The Jacksonville Jaguars are without an improved football team from last season, and there is quite a bit of excitement surrounding their growth heading into the 2015 NFL season. It has been quite some time since the Jaguars were actually considered legitimate playoff contenders, but they are slowly building themselves back to being that kind of football team.
Julius Thomas was the big offseason pickup for the Jaguars, and he is expected to be a huge difference maker for them this season.
During the 2014 season with the Denver Broncos, Thomas ended up catching 43 passes for 489 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was one of Peyton Manning’s favorite targets, and was a very reliable option at that. Blake Bortles was in need for a big and reliable target last season, and will get just that during his second season.
One thing is for sure, and that is the fact that the Jaguars proved they are done being a pushover team by making the aggressive offseason moves that they did. Thomas was one of the elite free agents on te market, and he is without question capable of being one of the cornerstones of the Jaguars’ franchise. Jacksonville has been in desperate need of a player like him for quite some time, and it will be interesting to see what he brings to the field in 2015.
What exactly can Jacksonville and their fan base expect to receive from Thomas during the upcoming season?
First of all, he is going to improve his numbers from last season in a big way. He is immediately going to become the top target for the Jaguars, and Bortles is going to look to him often throughout the course of the season. Any team can figure out a way to get a player like him to dominate, and the Jaguars have a perfect system for the tight end to succeed.
While a large part of Thomas’ success has been due to the fact that he has played alongside of Manning, he is still an extremely talented athlete. Playing alongside of Bortles isn’t going to be the same, but he has been put in a perfect situation to prove that Manning wasn’t the reason that he has been such a great player early on in his career.
At 27 years old, Thomas is in the prime of his career and he is primed for the biggest season of his career. He had quite a bit of competition in Denver for targets, but that won’t be the case in 2015. Jacksonville doesn’t have any legitimate number one targets, but Thomas is that type of a player for them.
Needless to say, it is going to be a very exciting season for the Jaguars. They aren’t going to make the jump to the postseason, but they can certainly improve their record a game or two. Making slow improvements is what the Jaguars need to do moving forward, and Thomas is a big key for that process.
Expect to see them making a big move in the right direction, and for Thomas to come through with a monstrous season.
