JACKSONVILLE -- In the media lobby under Alltel Stadium, the black and white backdrop in front of which the Jacksonville Jaguars players and coaches sit for interviews proclaims a new rallying cry and, presumably, a fresh mindset for the franchise.

Referring to the arrival of Jack Del Rio, only the second head coach in franchise history, the cloth banner reads: "A new era begins."

	Mark Brunell threw 17 TDs and only seven INTs last season.

Certainly from a factual standpoint, there is no denying the accuracy of a motto for which Jaguars officials probably didn't have to invest millions on marketing consultants, since the departure of Tom Coughlin after eight seasons very obviously closes the book on the initial chapter of the Jaguars' existence. To their credit, the Jaguars have been much the more stable of the two expansion franchises that came into the league in 1995, with the Carolina Panthers now in a second season under their third different head coach.

But while Coughlin is gone, his long shadow still hangs over the Jaguars, and everything Del Rio and new vice president of player personnel James Harris have done so far in their short time on the job is quickly compared to The Coughlin Way. It's as if the same folks who acknowledged that Coughlin had worn out his welcome, and who felt strongly he had to be replaced, look for any excuse now to dredge up his memory.

And so while The New Era of Jaguars football has in fact commenced, the old one keeps being exhumed, and the umbilical cord has yet to be completely sliced.

"Sometimes it's a little hard to turn the page, and to move on, you know?" allowed safety Donovin Darius, one of the few veterans remaining who had significant tenure under the Coughlin stewardship. "But people have to understand that, whatever happened here in the past is, well, in the past. It's history. Now it's time to go forward."

Burdened by dwindling crowds, the reality of a small market and a cavernous stadium, and with only 19 victories in the three seasons since Jacksonville lost the 1999 conference title game at home against Tennessee, going forward, or at least in a new direction, is the obvious intent of ownership in 2003.

Locating the on-ramp for that new direction, though, has been a challenge.

For openers, owner Wayne Weaver opted not to exorcise the veteran player who best symbolizes not only the ties to the past, but the current state of the franchise. By keeping quarterback Mark Brunell around, probably as the starter, the organization will trot out on Sunday afternoons a player with a bond to the halcyon days but whose skills have faded, just as the Jaguars' collective brilliance has declined. At the same time, the player who should reflect the promise of the future, first-round quarterback Byron Leftwich, remains out of training camp, his contract negotiations at an impasse and likely to not be resolved any time soon.

There are only nine players remaining from the roster that played for the '99 AFC title. In terms of purging the memories of a defeat that, in retrospect, defined the sudden reversal of fortunes, that might be a good thing. But it is also indicative of quick turnover, of years of salary-ap excesses that eventually caught up to the franchise, and of how there have not been many quality replacements imported.

Indeed, it is a tricky and tenuously balanced situation into which Del Rio has entered as a first-time head coach. Fortunately, for the former NFL middle linebacker and for the club as well, Del Rio possesses the pragmatism of a veteran sideline boss.

"I'm not just going to wave some magic wand and make things right (immediately)," allowed Del Rio, whose countenance graces the cover of the media guide, in an interview early Thursday morning. "There is work to do here. My whole thing has been, let's not look at the arrival date, and trying to figure that out. Let's just work at the process."

Unfortunately, the process has been overshadowed by the fuss that has accompanied the heat-related problems plaguing training camp. In the first dozen days of practice, three players -- defensive tackles Larry Smith and John Henderson and wideout Donald Hayes -- all went down on the field. The morning after Hayes succumbed during a fairly benign Wednesday afternoon session, one in which he had participated in just 19 snaps, the new symbol of the franchise had seemingly become an ambulance.

Just outside the fence surrounding the team's impressive new practice field, its engine already running, was the same emergency vehicle that ferried the three players to nearby Baptist Medical Center. It was as if the wildcat on the team's helmets was set to be replaced by a M*A*S*H symbol. And that's too bad since, with plenty of work to be accomplished by the start of the regular season, Del Rio needs to soon develop a team identity and get his players focused.

After just six seasons as an NFL assistant, a remarkably brief apprenticeship by league standards, Del Rio seems to have expeditiously won the respect of his players. That is not altogether surprising, given Del Rio's 11-year career as a gritty and resourceful middle linebacker, in stints at New Orleans, Kansas City, Dallas and Minnesota. If he is not quite the anti-Coughlin, his methodologies, heavy into teaching and the essential minutiae of technique work, appear to have been well received.

His former bosses -- Jimmy Johnson, who was key in championing his candidacy, Mike Ditka, Brian Billick, Tony Dungy, John Fox -- all speak highly of Del Rio.

"I really had no (qualms) at all," Johnson said, "that he was ready (to be a head coach). There was no question in my mind at all."

But there are several questions -- more like issues, in fact -- which require some resolution before Del Rio and the Jaguars can truly move forward and have The New Era really begin.

	“	I'm not just going to wave some magic wand and make things right (immediately). There is work to do here. My whole thing has been, let's not look at the arrival date, and trying to figure that out. Let's just work at the process. ”
		— Jack Del Rio, Jaguars coach

Defensive end Tony Brackens, who has yet to practice a single day in camp because of an offseason appendectomy, still hasn't tested a knee that could well force a premature end to his career. During a recent practice, five players who certainly rank among the top seven or eight on the roster sat out with injuries. The group included star tailback Fred Taylor, whose medical resume has been well documented. Despite improved speed over a year ago, the offense still appears to lack playmakers. And, most important, there remains the question of how to handle Brunell, who almost certainly won't return in 2004, the final year of his lucrative contract.

In typical Brunell fashion, and much to the relief of his rookie head coach, his future has not been a public or even private distraction.

"He and I have talked about the fact it's not going to go away," Del Rio said. "I mean, it's the most visible position and he's been a visible guy in this community for a long time. The question is going to be there, but he's been great about not allowing it to affect what he does on a daily basis."

But on an almost daily basis, Brunell has struggled, and he failed to complete any of his five attempts in a recent intrasquad scrimmage. Even though he has yet to arrive at his 33rd birthday, in a league where quarterbacks play well into their 30s, Brunell clearly has declined physically.

That could open the door for second-year veteran David Garrard, who has made quantum strides from a year ago, and who has also made the quarterback spot a viably competitive one now. A former fourth-round choice, and a player who in 2002 looked to bolt from the pocket every time his primary receiver was checked, Garrard has been impressive.

In a Thursday morning practice, he rifled a touchdown pass between two defenders, just zipping the ball into a tiny hole. Later in the same session, he came back with a deftly lofted completion to wide receiver Jimmy Redmond up the left sideline, looping the ball nicely between the corner and the safety. One play later, he demonstrated the same touch on a completion, again in the middle zone, to tight end Matt Cercone.

Well-spoken and well aware of his sudden rise, Garrard displayed aplomb in talking about the quarterback situation specifically and the Jaguars in general.

"I'm not reading too much into anything that goes on right now, and I'm certainly not thinking I'm just going to step in and replace Mark," he said. "I'm all about filling my role right now. I know there's a lot of learning ahead of me. If I've improved, it's because I stuck around (in the offseason), worked with the guys around here. But I know I'm still a long way from being a finished product."

The same is true for the Jaguars.

This is a team that exists for now in the nebulous world of transition. It is a franchise that is kind of caught, despite its intentions to put the past in the rear-view mirror, in a neutral gear. Even with the sales pitch of The New Era, the Jaguars still need a jump-start.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.