SB Nation Tampa Bay: All Posts by Alfie Crow

• Where does Kyle Love fit on the Jaguars?

• 2013 NFL schedule: Times, dates for preseason announced

How does Kyle Love fit on the Jaguars defense?

2013-05-21T16:00:05Z

With the addition of Kyle Love the Jaguars now have 17 defensive lineman on the roster, which is a unit the team needed to make upgrades on. Love will likely play the nose tackle role for the Jaguars defense, as head coach Gus Bradley liked to use something called the "one-shade" at one of the interior defensive line positions, a variation of a nose tackle or the one-technique.

The "one-shade", which is the one-technique playing the gap between the center and the guard, but shaded more towards the center. It's similar to what Brandon Mebane did in Seattle's defense, which essentially allowed him to two-gap from that position and soak up blockers.

"He does a nice job on tape, I thought, for what we're going to ask him to do," Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley told reporters. "We're going to try him out at some different spots but I think it's just another creating and adding competition to that whole group."

In New England, Love often lined up next to Vince Wilfork, arguably the best interior lineman in the game, and he would play a similar role. Lining up at times as the shaded nose, even with Wilfork lining up heads up on the opposing team's center, such as this third-and-one play against the San Francisco 49ers.

In the play above, you can see Love lined up at the one-shade with Wilfork at the zero-technique (right over the center) and new Jaguar Brandon Deaderick lined up at the five-technique. On the play, Love stands up No. 77 while Wilfork collapses the interior of the line and the run results in no gain, because Love holds his position and fills the gap the running back tries to go through.

Love should play the same type of role for the Jaguars going forward and should compete with Roy Miller for a starting position. If Love doesn't start, barring he's healthy, he should be in heavy rotation on the defense.

Keep reading:

• Geno Hayes not guaranteed starting role

• Marcedes Lewis ready for his "reward"

Jaguars OTAs: Kyle Love says he's fine, digs at Patriots

2013-05-21T14:00:10Z

The Jacksonville Jaguars claimed defensive tackle Kyle Love last week when the New England Patriots waived the fourth-year player with the non-football illness designation after he was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The Patriots insists it wasn't because of his recent diagnosis, despite Love's agents public criticism, but for whatever reason he was waived and claimed by the Jaguars.

More: Love passes Jaguars physical, dealing with diabetes

Love stepped on the field Monday for his first set of OTAs with the Jaguars, who didn't appear to have an issue with Love's recent medical diagnosis and the 26-year old lineman is ready to get back to work on the field.

"It feels great to be back," Love told reporters with a smirk after practice on Monday. "I had a little setback but I'm ready to work and get better every day."

Being diagnosed with diabetes wasn't a shock to Love though, as it runs in the family.

"My mom and dad both have it, so I was bound to get it," Love told reporters on Monday.

"You’re sad, but then you’re happy at the same time. I’m just trying to move on and not really worry about what happened."-Kyle Love

It was reported Love lost nearly 30 pounds because of his diagnosis, but Love disputes that notion, saying only a fraction of his weight loss was due to his diagnosis and the majority of it was from changing his diet and working out.

"It's not like I lost 30 pounds," Love, who typically plays around 315 pounds, said. "I was never out of shape. I participated every day so I don't know where that came from."

Since his diagnosis, Love has adjusted his diet and cut out the things that got him to where he was, health-wise.

"Since I cut out the sweets and a lot of the carbs, I just have more energy," Love said. "That was my downfall. I can't eat them now. I was a little bit sad, but I know I have to get my health back up. If I have to cut out everything, so be it."

Even though Love had a relatively clean bill of healthy, the Jaguars are still going to ease him into the lineup and not over work him early on.

"They reviewed it and felt good about the situation and felt like we can get him the care he needs," Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley said. "We went through a preliminary meeting to talk about what he can and can't do and the number of reps. We'll bring him along slowly and get a chance to see him."

Love is ready to move on from the whole situation with the Jaguars, but he did give the Patriots a little dig on Monday afternoon.

"That's how they run their business up there; veteran guys who have been there for years and put in a lot of work get treated like rookies," Love said.

Keep reading:

• Geno Hayes not guaranteed starting role

• Marcedes Lewis ready for his "reward"

Trey Wilson, Jordan Rodgers have a rough morning

2013-05-21T12:26:15Z

Trey Wilson, Jordan Rodgers have a rough morning

Jaguars OTAs: Justin Blackmon sits out, Ace Sanders back in action

2013-05-20T17:48:04Z

The Jacksonville Jaguars returned to the practice field for their second set of OTA practices Monday morning and got back some players who missed the first week. According to reporters in attendance, fourth-round pick Ace Sanders returned to the field, as did veteran defensive end Jason Babin, and rookie receiver Tobias Palmer.

