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Jacobs Hopes For a Breakthrough Season
By Gary Fitzgerald
Redskins.com
June 30, 2005



Most veterans departed Redskins Park on June 19 to begin a six-week vacation, but there was Taylor Jacobs last Friday, still working out in preparation for training camp. Jacobs was a solitary figure on the primary Redskins Park practice field. The third-year wide receiver was perfecting his route-running skills--first a curl, then a deep route, then another curl.
Since he joined the Redskins as a second-round draft pick in 2003, Jacobs has always been one of the hardest-working players on the team. He is consistently among the last players off the field after practice.


Taylor Jacobs
The coming season is a big one for Jacobs and his NFL career. The Redskins revamped their wide receivers this offseason, emphasizing speed. The team acquired Santana Moss in a trade and signed a pair of veteran free agents in David Patten and Kevin Dyson. Darnerien McCants and James Thrash are also in the mix.

Where does Jacobs fit in?

For the first time in his NFL career, Jacobs could be a legitimate contender for a starting job at wide receiver.

"Taylor has come back and looks as good as I've ever seen him," head coach Joe Gibbs said during the June mini-camp.

Asked who would be the starting wide receivers this season, Gibbs replied: "We haven't designated a starter. I'd say David and Santana have been lining up with the first group, but we haven't designated a starter. We're letting [wide receivers coach] Stan Hixon work with the guys and rotate them around a little bit."

For his part, Jacobs senses the opportunity before him. But he's not taking anything for granted. In two NFL seasons, Jacobs has a modest 19 receptions for 215 yards and one touchdown. From 1999-2002, he was a standout at the University of Florida, where he ranks eighth all-time with 133 career receptions and ninth with 2,097 career receiving yards.

"Laveranues Coles was the main go-to guy the last few years here," Jacobs said. "We still have some go-to guys here, but I feel like this is my third year and I'm getting better. So I think I can push for a starting job better than I have in years past.

"I feel like I'm just as talented as anybody out here. I just need a break. When coaches say it's my turn, it's my turn. Hopefully when I get that break, I'll run with it."

Jacobs' first NFL season 2003 was plagued with injuries and his 2004 season got off to an ominous start when he was slowed by an abdominal injury during training camp. He was a solid special teams performer early in the season, but he rarely saw action on offense. He didn't get down on himself, though.



"At that point, I just said, 'Look, I'm not going to tuck in my tail and run into corner. I've got to come out fighting,'" Jacobs said. "I'm just going to go out and work hard every day. Do my best. I'm not going to worry about anything that's out of my control."

Jacobs has already impressed a competitor for one of the starting wide receiver job. Patten, a nine-year veteran and three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, said he was surprised that Jacobs had not yet emerged as a big-time receiver in the NFL.

"He has all the tools," Patten said. "I was talking to him [during mini-camp] and I asked him, 'Why are you not a starter?' I really think the best is yet to come for him."

Fo_Block wrote:taylor jacobs = yet another reason snyder should stay away from ALL football related decisions.

And so we should have an owner that just doesn't give an f about his team that he owns?

Yeah, I'm sure you could do a lot better.

SKINZ_DOMIN8 wrote:

Fo_Block wrote:taylor jacobs = yet another reason snyder should stay away from ALL football related decisions.

And so we should have an owner that just doesn't give an f about his team that he owns?

Yeah, I'm sure you could do a lot better.

Fo_Block wrote:

SKINZ_DOMIN8 wrote:

Fo_Block wrote:taylor jacobs = yet another reason snyder should stay away from ALL football related decisions.

And so we should have an owner that just doesn't give an f about his team that he owns?

Yeah, I'm sure you could do a lot better.

i could leave football decisions to people that have some concept of the game - maybe a GM w/a proven track record. best move snyder could make would be to heap a huge pile of cash at Scott Pioli when his contract expires next spring.

if you think about how much $ snder threw away on lousy players, he could give pioli $10M/year and still make out ahead.

Fo_Block wrote:i could leave football decisions to people that have some concept of the game - maybe a GM w/a proven track record. best move snyder could make would be to heap a huge pile of cash at Scott Pioli when his contract expires next spring.

if you think about how much $ snder threw away on lousy players, he could give pioli $10M/year and still make out ahead.

