Editor's note: These camp previews are up to date as of the start of preseason games. For the latest changes since then, check our updated rankings, projections and profiles.
Maybe you should call Jacksonville the Eli Manning of the AFC South. Sure, the Jaguars play well and have talent in their own right. But time after time, they simply find it impossible to escape the shadow of Peyton Manning. Last season, despite going 11-5, they still were two games behind the Colts, a team that beat them twice, primarily because of their inability to stop the elder Manning. To that end, the team has drafted two pass-rushers in Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves and signed former Chargers free-agent cornerback Drayton Florence in an attempt to solidify their secondary. New defensive coordinator Gregg Williams loves to rush the passer, and now that he has a bunch of new toys to play with, he just may be the missing ingredient that'll bring the Jaguars' defense to the next level.
NFL.com Video
Newly acquired Jaguars WR Jerry Porter discusses his excitement in being part of a playoff contender.
On the offensive side of the ball, Jack Del Rio's decision to move from Byron Leftwich to David Garrard appeared to be the right call for the team. Somehow the Jaguars managed to score 411 points last season, sixth in the NFL, without having a single receiver you truly would consider a quality fantasy option. Even Reggie Williams, who scored 10 touchdowns, caught only 38 balls and rarely topped 50 yards in a game. Enter Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson. The new additions should help to stretch the field, as could second-year man Mike Walker, which should give Garrard an even better chance at success. With opposing defenses having to cover the whole field, that should give Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor a lot more room to operate out of the backfield.
Certainly this team has proven it can turn lemons into lemonade. Now the question is what it'll do with much tastier fruit. In 2007, Garrard was thrust into a leadership role without a lot of time to think about what that entails. This season, the expectations are a lot higher. If the chemistry develops in the offense early in the preseason, that positive energy could carry this team to a division title and possibly a trip to the Super Bowl. But if the new pieces simply don't fit, this offense easily could grind to a halt, and we could be in for a very long season.
What to look for in camp
Key position battles: Because Ernest Wilford was lost to free agency, Dennis Northcutt and Matt Jones are the two players most affected by the addition of Porter and Williamson. Don't expect Northcutt to go down without a fight, but Jones' history of having a poor work ethic and a summer bust for alleged cocaine possession might end up making this contest for the No. 3 spot a walkover.
The tight end competition should be open and shut: Marcedes Lewis should emerge victorious, but his offseason knee surgery certainly is cause for concern. Still, the other candidates for the job are equally banged up. George Wrighster might not make it to camp on time because of his knee surgery, and Greg Estandia also went under the knife, but for a bum shoulder. The true deciding factor may simply be making it through the preseason schedule in one piece.
Fitting in: Porter didn't exactly wow the brass in Oakland, but he never hid the fact that he wasn't on the same page as the coaching staff there. Moving to a new environment should give him new motivation, and as the starting split end, at least once he returns from hamstring surgery,
he could become a very popular target for Garrard in the red zone.
Williamson, on the other hand, always has had the speed to leave defenders in the dust. His problem has been holding onto the ball once it catches up to him. If he can cure the dropsies, he could end up being a real contributor to this offense.
On the line: The team let guard Chris Naeole go. He was arguably their best offensive lineman, so there's bound to be a lot of competition to fill the void. Maurice Williams will be tested by Uche Nwaneri and Dennis Norman for the right guard spot, while Richard Collier will challenge Khalif Barnes at left tackle. The question is whether this competition will end up making a deep team that can survive any injuries that pop up along the way, or whether all these bodies will prevent the Jaguars from developing enough familiarity with one another to become a formidable, cohesive blocking unit.
The bottom line
It is a poor craftsman who blames his tools. Well, Garrard didn't complain about his dull hammer and rusty old screwdriver last year, and he was rewarded with a shiny new toolbox full of everything he needs to build a winning team. Time to see how good a carpenter he really is.
AJ Mass is a fantasy football, baseball and college basketball analyst for ESPN.com. You can e-mail him here.