JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -The Jacksonville Jaguars have a whole new look, and it has nothing to do with those scraggily beards players are growing to create camaraderie during training camp.
This makeover is all about character, a change team owner Wayne Weaver felt his club needed after several years of off-the-field problems.
Receiver Matt Jones (felony cocaine possession), receiver Reggie Williams (marijuana possession) and offensive tackle Khalif Barnes (driving under the influence) are long gone. The Jaguars also parted ways with several others with questionable backgrounds, including safety Gerald Sensabaugh (three arrests in two years) and receiver Dennis Northcutt (accused of arranging the beating of his pregnant ex-girlfriend).
Their replacements? The team signed seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Torry Holt and three-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tra Thomas this offseason, two veterans with far more accolades than blemishes in their NFL careers.
ptain in April, picking guys based as much on interviews and background checks as workouts and game tapes.
“You want performers on and off the field,” general manager Gene Smith said.
That hasn’t always been the case in Jacksonville.
Even though Weaver sent a stern warning to his players about bad behavior in November 2007 – it came after linebacker Justin Durant and offensive tackle Richard Collier were arrested in separate drunk-driving incidents the day before a game – things didn’t get turned around until after a 5-11 season, a few locker room issues and a change in the front office.
Smith replaced personnel director James “Shack” Harris in December, after Jacksonville’s two big free agents (Jerry Porter and Drayton Florence) turned out to be busts, and started to emphasize character during the rebuilding process.
Smith, a longtime Jaguars scout, had seen dozens of talented players fail to reach their potential in the NFL and thought he found a common thread.
“Character is probably the one thing that holds a lot of players back from ever living up to where they were drafted,” he said. “It may be a flaw in their character traits, whether it’s the ability to use good judgment, whether it’s to be disciplined, whether it’s just to have structure in their life.”
Although the Cincinnati Bengals led the league in players arrested a few years ago, the Jaguars weren’t far behind.
The Bengals had 10 players arrested in a 14-month span beginning in April 2006. Jacksonville had eight arrested between January 2006 and November 2007. Four of the arrests involved alcohol, two were for drug possession and two were for gun charges.
Weaver and coach Jack Del Rio vowed harsh penalties for offenders, and the problems subsided for a while. But Jacksonville was back in the spotlight last year.
Jones was arrested in July 2008 and charged with cocaine possession. Running back and team captain Fred Taylor was arrested in August and charged with disorderly conduct after police ordered him out of his car at gunpoint, patted him down and handcuffed him while a K-9 unit searched his vehicle for drugs outside a Miami Beach nightclub.
A few days later, Collier was involved in a late-night shooting that left him paralyzed from the waist down. The man arrested for shooting Collier was allegedly seeking retaliation for a fight months earlier.
ust doing their jobs. And if we can get that, we’ll definitely give ourselves a great chance this year.”
Del Rio, a former NFL linebacker, drew criticism for allowing Jones to play last season while his drug case worked its way through the court system. He backed Jones at every turn, to the point where false rumors circulated that Jones was dating one of Del Rio’s daughters.
Del Rio tries to avoid talking about all the arrests now, but he believes the team’s new approach to evaluating players and building the roster will pay dividends down the road.
“That’ll impact this organization over the long haul,” Del Rio said. “I don’t know that you’re going to notice immediate results, other than maybe you get a few more ‘yes, sirs’ and ‘no, sirs.’ Clearly, there’s been an added emphasis on how we want to grow this franchise going forward. You’ll see it over time. To look for it right now or to say there’s not going to be any issues, I don’t think that’s fair. I do believe that when you do things the right way, consistently, that over time you’ll reap the benefits.”
The players left behind in the makeover – Jacksonville has 39 new faces in training camp – welcomed the change.
t in the door, don’t they have to be athletically blessed? How about now let’s focus on getting the best teammates instead of the best, individual athletically gifted guys.”
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