Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

The Washington Times reports that Gibbs is eager to see Taylor Jacobs in the starting lineup in 2005 - a move that would likely bump recent free-agent acquisition David Patten to #3 on the Redskins' wide receiver depth chart.

I'm not sure where the Times is getting this information, but it's something many Warpathers have speculated would happen. Moreover, it's no real surprise considering that Jacobs was projected as a mid-first round pick in 2003 and was given heaps of praise by Champ Bailey, Mark Brunell, and Fred Smoot. In 2003, Champ Bailey said Jacobs was the best route-runner on the team. In 2004, Mark Brunell was quoted as saying that Jacobs was the most polished 2nd year wideout he's ever seen. In 2004, Fred Smoot said that Jacobs has the potential to be a big-playmaker.

Despite being picked in the early-to-mid second round of the 2003 draft and the praise he has drawn from teammates, Jacobs has yet to demonstrate his abilities in regular-season games. In his rookie season, Jacobs was inactive for eight games and posted a mere 3 catches for 37 yards and one touchdown. In 2004, Jacobs was inactive for one game, appeared in 15 games, and started 4 games catching 16 passes for 178 yards. Jacobs's best game in 2004 was in Week 17 against the Vikings where Jacobs posted 3 receptions for 56 yards (18.7 ypc) with a career-long 45 yard reception.

Perhaps Taylor's lack of production in his rookie and sophomore seasons can be attributed to Taylor's injury in 2003 and the 2004 coaching staff's desire to see if Gardner could step it up. Ultimately, I don't know why Jacob's production hasn't been great, but I for one would like to see Jacob's production match his hype. If Jacobs were to come on strong, I'd be much more confident in the receiving corps (Moss, a rising-Jacobs, Patten, Thrash, McCants, Dyson, Brown) and the offense as whole.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

No question about his rout running. I've seen the guy and he is on point and smooth with his cuts, outs and slants. I'd definitely like to see him start. I mean, there is no reason why he shouldn't! Now if only he could keep healthy.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

since we dont really have a stand out #1-2 WRs, there's nothing to object to... since we'll be doing a lot of 3 WR sets now, moss/jacobs/patten sounds fine to me...

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Ramseyfan, I think you answered your own question as to why Jacob's production hasn't matched his hype thus far in his career. The injuries he suffered in 2003 were a bigger setback than most people realize. Those injuries happened at a critical time in his development. As far as 2004, I think it's a shame that the coaching staff spent so much time last season trying to get Rod Gardner to step it up (hoping his trade value would rise), when Jacobs probably would have been a much better #2 receiver all along.

I'm looking forward to seeing Jacobs compete for a starting role this summer, and I fully expect him to win out. Moss and Jacobs have the tools to be a pretty dangerous starting wide receiver tandem, assuming Gibbs follows through on his promise to open up the offense this season.

As far as where the Times got the idea that Gibbs wants Jacobs to step up and become a starter this year, Jody Foldesy spends quite a lot of time at Redskins Park asking questions, so he's probably referring to some things Gibbs has said when asked about the depth at wide receiver-- particularly in relation to Jacobs-- since the departure of Coles and the presumed departure of Rod Gardner. You may be able to dig up a quote or two on Jacobs from one of Gibbs' news conferences earlier this offseason. I'm not sure if Gibbs spoke the exact phrase "I want Jacobs to step up and be a starter" (Foldesy probably would've quoted him if he did), but I seem to recall him speaking pretty strongly about Jacobs as a potential starter in 2005.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I'm really looking forward to seeing Jacobs in the starting lineup. I think we could see big things from him this year.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Judging by his 40+ yard catch alone, you could just see a glimpse at how good he can be. Poor receivers don't make moves like that.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I've been excited about TJ from the minute we stole him in the draft. I'll be thrilled if this is the year he finally has a chance to break out (and I believe it will be).

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I am excited to see this guy in action. He seemed to make alot of his few opprotunities this past season. It sucks that his rookie season was so injury ridden, because I think that really put him back. I think he should and iwll be starting this season.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

i knew that it was only a matter of time before this florida guy made a name for himself. he is fast and quick he can make the tough catches like he did for the gators, he will be a future playmaker which need to get cp running like he did at the "u" and for the broncos.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I'm ready to make Jacobs our surprise breakout player this year. I remember watching him when he played for UF, and you could tell that he has all the tools to be great receiver.

I'm almost conifdent that he'll breakout this year.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I'm guessing that Dyson or McCants will be going over the middle...

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=joecrisp]Ramseyfan, I think you answered your own question as to why Jacob's production hasn't matched his hype thus far in his career. The injuries he suffered in 2003 were a bigger setback than most people realize. Those injuries happened at a critical time in his development. As far as 2004, I think it's a shame that the coaching staff spent so much time last season trying to get Rod Gardner to step it up (hoping his trade value would rise), when Jacobs probably would have been a much better #2 receiver all along.

