When the Jacksonville Jaguars traded defensive tackle after Marcus Stroud to Buffalo, a lot of people (myself included) figured they would use a draft pick or a free agent signing on someone new to start next to John Henderson. Jack Del Rio, however, believes Stroud's replacement has been there all along.

Rob Meier signed a 4-year extension with the Jaguars today, which reports say is the result of him taking a much bigger role on the defensive line. Terms were not disclosed, but he's expected to make more than the $2.095 million he was due this year.

Meier had four sacks last season, plus one more against Pittsburgh in the playoffs, and that was after spending half the season as a backup, so clearly the Jaguars believe he can be effective at putting pressure on the quarterback from the inside of the line -- and Del Rio really wants the Jags' defense to pressure quarterbacks next season.

Meanwhile, defensive end Paul Spicer is reportedly not as happy with the contract the Jaguars offered him. That might change in a hurry if Derrick Harvey proves to be a monster in minicamp.

We alluded to the Vikings Jared Allen gamble looking good on draft day, but Mike Florio has added another reason why the Allen trade is not nearly as crazy as some people believed it was.

To fill the team's biggest need, the Vikings traded a first-round pick and two third-rounders for Allen, while the Jaguars traded a first-round pick, two third-round picks and a fourth-round for rookie defensive end Derrick Harvey.
Now the first-rounder the Jags traded was the 26th pick, while the Vikings was pick No. 17, but overall the two trades were pretty comparable as far as what was given up.

Now there is a chance that Harvey will make a Jevon Kearse/Dwight Freeney-like impact as a rookie (although it's unlikely), and there's a chance that Allen will go on a four-day bender that leads to a long suspension, but it's much more likely that Allen will continue to be one of the NFL's best defensive ends, while Harvey will be the typical NFL rookie who shows flashes of greatness and flashes of being lost.

And given the choice, you'd rather have the vet.

How many touchdowns can you buy for $15 million a year?

That's the question the Jacksonville Jaguars will answer this year. They signed quarterback David Garrard to a 6-year, $60 million deal, and Jerry Porter to a 6-year, $30 million deal. That's $90 million over 6 years -- money that the Jaguars spent to put a lot more points on the board.

Early reports indicate that the Garrard-to-Porter combo is already looking strong in minicamp, with Garrard throwing to his new teammate as often as possible and Porter catching high balls and low balls with relative ease. He's also saying all the right things:

"It's a fresh start and a damn good team with high expectations. The team did well without me, and I want to come in and pull my weight and make sure I can help the team in some way."

Of course, it's easy to say this is money well spent in May, but if these reports continue to trickle out of Jacksonville, Porter might be a worthwhile fantasy target. Plus, if Garrard-to-Porter opens up the offense, that can only mean good things for Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor.

It's no secret that the NFL wants a team in Los Angeles. Rumors persist of various franchises leaving their homes and going out west -- or, in the case of the San Diego Chargers, going north about 120 miles. Tom Benson might have moved the Saints there already if it weren't for Hurricane Katrina.

It's the Jacksonville Jaguars, though, that seem to be the team everyone wants to put in L.A., mostly because they're a small-market team still struggling to sell tickets, and few outside of that city would blink if they moved.

Put it out of your head. As Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com reminds us, NFL teams don't move because they can't sell out their stadium. Indeed, they move because of the stadium itself.

The Browns left Cleveland because of a stadium issue. That's why the Rams left Los Angeles, the Colts left Baltimore, the Cardinals left St. Louis and the Oilers left Houston. Down through history, stadium issues have usually been the reason teams have left one city for another. The Jaguars, however, don't have a stadium issue. As far as I know, the stadium situation here is fine, so don't compare the Jaguars to the Browns, Rams, Colts, Cardinals, Raiders, etc.

Jacksonville Jaguars 2008 Draft Picks:

8. Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
52. Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn
155. Thomas Williams, OLB, USC
159. Trae Williams, CB, South Florida
213. Chauncey Washington, RB, USC

The Good: The Jaguars believed they only needed a stronger pass rush to challenge the Colts, and it went all-out to get it, trading up to get Derrick Harvey and grabbing Quentin Groves on the first day. If you believe Jaguars.com editor Vic Ketchman, the Jaguars got point chart-shattering value out of their trade with the Ravens. They also got a decent value pick out of South Florida's other cornerback, Trae Williams.

The Bad: Value or no value, they gave up a lot of picks to get Harvey, which is a huge gamble on their part. Plus, while they took care of their defensive ends, they added no depth at defensive tackle behind John Henderson and Rob Meier, and they took fliers on a couple of seemingly random guys from Southern Cal -- something that won't quell the rumors that the Jaguars could move to L.A. (Later this week, though, I'll tell you why such a move won't happen.)

