Jaguars must get Leftwich receiving help

By Andy Targovnik  |   Friday, March 02, 2007  |  Comments( 10 )

Jacksonville Jaguars
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After a disappointing 8-8 season in 2006, Jack Del Rio knows that his future as Jacksonville Jaguars head coach is in jeopardy. When he named Byron Leftwich as his 2007 starting quarterback earlier this week, he took the first step toward saving his job.

Nobody's sure why it took Del Rio so long to decide what was obvious, but then again, he never should have benched Leftwich in the first place.

But after a 3-3 start last season, Del Rio did what many coaches reflexively do when things aren't going exactly as planned -- he changed quarterbacks. And while Del Rio used his gimpy ankle as the reason for the benching of Leftwich and crowning of David Garrard, Leftwich let it be known that he was willing to play through the pain.

So it was clear that the head coach had simply lost faith in the quarterback who had led his Jaguars to the playoffs in 2005.

And while Garrard wasn't horrible, it was clear that Leftwich was and is the superior player.

More than anything that had to do with Leftwich, the Jaguars' troubles last season stemmed from ill-timed injuries, some heartbreaking losses, and an absolutely brutal schedule.

While Jacksonville's schedule will be easier in '07, if the team is going to make the playoffs, it must upgrade its one glaring weakness -- the wide receiver position.

Face it, the Jaguars have never recovered from Jimmy Smith's retirement.

They had arguably the worst receiving corps in the NFL last season. The trio of Matt Jones, Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford combined for just over 1,700 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns -- hardly stellar numbers.

Not only were those statistics subpar, but it often looked like somebody sprayed the wideouts' fingers with butter. Dan Marino probably wouldn't have fared much better with this group.

So whether it's through free agency or the draft, the Jags must acquire a top-flight receiver.

Donte' Stallworth and Drew Bennett are the two best unrestricted free agents with big-play ability. Joe Horn and Eric Moulds just became available after being released by the New Orleans Saints and the Houston Texans, respectively. Any of the aforementioned players would be major upgrades to the Jags' present group of pass catchers.

Leftwich is an old-school pocket passer and needs receivers who will run precise routes and hold onto the ball. Without that, it doesn't matter whom the Jaguars start at quarterback -- the results won't be pretty.

Naming Leftwich as the starting QB was the right call by Del Rio. Now, the Jags' front office needs to get Leftwich some help.

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