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          NFL Nation

          Jaguars 2014 position review: Safety

          • Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff WriterJan 23, 2015, 03:00 PM ET
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              Michael DiRocco is an NFL reporter at ESPN. DiRocco covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for over a decade for ESPN.com and Florida Times-Union. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner. You can follow DiRocco on Twitter at @ESPNdirocco.
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          Each day for the next two weeks we'll review how each Jacksonville Jaguars position group performed in 2014 and take an early look at 2015. Today we wrap up the series with the safeties.

          Safety

          Breakdown of starts: Johnathan Cyprien (15), Josh Evans (14), Winston Guy (3).

          Recap: This position was a mess early in the season, especially at free safety. The secondary gave up 25 pass plays of 20 or more yards through the first four games, the most in the NFL, because of missed assignments and blown coverages. Guy, who started the first three games of the season, was the biggest violator. The Jaguars cut Guy on Sept. 29 and Evans took over as the starter at free safety. The team cut down on the number of big passing plays allowed (36 over the final 12 games). In the Jaguars' defense Cyprien plays in the box and ended up leading the team with 111 tackles, but he didn't make many big plays. He didn't force a turnover and had just four pass breakups and five tackles for loss. Evans struggled at times in tackling but became more consistent in that area as the season progressed. His problem is the same as Cyprien's: few big plays. He was third on the team with 90 tackles and had two fumble recoveries, but he had just two pass breakups and two tackles for loss.

          Looking ahead to 2015

          Players under contract: Cyprien, Evans, Craig Loston.

          The skinny: One of the top priorities for Gus Bradley's defensive scheme to be successful is having a free safety who's athletic and fast enough to cover the entire field. Whether it's in free agency or the draft, the Jaguars have to address that position this offseason for the defense to continue to develop. Evans has been OK but he's more suited to play strong safety behind Cyprien.