2003 RECORD: 5-11 TEAM RANK (NFL): Defense (6th); Offense (12th) ADDITIONS: Free agents -- TE Todd Yoder (Bucs), CB Dewayne Washington (Steelers), CB Lewis Sanders (Browns), OL Mike Compton (Patriots), S Deon Grant (Panthers), LB Greg Favors (Panthers), CB Juran Bolden (Falcons), OL Ephraim Salaam (Broncos) QB Doug Johnson (Falcons), DT Derrick Ransom (Chiefs). Draft picks -- 1. WR Reggie Williams (Washington), 2a. ILB Daryl Smith (Georgia Tech), 2b. RB Greg Jones (Florida State), 3. OLB Jorge Cordova (Nevada), 4a. DT Anthony Maddox (Delta State), 4b. WR Ernest Wilford (Virginia Tech), 5a. K Josh Scobee (Louisiana Tech), 5b. CB Chris Thompson (Nicholls State), 5c. OT Sean Rubin (Illinois), 7. DE Bobby McCray (Florida). SUBTRACTIONS: CB Fernando Bryant (Lions), OL Leander Jordan (Chargers), DE Tony Brackens (released), LB Danny Clark (Raiders), OL Jamar Nesbit (Saints). Team news | Roster | More on Jaguars draft

		Tue., June 22 Were the Jags negligent in providing Leftwich more targets during the offseason? It's no surprise the Jaguars made Reggie Williams the ninth pick in the first round. When you draft a young quarterback, teams better surround him with quality receivers. But you still wonder if Leftwich has enough. When Leftwich took over as starter last season, he had perhaps the worst group of WRs in the league. He started off with Matthew Hatchette, J.J. Stokes and Jermaine Lewis in the three-receiver mix. Ward and Stokes were eventually let go, and the position was in transition all season. They got a break when Troy Edwards and Kevin Johnson became available. Edwards and Johnson mixed in well with Jimmy Smith, allowing Leftwich to gain confidence and end up completing 57 percent of his passes, best of all the rookie QBs last season. It's no one's fault, but Williams missed the organized offseason practices because his school, Washington, was on the quarter system and he couldn't show up for work until mid-June. Leftwich has a lot of work to catch up on with Williams, and the Jaguars need Williams to come in and make big plays quickly. It's a shame the Jaguars couldn't have kept Johnson around for continuity, but Edwards and Smith are there for security. How Williams grows into the offseason will determine how well this offense will progress. Fred Taylor stayed healthy last season and rushed for 1,572 yards. That might be a hard figure to repeat even though he is one of the most talented backs in the league. Power back Greg Jones was drafted in the second round as a complement to Taylor off the bench. That should help in short-yardage situations.

What they've added?
Run the ball. Stop the run. Those were the points of emphasis by head coach Jack Del Rio last year, so it should come as little surprise that Jacksonville spent the offseason making improvements to the offensive and defensive lines.

Mike Compton and Ephraim Salaam were signed to provide even more depth on an offensive line that allowed Fred Taylor and company to rush for nearly 130 yards per game (eighth in the NFL). Compton missed all but two games last season as he was placed on injured reserve with a foot injury. The 12-year veteran will provide flexibility as he has played every position on the offensive line.

Salaam, who started the last two seasons for the Broncos before becoming a salary cap casualty, should provide the team insurance in case third-year offensive tackle Mike Pearson falters.

On the defensive line, Tony Brackens was released -- then re-signed for a deal that was more within the team's budget (Brackens was due to make $6.5 million next season). The all-time sacks leader in Jaguars history will anchor one side of the defensive line while three-time Pro Bowl Hugh Douglas looks to rebound from a 2003 season which saw him receive a major payday (five years, $26 million) but only record 3½ sacks.

While run defense came natural for the Jaguars last season (second in the league), the inability to pressure the quarterback was a major flaw. Even with the acquisition of defensive tackle Derrick Ransom last week, Jacksonville will start the same quartet of defenders upfront. The Jaguars' thinking is: If Douglas rebounds and if Brackens maintains his health, a big if since he hasn't played a 16-game season since 2000, then they have the right players in place.

