Loss of Jones won’t crush Jags’ backfield hopes

By Paul Stanley  |   Tuesday, August 29, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Jacksonville Jaguars
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Greg Jones, the Jacksonville Jaguars' starting fullback, will be sidelined for the season with an ACL tear. The injury was sustained on a low hit during a drive early in the team's preseason game against the Bucs.

In addition to his duties as fullback, Jones was frequently utilized as a short-yardage specialist and primary reserve running back in Carl Smith's offense. When Fred Taylor missed a stretch of games last year due to nagging injuries, Jones stepped into the role of featured back, rushing for 75-plus yards in every game when given more than 18 carries. In two of his starts, Jones ran for 100-plus yards and ended the season with 575 yards on the ground.

Jones was expected to play an even bigger role this year. After nearly closing the "carry gap" with Taylor last year, rushing on 151 attempts to Taylor's 194, the rumor out of Alltel was that Jones and Taylor would split rushes down the middle during the regular season. Instead, Jones will spend the season pacing the sideline, as backups Derrick Wimbush and LaBrandon Toefield rotate in and out of the backfield during goal-line and short-yardage situations.

Wimbush, an undrafted free agent who signed with the team after the 2005 NFL Draft, has already made a significant impact on special teams as a kickoff returner and tackler. Last season, he led the team in both special teams tackles and kickoff return yardage, setting a Jaguars record for the latter. This season, Wimbush will have an opportunity to prove his backfield worth as a two-pronged threat - at fullback and running back.

LaBrandon Toefield was the Jaguars' fourth-round selection during the first year of the "Shack & Jack" era of head coach Jack Del Rio and VP of player personnel James "Shack" Harris. After falling out of favor with the coaching staff early in his career as a Jaguar, Toefield showed promise in the last two regular season games of the 2005 season, scoring three touchdowns against the Houston Texans and notching a 100-yard game against the Titans. Despite flashes of good play during the preseason, speculation abounded that Toefield was going to be toeing the line of demarcation when the final cut was made, primarily due to his lack of contribution on special teams and to the backfield depth the Jaguars possess.

Though the loss of Jones is a serious hit, don't look for the team to lose a step once the regular season rolls around. RB coach Kennedy Pola has done an excellent job compiling a strong stable of running backs and making sure that they are ready to fill any newly emptied shoes when called upon.
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