JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Jaguars with as good a collective group of receivers as there is in the NFL? It might not be this year, but the statement could be on target in the next year or two if this group continues to progress like it did a year ago.
Receivers, of course, can only be so good, so often depending on a team’s quarterback. That’s where the Jaguars’ receivers have an advantage. In Blake Bortles, the team has one of the league’s rising stars: a young, talented passer who threw for over 4,000 yards and had 35 touchdown passes a year ago, the latter figure ranking second most in the league behind only Tom Brady. It was Bortles’ first full season of action after starting the final 13 games a year ago.
The other important element in receivers posting big numbers is having an offensive line that gives a quarterback enough time to find that open receiver downfield. The Jaguars are still a work in progress in that regard, but the expected five starters for 2016 could be as good a group as the club has had for some time.
So with the quarterback and offensive line in place, that leaves it to the receivers themselves to make the most of their opportunity. Several have done so, particularly Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. Both became success stories overnight with their 2015 results.
Robinson led the way with 80 receptions, good for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. Hurns wasn’t far behind those numbers with 64 catches, 1,031 yards and 10 scores. It marked just the fifth time in franchise history that a pair of Jaguars receivers both topped the 1,000-yard plateau in a single season. The combination of Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell accomplished the other four 1,000-yard standards. The difference between the pass-receiving units with Smith and McCardell and the current flux of Jaguars receivers is that today’s group is deeper and more talented.
“For sure, for sure,” Robinson replied when asked if he and his receiver teammates could stake a claim to being among the best in the league. “That’s a goal of ours. We want to be the best group of receivers in the NFL. Route-running, catching passes, blocking, making plays – that’s what a solid all-around can be.”
And while he’s bound to get arguments from others about a better group, Robinson is quick to point out that the age factor is definitely on the Jaguars’ side. Robinson, Hurns and the speedy Marqise Lee are all in just their third year in the league (as is Bortles). Rashad Greene missed seven games last year due to an injury but has shown his pass-catching talents by ranking as the all-time career leader in receptions and yards while at Florida State. Add in Julius Thomas who at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, acts more like a wideout than tight end with speed and jumping ability. He’s only been in the league five years. Bottom line, it’s a young unit whose best years should be ahead of them. Those five players are arguably the team’s top pass receivers.
“That’s another factor working in our favor,” Robinson said. “Me, Marqise and Hurns all came into the league the same year. For us to be able to grow together is very cool. And when you add in the veteran of the group, Julius, to give us good leadership and show by example, that’s really a special thing.”
A healthy Lee could make this a really special group. He’s the fastest of the five players but he’s also missed more games (nine) the last two years with an injury than any of the other four receivers. It looked like more of the same this season when a hamstring strain in the early part of training camp forced Lee to miss eight practices. But Lee was able to suit up and play in the Jaguars’ preseason opener against the New York Jets on Thursday and showed no ill effects of his previous injury as he caught four passes for 49 yards and played 17 snaps.
A healthy Lee is vital to the passing attack as he’s the one player who can stretch opponents’ defenses. His threat as a deep receiver opens up the middle of the field for Robinson, Hurns and Thomas to be more effective. Lee agrees that when he’s healthy and in the lineup, the Jaguars receiving unit can be as good as any in the league.
“I feel if we’re all healthy and doing our jobs, then yes, we can be as good as any group,” Lee said. “We’ve just got to continue to stay healthy and grow based on what we’ve already shown. I know from Rashad and my viewpoint, it’s a matter of staying healthy and being out on the field. That’s our main goal this year is to be healthy and to produce when it’s time to produce. This group of receivers is young and we have a lot of years ahead of us where we can build and improve. We can get better and better. We’re barely in the prime of our game. We know we can excel even more than where we are right now.”
Bortles has shown than he’s on course to becoming one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. If the offensive line can stay together and stay healthy, it will afford Bortles the time to get the ball to one of the team’s top five receivers. If that happens, it may only be a matter of time until others around the league are calling the Jaguars receiving unit one of the best in the NFL.