Jaguars Snubbed

The Jaguars appear to be loaded with talent at the linebacker position. Despite the wealth of talent, the team tried to sign a free agent backer. Find out which linebacker said “no thanks” to the Jaguars when they came calling with an offer.

The Jaguars were looking for some more help at what appears to be a loaded position, outside linebacker, when they tried to sign former Vanderbilt Commodore, Marcus Buggs. Buggs was passed over in last weekend’s draft before opting to sign with the Buffalo Bills.

"If I didn't get drafted, I wasn't going to hang my head," he said. "All I needed was my shot. Buffalo seemed like the best spot."

Buggs said the Bills called him over the weekend while the draft was still in progress.

"They said they would consider drafting me, but if they didn't, they wanted me as a free agent," Buggs said.

Aside from Buffalo and Jacksonville, the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns showed interest in Buggs as well, and he considered offers from all four teams.

So what kind of player did the Jaguars miss out on? Marcus Buggs measures in at 5'11", 235 lbs., and was converted from safety to linebacker while at Vanderbilt. Buggs saw action in 52 games while at Vandy, and registered 155 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries, 5 sacks, 1 interception which he returned for a touchdown, and 2 forced fumbles.

The Jaguars liked Buggs timed speed and aggressive nature, as he was clocked as low as 4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and led his Commodore team with 10.5 tackles for loss as a senior. Buggs showed up big against the University of Florida, as he recorded 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Buggs was one of three Vanderbilt defensive players to sign undrafted free agent deals, as former teammate, defensive tackle Theo Horricks signed with the Jaguars, and linebacker Curtis Gatewood signed with the Washington Redskins.