DID YOU KNOW
Three of the Jaguars 2007 draft picks had fellow high school teammates also get drafted in April. First-round pick Reggie Nelson was teammates with Joe Cohen (San Francisco, 4th round) at Palm Bay High in Melbourne, Florida. Justin Durant, the club's second round pick, played with Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Lawrence Timmons at Wilson High in Florence, South Carolina. Safety Josh Gattis and A.J. Davis (Detroit, 4th round) played together at Northern Durham High in Durham, North Carolina. A total of 239 high schools contributed to the 255 players selected in this year's draft. California led all states with 36 players while Florida ranked second with 27 and Texas finished third with 26 players.
JONES-DREW REUNITES WITH HIGH SCHOOL TEAMMATE
Running back Maurice Jones-Drew saw a face from the past when he returned to Jacksonville last week for the start of the club's workouts. Jones-Drew was teammates with the club's fifth round pick in this year's draft, defensive tackle Derek Landri, at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. The two won consecutive national championships while playing together. Landri, who played offensive and defensive tackle, was only the third De La Salle player to ever receive California Player of the Year honors, joining D.J. Williams (1999) and Amani Toomer (1991).
HEAD COACH JACK DEL RIO ON THE TEAM ADAPTING TO NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR DIRK KOETTER
"I think it's a great start. Clearly the guys are excited about the direction, about Dirk's approach, about the detail that the staff is putting forth on presentation of it. Where I see immediate improvement is in the attention to detail with a simple thing like stem on a route to receiver. The quarterback and the receiver having an absolute black and white picture of how it should look and now we go work on it, and it'll take time. It's not going to be perfect overnight. But I think we have really, as a staff, gone through with a fine tooth comb our passing game much like we did with our running game last year, and we feel that attention to detail is going to allow us to flourish."
LEARNING THE ROPES
It didn't take long for rookie wide receiver Mike Walker to figure out the difference between playing collegiately at Central Florida and in the NFL. "This is my job," Walker said. "I'm not on scholarship anymore. Making plays will get me paid. I just need to go out there and work hard, make plays every day and be consistent."
NEW CATS
The Jaguars added three unrestricted free agents and two veteran free agents in the offseason. Here's the list:
Safety Kevin McCadam - Excellent special teams performer who has played in all 16 games for three consecutive seasons … Spent four seasons with Atlanta from 2002-05 before playing last season with Carolina … Career totals include 46 special teams tackles, 42 tackles (30 solo), one sack, one fumble recovery and five passes defensed ... Has played 71 games with six starts ... Ranked second on the Panthers in 2006 with 18 special teams tackles … Born March 6, 1979 in Lakeside, Calif. ...
Wide receiver Dennis Northcutt - Veteran receiver and punt returner who possesses outstanding speed and quickness … Signed by the Jaguars on March 5, 2007 as an unrestricted free agent … Spent his first seven NFL seasons with Cleveland where he started 45 of 99 games after being drafted in the second round (32nd overall) in the 2000 draft … Career totals include 276 receptions for 3,483 yards and 11 TDs along with 45 rushes for 330 yards and one TD … Excelled as a punt returner with totals of 202 returns for 2,149 yards (10.6 avg.) and three TDs … Holds the Browns franchise record for career punt returns and career punt return yardage … Has registered a 10.0-yard punt return average or higher in five of seven seasons and has recorded punt return touchdowns of 87, 74, and 62 yards … Ranked fourth in the NFL in 2006 with a 11.1 punt return average … Scored two receiving TDs in AFC Wild Card Game at Pittsburgh in 2002 … Had breakout year in 2002 for the Browns as he led the club with 8 TDs (5 receiving, 2 punt returns, 1 rush) … Played collegiately at Arizona where he still holds 12 school records, including the school's record for all-purpose yards (5,392) …Born December 22, 1977 in Los Angeles, Calif.
Offensive tackle Tony Pashos - Tough, smart offensive lineman who is a diligent worker … Joined Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent from Baltimore on March 2, 2007 … Spent last four seasons with the Ravens where he started 23 of 38 games, including all 16 games at right tackle in 2006 … Part of Ravens offensive line that allowed a franchise-low 17 sacks in 2006 … Became a mainstay at RT after starting the final seven games of the 2005 season … Missed rookie season when he was placed on injured reserve due to a hand injury … Allocated to Cologne Centurions of NFL Europe in 2003 … Originally was drafted by Baltimore in fifth round (173rd overall) of the 2003 draft ... Was four-year starter at Illinois ... Born August 13, 1980 ...
Tight end Jermaine Wiggins - Veteran tight end who has played in 107 games with 44 starts for five different NFL teams (New York Jets, New England, Indianapolis, Carolina, Minnesota) … Signed by Jacksonville as a veteran free agent on March 26, 2007 ... Career totals include 236 receptions for 2,141 yards (9.1 avg.) and 14 touchdowns … Has played in nine postseason games including two Super Bowls … Had most productive stint of his NFL career with the Vikings, leading the team in receptions in 2004 (71 rec.) and 2005 (69 rec.) and ranked tied for second in 2006 (46 rec.) … Became only the second tight end in franchise history to lead in team receptions in consecutive seasons (2004-05), joining Steve Jordan (1985-86) … Ranked second among Vikings tight ends with 186 receptions … Set Vikings record by reaching 100 receptions in only 20 games, topping Rickey Young's mark of 21 and Randy Moss' 22 games … Recorded 140 receptions from 2004-05, the fourth-most in the NFL by a tight end … Member of the Super Bowl XXXVI champion New England Patriots in 2001 …Set New England team playoff record with 10 receptions in 2001 Divisional Playoff game win over Oakland in infamous snow storm game … Returned to Super Bowl in 2003 with Carolina, facing New England in Super Bowl XXXVIII … Caught a one-yard TD pass from the Jets' Vinny Testaverde vs. Miami on 10/23/00 on Monday Night Football and tied an NFL record later in the season when he caught a one-yard TD pass from Drew Bledsoe as a Patriot on MNF vs. Kansas City on Dec. 4, 2000 to become only the third player in NFL history to score touchdowns with two different teams in one season on MNF … Started the 2002 season with Indianapolis before signing with Carolina after his release from the Colts ... Originally signed as undrafted free agent by New York Jets on April 22, 1999 ... Born January 18, 1975 in East Boston, Mass.
Wide receiver Jimmy Farris - Joined Jaguars as a veteran free agent on May 2, 2007 … Career totals include seven receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns in 34 games ... Spent 2006 training camp with Washington Redskins ... Was on practice squad with 49ers in 2001 and with Atlanta in 2002 ... Played 30 games over two seasons with Falcons from 2003-04 ... Saw action in four games with the Redskins in 2005 ... Originally signed as an undrafted free agent with San Francisco in 2001 ... Played collegiately at Montana where he was named to AP Division I-AA All-America Team as a senior ... Born on April 13, 1978 in Lewiston, Idaho ...
