The Sports Xchange

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It is probably not a good thing when both the head coach and the player agree that the latter is not reliable.

But that is the case with Jacksonville Jaguars’ wide receiver Marqise Lee, who has been diminished by injuries since he was drafted in the second round last year out of USC.

In fact, his problems in the pros were probably foreshadowed by his career in college.

This marks the third consecutive season that injuries forced Lee to the sideline for a period of time, thus raising the question about his value to the team.

In 2012, as a sophomore at Southern California, Lee was a captivating receiver. His abilities as a receiver and his spectacular runs after the catch earned him the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.

Lee caught 118 passes for a school record 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns. He seemed destined to be a top 10 pick in the NFL draft at some point.

But those totals dropped significantly the following year when a knee injury left him with only 57 catches for 791 yards and four touchdowns.

So it was he dropped into the second round, where the Jaguars took a shot, hoping he might return to the dazzling form he showed in 2012.

Lee has not. Not yet, anyway.

Last year, he played in 13 games with eight starts and had 37 receptions for 422 yards and one score. Lee’s totals this season are miniscule after missing all of the preseason games and the regular season opener due to hamstring issues.

Lee finally got in Game 2 against the Miami Dolphins where he had two receptions for 27 yards. He was in for 18 snaps in the first half against New England before doctors ruled him out for the second half due to soreness in the knee.

Lee knows his time on the sidelines the few years in college and the NFL left him as a player that can’t be counted on for a regular basis.

“No, I don’t believe so,” Lee answered this week when asked if he felt that he was reliable. “I’m not. Being out there partially is not being reliable.”

Head coach Gus Bradley concurs.

“I think that reliability comes over consistency, being able to count on him,” Bradley said. “So is he reliable right now that we can count on him week in and week out? No, he hasn’t proven that. That’s what he has to prove to us, that these little injuries that are coming up are unfortunate. It’s not something he wants.”

NOTES: Left tackle Luke Joeckel (ankle) returned to practice Wednesday and was not listed on the injury report for the first time in the last two weeks. Barring any setback, he should return to the starting lineup Sunday against the Colts. … Among those missing practice Wednesday were wide receiver Marqise Lee (Hamstring), running back Denard Robinson (knee, seems a week away), free safety Sergio Brown (calf) and cornerback Davon House (leg). Among those limited in practice Wednesday were wide receiver Allen Hurns (thigh), right guard Brandon Linder (shoulder), tight end Julius Thomas (hand), strong safety Josh Evans (knee), defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks (knee), defensive end Andre Branch (knee), guard Zane Beadles (finger) and defensive tackle Roy Miller (knee).