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Jacksonville Jaguars Re-Sign Guard Maurice Williams!
2008-03-06 19:05:00
From Jaguars.com: The Jaguars have re-signed offensive lineman Maurice Williams , effectively addressing the void at right guard that would've occurred had Williams signed with another team in free agency. Whew, that was close.  I though we were going to be a bit too thin on the Offensive Line after cutting Chris Naeole and possibly losing Mo Williams to free agency.  Instead we'll keep the multi-position guy and shore up our Right Guard spot while being able to fill in at tackle as well, just in case. Now, if you combine the Jason Taylor speculation with this signing you get the Jaguars in a fantastic position to draft the best available player in the first round, almost no matter what.  If it's an offensive lineman, we need the depth.  If it's a defensive end, we can use that too. If it's a Defensive Tackle, the more big guys the merrier.  As long as it's not a Wide Receiver, we're set. Retaining Maurice Williams continues the "Best Off-Season EVER"...
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Jacksonville Jaguars Free Agency/Draft Update
2008-03-06 17:39:00
I don't think anything I write here can possibly top the Jason Taylor story, but here goes. Brett Favre Press Conference:Just in case you're interested...Click here to see Favre's press conference streamed live. What do we know? The Jaguars Will Not resign DT Grady Jackson.  This must mean that the Jaguars are happy with what they have at Defensive Tackle and feel that they don't need him as a backup big guy.  I liked the way he played in Jacksonville, and I loved how small his jersey numbers looked on him.  I'm going to take a leap of faith and assume that there's a reason why the team wouldn't keep him around.  If not, there's gonna be hell to pay.   Jacksonville made three HUGE signings on Wednesday.  By huge, I mean huge camp fodder at best.  OT Pete McMahon, OT Ryan Gibbons and Long Snapper Brett Goode were all signed by the Jaguars.  All three have been with the team before, all three have been cut by the team before.  T...
More About: Agency , Free , Update , Draft , Jacksonville Jaguars

Informed Speculation: Jacksonville Jaguars to trade for Jason Taylor
2008-03-06 03:13:00
Jason Taylor : Future Jaguar? Update [2008-3-6 0:52:0 by River City Rage]::I added some emphasis, just for clarity. Update [2008-3-5 21:36:41 by River City Rage]::The Phinsider was kind enough to give us a scouting report on Jason Taylor, I've added a Scouting Report section! From the Rumor and Speculation Department: The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to make a play for Miami Defensive End Jason Taylor.  It's becoming absolutely clear that the next move will be to trade for and sign the veteran Defensive End.  Jason, who will be 33 at the start of the 2008 Season is a fantastic player on the trailing edge of his career.  Currently the Dolphins deny that Taylor is on the Trade Block though it's becoming no secret that Taylor is available for the right price.  A 2nd round pick and a 4th round pick, to be specific.  Taylor has also expressed a desire to be on a championship caliper team, though he'd never come out and say it and hurt his sta...
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What can we learn from Free Agency: What's obvious really isn't...
2008-03-05 23:15:00
Shaun Rogers: Recipe for Disaster? [editor's note, by River City Rage]: Big Cat Country favorite NASF is writing a series for us about Free Agency and other issues. This is his first contribution, and we look forward to more! What can we learn from the history of free agency. A great indicator of future success and failure is taking a look back on history. A lot can be gathered from studying the trends that result in hitting the jackpot with a free agent, or coming up snake eyes. By no means is talent evaluation  and predicating the impact of a free agent an exact science. What we can do is look at what gives us the best odds for success, and the best bang for our buck. When I analyzed all 32 teams from last years free agency, I came away with a clear formula for why certain free agents were successful, and why others failed. The formula for success was with players who played at a high level for more than one year, were young and ascending, and had good characte...
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Jacksonville Jaguars Free Agent Update:Tuesday Edition
2008-03-05 07:19:00
Sorry, very long day.  Short Entry. The Bears will not match the offer for Jimmy Kennedy, making him a little bit more depth on the defensive line. Speaking of the Bears, the Jaguars are interested in Brendan Ayanbadejo Ayanbadejo would be a special teamer, and the Jaguars really don't need help in that department, so I don't see that happening. I have little to say: Yeah, I was a little lazy today.  I spent two hours shoveling snow, and with the Brett Favre Love-Fest, I just didn't have much to report.  I'm sorry for the slow day.  Tomorrow will be better. -Chris
More About: Agent , Free , Update , Jacksonville Jaguars , Tuesday

