JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to rely on two unproven players and perhaps the team’s biggest free-agent bust to help offset the loss of middle linebacker Paul Posluszny, the team’s best defensive player and a team captain.
And yet coach Gus Bradley seems pretty confident the Jaguars are going to be fine.
"Well, it’s a big loss," Bradley said Monday afternoon. "He’s been really playing really well lately. Well, he’s been playing well ever since I’ve been here but I think he’s come into his own, really understands the defense now, and really takes total command of the defense. That’ll be a difficult one.
“We’ve got some guys that will step up. That’s what this league’s all about. I think we’ll be OK."
Bradley obviously has to say those things and maintain a positive outlook, but the bottom line is that while Posluszny has his limitations in coverage and went through a stretch earlier this season when he tried to do too much and got out of position, he is the team's most reliable defensive player and the Jaguars don't have enough talent to even come close to replacing his production.
Who are the replacements? Second-year player J.T. Thomas and second-year player LaRoy Reynolds, both of whom have made more of an impact on special teams than on defense, and fifth-year player Dekoda Watson, who was signed to fill the newly created OTTO spot but has been disappointing and has played sparingly on defense.
Bradley said it’s likely that Thomas will take over as the middle linebacker. He was cross-trained at outside and inside linebacker during training camp but has played mainly on special teams this season. He has three tackles.
Thomas started at the OTTO linebacker against Cleveland on Sunday and Bradley said Reynolds, an undrafted rookie in 2013, will move into Thomas’ spot. He started at OTTO in the first three games before getting benched because of poor play and has played mainly on special teams since then.
The Jaguars signed Watson in March to fill the OTTO spot, but he missed all of training camp while recovering from a second groin surgery. He returned to practice late in the preseason but had been unable to overtake Reynolds and played mainly on special teams. When Reynolds was benched, the Jaguars inserted Thomas into the OTTO spot and kept Watson on special teams.
Posluszny is a two-down linebacker that has been forced to play on third down because of a lack of better options and struggles in coverage, but he is the team’s leading tackler (69) and best defensive player. He’s also responsible for making the defensive calls, so he’ll be tough to replace from that perspective.
The fact that the Jaguars are relying on Thomas, Reynolds and Watson underscores the need for a significant upgrade at the linebacker position, which the Jaguars are expected to address in the offseason and the draft. Rookie Telvin Smith has progressed and had his best game in the 24-6 victory over Cleveland on Sunday -- two sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception -- but he’s an undersized outside linebacker and isn’t yet ready to be a starter.
"Any time you have injuries with guys that are playing well it stings you a little bit," Bradley said.
Losing Posluszny’s leadership won’t be easy to overcome, either, and that’s something Thomas, Reynolds and Watson aren’t capable of providing, either.
"Everybody has different leadership style. Poz was not really a vocal-type leader," Bradley said. "He led by his actions and his demeanor and how he took care of himself. So hopefully the lessons he’s taught many of our players, they’ll buy into and continue to own it and they’ll demonstrate it. I think it’ll be a group effort."