Jags get Thomas signed

WR Mike Thomas has signed a four-year deal that includes a $507,450 signing bonus, according to the Florida Times-Union. the contract could be worth as much as $1.3 million in base pay if the fourth-round pick his an escalator in the final year of the deal.

Thomas caught the eye of the Jaguars' coaching staff when it had Thomas on the roster of postseason all-star games.

"He's a guy that we coached at the Senior Bowl and he was also in the East-West game," Terry McDonough, the Jaguars director of player personnel, said in May. "Mike is short but muscular. He has a bubbly personality and he's very fast.

"He ran a 4.29. It was one of those whew-ey times. He's a playmaker. He's just 5-8. There's been some Steve Smith comparisons with him. This kid will kind of physically remind you of Steve Smith when Steve Smith was coming out, not the Steve Smith we know now as one of the best receivers in the league."

Holdouts hurting Rams and Jags

What do Steven Jackson and Derrick Harvey have in common? The Rams' star running back and the Jaguars' first-round draft pick are the lone remaining holdouts in the NFL.
And they're both gaining more leverage by the day.
News regarding Jackson's situation has been hard to come by, with few reports of talks between the sides. Coach Scott Linehan did say “There have been some talks and they are moving along.” But there has been no sign that Jackson is close to getting a new deal or reporting to the team.
Meanwhile, the first-string offense has failed to produce a touchdown through two preseason games without Jackson. In fact, the Rams' only touchdown in either game was engineered by a third-string quarterback. Marc Bulger threw a pair of interceptions before being pulled from Saturday's game against San Diego following a big hit.
The Jaguars took their own hit in negotiations with Harvey when their defensive ends combined for just four tackles against Miami. They didn't register a single sack and applied only very occasional pressure.
Quentin Groves, drafted a round after Harvey, got his first start against the Dolphins. But you wouldn't know it by looking at the box score, because he didn't show up in a single statistical category. Neither did the man he replaced, Kenny Pettway.
Jacksonville has veteran Paul Spicer at one end, but the position has been further thinned by Reggie Hayward missing the first two games with a sore hamstring and reserve James Wyche landing on season-ending injured reserve.
Harvey is now the longest rookie holdout in franchise history, passing the 19 days of quarterback Byron Leftwich.
According to published reports, the Jaguars are offering Harvey a $16.885 million guaranteed package with a base package of $21.140 million. Sedric Ellis, drafted seventh overall by New Orleans, received $19.5 million guaranteed and $32 million base, while Keith Rivers, selected ninth by Cincinnati, got a reported $15.445 guaranteed, $20.125 base package.
Ken Kremer, Harvey’s agent, is looking for a deal closer to what Ellis received. As a result, the two sides are at an impasse. The Jaguars have made two offers to Harvey, the first on July 1 and the most recent on July 28. The two sides spoke twice early last week but remain in a stalemate.

Jags Running Game Takes Hit

Injuries to interior linemen don't raise many eyebrows, but the Jaguars suffered a significant blow when C Brad Meester was lost for two months with a broken right foot. Meester will undergo surgery Wednesday and be replaced by Dennis Norman. The team doesn't expect a huge dropoff, but Norman is the team's most versatile backup and the depth along the offensive line becomes a concern with him forced into the starting lineup.

If another lineman goes down before Meester returns, the Jaguars would have to further patch together a line that was underrated last season. With the Jaguars' struggles in the passing game, any dropoff in the running attack could be fatal for Jacksonville early in the season.