There's this perception out there that the window is closing on the
Jacksonville Jaguars, that the salary cap is about to catch up with them, and
that they will become a team of lost opportunity if they don't cash in on a
Super Bowl in 2000.
That's not quite the truth.
|  | | Fred Taylor is one of the Jags' young talents who'll command bigger bucks. |
"We really don't have a day of reckoning like some teams, where the
bills come due," said Michael Huyghue, the Jaguars senior vice president of
football operations. "Yes, we're projected to be $25-$30 million over the cap
(in 2001), but the salary cap is a bit of a misnomer because of the way we
structure contracts ... which allows us to very easily restructure contracts
to make most of it work."
Caponomics can be a tedious, boring subject for the average football
fan, or even a media type who follows the sport. Huyghue speaks with relative
confidence of the future because he and coach/general manager Tom Coughlin
have executed the marching orders from owner Wayne Weaver: No gimmick deals.
"We're the only team in the NFL that has never done a contract with
voidable years or escalator clauses (where future salary has a designated
increase based on incentives)," said Huyghue. "Most teams that have done the
voidable years, plus escalators, have created problems either now or down the
road. When you do those things, you create years for those players who may
not be there for you. We don't do that."
The Jaguars start the 2000 season in their sixth year of existence as
an NFL franchise. After an inaugural season of 4-12 in 1995, the Jaguars have
made four consecutive playoff appearances, and twice have played in the AFC
championship game ('96 and '99).
This is not an old team. Only a handful of their cadre of star
players are barely over 30 -- wide receivers Jimmy Smith (31) and Keenan
McCardell (30) and right tackle Leon Searcy (30). Hardy Nickerson, a key
free-agent acquisition, is 34 and injured safety Carnell Lake is 33, but it is still
a roster filled with players who are either young or just in their prime,
such as quarterback Mark Brunell (29), left tackle Tony Boselli (28), running
back Fred Taylor (24), tight end Kyle Brady (28), defensive end Tony Brackens
(25), linebacker Kevin Hardy (26), defensive tackles Gary Walker (27) and
Larry Smith (25), and cornerback Fernando Bryant (23).
Most of them are secured under contract for two-to-four more years.
On the other hand, the Jaguars know they cannot stick their heads in the
Jacksonville sand. Brunell's contract expires after the 2001 season; the
Jaguars are working to restructure his deal, but the price will be hefty
($8 million-plus?). Brackens has signed his one-year tender, but the
pressure is on to get him under a long-term pact to free up the franchise
designation just in case Brunell's deal is difficult. Huyghue also knows
that success breeds Pro Bowl players, and Pro Bowl players expect to be paid
big money.
"The more quality players you have at the Pro Bowl level, it's
difficult to keep them all," he conceded. "The system is designed for parity,
so you can't stash that many good players. Once you've got 10 to 12 Pro Bowl
players, there is a window that closes, in that you can't realistically keep all of your starters.
"So far, we're one of the few successful teams that hasn't lost a
significant starter to free agency or cuts. We did lose (running back) James
Stewart -- he was a big acquisition for the Lions -- but he wasn't our
starter. We obviously may lose a top player or players to free agency at some
point, but we're not panicked."
The key for any team such as Jacksonville with a stable of star
players is the draft. The greatest failing of the San Francisco 49ers and the
Dallas Cowboys (neither team has won a Super Bowl beyond 1995 despite
having star players) is that neither team has had particularly fruitful
drafts and both have made some poor decisions on the free-agent market.
"You're right, the draft is the key, but it's also important to sign
free agents who are real contributors and not busts," said Huyghue. "You want
to make sure the dollars you spend are performing on the field. We've only
had one guy, really, Bryce Paup, who has been a miss for us on the free
agent side."
If the Jaguars are feeling a little suffocated by a window closing,
it may be more emotional than financial. How many times can you come close
before frustration sets in? Will Coughlin's intensity wear on a veteran team?
Is Coughlin really on his way to Notre Dame after this year? Is that a bad
thing?
Expectations, at least, are not running too high in Jacksonville
these days. Injuries already have diminished their hopes of repeating their
NFL-best record of 14-2. The AFC Central is arguably football's best division;
with the Tennessee Titans seemingly the favorite and many projections that the
Baltimore Ravens are a potential playoff team.
Actually, it's pretty much what Huyghue and Coughlin knew all along
about the NFL. Nothing in this league comes easy, which is why you treasure a
magical moment like the Super Bowl.
Chris Mortensen, who covers the NFL for ESPN, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.
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