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Breakout players: Jaguars' Shorts poised to make a name for himself
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- As Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Cecil Shorts walked off the team's practice field Tuesday, another day of practice in the heat behind him, a team public relations representative asked him if he would stop to do an interview on the field.
"You care if we do it after I work some more?" Shorts asked.
That's who Shorts is as a player: A hard-working young receiver who has added seven pounds to this frame and is ready to show he has Pro Bowl ability.
When I told Shorts he was the headliner on my list of 20 players who I think will have their breakout seasons, he seemed surprised.
But as I talked with him, I sensed a player who believed he should be on the list.
"I want to be one of the elite receivers in this game," Shorts said. "It's going to take a lot of work to get there. I know that."
As a rookie in 2011, Shorts had to deal with hearing the bust word. A fourth-round pick out of Mount Union College, he had two catches in his first season. But he worked to get better between his first and second year and he flashed in camp.
Yet when the season opened, he was on the bench. Why? Some of the team's coaches had no idea. In fact, some went to head coach Mike Mularkey and told him he needed to play Shorts, according to a team source.
Shorts got spot duty early in that second season, but ended up starting by Week 7 when injuries hit the receiving group. He finished with 55 catches for 979 yards and seven touchdowns. The most impressive number was his 17.8 yards per catch average.
It was a late-season concussion -- his second of the year -- that kept him from getting to a 1,000 yards. He missed the team's finale and the shot at 1,000 yards but says he's been cleared of any problems a long time ago.
As he readies for his third season, learning his third offense in three years, Shorts is poised for a big season. With Justin Blackmon suspended for the first four games, Shorts should get off to a good start.
His weight is up from 195 pounds to 202 pounds, and you can see the extra strength helping on the practice field.
"I'm thicker, right?' he said.
Yes, but why?
"I wanted to get stronger to be able to get off the press and be more powerful," Shorts said. "When I watch film, guys like A.J. Green, Michael Crabtree, Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, they all explode off the ball. Getting of the jam and being able to shed is important. You have to be strong to hold your own. I feel stronger. I feel more explosive."
When the team took 11 days off recently, Shorts didn't. He spent his time at the facility working with the rookies, who didn't get the time off. Later this summer, he will head to Minneapolis to work out with Larry Fitzgerald, whose workouts are legendary for being tough. Shorts trained with Fitzgerald, and some others, last summer.
"Fitzgerald is the ideal pro," Shorts said. "He's an extremely hard worker, extremely humble. He's the professional of all professionals. He gets it. You can see why he's one of the best. I want to work to get there."
By this time next year, he will be a lot closer to that goal. The Jaguars will be more of an uptempo offense under new coordinator Jedd Fisch and that means more action in the passing game for a team that was way too run heavy last season.
If quarterback Blaine Gabbert can take the proper steps -- and he looked better Tuesday than he had at times in the past -- Shorts should get that 1,000 yards in 2013. For all the fantasy players out there, Shorts had some advice about whether they should draft him.
"If you want to win your league, you should," he said.
Spoken like a true receiver.
Now here's the rest of the players I think will have breakout seasons in 2013.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/22361566/breakout-players-jaguars-shorts-poised-to-make-a-name-for-himself