Jacksonville Jaguars sign 3 first-year players on eve of offseason workout session-NFL News
The Jacksonville Jaguars confirmed on Monday, April 16, 2012, to have added three new first-year players to the squad on respective unspecified contracts.
New members of the squad are expected to arrive just before the start of the team’s offseason voluntary workout this week.
The workout will mark a completely new beginning for Jaguars, who after change of the ownership hands, have a new head coach and coordinators at a number of positions.
According to an announcement from the team, those taken on board include defensive tackle, David Howard, place-kicker, Sam Swank, and linebacker, JoJo Dickson.
The terms of any all the deals are not disclosed by any of the stakeholders.
These signings are the first significant move from the team that has come just before beginning of the campaign for the 2012 National Football League (NFL) season.
New owner, Shahid Khan, has spoken of great ambitions for the side and apparently has backing been his plans from general manager, Gene Smith and head coach, Mike Mularkey.
It is also the first year for Mularkey as a head coach, as he has arrived in Jacksonville by deserting his former employers, the Atlanta Falcons, as an offensive coordinator.
The new players are expected to formally meet their teammates on the team’s inauguration offseason workout, on Tuesday, April 17, 2012.
According to Jaguars’ managers, it was a good opportunity for the new arrivals to go through the orientation session before formally kicking off their careers at Jacksonville.
The team’s fans, who have backed the new owner, are said to be anxiously waiting for the team’s new beginning, after its dismal season a year earlier.
Jaguars finished the 2011 NFL season with the record of 5-11 and the team had been through massive overhauling since coming out of the past year’s run.
From owner to head coach, Jaguars have parted ways with a majority of former members of the front office and squad.
Shahid Khan, the new owner, took over Jaguars on January 04, 2012, and has also introduced a few changes.
Yet he and the new head coach have said to be satisfied on their quarterback situation led by Blaine Gabbert, who is heading to the new season into the second year of his professional career.
With expressive confidence into his skills, it also sets higher expectations for Blaine. All eyes are focused on his performance next season after he failed to perform well in his rookie season.
Now he has been joined by three new players who are almost in similar situations with a year and more of professional career experience on their profile. They are said to be as much excited about the team’s new beginning as any other member of it.
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