Quentin Groves tweeted this at about 2:30:
Duval County....I LOVE U GUYS...thanks for all your support...New Starts=New Beginnings...OAKLAND HERE I COME!!!!
Chris Mortensen reported he believes the Jaguars got a fifth-round pick for Groves.
Groves told me in an e-mail that it's done “pending a physical.”
The deal gives the Jaguars, who are without second- and seventh-round picks a total of seven selections now, with two in the fifth and two in the sixth. The move is another example of Gene Smith’s willingness to admit the franchise’s errors, acknowledge a non-fit or both.
Among the others disposed of or allowed to walk: Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Khalif Barnes, Gerald Sensabaugh and Derek Landri.
They were all drafted when James “Shack” Harris was running the front office, but this isn’t about a divide between old leadership and new.
Smith needs all the good players he can get; he’s not clearing out guys he believes can help. It’s to his credit that he’s not compelled to give guys more time than he thinks they need to be sufficiently evaluated.
The Jaguars couldn’t figure out how to get production out of Groves, who was part of the reason they dabbled with a 3-4 last year and was part of the reason the team had only 14 sacks. They started him at linebacker, they started him at end and they shuffled him way down the depth chart.
It just didn’t work.
Now new defensive line coach Joe Cullen’s had time with him and I feel sure his input was factored in.
A team looking to revamp its pass rush now goes with Derrick Harvey and free-agent addition Aaron Kampman as starters with Reggie Hayward and a to-be-drafted player in the mix.