The Jaguars season is over. Well, it's officially over.

The season really ended November 5.

That was the Wednesday after the Jaguars loss to the Bengals when Jack Del Rio banned Mike Peterson from the team facility.

Or perhaps it was opening day when guards Vince Manuwai and Mo Williams were both lost for the season.

On one of those dates (and there are probably other candidates), the Jaguars saw their chances to achieve their lofty goals die just a little.

This season was like death by paper-cut.

Add to the injuries to players and in the insult of the record the off the field issues with Matt Jones, Richard Collier and others and this was as forgettable a season as this franchise has ever endured.

So now what? Here's a checklist of things the Jaguars must do in order to return to contention next year:

Get healthy-I believe the biggest reason the Jaguars struggled this year was the injuries to the offensive line (and other key players). Its imperative that the Jaguars get Vince Manuwai and Mo Williams back on the line. You run with your guards and the Jaguars need to be strong and physical on both lines. But the chance to return to that style on the offensive line seems more reasonable because of the return of those two players.

Identify Core Players-Last year, you couldn't swing a used Byron Leftwich jersey without hitting a player you would consider being a core player for the Jaguars. Now, because of age and

New deal for Mojo-There is no doubt that one of the Jaguars core players is Maurice Jones-Drew. All you had to do was watch the Jaguars and you could see the effort and

Find a left tackle-Khalif Barnes is a free agent. I don't expect to see him back. The Jaguars were developing Richard Collier as a future left tackle. Those plans, clearly and tragically have changed. It will be very expensive to find a left tackle of quality in free agency. I would be shocked if they didn't draft a left tackle in the first or second round.

Get Glue Guys-Here's where the Jaguars can spend in free agency: on established veterans who know how to play a role in the NFL. The Jaguars had a surplus of those kinds of players in 2007, but they didn't keep enough of them around in 2008.

Overhaul receiving corps-Matt Jones will be back. Mike Walker will be back. Dennis Northcutt will probably be back. But the Jaguars need to find someone to make plays downfield on a consistent basis.

Get Physical-The calling card of Jack Del Rio's team has been physical play. But that didn't show up this year. Injuries were part of it, but there were a number of players who were physical presences in the past who weren't as big a factor in 2008. The Jaguars must re-establish their physical dominance and it has to start in the off-season.

Tougher Training Camp-Jack Del Rio believed that his team was on the cusp of big things and so he softened training camp in hopes of avoiding injuries. That didn't work. I expect a much more physical camp in 2009.