I'm looking forward to seeing Jacobs compete for a starting role this summer, and I fully expect him to win out. Moss and Jacobs have the tools to be a pretty dangerous starting wide receiver tandem, assuming Gibbs follows through on his promise to open up the offense this season.

As far as where the Times got the idea that Gibbs wants Jacobs to step up and become a starter this year, Jody Foldesy spends quite a lot of time at Redskins Park asking questions, so he's probably referring to some things Gibbs has said when asked about the depth at wide receiver-- particularly in relation to Jacobs-- since the departure of Coles and the presumed departure of Rod Gardner. You may be able to dig up a quote or two on Jacobs from one of Gibbs' news conferences earlier this offseason. I'm not sure if Gibbs spoke the exact phrase "I want Jacobs to step up and be a starter" (Foldesy probably would've quoted him if he did), but I seem to recall him speaking pretty strongly about Jacobs as a potential starter in 2005.[/QUOTE]Joe do you realy think Gibbs only played Gardner to increase his trade value? That would not make sense because if Garner would have performed better last year I don't think we would be trying to trade him. Why do you think we are still hanging on to him at this stage in the game do we even have a chance to receive any value for him?

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=Mattyk72]I'm really looking forward to seeing Jacobs in the starting lineup. I think we could see big things from him this year.[/QUOTE]


We have yet to really see the up-side of T. Jacobs. I've looked for his inclusion in games, only to see #87 (50/50) in instead. Up to this point, I (we've) only had disapointment by 50/50.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Taylor Jacobs = Gary Clark, it's no coicidence they both wear/wore 84.

This guy will light it up this season.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Gary Clark besides being a great WR, was one tough SOB. I remember Gary Clark not backing down from anybody.
Toughness and Taylor Jacobs have not been introduced yet. I hope TJ turns into a great WR.....but there were whispers about TJ"s lack of toughness coming out of Florida and he has not done anything to prove those whispers wrong.
Also, TJ getting a start or two in the preseason does not mean very much. He is still an unproven player. I would not be surprised to to see the proven WR's (Moss & Patten) play more come game 1, if Jacobs can not stay healthy or fails to impress.
TJ's ability to stay healthy will be the #1 determining factor if he is to be a major contributing WR in 2005.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I think Jacobs will do okay, but what I really dont understand is why the reciever that led the team with tds in 2003 didnt get any playing time in 2004 when our reciever corps couldn't find an open spot in an endzone all year. I know some of it had to do with not being able to determine if a coverage was clear or not by QBs, but it seemed to me like DMac gave us a vertical target in the endzone in 03, and thats something that none of our other recievers can offer. With no addition of some former basketball star tight end or anyone that can get over the top of a safety or LB in Goal Line, it would seem that a taller guy, or at least one with some "ups" would be a pretty big concern.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=Defensewins]Gary Clark besides being a great WR, was one tough SOB. I remember Gary Clark not backing down from anybody.
Toughness and Taylor Jacobs have not been introduced yet. I hope TJ turns into a great WR.....but there were whispers about TJ"s lack of toughness coming out of Florida and he has not done anything to prove those whispers wrong.
Also, TJ getting a start or two in the preseason does not mean very much. He is still an unproven player. I would not be surprised to to see the proven WR's (Moss & Patten) play more come game 1, if Jacobs can not stay healthy or fails to impress.
TJ's ability to stay healthy will be the #1 determining factor if he is to be a major contributing WR in 2005.[/QUOTE]


Good post, Defensewins. I think that hits it on the head.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I also think that Dmac could really help things, but he's got to step up and impress. I wonder if the Dyson signing is to challenge Dmac with some competition at camp--someone to light a fire under his ass in practice and to show him how a pro prepares.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

If so, Gibbs seems to be doing a lot of that lately.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=Defensewins]Gary Clark besides being a great WR, was one tough SOB. I remember Gary Clark not backing down from anybody.
Toughness and Taylor Jacobs have not been introduced yet. I hope TJ turns into a great WR.....but there were whispers about TJ"s lack of toughness coming out of Florida and he has not done anything to prove those whispers wrong.
Also, TJ getting a start or two in the preseason does not mean very much. He is still an unproven player. I would not be surprised to to see the proven WR's (Moss & Patten) play more come game 1, if Jacobs can not stay healthy or fails to impress.
TJ's ability to stay healthy will be the #1 determining factor if he is to be a major contributing WR in 2005.[/QUOTE]

Never heard anyone questioning his toughness in college? He never had a football injury before the NFL.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Where's everyone crying for Mike Doss like after the draft! WE DONT WANT A FLORIDA RECEIVER!

He could be the steal of that draft, I can hardly wait to see him starting. Carlos Rodgers also said he was the toughest opponent he ever played in college.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Saying he's had injury problems is a little unfair considering the freak internal injury he had his rookie year.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I'm excited to see what Taylor Jacobs can do for us in a starting role. I'm still bettin' on Moss, Jacobs, and Patton starting with Thrash coming in on a few downs. Like the posse, I'm not looking at any of these guys as being a number one or three....as long as they catch the ball and move the chains - that will be a plus for us!

