The Troubles of Justin Blackmon

Just when you thought the 2013 season could net get any worse for the Jacksonville Jaguars, it did when wide receiver Justin Blackmon was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league's Substance Abuse Policy for the 2nd time. Trouble certainly isn't new for the young wideout as the talented Blackmon has faced legal issues since his time at Oklahoma State.

In his breakout 2010 campaign in which he was the first receiver to be named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, Blackmon was suspended for a game midseason after receiving a misdemeanor DUI charge. The talented receiver went on to establish himself as the top receiving prospect heading into the 2012 Draft following his impressive career in Stillwater.

However, mere weeks after being selected 5th overall by the Jags Blackmon found himself in trouble once again for yet another DUI. The Jacksonville coaching staff apparently let it slide by as he faced no discipline and appeared in all 16 games in his first season, leading all rookies with 64 receptions and 865 receiving yards despite sub-par play at the quarterback position.

It seemed as though Blackmon was poised to live up to the hype surrounding him heading into his second year in the league, but this hope came crumbling down as he was suspended for four games as a first time offender of the Substance Abuse Policy. After serving his suspension, the talented Blackmon returned to the team with a vengeance as he wanted to show the league what he was truly capable of.

In his first two games back he posted games of 136 and 190 yards respectively, despite absolutely abysmal play at the quarterback position by the likes of Blaine Gabbert or Chad Henne, both of whom place outside the top 30 of ESPN's Total QBR, a metric that values quarterback play on a scale from 0 to 100. Following his fourth game, Blackmon had the third most receiving yards/game averaging 103.8 yards per game (per Pro Football Reference), but he won't have the chance to build off his tremendous start due to his most recent suspension.

There's no denying Blackmon's talent as exemplified by his on the field play but the wideout found himself in serious trouble this time around and he won't return anytime soon. The Jags made a bold investment in signing him to a four year, $18.5 million deal, $11.9 of which is guaranteed. However, the team is now in a fairly tough situation as they must decide whether or not to cut ties with him. Losing its most electrifying player on the field certainly won't help their cause to bounce-back from a 2-14 2012 season, and with the organization's notoriously struggles with local television blackouts the Jaguars are in major rebuilding mode in all facets of the organization.

With a realistic shot to finish with the worst record in the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars should seriously consider giving up on Blackmon while reevaluating its personnel. It's a shame that such an elite talent has come crashing down like this, and we likely will never be able to see his full potential but it is what it is. On the bright side, the 2014 Draft may feature several top prospects at the receiver position including Mike Evans, Marquise Lee, and Sammy Watkins. Sorry Jags fan, but at this point Tim Tebow can't even save the mess that is the 2013 Jacksonville Jaguars season.