One of the biggest challenges for the Jaguars as they attempt to wash the stink of a 2-14 season off will be how they rebuild an offensive line.
Protecting their quarterback was a challenge, but new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch said he was going to install a zone blocking scheme he learned while in Denver.
While that’s great in theory, going to a style that involves cut blocks at a time when the league has promised to look more closely at dangerous low blocks by offensive linemen seems a curiously timed move.
“The rules have made it harder to do it as often,’’ Fisch said, via Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union. “They’re going to call more chop blocks. They’re going to call more penalties if you’re not a disciplined team doing it. If you’re doing it legally, then that’s fine.
“And you can’t practice it. That’s a big issue because you never want to do it to your own players.’’
How or whether the Jaguars pull this off will be interesting to watch. Line play’s going to be important, and if they can improve there, it might give them a chance to give Blaine Gabbert a fair chance to succeed (while they determine if he’s any good or not).