Jaguars sign CB Will Blackmon
By Brad Rowland
It isn’t a flashy move, but plucking a veteran cornerback off of waivers this time of year can pay major dividends for a fledgling NFL franchise, and that is exactly the move that the Jacksonville Jaguars made on Wednesday.
The team announced the signing of 7th-year CB Will Blackmon, and with the move, released rookie CB Marcus Burley. Blackmon has appeared in 43 games over his 6-year career, including a stint with the Packers that saw him start 16 games in 2008. Prior to his arrival in Jacksonville, he had been waived by the Seattle Seahawks, but his talents could easily be used in Jacksonville.
Currently, the Jags aren’t blessed with exceedingly great depth at the cornerback position, and their starters (Dwayne Gratz and Alan Ball) don’t exactly have big-time pedigrees. It should be noted that this signing for Blackmon is more of a “long look” than a major investment, but he has the talent to be an on-field contributor in 2013.
This move shouldn’t come as an outright shock, as the Jaguars new head coach, Gus Bradley, has contacts with Seattle going back to being their defensive coordinator. Will Blackmon may not be a star at the CB spot, but he’s a legitimate presence that brings depth that Jacksonville didn’t possess before Wednesday.