Jacksonville hasn't made the playoffs in nearly a decade, but linebacker Paul Posluszny believes this year's version of the team is ready to rumble.
"I would definitely say so," Posluszny said, per Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com. "Especially with depth, the group that we have here is the most talented since I've been in Jacksonville, for sure. It's exciting because you say, 'Hey, we have guys that can be elite players at multiple positions.' It's been a long time since we've had that."
A long time is right. The Jaguars have floated through the NFL for years, hanging around in the basement of the AFC South as coach Gus Bradley and general manager David Caldwell patiently added talent on both sides of the ball.
This year's club is a sexy pick to leap into the playoff picture, but we need to see it happen in real-time. If Blake Bortles continues to progress, the offense certainly has the pieces to generate yardage and points, while the defense has plenty of playmakers.
"When you look at who we have, who we brought in and just the overall level of expectation from us as players, we can all kind of feel it to say, 'Hey, we have some great talent now. Let's bring it together, play at a consistent level and see where this team can go,'" Posluszny said. "Personally and as a group, I know we're really excited about starting this."
Jacksonville has the roster to produce wins, but it boils down to Bradley pushing this club over the hump. It will be fascinating to see if the Jaguars can live up to the heightened expectations. If not, the fallout will be fierce.