Nov 27, 2011; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew (32) takes the field to face the Houston Texans at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

First of all, the odds of Jones-Drew being traded are slim at this point; the Jaguars have all the leverage over Jones-Drew as he is under contract for two more seasons. This means that if he holds out he’s loosing money. What’s most likely to happen in this situation is both sides lower their demands and come to an agreement early in the season. However, the Jaguars’ team owner Shad Khan’s comments on Jones-Drew make this situation murky, and opened up media speculation on where Jones-Drew will be dealt.

If Jones-Drew was really going to be traded, it would be hard to argue with the Lions if they chose to pursue him — he has been one of the most consistent and dominant backs in the NFL for the last three seasons, not to mention he is in the prime of his career. However, acquiring Jones-Drew would be a difficult task for the Lions as they would likely have to give up multiple high draft picks and satisfy Jones-Drew with a new contract. While giving up draft picks is a high cost, the contract of Jones-Drew might be more of a burden as the Lions have Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh, and Calvin Johnson tying up most of their funds.

It’s possible the Lions could squeeze in another expensive contract in Jones-Drew, especially with the cap number rising over the next few years, but how could the Lions afford to keep other key players on the roster or breakout stars that might be on the current roster?

Those questions might be irrelevant if the Lions’ front office decides that Jones-Drew will push the roster to greatness. Especially since getting the team to go from “good” to “great” has been the off season goal for the Lions.

Trading for Jones-Drew would immediately make the Lions a better team, but it could be a costly risk for a team on the rise, especially with all the questions still surrounding Mikel Leshoure. What if Leshoure turns out to be a dominant back that the Lions think he will be? What if Jones-Drew isn’t enough to get the Lions to the Super Bowl or he gets injured?

If the Lions’ Super Bowl window wasn’t so wide open I would suggest the Lions do as much as possible to acquire Jones-Drew. But for now, the risk/reward might not be worth it.

Photo Credit: Phil Sears-US PRESSWIRE

The Detroit Lions will make an early November trip to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars for their eighth game of the season. The Jaguars are undergoing a rebirth of sorts, something I was able to discuss with Luke Sims, editor at Black and Teal. My thanks to Luke for taking the time to answer my questions about the Jaguars.

1. What is your initial reaction to the Jaguars’ 2012 draft?

Luke Sims: I was very pleased with the Jaguars’ draft in 2012. I was out shopping at a mall when my phone alerted me to the Justin Blackmon selection and quickly ran to the nearest electronics store so I could watch it on 12 different TVs. But seriously, I think that Blackmon and Andre Branch have a real chance to make a big impact in their first year with the team. I also like punter Bryan Anger (maybe not 3rd round attraction…) and from all reports he is keeping his punts around six seconds of hangtime which is unbelievable. After Anger I felt there was some drop off in the quality of players selected but I think that the added depth at some positions will turn out to be a good move.

2. How are the fans and coaches approaching Blaine Gabbert’s second season after a terrible rookie year?

LS: I keep trying to make the comparison of Gabbert to Minnesota’s Christian Ponder and to Eli Manning during his rookie season. Gabbert was never supposed to start in 2011 and the coaches knew that. With a new coaching staff the powers that be could have gone in any direction but they stuck with Gabbert. The strong physical tools that Gabbert posses are the positive, but the mental lapses and creating good footwork and pocket presence into second nature are the main focus of the coaches. I think the fans are really rooting for him to make a comeback, he really is the first top-flight player we’ve had come to the position since Mark Brunell.