MLILY Mattresses in Jacksonville, FL

This has been an eventful week in Jacksonville Jaguars news. The NFL officially reinstated wide receiver Calvin Ridley, along with his arrival in Jacksonville. The Jaguars placed the franchise tag on tight end Evan Engram. Jaguars Twitter is undefeated and never fails to make me laugh, so here are my favorite reactions to this week’s Jaguars news.

Calvin Ridley being re-instated by the NFL:

Coming soon to #DUUUVAL!!! pic.twitter.com/faXdHA482W

— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) March 6, 2023

Jaguars fans rn pic.twitter.com/CKeV0sbnFg

— EckoBac (@ecko_bac) March 6, 2023

NFL reinstated Jaguars WR Calvin Ridley @CalvinRidley1 Me & Jaguars fans: pic.twitter.com/XOw16EaXSa

— #DTWD Duval Giant (@DuvalGiant77) March 6, 2023

Calvin Ridley’s arrival in Jacksonville:

pic.twitter.com/BwH6wt0Hyi

— Ricky (@HHHHHawg) March 8, 2023

Bonus, Ridley with a “DUUUVAL”:

Players’ Reactions to Ridley’s arrival:

Calvin Ridley’s Players Tribune “A Letter to the Game”:

Evan Engram being franchise tagged:

The Jaguars releasing CB Shaquill Griffin:

The team releasing QB E.J. Perry:

Added bonus, the inspiration for this article, Jamal Agnew commenting on the rats in the Jaguars’ facilities:

If you’re not following us on social media, you’re missing out. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

To read Calvin Ridley’s “A Letter to the Game”, click here.To read about E.J. Perry, click here.To read about Shaquill Griffin, click here.To read about the Jaguars report card/rats, click here.

Trevor Lawrence is poised for a huge payday sooner than later.

The former Clemson quarterback isn’t eligible for a contract extension until after the 2023 season, though the Jacksonville Jaguars are already preparing for what figures to be an enormous contract for their 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick and franchise quarterback.

“We know what the future holds,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson told The Athletic’s Jeff Howe recently. “But it’s also been proven in the NFL that you can pay your quarterback and still keep a pretty good roster around your quarterback. It’s been done. We’ve got to be able to look at those models, too. I guess the beauty, too, is we’ve got the majority of our guys in long-term deals, so that will also help us when we get ready to redo Trevor in a year or so.

“I kind of let (general manager) Trent (Baalke) and (director of roster management) Trip (MacCracken) handle that and all the powers that be over on that side of the equation. My job is to get our team ready right now with the guys we have. We’ll cross that bridge a year from now.”

After throwing 12 touchdown passes with 17 interceptions as a rookie in 2021, Lawrence took a major leap in 2022, passing for 25 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. He really hit his stride over the second half of the season, throwing for 15 touchdowns and just two picks as the Jags won seven of their last nine games en route to the AFC South title and a playoff berth.

Lawrence rallied the Jaguars from a 27-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in an AFC wild card playoff game, and following a 2022 season in which the Jags exceeded expectations with Lawrence coming into his own, he should only continue to grow in his third NFL campaign and second in Pederson’s system.

“He’s constantly wanting to get better,” Pederson said to Howe. “He’s constantly wanting to learn. He’s wanting to grow. He puts in the time. That’s what great quarterbacks do in this league, and he’s just getting started.”

Assuming Lawrence makes more strides in Year 3, it would seem that he’d be setting himself up for a sizeable contract north of the $40 million in average annual value that the New York Giants’ Daniel Jones got with his four-year, $160 million deal this week.

–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Dear Old Clemson has a limited number of footballs and posters signed by Clemson’s Avengers.

Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!

Dear Old Clemson is doing NIL the ‘Clemson way’, but we need your help to make sure we build a sustainable, repeatable model that will help keep Clemson competitive with the other top programs around the nation.

Dabo Swinney: “We need your assistance more than ever to provide meaningful NIL opportunities. Tiger Impact, Dear Old Clemson and other collectives allow student-athletes to utilize their voice and platform to maximize their NIL opportunities and strengthen their impact in the community.”

