Thurday night's 48-17 loss to the Ravens brought up more questions than answers for the Jaguars. With the first round of cuts looming next Tuesday, some have played their final game in Jacksonville.
Each week during preseason, RapidReports will take a position-by-position look at the players who are likely to make the final cut to 53 on Sept. 2 and those who who may soon be seeking alternative employment.
Here are our position-by-position projections:
Stock rising: WR Justin Blackmon is making a case to be the team's unquestioned No. 1 WR. He was strong again on Thursday with four receptions for 72 yards. Undrafted rookie LB J.K. Schaffer continues to be all over the field on defense and special teams. RB Jalen Parmele helped his cause with two kick returns of over 40 yards.
Stock falling: TE Zach Miller was carted off the field with a leg injury. It could be the third major injury in the last year for the veteran. Backup QB Chad Henne continued to look just average at best on Thursday, completing 5-of-10 passes for 57 yards. The entire secondary was torched. Veteran Rashean Mathis didn't look like his old self in his first preseason game on Thursday.
QB -- In: (3) Blaine Gabbert, Chad Henne, Jordan Palmer. Out: Nathan Enderle. Analysis: Gabbert wasn't perfect -- 11 of 21 for 117 yards -- in Thursday's loss to the Ravens, but there's still no doubt this is his job. Henne has struggled in the preseason, but he's still the backup. Jordan Palmer led come-from-behind drives in the first two preseason games, but didn't play in the third.
RB -- In: (5) Maurice Jones-Drew , Rashad Jennings, Jalen Parmele, Greg Jones (FB), Montell Owens Out: Brock Bolen, Richard Murphy, DuJuan Harris, Keith Toston Analysis: Only time will tell of or when Jones-Drew will show up. Jennings continues to look capable of assuming the starting RB role in Jones-Drew's absence. He keeps churning out good numbers with 13 carries for 57 yards against the Ravens. Parmele helped his case with two strong kickoff returns. Missing the rest of the preseason with a hamstring injury will hurt Toston's chance of making the final roster.
WR -- In: (5) Laurent Robinson, Justin Blackmon, Cecil Shorts, Mike Thomas, Brian Robiskie Out: Mike Brown, Kevin Elliott, Chastin West, Demetrius Williams. Analysis: This is one of the most intriguing battles in camp. The Jaguars could easily keep five or six guys. Robinson, Blackmon, Shorts and Thomas are virtual locks at this point. The battle for the fifth and potentially the sixth spot will be one to watch. Rookies Mike Brown and Kevin Elliott have been impressive, but the veteran Robiskie continues to makes plays in the preseason. In a game that lacked much offensive explosion from the Jaguars, Robiskie made a nice 20-yard catch in the loss to the Ravens.
TE -- In: (3) Marcedes Lewis, Matt Veldman, Colin Cloherty Out: Zach Miller, Zach Potter Analysis: Is Zach Miller done as a Jaguar? He might be. He was thought to be the team's second-best TE heading into camp, but injuries continue to derail his chance at making the team. He was carted off the field with a leg injury Thursday night, marking what might be his third major injury in the last year. Cloherty and Veldman might not have the natural ability that Miller does, but both show up every week and produce.
OL -- In (9): Eugene Monroe, Will Rackley, Brad Meester, Eben Britton, Uche Nwaneri, Jason Spitz, John Estes, Cameron Bradfield, Guy Whimper Out: Michael Brewster, D.J. Hall, Josh Beekman, Daniel Baldridge, Lee Barbiasz, Dan Hoch, Will Robinson, Drew Nowak, Analysis: The OL has been a survival-of-the-fittest scenario with all of the injuries that have occurred during camp. When the dust settles, these nine have the best combination of talent and experience to make the roster. Estes is the most in danger of missing significant time after undergoing knee surgery last week. If he is indeed out for a long time, he could end up on IR and rookie Mike Brewster might make the team. T Eugene Monroe has entered the concussion program in the past week, and he missed Thursday's game, but it shouldn't affect his roster spot.
DL -- In (10): Jeremy Mincey, Andre Branch, Austen Lane, George Selvie, Aaron Morgan, C.J. Mosley, Tyson Alualu,Terrance Knighton, Jeris Pendleton, D'Anthony Smith, John Chick (PUP) Out: Kendrick Adams, Ryan Davis, Odrick Ray, Corvey Irvin. Analysis: They could go with nine on the defensive front, meaning Morgan or perhaps Pendleton could be on the bubble. Chick's long-term health is also a concern. This group is shaping up nicely with Mincey and Branch looking like the starters at DE, and Alualu, Mosley, Knighton and Smith looking like a strong rotation of DTs. Smith and Pendleton had strong performances against the Ravens on Thursday.
LB -- In (6): Paul Posluszny, Clint Session, Daryl Smith, Brandon Marshall, Russell Allen, J.K. Schaffer. Out: Kyle Bosworth, Joshua Jones, Julian Stanford, Nate Bussey. Analysis: This is a spot where the Jaguars could keep six or seven players. Having an extra LB or two on the roster is usually not a bad idea for special teams' purposes. Session is a real question mark going forward. The veteran LB has vowed to play in 2012, but lingering concussion symptoms might keep him on the sideline. That might allow Bosworth, Stanford or Bussey to make the team if his symptoms continue. Schaffer is an undrafted rookie free agent, but he's been all over the field in the preseason, and he can help on special teams.
DB -- In (9): Aaron Ross, Rashean Mathis, Derek Cox, Dwight Lowery, Dawan Landry, Chris Prosinski, Rod Issac,William Middleton, Mike Harris, Reggie Corner (IR) Out: Antwon Blake, Antonio Dennard, Ashton Youboty, Trumaine McBride, Kevin Rutland, Leigh Torrence, Jeremiah Brown, Courtney Greene. Analysis: Ross, Cox, Mathis, Landry and Lowery look to be the principal characters here. The question will be who will provide the depth. The battle between sixth-round pick Mike Harris and veteran Ashton Youboty will be one to watch at this spot. The loss to the Ravens really exposed this group as a whole. Missed tackles especially plagued the secondary.
Special teams -- In (3): Josh Scobee, Bryan Anger, Jeremy Cain Out: Nobody. Analysis: Not much to discuss here. Anger continues to crush the ball on punts, so the Jaguars will have a chance to have one of the best kicking duos in the NFL. Cain is the team's long snapper.
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