Marshall is clamoring to be traded, and the Broncos will surely have no shortage of suitors if they decide to unload the receiver.

The reasons for bringing Marshall to the River City are numerous and obvious. He's a dynamic, proven, talented receiver who would instantly be an upgrade over any receiver on the roster.

Marshall, entering his fourth year out of the University of Central Florida, has posted back-to-back 100-catch and 1,000-yard seasons and made the Pro Bowl in 2008. And at 25, his best days are certainly still ahead of him.

However, there's one reason Gene Smith, Wayne Weaver and the rest of Jacksonville's brain trust won't go near Marshall with a 10-foot pole.

Basically, the troubled receiver would need the entire Jacksonville offensive line to carry all his baggage.

His legal record reads like a bad episode of "COPS."

2004: Assault on a law enforcement officer while still at UCF.

2007: Domestic violence (charges were eventually dropped).

2007: DUI (pled to reduced charge, received one-year probation and 24 hours of community service).

2008: Driving without a license and proof of insurance (charges dropped as part of 2007 DUI plea bargain).

You get the idea.

This doesn't even take into account a recent piece featured on "Outside The Lines," in which ex-girlfriend Rasheeda Watley detailed numerous instances of Marshall's alleged domestic violence.

Marshall appeared on the show and said, in part, that he "never put my hand on Rasheeda Watley."

Whether or not Marshall is telling the truth about Watley is uncertain, and inconsequential. There is a clear pattern of misconduct, and it's probably just a matter of time before Marshall serves another NFL suspension (he sat out one game at the beginning of the 2008 season for personal conduct violations).

After Jacksonville jettisoned every one of its troubled wide receivers this off season (Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, Jerry Porter), it is inconceivable that the Jaguars would bring in a receiver who seems to be more troubled that the Jones, Williams and Porter combined.

No matter how talented he is.

Seeing Lloyd's name got me thinking about the years he was in San Francisco.

He showed so much promise in 2004 and 2005. In that two-year span, he caught 91 balls for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns.

What really wowed me about Lloyd was his ability to make the circus catch. I remember being back in California visiting family in 2004. My dad and I were at Callahan's, a sports bar in San Diego (I highly recommend it if you're in the neighborhood).

Anyway, the 49ers were playing and driving down the field. Lloyd went up to get a pass that was behind him, hauled the ball in, and got both toes in bounds.

I saw that play and thought, "This guy could be the next Cris Carter." During a time that the 49ers were starved for wide receivers, it looked like Lloyd might provide some relief.

Unfortunately, he showed off that diva-like attitude that so many receivers are famous for and was shipped off to Washington, where he failed to achieve the level he had reached in San Fran.

I thought the kid was washed up until I happened upon a Chicago Bears' game last year. There was Lloyd, making highlight-reel catches again.

In a 27-24 loss to Tampa Bay, Lloyd caught six passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. He only started five game for the Bears last year, but he seemed to have regained some of his old form.

People say that sometimes players need a change of scenery. I wonder if that was the last thing Lloyd needed.

Think about it. His best season came in 2005, but the 49ers' best offensive season of the last five years came in 2006, when Norv Turner was the offensive coordinator.

It seemed that Alex Smith and Lloyd had built quite a rapport during Smith's rookie season. That, coupled with Turner's brilliant offensive mind, could have very well translated to a 1,000-yard season for Lloyd.

Sadly, 49er fans will never know what could've been. Hopefully Lloyd will prosper in Denver.

And if we're lucky, maybe Lloyd will realize his full potential in Denver and make his way back to the City by the Bay.

Because the team plays in a small market and hasn't had great success this decade, people think that the Jags are largely ignored on a national level.

In this day and age, when so much value is placed on getting respect in the sports world, the lack of national exposure is a thorn in the Jacksonville's collective side.

Some people would argue that this lack of perceived respect really motivated Jacksonville in 2007, when the team exceeded everyone's expectations and won a playoff game at Pittsburgh.

That success, coupled with free agent acquisitions like Jerry Porter, Troy Williamson, and Drayton Florence, was supposed to put the Jaguars over the top.

They quickly became a trendy Super Bowl pick for 2008 and an odds-on favorite to win the AFC South.

Finally, Jacksonville got the recognition it had been waiting for.

And the Jags promptly fell flat on their face.

There were a plethora of reasons that Jacksonville didn't live up to the hype (a rash of injuries to the offensive line, a disaster with the new defensive coordinator, a bad decision in letting Marcus Stroud go, etc.).

At the end of the day, all that matters is the Jaguars grossly underachieved last year. In response to last year's 5-11 campaign, many of the national pundits are predicting no better than an 8-8 season.

Now I haven't heard any of the players make this point yet, but several fans on b/r are running around saying, "Now we can fly under the radar. We'll prove the haters wrong. This is just what we need to get back to the playoffs."

Really?

Listen, if your team can't deal with a little national publicity, then it isn't going very far in the first place.

I'm much more impressed with teams like Indy and New England, teams that have the national media on their jocks year in and year out.

I bet you'd never hear Peyton Manning or Tom Brady say, "You know, I wish we could sneak up on people and fly under the radar."

