JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Long-time Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee thanked Jacksonville on Friday for all the support after news broke he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Scobee posted on his Facebook page:
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"Thank you everyone for the kind words the last few days. Melissa and I didn't realize how much support we actually have until now. Getting traded was a bit shocking at first but that happens in this business. Playing 11 seasons with the Jaguars was a blessing for me and my family. We are now onto a new chapter in my career and I am excited for the opportunity I've been given with the Pittsburgh Steelers! However, Jacksonville will always be home for us as a family! Again, thank you all for the love and support!"
The Jaguars traded Scobee to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday in exchange for a 2016 sixth-round draft pick.
"Unfortunate for Pittsburgh, they had a need. Fortunate for us, they did," Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said on a conference call. "It was a win-win. For Pittsburgh, they got a veteran kicker and a very good kicker, and we got a pick that we can use to build this franchise with."
Scobee has appeared in 168 regular-season games and connected on 235 of 291 field-goal attempts (80.8 percent) and 317 of 322 extra points.
"This was easily the toughest decision that we've had to make in our time here," Caldwell said. "Whatever you think of Josh as a kicker, which he is very good at, he's even a better person and a tremendous leader."
Although Caldwell said he never reached the point of having to decide which kicker to cut, he made it clear that he didn't want to lose first-year player Jason Myers. The Marist graduate spent time with Arizona and San Jose of the Arena Football League last year. He signed with the Jaguars in March and was impressive during organized team activities as well as training camp and the preseason.
Myers has made four of five field goals in the preseason, including a 55-yarder. His only miss was from 58 yards. He also has put seven of eight kickoffs in the end zone.
"Jason has done a great job here," Caldwell said. "The only thing that he's missing is the experience, and he's going to get that through this process. We said that this is a young guy that we can grow with as a team and as a franchise."
Scobee will join the Steelers with one year left on the four-year deal he signed with the Jaguars, and will be due $3.425 million in 2015.
The contract is likely the reason why the Jaguars elected to part with Scobee in a trade instead of Jason Myers, a first-year player who made four of five field goal attempts in the preseason, including a successful try from 55 yards against the New York Giants. Myers has a three-year, $1.575 million deal with the Jaguars.