Justin Blackmon Struggles On and Off the Field
Dorian “The Trashman” Colbert, Rosterwatch.com

Jaguars receiver Justin Blackmon needs a wake up call.

Maybe his most recent four-game suspension for substance abuse will be it. Such a suspension requires two prior infractions to be issued, Blackmon has had two drunk driving arrests, so one might assume that they account for the first couple of infractions—but it could also be the case that he failed another drug test previously at some point during his rookie season. The first infraction against the league’s substance abuse policy is kept private if the player consents to treatment and counseling.

It’s still a mystery as to what the third strike was, but what we do know is that it was not a performance-enhancing drug issue. Lately, NFL athletes have taken to claiming these incidents were due to Adderall, a PED with much less negative stigma in society than steroids or HGH.

In any case, Blackmon is on thin ice. Another slip up would warrant a  year-long suspension, which can be a lifetime for an athlete. Surprisingly, The Jaguars are standing by their troubled employee, despite a contract that would allow them to cut Blackmon without paying the roughly $10 million left on his deal. I guess it isn’t so surprising considering that Cecil Shorts is the only other receiver worth his salt on the roster right now. (Although we at RosterWatch do love rookie Ace Sanders.)

It’s not just Blackmon’s off-field antics that are an issue for the team. It’s been reported that the organization feels he’s often easily distracted and focuses too much on on-field errors. This might give some indication to what substance he abused—*chuckle*—and it is certainly representative of his frame of mind. Until Blackmon gets his head in the game and out of the clouds, he will never reach his full potential, which is substantial. As far as fantasy is concerned, Blackmon’s ceiling doesn’t seem to cancel out the risk of spending anything more than a late-round flier on him, as this is a Blaine Gabbert-led offense after all.