In the secondary, Jacksonville added bodies at the cornerback position -- but the jury is still out on whether the additions were adequate replacements for Fernando Bryant and Jason Craft. Of the three players signed (Dewayne Washington, Lewis Sanders and Juran Bolden), Washington is the only player who has experience starting on a weekly basis. Sanders has had four injury-plagued seasons (did not play at all in 2001) and shouldn't contribute much more than as a nickel back. Bolden has all the tools athletically and physically (6-foot-2, 207 pounds), but has been marred by off the field troubles. In April, Bolden was sentenced to three years probation and a $3,000 fine after pleading "no contest" to stolen vehicle charges.

At safety, the Jaguars should be one of the deeper teams in the NFL with the return of Donovin Darius and the addition of Deon Grant. Darius was unhappy with the team's reluctance to give him a long-term contract, but the two sides worked out the differences, at least for this season, agreeing to a one-year, 4.1 million contract. Grant, fresh off a Super Bowl appearance with the Carolina Panthers, recorded a career-high 77 tackles last season and is one of the league's fine young safeties.

What will play a large part in the Jaguars' potential upswing is the development of quarterback Byron Leftwich. The then-rookie slinger was thrown into the starting lineup after Mark Brunell got off to a 0-3 start. In what turned out to be a roller-coaster season, Leftwich was 5-8 in the remaining 13 games as the interception bug bit him hard (14 touchdowns, 16 picks).

To help ease the process, Jacksonville drafted two big targets in Reggie Williams and Ernest Wilford. Williams (6-4, 223) and Wilford (6-4, 220) should take the ease off veteran Jimmy Smith and the inconsistent Troy Edwards, who will have to compete for his starting position with the first-round draft pick from Washington.

Replacing Brunell as the No. 2 quarterback is Doug Johnson, who wore out his welcome in Atlanta while Michael Vick was injured. Johnson was brought in to compete with backup David Garrard, who is recovering from surgery as a result of Crohn's disease.

The Byron Leftwich era began last season, and like most rookie QBs, there were good times and bad. Should we prepare for a lot more good this season? With a questionable corps of receivers, and a big question mark when it comes to throwing interceptions, we're cautious with our Leftwich projections, figuring he's about the 20th best fantasy QB. Figure he could toss 20 TD passes, and if a receiver or two emerges, a 3,500-yard season and top-15 ranking is possible. Leftwich could be a fine fantasy backup. -- Eric Karabell, ESPN.com senior editor Play FFL now! Try ESPN Insider

What they're missing?
The Jaguars potentially have a laundry list of question marks ranging from depth at key defensive positions right down to the kicking game.

Rookies Anthony Maddox and Jorge Cordova will be asked to serve as backups at the defensive tackle and middle linebacker positions, respectively. Luckily, the starters, Marcus Stroud and Mike Peterson, haven't missed a game in the past two seasons.

Jacksonville drafted kicker Josh Scobee to go along with Seth Marler and Jeff Chandler. Marler only made 20 of 33 field goal attempts last season, which was an AFC worst 60.6 percent conversion rating. Chandler has a strong leg but still lacks consistency while Scobee gets the ball up quickly.

What it all means?
Leftwich's time will come; unfortunately, it won't be this season. Without the presence of a veteran quarterback on the roster, the Jaguars can once again expect to go through ups and downs during the season while looking up at Tennessee and Indianapolis in the AFC South standings.

Even with a revamped secondary, the inability to apply pressure on the quarterback will leave cornerbacks scrambling after the opposing receivers in third-down situations.

Best-case scenario: Leftwich gets in sync with Smith and his pair of rookie receivers, and Taylor rushes for another 1,500 yards as the Jaguars clinch a wild-card spot. Worst-case scenario: Taylor gets injured and Leftwich plays like a second-year quarterback as Jacksonville battles Houston to avoid finishing last in the division.

Marcus W. Vanderberg is an intern for ESPN.com and may be reached at Marcus.W.Vanderberg.-ND@espn3.com.