Brett Favre Retires: The end of an era...
2008-03-04 22:09:00
[editor's note, by River City Rage]: Acme Packing Company is a great source for more Green Bay News! If you've turned on ESPN or strolled across the radio dial to sports talk today this simply won't be news.  Brett Favre has retired today.  In retrospect, the Green Bay Packers were smart in making a backup web page for the breaking news because it seems the entire NFL has stopped for the day to recognize the retirement of one of its greats. As a Jacksonville fan and a general admirer of the sport, I too will tip my hat and raise my glass for one of the most interesting players to watch.  Though I don't have all the love in the world for the guy, I respect what he's accomplished on the field. Let's be frank here, Brett Favre has played for longer than the Jaguars have existed.  When Brett Favre was drafted I was in the third grade. I trace my football consciousness to 1993, one year after Brett became a Packer.  I've never known an NFL without Brett...

Jacksonville Jaguars Free Agent Update: Tuesday Edition
2008-03-04 07:02:00
What have we accomplished?: Today, as expected, was a slow day as far as signings.  Jacksonville did extend an offer to Bears Defensive Tackle Jimmy Kennedy, but a very small one ($755,000, $50K signing bonus).  Chicago will have seven days to match or the Jaguars get the player.  Two points: One, how crazy is it that three quarters of a million dollars in salary is considered "very small", and two, Kennedy is a depth signing, possibly even a camp body.  I don't regard this as a signing of note. The release of Chris Naeole was interesting but not surprising.  Jacksonville is going to have to do a pretty significant amount of work on the offensive and defensive line, but holding onto a player that is pretty badly hurt isn't going to help us. Free Agent News of Note: The Tenneesee Titans are getting eviscerated on their defensive line through Free Agency: Defensive Tackle Randy Starks: Signed by the Dolphins Defensive End Antwan Odom: Signed by Cincinnati ...
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Big Cat Country: Live NFL Combine Coverage!
2008-02-19 23:14:00
Big Cat Country ::Live from the 2008 NFL Combine! On Thursday we'll start to get a little bit closer to knowing who the Jaguars will be looking at in the NFL Draft. Yup, it's time for the NFL COMBINE!  The most exciting time in Draft Season where players burn up draft boards or plummet to the 7th round based on things that have very little to do with actually playing football! Now, the really exciting part is that Big Cat Country will be AT the Combine, covering every angle.  What team is spending lots of time with which player, who's "draft stock" is rising, and hopefully a few prospect interviews and some other surprises.  The NFL is so kind as to provide wireless internet, so I'll be blogging the whole adventure!  As far as I know there won't be many "blogger" type there, so it'll be interesting rubbing elbows with all those NFL types and Media folks. What I'm going to do is offer a perspective on the combine that's bigger than just 40 t...
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Jared Allen: "Slapped" with Franchise Tag
2008-02-19 03:09:00
Update [2008-2-18 22:7:39 by River City Rage]:: Per PFT, the Chiefs used the "non-exclusive tag", meaning that the Jaguars could still be in play. Dumb, methinks, on the part of the Chiefs. Clearly they are not serious about keeping Allen . It's Official.  Jared Allen has been given the Franchise Tag by the Kansas City Chiefs.   What is unclear is if the Chiefs used the "exclusive" tag, which pays Jared more money (for one season) but makes it impossible for other teams to even try and get him, or the "non-exclusive", which lets other teams sign him, they just have to give the Chiefs two first round picks. Now, I've said this before and I'll say it again. If we're going to use our first round pick on a Defensive End, why not go after Jared Allen?  We're going to spend a first round pick and 11-12 million dollars (7-8 mil guaranteed ) on pick 26, why not use that toward signing Allen, getting a known quantity at DE rather than an unproven rookie, and we los...
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Jaguars Quick Bytes: Cheerleaders, Charity, and Cuts Edition!
2008-02-18 22:13:00
Erin Carlisle: Cheerleader, and Sports Illustrated Babe! Quick Bytes! Because I like to celebrate the Presidency of the United States, today's posting is a little light.  (Actually, it's just taken me a whole lot longer to write about our linebackers than I thought, my apologies.  You'd be surprised however at just how much news about the Jaguars is out there, even in the early doldrums of the off-season.  Sure, most of it is either sketchy information or outright speculation, but it's better than nothing.   Before diving into all sorts of linky goodness, I'd like to introduce you to Erin Carlisle, member of The Roar of the Jaguars is featured in this months Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition .  Erin is 19 years old, studying to be a Court Reporter, and is in her 2nd year with the Jaguars!  This is the first issue where NFL Cheerleaders were featured, and only 12 teams sent representatives, so that's pretty good.  Now, I would ...
More About: Charity , Cuts

