton Manning. The Jaguars have a new defensive coordinator in Gregg Williams, and used the draft to pick up some pass rush pop. The Titans and Texans both took the low-key approach in free agency and their drafts have been widely scrutinized, but both teams feel they got better."

"D'Juan Woods doesn't quit easily. "I have the type of attitude that if I fail the first time, I'm never going to give up," he said. "I'll just work harder at it and pray I get another shot." Woods, an undrafted free-agent wide receiver, was cut by the Jaguars at the end of training camp last year and sat out the season. The Jaguars then signed him to the practice squad Dec. 31, the day after the regular season ended, to give him another look this year."

"Jerry Porter knows he'll need to be patient now. The wide receiver pulled a hamstring near the end of the Jaguars' practice Tuesday, and while the injury isn't believed to be serious, Porter doesn't want to return too soon at this time of year and risk aggravating it. "I'll take it slow," he said. "I don't want to rush back into it because a hamstring can be a reoccurring thing if you don't respect it.""

"Rashean Mathis' first visit to the Pro Bowl two years ago was a highlight of his career. Unfortunately, it also included a lowlight that hindered his bid to return to Hawaii last year. That's because the Jaguars' cornerback severely pulled a quad muscle while running the 40-yard dash in a promotional event... The injury not only knocked Mathis out of the Pro Bowl, but it lingered throughout the offseason. A year ago at this time, Mathis was watching organized team activities, and, at training camp, he was cautious because he didn't want to aggravate the injury. But at this year's OTAs, Mathis is going full speed."

"Big defensive tackle Marcus Stroud looks like he is embracing the Buffalo Bills? defensive scheme. Run to the ball is the philosophy of Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. Stroud has been eagerly pursuing plays and running to the whistle during the Bills? spring practices the past week. ?You can see how I?m moving around,? Stroud says with a smile after practice. ?We practice playing fast and running to the ball here, and that?s exactly how we?re going to start off and hopefully how we?ll finish.?"

"Two years ago, coming off a 12-4 regular season and a first-round playoff loss in New England, the Jaguars announced on June 21 that they had sold all their non-premium seats and wouldn't have any television blackouts. Even though the Jaguars went 11-5 last season and won their first playoff game since 1999, they're currently behind that pace for 2008."

"If the NFL Network wants to find some compelling television, it should show the defensive meetings featuring Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio and his new defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams. Williams, a former Buffalo Bills head coach who also worked as an assistant with the Tennessee Titans and Washington Redskins, is noted for being strong-willed. He admitted he used to have some spirited debates in Tennessee with his good friend, Jeff Fisher, the Titans' coach. "It was a great working relationship, but behind the scenes, that's not to say there weren't arguments," Williams said Tuesday in his first news conference since joining the Jaguars."

"The Jaguars are still trying to establish a national identity, but they caught James Wyche's eye when he was playing at Syracuse a few years ago. That's because Wyche, a 2006 seventh-round draft pick who has yet to dress for an NFL regular-season game, liked the Jaguars' defense when he saw it on television. "This is the perfect team for me," Wyche said. "I like their defense - how they run to the ball, being aggressive and everything. That was me right there." Now Wyche, who's alternating with Jeremy Mincey in first-team repetitions because Paul Spicer is skipping organized team activities, wants to prove he can be a part of that defense."

"Mike Peterson doesn't know if he'll be part of the Jaguars' community next year, but he's still playing a big role in the Jacksonville community. The Jaguars middle linebacker announced Tuesday that he'll host his second annual free football camp at Ribault High School on Saturday, May 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The camp is for boys and girls ages 8-17."

"Even coach Jack Del Rio virtually conceded that Lemon is ticketed for the No. 2 job, saying earlier this week, "That's the way it is contractually." That leaves veteran Todd Bouman as a security blanket in case one of the veterans is injured. And then there's Paul Smith, a rookie free-agent signee who might be in the most intriguing position. The Jaguars were up front with Smith when they signed him in April, telling him they probably will only keep two quarterbacks on their roster, and he's likely to have a spot on the practice squad. But Smith wants to play well enough that the Jaguars won't be able to put him there and risk losing him to another team."

"Top draft choice Derrick Harvey insists he wasn't anxious about making his debut with the Jaguars at Monday's organized team activity. "No,'' he said. "Just cool and calm, trying to get my foot in the door.'' But second-round pick Quentin Groves admitted he had some anxiety and didn't sleep well Sunday night. Coach Jack Del Rio knew how the rookies felt. "Heads spinning,'' he said. "They're trying to digest a lot of information.''"