Position review: Despite Posluszny injury, Jags linebackers hold their own

Published Feb. 13, 2015 4:30 p.m. ET

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It wasn't a passing-of-the-torch moment for the Jacksonville Jaguars comparable to what happened four weeks earlier when Blake Bortles replaced Chad Henne at quarterback.

But when they finally registered their first victory of 2014 by defeating the Cleveland Browns, two events changed the way the Jaguars looked at their group of linebackers.

The loss of Paul Posluszny to a season-ending torn pectoral muscle forced the defense to make do without its leading tackler for each of the previous three years and the first Jaguars defensive player to make the Pro Bowl since 2006. As devastating as that injury was, it was eased to a large extent by the development of rookie Telvin Smith, who earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors with an interception and a sack which caused a fumble.

The Jaguars are counting on the fifth-round pick out of Florida State and the eight-year NFL veteran to serve as the backbone of their linebacking unit next season. Posluszny pronounced himself earlier this week as fully recovered.

Even before Posluszny went down, it was not unusual for the Jaguars to start a game going with five defensive backs and only two linebackers. That happened seven times in 16 games.

With an offense which again ranked among the worst in the league, the defense had to spend a disproportionate amount of time on the field for the second year in a row. The Jaguars gave up fewer total yards than they did in Gus Bradley's first season as head coach, but only the Philadelphia Eagles and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their defenses on the field longer on average.

STARTERS

Paul Posluszny (MLB) -- His cap number of $9.5 million prompted some speculation that Posluszny, who turned 30 in October, might not be brought back. After all, the defense did not collapse in a heap after he got injured in the fourth quarter against the Browns while sacking Brian Hoyer. But his presence on the field and in the locker room is undeniably strong, and he's encouraged by what he saw from the sidelines. "We want to be a defense that's really stout in the run game and gets after it in the passing game," he said at the end of the season.

J.T. Thomas (MLB) -- A starter at an outside linebacker spot in the 24-6 win over the Browns, Thomas was moved to the middle following Posluszny's injury. Considering that him simply making the roster was not a sure thing going into the final preseason game, the progress made by Thomas in ranking fourth on the Jaguars in tackles and second in passes defended was rather remarkable. He is an unrestricted free agent.

Geno Hayes (OLB) -- He made more starts (11) than any other linebacker on the roster. The website Pro Football Focus had Hayes ranked fifth among all 4-3 outside linebackers in tackling efficiency. But he is also an unrestricted free agent and probably factors into the team's future less than Thomas does.

Telvin Smith (OLB) -- He ranked third in tackles among all rookies with 99, including 16 in the final regular-season game at Houston. There were moments early on when he was caught out of position, but he is already arguably the player to make the biggest impact on defense from the drafts by Bradley and general manager Dave Caldwell. "He's going to be an unbelievable player for this organization for years to come," Posluszny said.

BACKUPS

LaRoy Reynolds (OLB) -- After starting at an outside spot for the first three games of his second season, Reynolds played more on special teams than defense the rest of the way. His 10 special-teams tackles were the most on the Jaguars.

Jeremiah George (MLB) -- A fifth-round pick by the New York Jets, George was signed Sept. 23 by the Jaguars but missed a good part of the season because of an ankle injury.

A.J. Edds (MLB) -- The Jaguars signed Edds in early December, and he saw limited action in their final two games.

Khairi Fortt (OLB) -- A fourth-round selection by the New Orleans Saints, Fortt was signed Nov. 3 and played in four games before straining a hamstring against the New York Giants.

POSSIBLE FREE-AGENT TARGETS

The Jaguars whiffed badly on Dekoda Watson, who was expected to be a starter but instead wound up being waived Nov. 11. The Dallas Cowboys have three unrestricted free agents in Bruce Carter, Justin Durant and Rolando McClain. Don't be surprised to see the Jaguars attempt to land at least one of them.

BEST DRAFT OPTIONS

Smith played for Bradley and his staff at the 2014 Senior Bowl. If that sort of familiarity is factored into who the Jaguars might draft, possible selections could include Terrance Plummer of UCF, Denzel Perryman of Miami and Lorenzo Mauldin of Louisville.

FINAL THOUGHT

Do the Jaguars expect Posluszny to return to his Pro Bowl level of play? If there are lingering doubts, this position could become as big of an area as any to be addressed in the weeks ahead.

You can follow Ken Hornack on Twitter @HornackFSFla or email him at khornack32176@gmail.com.

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