NFL: Jacksonville Jaguars news...

[The_Dude]

via Yahoo! Sports:

Update: The Jaguars and Dennis Northcutt have agreed to a five-year contract worth an average of $3.4 million per season, the Florida Times-Union reports.

Recommendation: In Northcutt, the Jags land the veteran slot receiver they sought, one who should also help out as a returner.

[The_Dude]

via Yahoo! Sports:

The Jacksonville Jaguars added a new starter on the opening day of free agency for the third consecutive year, signing right tackle Tony Pashos to a five-year contract Friday.

The team also agreed to a five-year deal with place-kicker Josh Scobee, a restricted free agent.

Pashos started 16 games for Baltimore last season, but his agent said earlier this week he would not re-sign with the Ravens because of limited salary-cap space.

Pashos will replace Maurice Williams in Jacksonville. Williams, a six-year starter, will move to left tackle and compete with third-year pro Khalif Barnes.

"There were other teams that were interested, but this is the program I wanted to be with," Pashos said. "When you are a free agent, you want the teams that want you to be Super Bowl-caliber, playoff teams. You hope you can choose among them. This was the best situation for me."

The Jaguars hope Pashos will improve the running game and solidify pass protection for oft-injured quarterback Byron Leftwich, who has missed 17 games the past three seasons because of injury.

Leftwich missed 10 games last year with an ankle injury. Coach Jack Del Rio said last week Leftwich will retain his starting job, but added, "We've got to do things to keep him on the field."

That should start with Pashos, a 6-foot-6, 320-pound lineman who had a breakout season for the Ravens last year.

"I am a tough guy," said Pashos, a fifth-round draft pick in 2003 from Illinois. "The style of team is perfect for me with the physicality and toughness. ... I am player that works hard like the rest of these guys in here. That is what I bring to the table and hope to contribute like the rest of these guys."

Del Rio called Pashos an "ascending player."

"We think he's stepping into the prime of his pro career," Del Rio told Jaguars.com. "His size allows him to be firm in the pocket. He's not going to be bull-rushed back to the quarterback. He's a big body, aggressive, physical right tackle. We saw an opportunity to get ourselves a player who would provide a firmer right side of the pocket and a little more movement in the running game."

The Jaguars also firmed up the kicking game by re-signing Scobee.

A fifth-round draft pick in 2004, Scobee has made 73 of 93 field-goal attempts in three seasons, including 46 of 51 tries from inside 40 yards. He also has missed just one extra point in 101 attempts.

The Jaguars tendered Scobee at the first-round level Thursday, essentially preventing him from becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Jacksonville moved quickly in free agency for the third year in a row. The team signed defensive end Reggie Hayward on the opening day of free agency in 2005 and added cornerback Brian Williams on the first day last year.

[The_Dude]

via Yahoo! Sports:

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Fred Taylor has spent his entire career -- high school, college and pro -- in Florida. And he doesn't want to play anywhere else.

Taylor signed a three-year contract extension with Jacksonville on Thursday that could keep the 31-year-old running back with the Jaguars through the 2010 season.

"I always wanted to finish my career in Jacksonville," Taylor said. "It's rare that you see guys stick with one team. ... I'm extremely happy. I'm not just saying that. The most impressive thing about it all is I get to retire in Jacksonville."

Taylor ran for 1,146 yards and five touchdowns last year and averaged a career-best 5.0 yards per carry.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said the four-year deal totaled $23 million.

Taylor's previous contract was worth $2.55 million annually. He asked for an extension before last season, but the Jaguars wanted him to prove he could stay healthy after missing a combined seven games the previous two years.

Taylor initially ripped the franchise for not being loyal, then showed he was better than ever. He teamed with rookie Maurice Jones-Drew to give the Jags one of the best running back tandems the league.

"It kind of makes me feel bad that I kind of had a couple harsh words through frustration last offseason, saying I wanted a deal," Taylor said. "But sometimes you do have to speak up for yourself."

Taylor and Jones-Drew combined for 2,087 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns last season. The backfield should get even more help this season when multipurpose back Greg Jones returns from a knee injury.

"I feel like to have Maurice, it's a blessing in disguise and then Greg is coming back and they finalized my contract," Taylor said. "I'm going to be there. I'm going to give them every ounce that I have in me."

Taylor, whose early career was marred by injuries, missed one game last season with a hamstring injury and sat out most of another. The Jaguars lost both games without Taylor and missed the playoffs for the sixth time in seven years.

Taylor said he was confident he could be effective through the duration of the new deal.

"The football is easy to me," said Taylor, who grew up in South Florida and went to college at Florida. "The health is always one of those key concerns when you're playing this sport. God forbid any major injuries, I'm going to be there every bit of it. I know I can I play throughout the end of this deal. I know that for a fact."