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Jaguars part ways with Porter, Florence
By Associated Press
Feb 11, 2009 - 5:31:25 PM

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jaguars essentially acknowledged two failed free agent acquisitions Wednesday by releasing receiver Jerry Porter and cornerback Drayton Florence.

The Jaguars paid more than $23 million for Porter and Florence to step into starting roles last year, but both failed to make an impact on the field and may have been even less impressive in the locker room. Teammates privately blamed them for chemistry issues that plagued Jacksonville (5-11) all season.

"In going through our personnel evaluations and roster analysis we are making decisions that we believe will help improve our team for the 2009 season and beyond," Jaguars general manager Gene Smith said.

Porter signed a six-year, $30 million contract that included $10 million guaranteed. He also earned $1 million in salary last season, but caught just 11 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown.

He started the season on the physically unable to perform list following hamstring surgery and ended the year on injured reserve (groin). Teammates singled him out as a main culprit for the chemistry problems — a label Porter first earned in Oakland.

Florence signed a six-year, $36 million deal with about $12 million guaranteed. He also got $1 million in salary last season, but couldn't win a starting job. He spent most of the season playing in nickel and dime situations, and giving that much money to a backup raised eyebrows around the locker room.

"Obviously, I endorsed them or we wouldn't have done them, so I'm not going to go back and second guess what was done," team owner Wayne Weaver said last month. "We just have to learn from our mistakes and move on."

Weaver parted ways with personnel chief James "Shack" Harris in December, partly because of the two failed free agent signings.

Cutting them will save the club about $8.3 million in salary in 2009. Florence was scheduled to make $1.9 million in base salary with a $2.5 million roster bonus. Porter was due to make $1.9 million in base salary with a $2 million roster bonus.


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