Then again...I think we have loaded up enough at fullback so we won't have to pass the ball! :-)

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=Daseal]Where's everyone crying for Mike Doss like after the draft! WE DONT WANT A FLORIDA RECEIVER!

He could be the steal of that draft, I can hardly wait to see him starting. Carlos Rodgers also said he was the toughest opponent he ever played in college.[/QUOTE]

As of today, Doss looks like the better pick. But, hopefully TJ will pick it up.

I didn't realize Rogers said those things about TJ....thanks.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=offiss]Never heard anyone questioning his toughness in college? He never had a football injury before the NFL.[/QUOTE]

Taylor Jacobs sprained his knee on the opening drive of the 2002 Georgia contest, as a result he sat out TWO games - Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
That was a football related injury.

Taylor Jacobs being picked in the second round may have as a surprise to some, but here is a pre-draft evaluation of the the WR's in Jacobs class from NFLexperts.com ([url]http://nfldraft.scout.com/2/70783.html[/url])

It says,
"The expectations for Jacobs may not be that great; there could be as many as four underclassmen drafted before his name is called with the slight possibility of one upperclassmen, Lee Evans, being taken for him. In the end it could all work in Jacobs favor as he may slip through the cracks into the second frame (round) next April then turn into a "diamond in the rough" or a "bargain" and "value" pick that immediately starts at the next level, has a productive rookie campaign then goes on to a very solid career in the NFL. All photos in this story courtesy of Getty Images.

needless to say he has not had a good NFL career yet.

I can not find the pre-draft report I read years ago that mentioned Taylor Jacobs was a below average run blocker and called into question his toughness. I guess because it was several years ago.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Speaking of Doss anyone else find it funny that he hasn't received half the attention that Taylor has, and he actually DID fire shots!

Do you think it's because Taylor is just the higher profile guy coming from Miami and such, or is this the media getting a kick out of shining the hot spotlight on the Redskins, or maybe a combo of the two?

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Who knows? It might just seem that way because we have more "stock" into our team than what we do with a player from another team.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

I think you're both right. I think the skins are going to get more national media attention than the colts (east coast bias), and I think we are spending a lot more time on this than non-skins fans. I'll bet colts fan boards were blowing up too when Doss's arrest first came out. It also doesn't hurt that ST has mastered being able to keep himself in the spotlight (whether intentional or not). It's pure sports-writer gold to have a guy break the law while he's the only one sitting out of team workouts and ignoring his coach for apparently no reason. I wouldn't be surprised to see a Pasta article ripping ST in the next week or so.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Pasta may rip on ST, but he'll definitely spin it all back on the Redskins. I wonder what he'll say about Doss and the Colts though.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=Mattyk72]Pasta may rip on ST, but he'll definitely spin it all back on the Redskins. I wonder what he'll say about Doss and the Colts though.[/QUOTE]

Probably that Peyton Manning spoke to Doss and blessed him and all charges have been dropped after Peyton assured the DA that Doss wouldn't do it again.........and somehow the Colts will be a better and stronger team for it.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=Defensewins]Taylor Jacobs sprained his knee on the opening drive of the 2002 Georgia contest, as a result he sat out TWO games - Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
That was a football related injury.

Taylor Jacobs being picked in the second round may have as a surprise to some, but here is a pre-draft evaluation of the the WR's in Jacobs class from NFLexperts.com ([url]http://nfldraft.scout.com/2/70783.html[/url])

It says,
"The expectations for Jacobs may not be that great; there could be as many as four underclassmen drafted before his name is called with the slight possibility of one upperclassmen, Lee Evans, being taken for him. In the end it could all work in Jacobs favor as he may slip through the cracks into the second frame (round) next April then turn into a "diamond in the rough" or a "bargain" and "value" pick that immediately starts at the next level, has a productive rookie campaign then goes on to a very solid career in the NFL. All photos in this story courtesy of Getty Images.

needless to say he has not had a good NFL career yet.

I can not find the pre-draft report I read years ago that mentioned Taylor Jacobs was a below average run blocker and called into question his toughness. I guess because it was several years ago.[/QUOTE]


Didn't follow his college career, but when he was hurt I remember him saying he never was hurt in his life playing football perhaps he meant seriously, I will take your word on the sprain.

As for him slipping in the draft, from what I heard it was because people were questioning whether or not he was a product of the florida system, to many florida WR's have been bust's so it scared team's off.

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Sounds similar to a lot of Michigan WRs...

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

[QUOTE=TheMalcolmConnection]Sounds similar to a lot of Michigan WRs...[/QUOTE]

.......and a lot of Penn State RBs......HA! I beat you all to it! Take that.;)

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

Kijana Carter anyone?:biggthump

Re: Taylor (Jacobs) to Start in 2005?
 

......Curtis Enis..........Blair Thomas........the list goes on and on.

I gotta say though I love how my boy L.J. looked last year when Priest went down on injury. There's still hope to break the curse (and Franco Harris was good enough to make up for a bunch of busts).