Jaguars GM suggests team isn't anticipating Justin Blackmon's return
Having missed all but four games in the past two seasons due to an indefinite suspension, could Justin Blackmon's time with the Jacksonville Jaguars soon be coming to an end?
Though general manager David Caldwell seems open to having the troubled wide receiver return to the team if reinstated, Caldwell certainly isn't planning on it happening any time soon.
Asked about Blackmon in an appearance on SiriusXM Radio on Monday, Caldwell explained that the draft class Jacksonville put together this past weekend gives some insight into the club's current line of thinking.
Caldwell on Blackmon: Our approach is to continue w/business as usual. If he is reinstated we will welcome him with open arms. #Jaguars
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 4, 2015
More Caldwell on Blackmon: With us drafting two more WR's this year it kind of shows you where we are at with that. #Jaguars
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) May 4, 2015
The Jaguars added Florida State wide receiver Rashad Greene with their fifth-round selection, and again addressed the position by taking Monmouth's Neal Sterling with their first of two picks in the seventh.
While two late-round selections alone would hardly prevent a once-highly touted player from returning to the field, adding them to an already strong group of young talent could effectively eliminate the need for Blackmon's contributions.
As the Jaguars continue to move in the right direction as a franchise - having taken another substantial step forward with several key additions in both free agency and in the draft - it would be no surprise to see the front office opt to move on from Blackmon, regardless of his playing eligibility.
Blackmon has at times flashed the impressive potential that made him worthy of the fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, but his inability to stay on the field has understandably raised significant concerns about his future in the league.