2001 JAGUARS
	Fred Taylor missed three games last season.
	Head coach: Tom Coughlin (7th year). 2000 record: 7-9. AFC Central finish: 4th. 2001 preseason: 2-1. Season opener: Sept. 9 vs. Steelers. Schedule | Depth chart

So much for the Jaguars' hopes of avoiding what happened to them last year. The offseason and training camp have looked more like an extended version of 2000 for Tom Coughlin's team, and that's definitely not a positive sign.

The salary-cap crunch caught up to the Jaguars in a big way last winter, when they found themselves almost $40 million over the cap. Rather than rebuild, though, Coughlin kept his core of stars together and delayed the club's inevitable cap reckoning one more year. Cutting offensive tackle Leon Searcy was the only significant personnel change in the offseason.

The moves came with owner Wayne Weaver's blessing, but they also left the Jaguars with no depth and no room for a repeat of last year's injury monsoon. Guess what? The injuries and illnesses have started piling up again, and the Jaguars haven't even opened the regular season yet.

Pro Bowl wide receiver Jimmy Smith, the NFL's leading receiver the past five years, entered camp as a major question mark because of three abdominal surgeries in the offseason. Fellow wideout Keenan McCardell could be out until October after undergoing hernia surgery in mid-August. Adding to the woes, Pro Bowl offensive tackle Tony Boselli went down indefinitely with a bone bruise in his surgically repaired right knee, culminating a slew of offensive-line injuries.

All of this happened before the Jaguars played their third preseason game.

Without a sudden surge of good health, Coughlin knows a repeat -- or worse -- of last year's 7-9 finish could be in the offing.

Offense
Quarterbacks: Thankfully for the Jaguars, Mark Brunell has missed just one regular-season game in the past two years combined. The club needs that to continue this year, because the backup situation is bleak - to put it mildly. Rifle-armed Jonathan Quinn still shows no touch in his fourth pro season and couldn't convert his NFL Europe success last spring into NFL America success this summer. Veteran backup Jamie Martin wasn't much better, and his lack of arm strength and poor mobility became painfully obvious when preseason injuries hit the Jaguars' offensive line and receiving corps.
Grade: B.

Running backs: Can Fred Taylor stay healthy? If he can for the first time in his four-year NFL career, anything is possible for the league's best cut-back runner. Taylor rushed for 1,399 yards last season, and a repeat or better is definitely possible if he can somehow stay on the field. Backup running back Stacey Mack and rookie free-agent Elvis Joseph had nice training camps and provide good depth. The concern is at fullback, where the club likely will enter the season with undrafted rookie Patrick Washington from Virginia as the starter. Expect plenty of two-tight end formations.
Grade: B.

Receivers: On paper, the Jaguars' pass-catching corps is the envy of the NFL. Smith and McCardell each had more than 1,000 receiving yards last season, more than living up to their "Thunder and Lightning" tag. But both are question marks because of abdominal problems, and the club's depth behind them is spotty. Veteran Sean Dawkins is a proven performer but struggled in training camp, and rookie bust R. Jay Soward must sit out the first four games because of a league-mandated suspension. The Jaguars, meanwhile, seem to be on the verge of finally giving up on the speedy Alvis Whitted after four years of unfulfilled potential. Tight end Kyle Brady is coming off a career-high 64 catches in 2000, but he may be asked to do more blocking than receiving this year because of uncertainty at the fullback position. Damon Jones was out last year with a knee injury but has potential to be a solid receiving threat, especially in the red zone.
Grade: B.

		What do the Jaguars have without Fred Taylor on offense and Carnell Lake on defense? The two players go hand in hand in terms of how important their health is to their respective units. With Lake on the field, opposing offenses are unable to create matchup problems with Jacksonville because Lake, a safety, can cover like a corner. He is one of the most versatile defensive players around. Taylor may be the best pure runner in the game and has the ability to go 90 yards anytime, anywhere, anyhow. The balance he creates with the Jaguars' attack is invaluable. When they didn't have Taylor last year, they struggled. Their offense has been built around Taylor.

Offensive linemen: Boselli suffered only a bone bruise in a scary-looking practice mishap in late August, but the Jaguars don't know when their cornerstone will be back at his usual left tackle spot. The outlook is even more disconcerting at right tackle, where rookie Maurice Williams -- although loaded with potential -- will be thrown into the starting mix immediately. left guard Brad Meester is solid, but veteran C Jeff Smith had a poor training camp and could be replaced by Aaron Koch. If his surgically repaired knee holds up, the unimpressive Zach Wiegert will get the nod at right guard. In all, not an encouraging picture. And the Jaguars have virtually no depth here.
Grade: C-plus.

Defense
Defensive linemen: Coughlin's hotly debated decision to take Georgia DT Marcus Stroud with his No. 1 pick last spring appeared to pay off in the preseason, when Stroud showed the makings of the dominant inside force the Jaguars badly need. The rookie's considerable presence (6-6, 321 pounds) should mean fewer double-teams for defensive tackle Gary Walker and DE Tony Brackens, and both could be poised for big years because of it. Brackens has All-Pro potential as a pass rusher when he's focused and determined, but his concentration continues to wander. Fellow defensive end Renaldo Wynn showed little in the preseason, and this appears to be his final season in Jacksonville. Seth Payne and Larry Smith are adequate backup tackles, but depth at end is a major concern.
Grade: B.

Linebackers: The Jaguars certainly don't lack name recognition here in the form of strong-side linebacker Kevin Hardy and ageless wonder Hardy Nickerson in the middle. Hardy will be a free agent after this season, so he obviously will be gunning for a big contract with his play in 2001. A move back to the strong side and an emphasis on him rushing the passer more are why Hardy is one of the few Jaguars who are happy with new defensive coordinator Gary Moeller's read-and-react scheme. Nickerson is coming off knee surgery but had a marvelous training camp and looks to be 36 years old only on paper. T.J. Slaughter had a quiet camp and was pushed for playing time on the weakside by rookie third-rounder Eric Westmoreland, although Westmoreland is too undersized (6-0, 235) to be an every-down linebacker.
Grade: B-minus.

Defensive backs: Cornerback Fernando Bryant endured a terrible sophomore slump last season after an All-Rookie showing in '99, and his woes are continuing after separating a shoulder in the preseason win over Kansas City (out 2-4 weeks). Bryant is being asked to play off receivers more in Moeller's system, and that's not his style. It's obvious Moeller wants to prevent the big play, but that more conservative approach frustrates Bryant and fellow cornerback Aaron Beasley. Adding to Bryant's woes is a separated shoulder that is expected to keep him out another 1-3 weeks. Strong safety Donovin Darius is solid, if unspectacular, while former Steelers great Carnell Lake is trying to regain his form after missing all of last year with foot surgery. Look for play-making rookies Marlon McCree and James Boyd to press Lake and Darius for playing time this season.
Grade: C-plus.

Special teams
Original Jaguar Mike Hollis hasn't let his offseason contract squabble affect his performance and remains a mainstay at placekicker, or at least he does for one more year. The Jaguars drafted Tennessee punter David Leaverton in the fifth round, but he was so poor in the preseason that former Packer Chris Hanson could end up with the regular-season job. Jim Tarle is sturdy on kickoffs, and ex-Bengal Damon Gibson shows home-run potential on punt returns.
Grade: B-minus.

Bart Hubbuch covers the Jaguars for the Florida Times-Union.

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