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a big splash in the draft yesterday, trading up twice to get a pair of defensive ends -- Derrick Harvey from Florida and Quentin Groves from Auburn.

So they got the pass rushers they needed. Now they're going to get ... not much else. They practically traded away the rest of their draft to get Harvey and Groves. All they have left today is two 5th-round picks.

Perhaps that's not such a bad thing, given the depth the Jaguars have on the roster right now, but to come away from a draft with only four players doesn't seem particularly productive. The Jags still seem to need some depth in the middle of the defensive line and maybe some help at safety -- unless they really, really believe Gerald Sensabaugh will stay healthy this year -- and they only have two late picks with which to fill those spots. Chances are those 5th-rounders won't have too much of an impact this year, either.

So if you're in Jacksonville today, go outside and play. It's 85 degrees and sunny, and your team's draft is all but over, really.

The Jacksonville Jaguars came into this draft thinking they needed just a few key players to overcome the Indianapolis Colts. They got their receiver and their cornerback in free agency. They needed a pass rusher in the draft. They certainly got that in Derrick Harvey, but did they give up too much to get him?

Maybe. According to NFL Network, the Jaguars gave the Baltimore Ravens their 1st round pick, two 3rd-round picks and a 4th-round pick to get Harvey. Forget about the point-value chart, which says that the Ravens gave up a lot of value. The Jaguars spent four picks to get one guy.

On the other hand, this is a team that doesn't really need to build in the draft right now. The Jaguars are ready to make a push for the AFC South title this year. They don't need depth from this draft. They need impact players now, and they weren't going to get a real impact player at a key position with the 26th pick.

Jack Del Rio and Shack Harris picked another Florida player last year in Reggie Nelson, and he proved to be a winner. Still, they had better be right about Harvey, because they spent four picks on him. They only spent one on Nelson.

That highlight reel shows why the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey with the eighth pick in today's NFL draft. They needed a speed edge rusher, and that's Harvey's specialty.

Harvey had 20.5 sacks in his Florida career and put together an impressive performance at the scouting combine. He'll move into the starting lineup, and he'll be a big part of the Jaguars' plans to pressure Peyton Manning and finally move into the top spot in the AFC South.

Previously on FanHouse:
FanHouse Mock Draft: Jacksonville Jaguars Take Kentwan Balmer No. 26
Should the Jaguars Chase After Jason Taylor?

While Jason Taylor is off dancing the night away on ABC, his future with the Miami Dolphins remains in doubt.

Clark Judge of CBSsports.com is reporting that at least two teams have been approached by the Dolphins to discuss the possibility of trading the All-Pro defensive end for a first-round pick. This, of course, is despite Bill Parcells' protests that Taylor will stay in Miami and we're all irresponsible morons for reporting otherwise.

Now here's my question -- are the Jacksonville Jaguars one of those teams talking to the Dolphins about Taylor? More importantly, should they?

Yes, the Jaguars are looking to strengthen their defensive line in this draft. They traded away Marcus Stroud and let Bobby McCray go in free agency, and while their pass rush managed 37 sacks last season, Reggie Hayward and Paul Spicer may be starting to decline. However, Taylor himself is 34, older than both Hayward and Spicer, and that may not be the direction Jacksonville wants to go.

Here's the only reason the Jags would consider Taylor -- they want to win now. They have most of the puzzle pieces in place, and they might think Taylor is the last piece to help them topple the Colts in the AFC South. Ultimately, though, I think we should mark this possible trade as possible, but not likely. In the end, Jack Del Rio might decide he's better off with, say, Kentwan Balmer or Calais Campbell.

With each pick of the FanHouse mock draft, we get into the head of an NFL general manager and let you know who he'll pick and why.

So Jaguars.com editor Vic Ketchman has this ongoing tussle with his readers in his daily Q&A column about how NFL teams should draft. Some fans say teams should draft based on need. Ketchman says teams should they take the best player available in the first round, regardless of need.

I considered both arguments before making this pick, and I tried to find balance between both arguments. The Jaguars' biggest need is a pass rusher, but the entire defensive line could use a boost. They could also use some depth in the secondary and perhaps another receiver.

However, the Jags addressed the receiving corps and secondary in free agency with the signings of Jerry Porter and Drayton Florence. They haven't addressed the defensive line, and while you can make the argument that DeSean Jackson is the best player available, you can do the same for UNC defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer, who has great quickness and range for a DT and could help the team deal with the loss of Marcus Stroud.