With any NFL team you see the longer the season goes on the longer the injury report gets. Jags are no exception. We already know about the guys on injured reserve like Blaine Gabbert and Daryl Smith and we know about the long recovery of Maurice Jones Drew but know we see some new guys on the list. Cecil Shorts and Rashad Jennings are both dealing with concussions. Shorts still has some symptoms but passed his concussion test, Jennings has yet to even pass his test, and neither will play until they are 100 percent cleared. It brings up the question what do you do with these guys for the rest of the year? I say keep them out.

It goes back to the long debate of what to do when your team has been eliminated from the playoffs? I’ve always been a believer of when you have nothing to play for this season you need to start thinking of the long term benefits of your team for next year and beyond. For example if you have a young QB that you think is the future of your team, start him during the last meaningless games to get that valuable game experience. For the Jags long term benefit I think they need to keep all these injured guys out for the rest of the year. Take the running backs first, I think it’s safe to say Jennings won’t be back this year and if he is it will be for a league minimum salary. Maurice Jones Drew is a different story. If he is brought back than you will need him back at 100 percent so why rush him into the lineup this year. if the Jags are thinking of cutting ties then what’s the point of bringing him into the game? Why not see what these younger backs can do? Use these last 4 games as a tryout. In Cecil Shorts case there is a ton of evidence that once you get that first concussion it’s easier to get you second and third and so on. Why risk rushing him back for these meaningless games and potentially cutting short what could be a great career.

When you’ve won only a hand full of games over the past two seasons you have to do whatever you can to change the losing ways. If that means tanking a few meaningless games for the benefit of the team next year I say do it. I don’t see the harm in resting a few key players that are already injured so they can come back in full force next year. I do see a lot of problems with rushing guys back if there is the tiniest question that they may not be 100 percent. the Jags are already thinking the about the future by cutting or trading players away it’s time to think about the future with the injured guys.