Lockout Likely to End in a Week

Written by Shane Clemons on .

Mark Maske of the Washington Post is reporting that sources are expecting a new CBA to be agreed upon in principle between this Friday and next Tuesday.

"The league responded by issuing a statement that said: “We share the view that now is the time to reach an agreement so we can all get back to football and a full 2011 season. We are working hard with the players’ negotiating team every day to complete an agreement as soon as possible.”

Several people not involved in the negotiations but familiar with them said they did not expect a handshake deal to be completed Wednesday. But they said an an agreement in principle was possible in coming days."

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Q&A: Round 2

Written by Shane Clemons on .

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Round two of our Q&A is all about Johnny-on-the-spot. By that, I'm referring to one awesome reader simply known as "John." For his great questions, we are forever in your debt. Today, we'll tackle those questions, but we'll also tackle a few of those common questions that agonize us all. Without further adieu, let's get right to it.

Common Question 1: When will this lockout be over/will we have NFL football in 2011?

Shane: YES! I know that this may be a common, go to answer, but I want it on paper (okay on electronic bytes) that I truly believe a CBA is on the way, although; I don't believe we can yet call it imminent. That being said, I've heard July 21st thrown around as a possible date for a completed and signed CBA. Look for a new agreement then, but keep in mind that any dates set are purely speculation, and nobody really knows the exact date the new CBA will be done.

Positions to Watch

Written by Shane Clemons on .

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At this point, there seems to be a sense of optimism from anyone close to the NFL and NFLPA's* negotiations concerning a new CBA. I've always believed that no football games would be missed, and I still hold firm to that belief. As such, we'll continue to operate under that assumption, and move forward ourselves.

With that belief, we can assume that training camps aren't all that far away, so; today we're highlighting positions and players to watch during training camp, and the pre-season. Some positions are obvious, while others may not be.

Quarterback: I'm personally hoping for a completely open competition that would include Luke McCown, however; that's not really likely. The focus will be on quarterbacks David Garrard and challenger Blaine Gabbert. This is likely the only battle that will attract any national attention to the Jaguars, and it's also probably the most interesting battle. I really believe that Garrard will be the starter week one, but if it's an open competition, Blaine Gabbert could steal the position, and the spotlight away.

Considering Garrard's Statistics

Written by Shane Clemons on .

David Garrard may be one of the most polarizing figures in Jacksonville Jaguars history. Sure, the naysayers' voices are often heard loudest, but there has still been a lot of support in favor of David Garrard as the Jaguars' starting quarterback. Today I want to take a look at a few significant statistics that are solid measures of a quarterback's performance. What statistics did I pick to look at? It can't be quarterback rating. That's a composite statistic that actually tells us very little. It can't be yards. That's too dependant on the offensive system employed. No none of those tell us much about the passer alone.

But there are stats that do just that.

I'm talking about one common stat, completion percentage, and two not so common stats, interception percentage of attempts and touchdown percentage of attempts. In short, those numbers tell us how often Garrard completes a pass, throws an interception, and throws a touchdown. Let's look at the data.

Q&A: Round 2 Questions Needed

Written by Shane Clemons on .

I'm at it again! I'm going to answer some more questions with my obnoxious, absurd rhetoric. I'm not talking about the normal answers I give to fancy questions either. I'm going to drop kick the English language once again this week!

Okay, so that's not really my style is it? Regardless, get your questions in for this week's Q&A. Depending on the number and quality of questions submitted, I'll also be answering more common questions about the lockout and the team. You ask, and I'll answer this Wednesday right back here.

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Gabbert and the 26-27-60 Rule

Written by Shane Clemons on .

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For those of you that haven't been following The Jaggernaut all that long, Adam Stites wrote about the 26-27-60 rule of quarterbacks back in March. Here is a pretty good explanation of the rule as it pertains to rookie quarterbacks:

"Here is the gist of it: If an NFL prospect scores at least a 26 on the Wonderlic test, starts at least 27 games in his college career and completes at least 60 percent of his passes, there's a good chance he will succeed at the NFL level." - John P. Lopez (SI.com)

So as we revisit this "rule" that some rather superstitious draft junkies may live by, we need to take a look at the guys that "pass" all three measures of the test. Those rookie quarterbacks are Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, and Andy Dalton. Take a look at those names, and compare them to other big-time names in this draft: Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Colin Kaepernick, and Ryan Mallett. Are you seeing similarities amongst the groups? No? Let's take a deeper look.

Austen Lane Attacking Blue Pac-Man Ghost

Written by Shane Clemons on .

Another comical installment of Austen Lane's blog via Pro Interviews.

"I was playing Pac-Man the other day and I made an interesting discovery. The Blue ghost is a full-blown joke. I mean constantly going in the wrong direction, loafing (football term for slacking on a play) and half the time he is hanging in the corner by himself. I don’t know who scouted this guy but that person needs to be fired and stripped of all unemployment benefits. Through my disbelief of this blue clown it finally dawned on me… Without the weak link, the good people wouldn’t look so good. So this is a tribute to the weak links of the world. Without them… No one would be shining."