Jaguars losing Telvin Smith could be devastating blow

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to be relying heavily on their defense to win games in 2019. On Thursday, they lost the heart and soul of that unit in linebacker Telvin Smith.

Smith, 28, announced via Instagram that he would be taking the year off to focus on his personal life. While the details of what exactly Smith was talking about remain vague, it’s clear that his off-field situation needs serious attention. While he’s rightly taking care of those problems, Jacksonville is left with a gigantic hole in the middle of its defense.

For his part, head coach Doug Marrone is simply rooting for the human being in his time of crisis.

“I think that, for me, I kind of put football to the side,” Marrone said via NFL.com. “To me, that’s an afterthought right now in concern with Telvin.

“I really believe in my heart that Telvin knows that we’re here to support him in any which way. Not just myself, the coaches, the organization, his teammates. I’m sure he’s aware of that and all we can do is make sure we pray and he knows that is he needs some support, we’re here for him.”

While the Jaguars did a nice job of upgrading the offense with quarterback Nick Foles in free agency and tackle Jawaan Taylor in the second round of the draft. Still, it’s a limited unit. The receiving corps is Marqise Lee — who is coming off of a torn ACL — Dede Westbrook, D.J. Chark and Keelan Cole. There’s no clear answer at tight end, and running back is Leonard Fournette and a litany of unproven depth.

The reality is that while Foles is an upgrade over Blake Bortles, this is still a team that desperately needs the defense to perform.

Smith’s absence means that the Jaguars will need immediate contributions from third-round rookie linebacker Quincy Williams. Williams was a star at Murray State but was projected by most to be a project who needs seasoning before playing real snaps beyond special teams coverage and returns. The good news? The rest of the front seven remains loaded with defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell, tackles Marcell Dareus and Abry Jones, and linebackers Josh Allen and Myles Jack.

Jacksonville lost a key member in Smith, one that could prove to be a crushing blow before training camp begins. That said, with months until the season opens, the Jaguars have time to figure it all out.