JACKSONVILLE -- Five observations on the 2003 Jacksonville Jaguars, gleaned from the training camp practices of Aug. 6-7:

	Larry Smith is tended to by team trainers after collapsing from the heat during a training camp session.

1. I hate to waste an observation on the heat problems that have plagued the Jaguars' first training camp under rookie head coach Jack Del Rio, but -- with the issue such a hot topic (pardon the pun) nationally -- it probably needs to be addressed. Problem is, there really is no viable explanation for why three players -- defensive tackles Larry Smith and John Henderson and wide receiver Donald Hayes -- succumbed to heat-related illnesses in the first dozen days of workouts. Del Rio noted after the Henderson incident that the national perception would be he's the reincarnation of Bear Bryant, running "The Junction Boys" into the ground. He's right about one thing: Editors all over the country, most of whom have overreacted in their zeal to remind everybody about how Korey Stringer died two years ago when overcome by oppressive training camp temperatures, have splashed the Jags' problems all over the front pages of their sports sections. But the truth, as witnessed by these two eyes, is this: The temperatures in Jacksonville have not been Hades-like and Del Rio is hardly pushing his players to the breaking point. Far from it, in fact, in both elements. On the day Hayes took a knee at the end of practice, because he had begun to feel light-headed, the temperature was 82 degrees and the heat index just 86. Del Rio had cut practice short that day because of impending lightning storms, and Hayes had participated in just 19 plays. The temperatures were no worse when Smith and Henderson went down and both players had taken part in fewer than 20 snaps. As for the practice sessions, they are neither long nor daunting, and Del Rio noted to us that "you just can't take the old-school approach" anymore. He has focused much of the on-field time on teaching and on hammering home the importance of technique in new offensive and defensive schemes that have been installed. The practices we saw, in fact, were among the most benign we have witnessed in any of the training camps visited to date. Smith and Henderson are both 300-pounders who reported to camp in less than optimum condition. That seems to be especially true in Smith's case, and Del Rio chastised him publicly a few days ago, and one has to wonder if he'll even make the team now. There is some suspicion that this edition of the Jaguars, the first to be coached by someone other than Tom Coughlin, just isn't in as good a collective shape as its predecessors. We don't know about that. What we do know, however, is that there is no insidious connection to the three heat-related incidents, and all those conspiracy theorists out there can quit seeking one out.

2. It would have been heresy just a couple years ago to suggest that the Jaguars might be better off without the often brilliant Mark Brunell and that the time was right for change. But for a franchise that has heralded Del Rio's arrival as the commencement of its second chapter, and whose motto is "A New Era Begins," perhaps the overhaul should have also included the quarterback position. There are times in practice when Brunell, still just 32 years old, looks absolutely wooden, and it has nothing to do with the brace the 10-year veteran is wearing on his right knee. Brunell doesn't move like he used to, his accuracy is hardly what it once was, and, at the very least, his best football is now behind him. Although the coaches defend him, Brunell was 0-for-5 in the first intra-squad scrimmage and, even in a seven-on-seven drill Thursday morning, he threw a terrible interception to linebacker Mike Peterson and looked badly out of synch. A dicey decision for ownership is when to sever the umbilical cord. Given his contract, this is almost certainly the final year for Brunell in Jacksonville anyway, barring a restructuring that reduces his 2004 salary-cap number. But owner Wayne Weaver seems to feel that, had he released or traded Brunell this year, it would have served as an overt signal to the fans that the franchise was, indeed, in full rebuilding mode. Selling tickets, in a small market that features a too-big stadium, is essential. And, let's face it -- fans spoiled by the success of the past, don't like the "rebuilding" term. Brunell, though, is being pushed hard by second-year veteran David Garrard, who is dramatically improved over his rookie year. Garrard has taken full advantage of the absence of first-rounder Byron Leftwich, whose holdout may drag on interminably, to get in extra work and to make it pay off. No longer does he look like an impetuous youngster who bolted from the pocket every time his first option was shut down, and Garrard has demonstrated nice touch, in addition to a very strong arm. With the symbol of the old guard fading, and the symbol of the new day involved in a contract impasse, Garrard has become a viable factor at quarterback. It remains unlikely he will leap-frog Brunell by the start of the regular season, but, if he plays well in preseason, he could make the decision an interesting one. He already has made the competition at the position closer than anyone thought. Then again, part of that is the decline of Brunell, whose physical tools have noticeably eroded.