Who is the next Jaguars Defensive End: Jared Allen or Justin Smith?
2008-02-15 22:22:00
Jared Allen . Could he be a Jaguar? Today, for the record, is Friday, February 15th. That means that there are only six (6!) days for teams to use their "Franchise" tags. After the 21st, no more tagging, and we'd only be days away from the excitement and glory of Free Agency!  This is very important in the hunt for the next great Jaguars Defensive End because some of the top players that we could get are likely targets for the tag. The biggest prize out there is clearly Chiefs Defensive End Jared Allen.  Why Allen?  He's only going to be 26 when the season starts, he's a former top draft pick that actually worked out (though with  some off the field problems), and in four seasons with the Chiefs he's racked up 43 sacks, 15 of which came last season. There is some debate about his value, the likelihood of him making it past the 21st without getting tagged, and what the Jaguars can risk in order to get him.  Now, I'm going to piss some pe...
More About: Jared , Smith , Justin

Free Agency Sneak Peek: Who's worth the money?
2008-02-14 22:45:00
Free Agency , as we know, begins at the stroke of midnight on February 29th.  Which gives us two reasons to celebrate: leap day and the beginning of the mass spending and crazy rumor filled hype of Free Agency.  It's like a team is reborn with every signing.  The hype drum is banged by the media, and all of a sudden the most hopeless team has a real shot, at least in theory.  It's the shedding of the failures of the previous season and the start of a new era.  It's the point in time where teams and fans move on from the 2007 season and begin to salivate at the possiblities of the 2008 campaign.  Everyone is undefeated, everyone made the best signing, and most importantly, everyone has something to argue about when their team is insulted.   " [Your team here] won't do anything in 08, look at what they did last season", someone might say to you. " Screw that, we signed [Overpaid Free Agent], he'll turn around our [disappointing element of team]",...
More About: Money , Sneak Peek , Free , Worth

Jack Del Rio gives out Title Twisters
2008-02-14 21:20:00
Har Har Har... Seriously though, it appears that Jack Del Rio has finalized his coaching staff through the awarding of titles , thereby establishing who controls what. Your NEW 2008 Jacksonville Jaguars Coaching Staff! Gregg Williams--defensive coordinator/assistant head coach, defense. Donnie Henderson--secondary coach. Thom Kaumeyer--assistant secondary coach. Ted Monachino--defensive line coach. Tom Williams--defensive assistant. Nate Kaczor--assistant special teams coach. No real surprise there, except for the rendering of Thom Kaumeyer as assistant secondary coach.  Though from day one I assumed that Donnie Henderson would be the lead guy in the defensive backfield, the hiring of Thom Kaumeyer led some to say that he'd be the big boss of the Cornerbacks and Safeties.  Regardless, we've got our team together, so I just wanted to tell them something really really important, since they clearly listen to me. Please, please don't mess this up.  The Jaguar...
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Breaking: Greg Jones re-signed as a Jaguar!
2008-02-13 18:29:00
Highest Paid Fullback EVER! In what can only be described as fantastic news, Fullback  Greg Jones re-signed with the Jaguar s today.  Jones was set to be an unrestricted free agent in a few weeks and is instead going to remain a Jaguar for the next Five Years! His contract details, per Pro Football Talk are pretty outstanding, it looks like Jones will be the highest paid Fullback in League History.  It is a five year, 17.4 million dollar deal with a 2.5 million dollar signing bonus, 1.5 million dollar roster bonus due later this year, and 500,000.00 due as a roster bonus in 2009. As far as salary goes, it's 525k this season, then goes u to 2.4 million in 09, 3 million in 2010, and stays about that high for the next two years.  In other words, it's a typical contract as our front office normally does that front loads as much as possible and doesn't have a massive increase into the last few years to create a cap problem.  If you think the 3.1 ...
More About: Signed , Breaking

