Jacksonville Jaguars free safety Sergio Brown was tested last week against the New York Giants with one of the most electric playmakers from the 2014 season in Odell Beckham Jr., who caught 12 touchdowns and gained 1,305 yards in 12 games last season, and he passed with flying colors. Beckham was targeted five times, but he did not have a single reception from Giants quarterback Eli Manning. While Manning seemed off his game, Brown still showed a skill set that the Jaguars coveted when they signed him in free agency. According to Florida-Times Union's Hays Carlyon, he may be a "firm lock" for the free safety position.
The sixth-year veteran displayed quality speed in running from the middle of the field to the sideline to help the cornerbacks defend Beckham on deep balls.
“We’ve been really challenging Sergio about being able to cover from red line to red line,” Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said. “I thought it was his best game. Now, it’s the second game, but [he showed] marked improvement from the first game and what we saw in practice. So, I thought he was really locked into it. I thought his breaks on the ball, his reading intentions, and things like that — he really made a big step in our minds.”
The test might not be over for the free safety, as the Jaguars will be looking at Friday's game against the Detroit Lions. Their wide receiving corps needs no introduction with Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate leading the charge for the Lions. However, it seems that Sergio Brown would be open to the test, even if Calvin Johnson does not show up on the field for Friday, as he may rest pending Jim Caldwell's decisions.
“Saturday was a great building block,” Brown said. “It’s the preseason and we’re trying to get better regardless of the opponent. But to contain Odell like that gives us some extra confidence.”
The 27-year-old Brown has only started 11 games in his career, with eight coming last season with the Indianapolis Colts, and only has one career interception. Therefore, any success, even in the preseason, helps build hope that he can be an upgrade over former starter Josh Evans, who now slides to the backup strong safety spot.
It now seems that the Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be forming a solid secondary. Cornerbacks Aaron Colvin and Demetrius McCray are promising players from last season, while the team added an instant starter in veteran Davon House during free agency from the Green Bay Packers. Strong safety Johnathan Cyprien was the defense’s leading tackler last season and could become a star in his third season if he starts forcing more turnovers. However, it now seems that Sergio Brown may be the final piece to a young Jaguars secondary.
“I still have to get used to playing with my teammates,” Brown said. “I’m learning them more every day. There’s a lot of work we still have to do. We need to take the next step in our game.”
The free safety spot has derailed in each of Bradley’s first two seasons. Dwight Lowery suffered a season-ending concussion in the third game of the 2013 season, forcing Josh Evans, a sixth-round rookie from that season, into the starting lineup. Evans returned to the starting lineup last season after Winston Guy was benched and then cut after poorly performing in the first four games.
Brown does not have a huge bar to overcome to bring stability to the position. Bradley said Brown followed up Saturday’s game with a good practice on Tuesday.
“He’s starting to get a better understanding of what we’re asking at that position,” Bradley said.
The Jaguars may need that big presence for the upcoming season, especially with division rivals Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans all holding star receivers on their teams. Jacksonville will see the likes of T.Y. Hilton, DeAndre Hopkins and Kendall Wright on six different occasions in the upcoming season.