They know they're the big dogs, and they relish that role.

In the grand scheme of things, I don't think expectations, respect, and all this other stuff really has that much bearing on a team's success.

But as long as Jacksonville players and fans take this "No one respects us" attitude, you'll never get respect on a consistent basis.

What's the solution?

The team needs to sack up and get it done on the field.

And it wouldn't hurt if the fans could actually sell out the stadium. 

The logic behind scheduling the cream puffs is that it allows a team to work out the kinks and gives them some confidence before heading into the more challenging part of the season.

Unfortunately for the Jaguars, NFL teams don't have that luxury.

Jacksonville was already going to have a challenging schedule because the team plays in the AFC South. In addition to Indianapolis, a perennial playoff contender, the division includes Tennessee and Houston.

Although the Titans lost Albert Haynesworth, they made some significant upgrades to its offense, particularly in the passing game. And Houston is one of the up-and-coming teams in the NFL.

Six of the team's 16 games come against those three teams, so Jacksonville was already behind the eight-ball in terms of its schedule.

A fourth-place finish in the AFC South assured that there would be a few easy games on the schedule, and the Jags do get to play Cleveland and Kansas City this year.

Also, teams from the AFC South and the NFC West play each other this year, and three of the NFC West teams are very beatable.

But the Jaguars weren't fortunate enough to play any of those lesser teams in the early going. In fact, their first four games might be the most difficult stretch any team in the league has to face in the early going.

Jacksonville opens the season at Indy, and then returns home to host Arizona, the NFC champion. In week three, the team travels to Houston to face a Texan squad that has given Jacksonville fits over the years.

The four-game stretch ends with a home game against Tennessee. Talk about a gauntlet.

Three of the four teams reached the playoffs last year, with the Cardinals coming a few plays away from winning their first Super Bowl in franchise history. The combined regular season record of the four teams is 42-22.

Although it's difficult to predict how a team will do based on how it did last year, those numbers do not bode well for the Jaguars.

If Jacksonville was a team brimming with confidence after coming off a playoff season, this opening stretch wouldn't be a big deal.

But the Jaguars are a wounded team, a team searching for an identity. At this point, with the loss of numerous veterans, with the coach calling out one of the team's best players, with a new general manager, the team's psyche is extremely fragile.

If the Jaguars can make it out of the four-game stretch with a record of 2-2, things start to look up. Three of the next four games come against Seattle, St. Louis and Kansas City, all of which should be very winnable games for Jacksonville.

But if the team opens the season with an 0-4 record, a possibility that is highly likely, there will be no redeeming the 2009 campaign.

The 49ers drafted the Maryland alumnus with the No. 6 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, hoping that he would open up the offense. He was supposed to be like Brent Jones, only bigger, stronger, and faster.

So far, Davis has not lived up to the billing. After posting career highs in receptions (52), yards (509), and touchdowns (four) in 2007, his production slipped in 2008. He only caught 31 passes for 358 yards and two touchdowns last year.

In a blog by Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat, the primary reason for Davis' dip in production was the way he was used in Mike Martz's system.

Instead of making a concerted effort to get the ball in Davis' hands—something Martz said he was intent on doing—Davis was used for pass protection. Maiocco wrote that Davis was only targeted 49 times last year.

The offense struggled to keep the quarterback upright, whether it was J.T. O'Sullivan or Shaun Hill. The 49ers allowed 55 sacks last year, and keeping Davis in to block proved to be a necessity.

One of the reasons Davis had to fill that role is because San Francisco didn't have a true blocking tight end on the roster.

But that has changed with the recent draft of Fresno State tight end Bear Pascoe.

At first, I didn't really understand the pick. The 49ers already had Davis and Delanie Walker, so adding another tight end to the mix seemed a little silly.

Then I read the scouting reports on Pascoe and realized that he is exactly what San Francisco needs, especially if the team wants to recommit itself to running the football.

With a true blocking tight end on the roster, it should free up Davis to utilize his athletic ability in the passing game.

In Matt Maiocco's blog, new offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said that he plans on using Davis much more in passing routes this season. As Maiocco points out, the last three offensive coordinators made that claim.

But with Pascoe in the fold, 2009 will finally be Davis' time to shine.

After all, the 6'6, 256-pound tight end caught 58 passes for 741 yards and 10 touchdowns during his senior year at UCLA. That was the kind of production he was supposed to bring to the River City.

Up to now, Lewis' three-year tenure in Jacksonville has been nothing short of a disappointment. Lewis hasn't taken the Jaguar offense to the next level and is actually known more for his blocking ability.

To make matters worse, Lewis has shown a propensity toward dropping passes. He dropped eight balls last year, including four in a game against Houston that saw him catch zero passes.

With the offense taking on a decidedly new look in 2009, Lewis is hopeful that he will play a more prominent role in Jacksonville's attack.

According to an article written by Michael C. Wright of the Florida Times-Union, Lewis is showing a great deal of dedication to his craft this off-season.

Lewis has a stack of Post-it notes detailing tips on making him a better tight end. One of them dealt with eliminating a false step in order to get into his route quicker.