Second-year wide receiver Justin Blackmon sat out practice on Monday, with groin tightness, but he noted nothing was wrong.

Jaguars WR Justin Blackmon: "just a little sore, nothing serious. I'm not even injured."
— Mark Long (@APMarkLong) May 20, 2013

The team was also without veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis, defensive end Jeremy Mincey, and kicker Josh Scobee who were all excused for personal reasons.

Undrafted rookie Jordan Rodgers was also back with the team after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia, but did not participate in practice.

Keep reading:

• Geno Hayes not guaranteed starting role

• Marcedes Lewis ready for his "reward"

Jaguars OTAs: Geno Hayes has to win his starting job

2013-05-20T17:00:08Z

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran linebacker Geno Hayes in the 2013 NFL offseason, leading many to assume that Hayes would step into a starting role with the team. As the head coach and general manager have preached competition at every position, starting isn't a guarantee for Hayes.

"The outside linebacker spot Hayes is working at is a completely wide-open derby entering training camp," writes Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union.

The fact that some of the positions on defense are wide open, in terms of who could start, shouldn't be a big surprise going forward. Even though Hayes was signed as a free agent, many thought the Jaguars would also draft a linebacker at some point in the 2013 NFL Draft, but they never did.

The team did sign some promising undrafted free agents however in LaRoy Reynolds or Jeremiah Green, plus the team still has second-year linebacker Julian Stanford who earned some starts last season for the Jaguars.

Hayes is familiar with both head coach Gus Bradley and defensive coordinator Bob Babich however, playing under both during his tenures with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and last season with the Chicago Bears.

It's going to be a bit different, despite the familiarity however.

"It's a lot different because it's a different atmosphere," Hayes told Ryan O'Halloran of The Florida Times-Union. "[Bradley] is now the head coach and Bob [Babich] is now the defensive coordinator, and the terminology is different coming from Seattle and Chicago and then adding things here in Jacksonville."

The outside linebacker position will be an interesting one to watch going forward in training camp and the preseason.

Keep reading:

• David Garrard calls it quits

• Marcedes Lewis ready for his 'reward'

Jaguars OTAs: Andre Branch could take next step in LEO role

2013-05-20T14:00:06Z

The Jacksonville Jaguars defense will look much different in 2013 than it did in 2012, but not just because of the churn of players on that side of the football. The Jaguars may have new starters at up to seven new positions, but a lot of players who will be returning starters will be in new roles, including second-year defensive end Andre Branch.

The Jaguars drafted Branch in the second round of the 2012 Draft and he looked like he would be an impact player int he preseason, but it just never materialized when the regular season started. According to Pro Football Focus, Branch picked up 11 quarterback hurries, two quarterback hits, and a single sack, the majority of which was in the first six weeks of the 2012 season, and then his production fell off a cliff.

Whether it was hitting the rookie wall, poor coaching, poor scheme, poor effort, or whatever Branch wasn't getting the job done rushing the passer. New general manager Dave Caldwell however was on high Branch in the draft and believes he can still become an impact player.

"Certain things we did last year kind of held me back," Branch told Jaguars.com back in March. "That's not an excuse, but at the same time, I feel like they're going to bring every aspect of my game out this year."

In Gus Bradley's defense, one of the pass rusher roles is referred to as a LEO or an open-side end, and both Branch and veteran Jason Babin would seem to fit that role.

"It would be awesome if we could have two," Bradley said about the LEO position back in February. "That's the style we're looking at. Branch has some qualities. We looked at him last year in the draft as a Leo."

When Branch was at Clemson in college he played in a role similar to that of a LEO-end, often standing up and rushing the passer as well as lining up wide with his hand on the ground. Branch seems to be comfortable in space, which would allow the Jaguars to move him around as a stand up pass rusher and get both Branch and Babin on the field at the same time, similar to what the Seattle Seahawks did with Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin in 2012.

"I feel like they're going to use my athleticism. Last year, it pretty much wasn't about athleticism. It was about somebody being in the right spot," Branch told Jaguars.com. "They have different things and different packages for me. I'm a very athletic player. I'm a playmaker. I feel that way about myself and about my game.

"A lot of people on the outside looking in think a player should dominate regardless, but a certain scheme fits a certain player. I feel like this is a scheme I can't wait to play in."

Keep reading:

• Jaguars offensive line should be vastly improved