"A dispute over contract language that affects seven fired Jacksonville Jaguars assistant coaches for more than $3 million in salary may have been one of the factors that led to the dismissal of Paul Vance, the team's senior vice president of football operations and general counsel, according to league sources.

A source said the dispute is over an amount of money between $3.5 million and $4 million.

The seven assistants had signed extensions in 2010 and the club believed it was for two years that would expire at the end of the 2011 season. However, the applicable clause in dispute states, "shall terminate on the later of January 31, 2012 or the day after the Jaguars' last football game of the 2012 season and playoffs ... "

Consequently, the assistant coaches want to be compensated for the 2012 season, especially if they remain unemployed. Those coaches' specific names have not been confirmed."