Graham Neff: “Tiger Impact, Dear Old Clemson and other collectives need your support to help provide meaningful NIL opportunities for our student athletes. We are doing things the right way, the Clemson way with integrity as a non-negotiable and we fully support the mission of these groups.”

Join the Tiger Club or Lady Tiger Club to help these great student-athletes and help the Tigers compete at the highest level!

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville University baseball took the rubber match game three over Bradley 11-9 to win the series Sunday.

The Dolphins (11-6) erased an early seven-run deficit to win a third-straight weekend series.

Bradley took advantage of free passes and wild pitches to score two in the top of the first and added two more in the top of the second to lead 4-0 after two. After an error with two outs in the third, the Braves came up with a couple of timely hits, including a two-RBI double to make it 7-0.

Jacksonville got their first base runner in the bottom of the third inning on a one-out Chandler Howard double off the right field wall. A walk to Elias Flowers turned the lineup over to Chase Malloy with two on and one out. A wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position and a deep sacrifice fly to left field scored the first run of the game for the Dolphins. With two-away and a runner on second, Cam Ridley dug into the batter's box. On a ground ball to the third baseman, a throwing error allowed Cam to reach safely and move up to second base and Flowers scored from second to make it 7-2. Kris Armstrong blasted a home run over the right field wall to cut the Braves lead to 7-4 after three.

Following a quick top of the fourth inning, the Dolphins grabbed the bats in an attempt to continue to cut the deficit in the bottom half. A leadoff hit by Blake DeLamielleure got the inning started for Jacksonville. Following a pop out to the shortstop, Flowers advanced DeLamiellure to third on a deep flyout. Malloy then blasted his fourth homer of the year to cut the lead to one, 7-6.

Bryce Fisher continued on the mound in the top of the fifth inning. After two quick outs, a walk put a man on for Bradley. An infield single put runners at the corners with two away. An RBI single into left field scored another run for Bradley to give them some more breathing room, making it 8-6.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Dolphins' Hogan McIntosh drew a quick walk to start the inning. With one on, a base hit into right field off the bat of Justin Nadeau moved the runner from first to third to put runners at the corners with nobody out. On a hit and run play, Colin Wetterau knocked a base hit into left field to score the run from third to make it 8-7 Bradley. With runners at first and second, Blake DeLamielleure dug in still with nobody out. A bunt back to the pitcher on a failed sacrifice got the lead runner (1-5) for the first out of the inning. That brought up Chandler Howard. On a tapper back to the mound, the Braves took the easy out to first base (1-3) for the second out of the inning. Elias Flowers was up with two-on and two-away. Flowers delivered for Jacksonville with a two-RBI single into right field gave the Dolphins their first lead of the game, 9-8. With Malloy up, Flowers stole second base to give hime an RBI opportunity and he took advantage and traded spots with Flowers as a RBI double extended the lead to 10-8.

Fisher put up back-to-back scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh innings to preserve the Jacksonville two-run lead. In the bottom of the seventh, DeLamielleure led off with a walk that brought up Howard with no outs. Howard slapped a base hit the other way into left field to put runners at first and second for the nine-hole hitter, Flowers. A successful sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position for the top of the order with one out. Ridley collected an RBI base hit just past the outstretched glove of the shortstop gave Jacksonville an insurance run, making it 11-8 Dolphins but a play at the plate got the third out of the seventh inning.

Fisher's day came to an end with one out in the eighth as Leighton Alley tried to slam the door on the Braves and pick up a save. With a runner on second and one out, Alley was able to strand the runner after a pair of groundouts got the Dolphins out of the inning.

With two outs in the top of the ninth, a double and back-to-back walks put the tying run at first base for Bradley. An RBI base hit cut the Dolphin lead to 11-9. However, Alley held on to get the next batter to fly out to center field to complete the save.

COACH'S COMMENTS

ON DECK

Jacksonville travels to Daytona Beach on Tuesday to take on Bethune-Cookman. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

THREE STRIKES

1. Bryce Fisher picked up his first win of the season. 2. Chase Malloy had a career-best five RBI 3. Jacksonville tied its season high with 11 runs.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla – The FBI arrested a Florida Highway Patrol trooper with 22 years of experience Friday in Duval County.