Big Cat Country discovers Social Networking!
2008-02-13 06:15:00
I realized tonight that people who read blogs tend to be pretty smart folks when it comes to the internet.  I also realized that there are a bunch of other ways people use the internet and that some of them are different than just visiting Big Cat Country . So with that in mind, I thought I'd share some of Big Cat Country's social networking/interaction mediums, for your use/abuse/entertainment. First off, everyone and their brother has a MySpace, Big Cat Country is no exception. Add mine as a friend The Big Cat Country Myspace. Second, I spend a lot of time on the computer when writing and researching all of the fine articles you read here.  If you're a user of AIM or any internet messaging platform that works with AIM, drop me a line at "absurdpolitik", I'm happy to chat Jaguars! Thirdly, there's this thing called Twitter that uses lots of short messages.  If you're a twitter user, my username is "BigCatCountry".  Twitter is also a great way to ...
More About: Social , Social Networking , Networking

State of the Roster: Defensive End
2008-02-12 23:45:00
Can Reggie return to form? With the Defensive Tackles out of the way logically the next area to examine are the Defensive Ends.  Clearly this is a far bigger task than addressing our tackles, simply because there were just so many problems with our play on the ends.  The role of the pass rushing defensive end, while always important, will reach astronomical levels as the league seeks to emulate what Tom Coughlin and Tony Spagnulolo accomplished with the Giants.  I can just see Jared Allen watching the Super Bowl and salivating at the thought of what that game did for his market value.  Julius Peppers, a year away from Free Agency, will probably re-double his efforts to have a crazy contract year so that he can cash in.     My point is that the price of premium pass rushers, while already high, just rose exponentially.  We might look back on the Colts 72 million dollar (30 million in guaranteed money), signed only last July, as an unde...
More About: State , Roster

Crazy Weather
2008-02-11 21:43:00
Sorry for the lack of updates, it's some sort of Ice Storm where I'm at, and quite frankly, power and internet come and go. So I apologize for being quiet. With a little luck, you'll visit here tomorrow and see a lengthy analysis and breakdown of the Jaguars Defensive Ends! -Chris
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Pro Bowl Live Blog, Fred Taylor Edition! Coming Soon!
2008-02-10 22:00:00
I know, nobody watches the Pro Bowl. But I'm going to live blog the whole thing, cause Fred Taylor is there, and it's just the right thing to do. So if you're interested, stick around, I'll start at 4:30!
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State of the Roster: Jaguars Defensive Tackles
2008-02-10 00:09:00
Defensive Tackles: Can they return to form? What is the biggest lesson from the recent Super Bowl?  Defenses win championships, and old football cliches will never go out of style.  With that, it's time we (finally) start to break down the Jaguars roster and see what changes must be made in order to take the next step and be a Super Bowl contender in 2008.  The Jaguars defense suffered in 2007, starting with the slow recovery of Defensive Tackle Marcus Stroud and Defensive End Reggie Hayward and ending with a slew of players on Injured Reserve or simply out of commission (Mike Peterson). According to the fine folks at Football Outsiders, the 2006 Jaguars defense was 3rd overall by their DVOA system, somehow the 2007 Jaguars only fell to 12th despite the injuries and some terrible performances by normally solid players.   The normally solid run stopping Jaguars were 12th in yards allowed, 15th in passing yards allowed, 11th in rushing yards, and a 9...
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FRED TAYLOR PRO BOWL !!!
2008-02-08 22:03:00
First off, this makes my head hurt... Peyton Manning handing off to Fred Taylor !!!???!! No, I didn't forget, it's just that the Pro Bowl as an event and an experience is completely off my radar.  I appreciate the honor that Fred's got, but as for actually following the game, I just can't get into it. But, if you're curious, here's a few links about Fred's experience in Hawai'i. The Honolulu Advertiser discusses how Fred Taylor and Linebacker Mike Vrabel are the two players this week who have had the longest wait to get to the Pro Bowl . In this New University Online essay Tyler Davis discusses his development as a fan of Fred Taylor through a "rookie card".  It's worth a read: Amazingly, watching Taylor play was as euphoric as I could have imagined. Picasso couldn't have appreciated art the way I appreciated watching Taylor run with the football. He was always the sharpest, fastest, quickest and most agile player on the field. I couldn't even sleep on Saturday n...

