How to Fix ‘em: Jacksonville Jaguars
By: Matt Harmon
Year in Review:
The Jaguars were a mess this year and it mostly came back to the most important position on the field. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert had a Jimmy Clausen like rookie year as he cowered before the rush and showed almost no football acumen at all. However the Jaguars did not have any real competition for him, they never gave Chad Henne a chance to win that job, and he did not improve despite a better set of receivers to play with. A career 70.2 passer rating is enough to declare him a sunk cost. The Jaguars need to completely rebuild this operation and new owner Shad Kahn looks like he is ready to do just that. As far as the firing of General Manager Gene Smith: this was a completely necessary move to make. Smith was a well-regarded scout for the Jags before being promoted, but he simply had way too may misses in the draft and free agency to continue to hold this job. His trading up for and pick of Blaine Gabbert is the move that ultimately ended up sealing his fate. This marks a new era in Jaguar football.
Update (1/10): The Jaguars made the correct move to fire Mike Mularkey. Now I do not list this in offseason moves page because I do not feel comfortable giving grades on people being fired because of how it negatively affects small no named coaches and staff members and their families. Never the less, I support this move because Mularkey is not only a bit bland as a play caller and an offensive mind, but because I strongly believe that the head coach and GM must be on the same page. Despite their history in Atlanta together, clearly Caldwell felt that he and Mularkey were not.
Top Five Team Needs:
Offseason Moves:
(Image taken from: http://findlogo.net/show/detail/J/jacksonville-jaguars-13-logo#.UO2d7aVnL18)
Year in Review:
The Jaguars were a mess this year and it mostly came back to the most important position on the field. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert had a Jimmy Clausen like rookie year as he cowered before the rush and showed almost no football acumen at all. However the Jaguars did not have any real competition for him, they never gave Chad Henne a chance to win that job, and he did not improve despite a better set of receivers to play with. A career 70.2 passer rating is enough to declare him a sunk cost. The Jaguars need to completely rebuild this operation and new owner Shad Kahn looks like he is ready to do just that. As far as the firing of General Manager Gene Smith: this was a completely necessary move to make. Smith was a well-regarded scout for the Jags before being promoted, but he simply had way too may misses in the draft and free agency to continue to hold this job. His trading up for and pick of Blaine Gabbert is the move that ultimately ended up sealing his fate. This marks a new era in Jaguar football.
Update (1/10): The Jaguars made the correct move to fire Mike Mularkey. Now I do not list this in offseason moves page because I do not feel comfortable giving grades on people being fired because of how it negatively affects small no named coaches and staff members and their families. Never the less, I support this move because Mularkey is not only a bit bland as a play caller and an offensive mind, but because I strongly believe that the head coach and GM must be on the same page. Despite their history in Atlanta together, clearly Caldwell felt that he and Mularkey were not.
Top Five Team Needs:
- Quarterback: As I detailed in the review, Gabbert is just dreadful. Chad Henne showed some spark when he was inserted into the offense. However, he still turned the ball over too much and is likely to just be a high-end career backup. There is a ton of talk that it is a virtual certainty that Tim Tebow will play for the Jaguars, and that has to be mostly a publicity move. He cannot be brought in to be the solution at quarterback and I doubt any respectable football mind would allow Shad Kahn to get his way with that move. Once again, this is rough year to have a top pick and a quarterback need, but the Jags need to do something at this position.
- Defensive Lineman: At defensive end, Jeremy Mincey disappointed after signing a nice contract and second round pick Andre Branch was virtually invisible. Jason Babin was added late season but more help will be needed. On the interior, Terrence Knighton was benched and he is a free agent while Tyson Alualu has not been a difference maker since he was a reach pick at tenth overall. The Jaguars had the fewest sacks of any team in the league and this has been a reoccurring problem. At least two new starters and better depth is needed.
- Right Tackle: Eben Britton never worked out at this position and new starter Cameron Bradfield was a turnstile all year while being a marginal at best run blocker. The Jaguars should look for a new starter to pair with the emerging Eugene Monroe on the other side. Also, the interior starters are questionable at best.
- Cornerback: Derek Cox is a free agent who must be retained. Rashean Mathis is old while Aaron Ross was, unsurprisingly, terrible after being signed from the Giants. The Giants have some young players like William Middleton and Mike Harris who showed some promise in limited snaps. However, these probably aren’t players you can totally count on. Even if Cox is brought back, a number one corner is needed to pair with him.
- Running back: The new brain trust in Jacksonville can’t really be comfortable rolling with some of the mediocre backs (Jalen Parmele, Montell Owens, and Keith Toston) that Jaguars trotted out after Rashad Jennings failed in Maurice Jones-Drew’s absence. Some depth will be needed here and frankly I am not so sure MJD will be back. He expressed dissatisfaction with his contract last year and famously sat out all offseason. Will a new staff be willing to give him a new deal or will he be shipped out for a draft pick?
Offseason Moves:
- Jaguars hire David Caldwell as General Manager: Caldwell comes from the Atlanta Falcons after serving as their Director of Player Personnel. Atlanta has obviously been a huge success since Dimitroff arrived, and Caldwell comes with a good reputation. Caldwell needs to identify “his Matt Ryan” in Jacksonville. This looks like a good hire. Grade: B+
- Gus Bradley hired as Head Coach: I love this hire. What impresses me most about Bradley is that Pete Carroll, a defensive guy, kept him on the Seahawks staff as d-coordinator when he took over the team in 2009. Bradley obviously did a great job in conjuncture with Carroll with Seattle's defense the past three years to elevate them to one of the best in the league. Bradley brings a lot of energy to this franchise and I think the Jaguars need that. I bet he does a good job. Grade: A
- Jedd Fisch hired as Offensive Coordinator: I like hiring Bradley as a head coach, but I would have preferred Jacksonville finding someone with coordinator experience in the NFL to get a stagnant offense going. Then again the retread route burned them last year, so going with a fresh set of eyes may just pay off. Fisch has some NFL experience and he come with a good reputation. I have hear that he is billed as a very aggressive offensive play caller. If that is the case its a very good sign for a Jacksonville offense that has been frighteningly conservative for years now. Grade: B-
- Bob Babich hired as Defensive Coordinator: Babich had a stint as the Bears defensive coordinator from 2007-2009, but was demoted to back linebackers coach when Rod Marinelli came aboard. Its hard to gauge how good of a coordinator Babich is due to his weird situation and the fact that he inherited a stellar group of players. However, he has a history with Gus Bradley when Babich was Bradley's boss at North Dakota state in the late 90's and early 2000's. I am sure Bradley will have a hand on the defensive side of the ball at all times, so this will be a a situation to watch. Grade: B-
(Image taken from: http://findlogo.net/show/detail/J/jacksonville-jaguars-13-logo#.UO2d7aVnL18)
