Jaguars WR Cecil Shorts's weight is up from 195 pounds to 202 pounds, and you can see the extra strength helping on the practice field.
"I wanted to get stronger to be able to get off the press and be more powerful," Shorts said. "When I watch film, guys like A.J. Green, Michael Crabtree, Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald, they all explode off the ball. Getting of the jam and being able to shed is important. You have to be strong to hold your own. I feel stronger. I feel more explosive."
When the team took 11 days off recently, Shorts didn't. He spent his time at the facility working with the rookies, who didn't get the time off. Later this summer, he will head to Minneapolis to work out with Larry Fitzgerald, whose workouts are legendary for being tough. Shorts trained with Fitzgerald, and some others, last summer.
"Fitzgerald is the ideal pro," Shorts said. "He's an extremely hard worker, extremely humble. He's the professional of all professionals. He gets it. You can see why he's one of the best. I want to work to get there."
All but one piece (QB play) is in place for Shorts to build on his breakout season. Blaine Gabbert did have a higher average FP/T (1.49) in passes to Shorts than Chad Henne did (1.30), but Henne targeted Shorts on a much higher percentage of his attempts (25%) than Gabbert (17%), per Pro Football Reference. So if Gabbert throws to Shorts more, it should mean big things for the third-year wideout.
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