Gregg Williams, Officially, Finally, and Completely signed by Jaguars
2008-02-06 23:42:00
We've waited, debated, pondered, and examined for the last two weeks, but it's official, Greg Williams is the OFFICIAL Assistant Head Coach/Defense/Defensive Coordinator. All I can say is finally. Here's what Jack Del Rio and Gregg Williams had to say, in case you're interested.Head Coach Jack Del Rio: "Gregg Williams is an outstanding football coach, has a wealth of NFL coaching experience and is committed to helping us pursue a world championship," Del Rio said. "I am pleased to add another strong teacher to our coaching staff. We've established a high standard of defensive play over the past five years here and I expect that to continue under Gregg."Assistant Head Coach/Defense Gregg Williams: "I'm excited to be joining the Jaguars and Jack Del Rio's staff and I'm looking forward to getting started in Jacksonville. I was there for the organization's first game in 1995 as well as a lot of other memorable moments, and have had great respect over the years for the owner...
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Big Cat Country Media Madness: Football Radio/Podcast TONIGHT
2008-02-06 01:12:00
Your humble narrator here at Big Cat Country has an interesting event tonight.  I will be co-hosting the SB Nation Football Frenzy Radio Show/Podcast , LIVE, tonight at 9:00 Eastern Time, 8:00 Central.   I know all of my politically charged readers will be glued to MSNBC for the Primary Results, but for one hour, enjoy some good stuff. You'll get another hard-hitting, action-packed 60 minutes of football thought and commentary to give you the football fix you are looking for! Together we'll look back at Super XLII - --Was it the Giant choke job by the Patriots everyone says it was? --Where does it fall into place with the greatest Super Bowls of all time? --Why do we have to be so quick to judge the greatest this and the best overall that? And with a little luck I'll throw in some exciting PRO BOWL TALK! Join us Live for the show and the interactive chat at http://www.tpsradio.net - 9PM est/6PM pst Be there or Be Square! -Chris
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Breaking:: Gregg Williams Hired by Jaguars!
2008-02-05 19:55:00
Update [2008-2-5 13:55:36 by River City Rage]:: Still no confirmation, but my gut says this is legit. For more infomation on Gregg Willams, please refer to This Post Ok, I'm getting this through a second, or perhaps even third hand source. The JagNation message board is reporting that Jacksonville Sports Radio Station 1010XL's Ron Compton says that the Jaguars have hired Gregg Williams to be our new Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator.Clearly, Gregg wanted the AHC Title, lest he feel unimportant. But, it's a good sign, given that we've not heard a word about any of this in a few days, and it's time that the Jaguars settle this and move into their off-season planning. More as soon as I hear something confirmed. -Chris
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Jacksonville Jaguars defeat Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XLIII
2008-02-05 07:54:00
Or at least that's what Gary Myers of the NY Daily News thinks: It will be the Jaguars and the Cowboys in the Super Bowl in Tampa. The biggest negative is we won't get to watch T.O. cry again about Tony Romo after losing an early-round game. That was one of the highlights of the season. T.O. should win best supporting actor in a comedy because the free-flowing tears were simply hysterical. And after a Super Bowl with so much Gisele talk, it will be Jessica Simpson's turn next year, providing of course she and Romo are still together. Jacksonville supposedly was the team nobody wanted to play in the playoffs, but then the Patriots eliminated them in the divisional round. David Garrard will benefit from the experience he had in his first year as the full-time starter. Here's the key for the Jags: They must beat the Colts in the AFC South so they can get some home games in the playoffs. Super Bowl XLIII prediction: Jaguars 28, Cowboys 21 I'm OK with that prediction.  And it s...
More About: Dallas , Dallas Cowboys