3. As noted in our recent report on the New Orleans Saints, teams like to be strong up the middle, and the Jaguars at least have the potential to be just that. Peterson, who played the weakside spot during his four years in Indianapolis and has now switched to middle linebacker, is a very active defender and flashed nice range in the practices we witnessed. He can definitely run to the football, and the blitz skills he displayed with the Colts will be put to good use as well. Del Rio cited Peterson to us as one of the players who has enjoyed a strong camp. But like all the quicker linebackers who have been moved to the middle in the NFL's newest copycat trend, the success of Peterson will largely depend on the performance of the tackles in front of him, and former first-rounders Marcus Stroud and John Henderson have to keep him clean. On potential alone, the two tackles should be ready now to assume a niche among the best young tandems in the NFL, given their shared size and physical prowess. But Henderson seems to be forever injured and Stroud, who was having a standout camp, sprained his right knee and will miss some time. The backups, the poorly-conditioned Larry Smith and modestly-talented Rob Meier, just aren't as good. For Peterson to make plays, he has to have the trash kept away from him, and that means Stroud and Henderson must be on the field and mauling people inside.

4. One of the strengths of the Jaguars is the safety position, and one reason why is rookie Rashean Mathis, a second-round draft choice from Bethune-Cookman, and a player who had 14 interceptions in 2002. Projected as a first-round pick by some teams before the '03 draft, Mathis played some at cornerback in college, and those coverage skills are obvious. The guy is a great "ball" athlete who seems to move effortlessly to the action and has a knack for the big play. Some scouts wondered if he could make the jump from a small-time program to the NFL. Doubters be gone. In one practice earlier this week, Mathis sprinted all the way from the opposite hash-mark to the sideline, with the ball in the air, to knock away a deep pass. He has size, confidence and quickness, and clearly is a player to watch. The emergence of Mathis, though, does again open up management for its decision to use the "franchise" designation on strong safety Donovin Darius. One of the few remaining links to the franchise's glory years, and the club's first-round choice in the 1998 draft, Darius has always been a safety who looked the part but whose production never quite measured up. He passes the "eyeball test," is a physical specimen, but makes very few big plays. In an era when the focus at safety is turning to cover defenders, he is still more a hitter, an "in the box" safety. The position is one of the few on the team at which Del Rio can make decisions based on strength. The Jaguars can't release Darius because he signed the "franchise" qualifying offer, and that guarantees his $3.043 million salary for 2003. It is telling, though, that the Jaguars have made no attempt to sign Darius to a longer-term deal. Del Rio will have to find snaps for third-year veteran Marlon McCree, who figures to lose his starting free safety spot to Mathis, but who belongs on the field. He could be switched to strong safety, which some people feel is his more natural position, at the expense of Darius as the team looks to a future that does not seem to include the more veteran player.

5. As usual, the key to the Jacksonville offense is the health of tailback Fred Taylor, who was sitting out during our visit. It's been well-documented how Taylor literally missed 1½ seasons worth of games in his first four years in the league. But in 2002, he played all 16 contests and regained his status as one of the NFL's premier all-around tailbacks, as he rushed for 1,314 yards and added 408 more yards on receptions. Del Rio has been judicious with Taylor in camp, and that is a savvy move. First, because Taylor figures to be an even bigger focus in '03, as Brunell and the passing game fade. Second, because there is simply nothing behind him. The depth chart doesn't really include a proven No. 2 tailback as Elvis Joseph, the most experienced of the bunch, has just 68 career carries. Don't be surprised if fourth-round pick LaBrandon Toefield of LSU eventually wins the primary backup spot behind Taylor, if he can overcome some camp nicks. But Taylor is the key, the centerpiece, and makes people around him better. He could probably have practiced in the two sessions we saw, but Del Rio sees little sense in sacrificing him now, and that's wise. The team invested $8 million to sign Taylor to an extension. He's only worth that gaudy signing bonus if he's on the field.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.