nice little read here boys and it feels real good
Quote
NFL lookahead: Could Jaguars and Raiders rule a post-Tom Brady AFC?
The seeds are planted and now are producing two blossoming flowers.
The AFC’s next major rivalry for the upcoming decade will be Jaguars vs. Raiders.
The teams will meet next season at EverBank Field for the first of what will likely become annual meetings, like so many Patriots-Colts matchups we’ve seen.
Each franchise is at a launching point. They aren’t contenders yet, but you can see that it should be coming next season.
Sunday was a prime example. Oakland knocked off AFC West heavyweight Denver on the road 15-12. The Jaguars routed long-time AFC South headliner Indianapolis 51-16.
The key has been the way Oakland general manager Reggie McKenzie and Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell have drafted the last two years.
So, how do they stack up?
McKenzie’s haul features a franchise quarterback (Derek Carr), a ferocious pass-rusher (Khalil Mack) and a game-breaking receiver (Amari Cooper). Oakland selected Mack with the fifth overall pick in 2014, followed it up by stealing Carr in the second round and then took Cooper at No. 4 this May.
Caldwell jump-started the Jaguars by selecting quarterback Blake Bortles with the third overall pick in 2014, then trading up in the second round to get receiver Allen Robinson. The Jaguars took their pass-rusher in this draft, selecting Dante Fowler with the third pick.
A case can be made for either side in the Bortles-Carr and Cooper-Robinson debate.
Bortles leads in touchdown passes (30 to 28), but has thrown more interceptions. Carr’s passer rating is higher (96.5 to 88.4), but Bortles has completed 57 passes of 20 yards or more compared to 45 for Carr.
Cooper has 62 catches for 920 yards and four touchdowns this season, better than Robinson’s injury-shortened 10-game rookie campaign. Still, Robinson has a special second season going with 66 catches for 1,084 yards and 12 touchdowns.
What separates Oakland’s trio is we know Mack is a special talent. Fowler remains a mystery after his season ended in rookie minicamp with a knee injury.
The NFL Scouting Combine measurables and collegiate production suggest Fowler should be in Mack’s league. Fowler is 10 pounds heavier than Mack with longer arms and was faster in the 40-yard dash, but Mack was stronger with more explosive athleticism at the combine.
Still, until we see Fowler have a game close to what Mack just produced against the Broncos (five sacks), it’s a massive edge to Oakland. Mack leads the NFL with 14 sacks.
Oakland and the Jaguars each have a promising young running back. Latavius Murray, 25, has gained 1,045 yards of offense for the Raiders this season. T.J. Yeldon is a 22-year-old rookie with 1,019 yards of offense this season for the Jaguars.
Edge, Jaguars.
Both McKenzie and Caldwell have also hit on later-round talent and undrafted players. Each signed a difference-maker in free agency in receiver Michael Crabtree (Raiders) and tight end Julius Thomas (Jaguars).
However, the edge here goes to the Jaguars. Caldwell has acquired the following players outside of the draft’s first two rounds the last two years: receiver Allen Hurns, cornerback Aaron Colvin, linebacker Telvin Smith, guard Brandon Linder, receiver Rashad Greene and guard A.J. Cann.
Caldwell also has more flexibility with the salary cap moving forward. The Jaguars have an estimated $32 million in cap space, an NFL high. The Raiders are roughly $15 million under the cap.
Let the race to control the AFC for the next decade begin. There will be other contenders for certain, but it’s hard to imagine the Jaguars and Raiders not being near the top of a post-Tom Brady AFC.
Their respective talent hauls since the 2014 draft give them a shot at future greatness and they’ll likely have to go through each other to achieve it.
http://jacksonville.com/sports/football/jaguars/2015-12-15/story/nfl-lookahead-could-jaguars-and-raiders-rule-post-tom-brady?platform=hootsuite