So the season is officially over, what now?
2008-02-04 23:00:00
With the end of the Super Bowl came a terrible realization, that the long avoided NFL off season is here, we won't have another football game of any sort for at least six months, and it's not until September that we'll have a game that matters.  The league has the right idea with expanding the season to 17 games, but even with another week, we'll still have six months to salivate over what our Jaguars will do to move up to the next level. Think of it this way, our season ended just a few short weeks ago.  Imagine being a Dolphins fan and have been thinking about next season since week three.  I don't know what I'd do with all that forward thinking.   But you know what, it's not over.  In some sense, it's only just begun.  While the demise of the New England Patriots might be greatly exaggerated, they teach us a lesson in how restocking your team in the off-season can produce fantastic results on the field.  Of course, we won't have the sam...
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Congradulations Tom Coughilin!!!!
2008-02-04 06:11:00
You're a Super Bowl Winner! And you defeated evil. Thank you for saving us from 19-0 ! ! ! -Chris

Super Bowl Thoughts
2008-02-03 19:00:00
* That's all you need to know about what I think about this Super Bowl . -C
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Defensive Coordinator Update: Titans Extend Jim Schwartz
2008-02-01 01:19:00
So follow me on this. A few days ago it was reported that the Tennessee Titans were interested in Gregg Williams. I'll eat that one, it was pretty unverified, and the Titans extended the contract of their current Defensive Coordinator , Jim Schwartz .  Which makes it pretty clear that Williams won't be going to Nashville. Now, Gregg came to Jacksonville and interviewed, but left without a contract.  Jack Del Rio gave no timetable for how long it would take to announce the new Defensive Coordinator.   Our competition at the point are the St. Louis Rams, who would like to somehow re-combine Al Saunders and Gregg Williams in the Rams coaching staff.  Though, Williams would be the Defensive Backs coach. Now, I'm thinking that our problem comes with the fact that if Gregg goes to Jacksonville as the Defensive Coordinator, he loses on the "free money" from the Redskins.  If he goes to St. Louis, he's "demoted", and gets to milk Snyder and get paid by the Rams. ...
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Dave Campo hired as Cowboys Assistant Coach
2008-01-29 19:46:00
It's official, the Cowboys have hired Jaguars Assistant Head Coach Dave Campo to be their secondary coach.  One "possible" Defensive Coordinator for the Jaguars is off the board, though Campo became more and more unlikely as he interviewed with Dallas. It's expected, at least by me, that Donnie Henderson, newly hired, will replace Campo and take over our secondary, but it's unclear what his exact title will be. The picture is getting clearer for our Defensive Coordinator.  Rex Ryan and Dave Campo are out.  Gregg Williams is the first non-Jaguar (presumably we interviewed SOMEONE in-house) to be interviewed.  We'll know something soon! -Chris

Jaguars Hunt Continues: Gregg Williams Interviews With Jacksonville Today (
2008-01-29 19:23:00
Ok, I know you have to be SICK of hearing about Gregg Williams on this site.  I'm sick of typing the name and thinking about it.   That said, we've got a confirmed interview with Gregg Williams happening with the Jaguars TODAY.  I don't know how quick the turnaround is one things like this, but since we don't operate like the Washington Redskins, I'd assume pretty quickly. The Quote, care of the Washington Post:Gregg Williams, released after four years as Washington's assistant head coach-defense, will interview today for Jacksonville 's vacant defensive coordinator position, league sources said. I've heard nothing official connecting Williams to the Titans as I reported last night via what I heard was said on NFL Network. With a little luck, we'll hire Gregg and I'll never have to devote so much time to him as I have this week.   There's just not much else to cover, unless you want to talk about Super Bowl Media day, which is the worst day of Spor...
More About: Interviews , Today , Hunt