I can't really say I'm too excited because he is injured alot. But at least it looks like the team is serious about upgrading their pathetic defense.
QuoteFormer Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowl safety Bob Sanders will visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday, according to a league source.
Sanders is open to meet with teams as a free agent this week after Colts owner Jim Irsay released the 2007 NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Friday. Irsay announced the move less than 24 hours after he told reporters he would make a decision about Sanders' future before March 3.
When healthy, Sanders has been one of the league's top defenders, and the Jaguars are looking for help on a defense that ranked 28th against the pass (250.2 yards allowed per game) and 28th overall (371.8 yards allowed per game) this season.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d81e67ce1/article/released-by-colts-pro-bowler-sanders-to-meet-with-jaguars
He has been injured a lot over the last few years. Last season I saw him play in preseason and he looked great... then he got hurt again.
I like the visit and the possibilities.
1 The Colts are still on the hook for his salary since he was cut
2 He can take a low dollar contract that's incentive based.
3 If he can stay healthy and help us beat the Colts - Polian will most likely still have to stroke him checks for the difference in salaries.
This isn't Smith's style. But this guy is a leader who could teach our youngsters a few things and make an immediate impact. We still need to draft some DB help though.
Probably a stopgap like Torry Holt. Holt was a good guy to have on the roster for one year. Decent production and seemed to be a good influence on the younger players.
Draft... the jags do not need him.
I think it depends on how cheap they can get him relative to the skills he still has.
^+1. Anyone is a candidate for the Jaguars to sign at the right price.
Goes to show you how bad our safeties are that they'll even kick tires on a guy like Sanders, who very well may be physically only 40% of the player he once was.
I actually think Courtney Greene could be a better than avg guy at the strong safety position, but Don Carey looked flat out awful last season. I really hope the Jags can find another decent cb in the draft and then be able to move Mathis to free safety. Middleton is a decent enough nickel back.
The safeties in this draft look pretty weak.
Darren Sharper who came last year for a visit was 36 years old and definitely a 'stop gap' candidate.
Sanders is 29 and basically had the last 2 seasons off. I'm not sure why is age is such a concern... injuries have been a problem but if he can stay healthy... he could be great again.
Here's Big Cat Country's take on the visit
QuoteBob Sanders to visit the Jaguars today
by Alfie Crow on Feb 21, 2011 10:03 AM EST in Jacksonville Jaguars News
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Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, former Indianapolis Colts safety Bob Sanders will visit the Jacksonville Jaguars today.
Former Colts S Bob Sanders is in Jacksonville, visiting Jags today. As a released player, Sanders is free to sign w/ a team until March 3.
I won't say for certain something will get done one way or another, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are in desperate need for a safety in the back seven. The team pursued current New Orleans Saints safety Darren Sharper heavily last off-season. Bob Sanders is a potential high reward type of player for the Jaguars, in some ways similar to Aaron Kampman last off-season. While Kampman didn't have anything close to the injury history Sanders does, players coming off injuries typically come at a discount and can offer extremely high upside.
Quick note: Bob Sanders was college teammates with Aaron Kampman and Sean Considine at the University of Iowa. Kampman noted when he signed in free agency, Gene Smith's relationship with Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was a big reason he considered the Jaguars. While the Jaguars are getting first crack at him, it should be expected for Sanders to shop whatever their offer is around to some other visits. That being said however, in just 10 days if there is not a new CBA in place, Sanders can't sign with anyone.
Nice day to bring him into town @ a high of 82 degrees; he's off to Buffalo tomorrow (@ a high of 22 degrees).......
Sanders visiting Jacksonville.
Going through the motions by his agent Tom Condon.
Drumming up support for someone with great skills, but no durability.
Played less than 50 percent of his games in last 2 years.
Body of a DB, but heart of a LB, hence the injuries.
Conventional wisdom says to move on.
i'll take sanders if he comes cheap, but i want to see Nnamdi Asomugha take a visit here, then i'll be excited
Quote from: hanjin1 on February 22, 2011, 09:55:08 AM
i'll take sanders if he comes cheap, but i want to see Nnamdi Asomugha take a visit here, then i'll be excited
Jags won't be bidding on the high priced guys. Bargain basement only. You might see them take another chance on someone coming of an injury like Kampman was.
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on February 22, 2011, 10:16:27 AM
Quote from: hanjin1 on February 22, 2011, 09:55:08 AM
i'll take sanders if he comes cheap, but i want to see Nnamdi Asomugha take a visit here, then i'll be excited
Jags won't be bidding on the high priced guys. Bargain basement only. You might see them take another chance on someone coming of an injury like Kampman was.
Aaron Kampman was certainly a splash last year... he was also coming off a serious injury. I don't think the Jags will shy way from all high dollar free agents but I also don't think they'll be able to compete for the cream of the crop. Asomugha is going to get paid an ungodly amount of cash in free agency... money the Jags don't have.
Sander is a low risk high reward type deal if you can acquire him with a low dollar high incentive contract. He knows that & Gene knows that.
Remember... GB let kampman go because he did not fit the 3-4... NOT because he was hurt.
Yes, but he was only cheap enough for the Jags to consider because he was hurt.
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on February 22, 2011, 10:47:05 AM
Yes, but he was only cheap enough for the Jags to consider because he was hurt.
A 4 year 26 million dollar contract isn't cheap... Sanders deal would come nowhere close to 4 years 11 million guaranteed.
According to John from the O'zone (Vic's replacement who has covered the Colts for the last decade) Sanders is also a high, quality person off the field - that's the kind of guy that Gene Smith gets also.
Couple of things, you could pay him the veteran minimum and sign a 2-3 year contract, which is nothing, and load the contract with escalators for games played, % of plays during the games, etc.. I htink you would have to make the distinction of why he was out - wrong package, injury, coach's decision, etc.. You could also throw in performance based escalators as well, and structure it in a way that he makes the money he probably deserves once he starts hitting both.
But if he tears another tendon, we're on the hook for about 650k / year
Well Fred Taylor stayed injuried but look where he took us... Just a thought
Quote from: duvaldude08 on February 22, 2011, 12:27:05 PM
Well Fred Taylor stayed injuried but look where he took us... Just a thought
Taylor only missed 35 out of 160 regular season starts due to injury for the Jags
Sanders has missed 47 of 80.
You can't compare the two.