According to federal court filings, Joshua Earrey was charged with unlawful user or addict of controlled substances in possession of a firearm.

As an FHP trooper, Earrey was also assigned to a Drug Enforcement Administration. task force.

The report stated that a cooperating defendant, who was arrested for homeland security offenses in August 2022, provided information about Earrey to the Department of Homeland Security. Earrey who had back surgery in January 2023 was working light administrative desk duty through March.

The cooperating defendant told law enforcement that Earrey became addicted to oxycodone for back pain and that he warned him about becoming addicted, the report said. The person also told law enforcement that Earrey had been buying “roxies,” which is slang for Oxycodone, for $30 a pill for at least a year, and he said that the pills came from an oxy source who had a prescription that allowed for 80 to 90 pills a month at 30 milligrams each.

The cooperating defendant was a middleman between the source and Earrey, the report stated.

According to the court document, at one point in November 2022, Earrey was having trouble paying for the drugs and wanted to split payments.

The court filing shows Earrey had 43 valid prescriptions from May 2018 to January 2023. The court document revealed over 4,500 text messages and more than 3,000 phone calls between Earrey and the oxy source.

The FBI interviewed an acquaintance of Earrey who indicated that Earrey owned multiple firearms. The person said they had knowledge of a Glock and an AR-10 along with a rifle scope. The report states the weapons were manufactured outside the state of Florida and Earrey “possessed them in an affecting interstate or foreign commerce.”

Lauren Prater, an attorney unaffiliated with this case, said Earrey’s inappropriate interactions with his confidential source can cause his agency to look back over all of his previous cases for wrongdoings.

“His credibility is completely diminished at this point. So any case that he’s involved in all of sudden is tainted. He really did a disservice to his agency,” Prater said.

News4JAX learned that Earrey had a storied law enforcement career. In 2009, he was honored by the Florida Cabinet as Trooper of the Year after he arrested a man who was attempting to carjack a woman and her child at gunpoint in 2008.

Earrey appeared in federal court on Friday and his bond was set at $50,000. He was also ordered not to have any contact with DEA or FHP employees.

News4JAX reached out to his attorney but has not heard back. We also contacted FHP for comment and have not heard anything.

The Earrey family released a statement that said: “Josh acknowledges he needs help and will be checking himself into a rehab facility as soon as possible.”

The filmmaker of an internationally recognized film hopes his film will help bring premier movies back to Jacksonville.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On the day that we celebrate the best movies of the year during the Academy Awards, First Coast News would like to shine a light on a local film that's making headlines across the world.

As you settle down with your bowl of popcorn you may be watching movies made in Hollywood, New York and even Atlanta, but one local filmmaker hopes Jacksonville is added to that list.

The Artifice Girl is a movie about a computer program that hunts down online predators.

"We wanted to explore what type of ethical discussions and technical challenges the developers would face and explored that through this film," said Franklin Ritch, who wrote, directed and acted in The Artifice Girl.

"Everybody involved in this production except for one of our actors is native to Jacksonville," said Ritch. "We're very proud we were able to make a film that is a Jacksonville project through and through."

But choosing to base the production of his film in Jacksonville came at a financial cost to Ritch. If he took his project just a few miles north to Georgia the film could have qualified for a 20% base transferable tax credit and other financial benefits from the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

The First Coast used to be a mecca of movie making during the silent film era of the 1930s, but that isn't the case anymore.

"Right now there aren't a whole lot of tax incentives in Florida, which is something that should change soon because there's a lot of opportunity for film in Jacksonville," said Ritch. "Personally I think there's so many talented filmmakers locally in Jacksonville that are stepping up and showing their skills that it's time to have an independent film boom here in Jacksonville."

The Artifice Girl won awards at multiple international film festivals and is nominated for an award at SXSW (South by Southwest) this weekend in Austin. Ritch hopes this paves the way for more films from his hometown.

"There's an incredible independent film community that's ready to work with you and collaborate with you, let's turn this city into a film city," said Ritch.

The Artifice Girl will be released in Jacksonville later this spring, and who knows, maybe it will be the first of many major motion pictures to be made here.