He's also taken the step of staying in Jacksonville for the entire off-season, instead of shuttling back and forth from Florida to California.

Assistant head coach Mike Tice was quick to note that Lewis' presence in Jacksonville was critical to his maturation process.

"One, he's been here through the off-season workouts. He's been here on the weekends," Tice said in Wright's article. "So he's able to get that timing down with David (Garrard) in the passing game, and he's been able to critique and refine some little things that, if you're back and forth, in and out of town, you can't do.

"Every time you go back and forth, in and out of town, you take a step back, then you go forward again."

It seems that Lewis' hard work is paying off. Wright reports that Lewis hasn't dropped one pass during the Organized Team Activities.

According to Wright, Lewis has figured out that just because he's talented doesn't mean he'll necessarily be an effective tight end in the NFL.

He realizes the amount of work that needs to be put in to reach that upper echelon, and he's willing to sell out to make that happen.

"This is just one of those years that where I'm going to be able to relax and play football because the game is slowing down a little bit," Lewis said. "I feel it now."

If Lewis can carry over his early success over into the regular season, Jacksonville will have a much more potent attack in 2009.

Even when the Titans went to the Super Bowl, Kevin Dyson and Derrick Mason weren't exactly setting the world on fire. That offense was all about Steve McNair, Frank Wycheck and Eddie George.

The offensive philosophy was pretty simple: Control the clock and keep the opposing offense on the sideline.

About a decade later, the faces were different, but the philosophy was the same.

Tennessee relied heavily on Chris Johnson and LenDale White, the best running back duo in the NFL. Kerry Collins made plays when he had to, but most importantly, he kept the Titans in games by avoiding mistakes. He was the consummate game manager.

That was all well and good until the Titans ran up against Baltimore in the playoffs. The Ravens, always known for having outstanding defenses, made sure that they shut down the run and forced Tennessee to beat them with the pass.

While Collins didn't have a horrible game (26-of-42, 281 yards, one interception), Baltimore held the Titans to 10 points and won 13-10, ending Tennessee's season much sooner than anyone anticipated.

There were a number of factors that conspired against Tennessee winning that game. First, the team committed three turnovers. Second, Johnson left in the first half with an ankle injury. Finally, the team committed 12 penalties.

But you can't help but wonder what would have happened if Tennessee had some bonafide receivers on the roster last year. Justin Gage had 10 catches for 135 yards.

What would a premier WR been able to accomplish?

With the sting of that loss still fresh, the Titans' front office sought to shore up the passing game by upgrading the wide receiver position.

First, the team went out and got Pittsburgh WR Nate Washington in free agency. While Washington's numbers weren't exactly stellar (40 catches, 631 yards, three touchdowns), he instantly gives Tennessee's receiver corps a boost.

In his previous four years in the league, Washington has averaged 16.4 yards a catch, showing that he's a legitimate deep threat. The Titans' offense will center around the running game, but the receiver out of Tiffin University will be a nightmare for defenses to handle, particularly on play-action passes.

It's important to note that Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward were the primary pass catchers, making Washington the third option (and maybe even the fourth behind Heath Miller). He should have a much more prominent role with the Titans.

Then the team went and drafted Kenny Britt out of Rutgers. Scouts bill Britt as a stout receiver who can take punishment and isn't afraid to go across the middle to catch a pass. His hands are a little shaky, but scouts expect him to come in and contribute immediately.

With an upgraded passing attack to go with the 1-2 punch at running back, Tennessee is one of my early favorites to reach the Super Bowl out of the AFC.

According to ESPN.com's John Clayton, Staley will have $18 million guaranteed with an opportunity to make as much as $45 million if he pays well.

Clayton commented that the deal was unusual because Staley hasn't played out his rookie contract yet. But General Manager Scot McCloughan made it clear that the team had full confidence in Staley.

"Joe Staley is the type of player we want to continue to add to this football team," McCloughan said. "He's a tough, versatile, no-nonsense type of guy who wants to do whatever it takes to help his team win football games."

But is Staley really as good as McCloughan thinks he is?

Give the guy credit. He's started the first 32 games of his NFL career, showing the ability to play both left and right tackle.

However, his success on the offensive line has been mixed. Numerous Web sites have reported that Staley surrendered 8.5 sacks last year, which is among the highest at his position.

Some of that might have to do with the fact that Staley moved from right tackle to left tackle last season, replacing the injury-prone Jonas Jennings.

Obviously, going from right tackle to left tackle is a huge difference, not only in terms of footwork, but also in terms of the defensive ends a lineman has to face.

But if a guy gave up 8.5 sacks and was still under contract, would you extend his deal by six years?

He was under contract until 2011. Why not let him play out the contract and see how he does?

What if he gives up double-digit sacks next year? Now you just sank several more millions of dollars into a guy who you had wrapped up for three more seasons.

Personally, I think that Staley will do an excellent job and live up to the contract. But I'm always a little wary of front offices who throw around big money when they don't have to.

A few weeks back, I wrote that the Dre' Bly signing was a sign that the 49ers' front office was moving in the right direction.

Hopefully, the Staley signing isn't an indication that it will be business as usual for the SF brass.