Jaguars have a large chunk of their payroll in their starting defensive line

Although Tyson Alualu's deal hasn't been finalized, it will be worth around $18 million in guaranteed money. That's not even including other bonuses or game salary. Factoring in the remaining guaranteed money owed to DE Derrick Harvey, and it's quite apparent the Jaguars have a large chunk of their payroll in their starting defensive line.

When the Jaguars have spent money like drunken sailors before, it has usually resulted with egg all over their faces. In the late 90's, the Jaguars went out and mortgaged their future to get to the Super Bowl. Instead, high profile signings like Bryce Paup and Hardy Nickerson failed to do much of anything. Then in 2008, the front office once again drank the Kool-Aid and threw out more monopoly money to the likes of Jerry Porter and Cleo Lemon. Not to mention mortgaging their 2008 draft for Derrick Harvey.

Just two years later the Jaguars are on the verge of doing it yet again. Once Tyson Alualu signs on the dotted line, the Jaguars will have spent almost $30 million in guaranteed money this off season on two players who haven't done anything in a Jaguars uniform. Worse yet, one is coming off ACL surgery and the other has never played a down in the NFL before.

As far as getting an answer to the titular question, we won't be able to give any David Garrard real answer until several months from now. I fully expect the first few weeks of the regular season to have its fair share of disappointing moments. The hype that is surrounding the two is tremendous and will only magnify any mistakes that are made. When Halloween rolls around, we'll know where those two stand. By then, we'll know how well Kampman's knee is holding up and how well Alualu will have adjusted to the pro game.

As far as Alualu goes, I do believe he'll be great in the teal and black. He's clearly a talented player who has a drive to get better, and you can't ask for more from a Top Ten pick. However, the Kampman signing does have me on edge. I just keep thinking of when the Jaguars signed Bryce Paup. The similarities are scary and certainly a cause for concern. Both were 30 year old sack artists who began to experience a decline in production. However, the general consensus was they had enough left in the tank to make it a worthwhile signing. Paup had 8 sacks in two years and still ranks as the Jaguars biggest misstep in free agency.

David Gerrard has not stepped up his signal calling and many feel he regressed in 2009. The Jaguars football jerseys do have pro-bowler Maurice Jones-Drew, but the offensive line is gong to have to do a better job of pass protecting for the running game to really reach its potential.

The real problem for the team in 2009 was a defense that recorded only 14 sacks, the fifth-lowest in NFL history since sacks became an official stat. At any level of football, the lack of a pass rush places immense pressure on the secondary and if an NFL quaterback has more than 3.5 seconds to pass, he will certainly have at least one wide open wide receiver.

Reflecting the lack of a pass rush is the fact that Jacksonville is 0-8 against the spread against weak passing teams gaining just 5.7 or fewer yards per pass attempt. So even the poor passing teams designed game plans to take advantage of the weak Jacksonville defense.

As a result, Jacksonville spent the first four picks of this year's draft on the line and also traded for middle LB Kirk Morrison, who had 133 tackles and two sacks with the Raiders last season. These are all moves in the right direction, but it will take at least a season for the rookies to develop and for the defensive chemistry to be built before they can play as a top-level NFL defensive unit.

Everyone who has suited up for the new Jacksonville Jaguars jerseys, and everyone who has watched a practice from the stands, knows that training camp is hot.  Now, some numbers put that heat in context.