1niksder wrote:"the Danny" has brought in Joe Gibbs as President of football operations, this means you can no longer blame a owner with no football background as the problem in the future. In the past have have felt the same as you do but I gave it a rest with Gibbs return.

SkinsFanInHawai'i wrote:
Synder did not through away any money. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the skins make more money then any other franchise.

Just proves we have, by far, the best fans.

Fo_Block wrote:

1niksder wrote:"the Danny" has brought in Joe Gibbs as President of football operations, this means you can no longer blame a owner with no football background as the problem in the future. In the past have have felt the same as you do but I gave it a rest with Gibbs return.

how is that mark brunnel signing working out? how about the Coles option payment?

Gibbs may be a great coach and talent evaluator but as a cap manager he leaves something to be desired. you can say the same thing about Parcells, great coach doesn't do well with the cap.

there are other available GM's outside of Pioli - the point being that with Snyder's willingness to throw $ around he has yet to bring in a good GM.

Buzz Dog wrote:Don't kid yourself into thinking that Danny isn't involved in the player decisions. Remember, he has anointed himself the "tiebreaker" in the personnel decision tree.
Cerrato...

Jacobs Hopes For a Breakthrough Season
By Gary Fitzgerald
Redskins.com
June 30, 2005



Most veterans departed Redskins Park on June 19 to begin a six-week vacation, but there was Taylor Jacobs last Friday, still working out in preparation for training camp. Jacobs was a solitary figure on the primary Redskins Park practice field. The third-year wide receiver was perfecting his route-running skills--first a curl, then a deep route, then another curl.
Since he joined the Redskins as a second-round draft pick in 2003, Jacobs has always been one of the hardest-working players on the team. He is consistently among the last players off the field after practice.


Taylor Jacobs
The coming season is a big one for Jacobs and his NFL career. The Redskins revamped their wide receivers this offseason, emphasizing speed. The team acquired Santana Moss in a trade and signed a pair of veteran free agents in David Patten and Kevin Dyson. Darnerien McCants and James Thrash are also in the mix.

Where does Jacobs fit in?

For the first time in his NFL career, Jacobs could be a legitimate contender for a starting job at wide receiver.

"Taylor has come back and looks as good as I've ever seen him," head coach Joe Gibbs said during the June mini-camp.

Asked who would be the starting wide receivers this season, Gibbs replied: "We haven't designated a starter. I'd say David and Santana have been lining up with the first group, but we haven't designated a starter. We're letting [wide receivers coach] Stan Hixon work with the guys and rotate them around a little bit."

For his part, Jacobs senses the opportunity before him. But he's not taking anything for granted. In two NFL seasons, Jacobs has a modest 19 receptions for 215 yards and one touchdown. From 1999-2002, he was a standout at the University of Florida, where he ranks eighth all-time with 133 career receptions and ninth with 2,097 career receiving yards.

"Laveranues Coles was the main go-to guy the last few years here," Jacobs said. "We still have some go-to guys here, but I feel like this is my third year and I'm getting better. So I think I can push for a starting job better than I have in years past.

"I feel like I'm just as talented as anybody out here. I just need a break. When coaches say it's my turn, it's my turn. Hopefully when I get that break, I'll run with it."

Jacobs' first NFL season 2003 was plagued with injuries and his 2004 season got off to an ominous start when he was slowed by an abdominal injury during training camp. He was a solid special teams performer early in the season, but he rarely saw action on offense. He didn't get down on himself, though.



"At that point, I just said, 'Look, I'm not going to tuck in my tail and run into corner. I've got to come out fighting,'" Jacobs said. "I'm just going to go out and work hard every day. Do my best. I'm not going to worry about anything that's out of my control."

Jacobs has already impressed a competitor for one of the starting wide receiver job. Patten, a nine-year veteran and three-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots, said he was surprised that Jacobs had not yet emerged as a big-time receiver in the NFL.

"He has all the tools," Patten said. "I was talking to him [during mini-camp] and I asked him, 'Why are you not a starter?' I really think the best is yet to come for him."

http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=7768

1niksder wrote:

Fo_Block wrote:
As far has Coles goes well he's gone (he's a Jet!) any cap problems were dealt with prior to the move being made

are you sure about this statement? doesn't coles count 9M against the '05 cap?