For the second off-season in a row, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan has treated his team like he’s running a Madden Franchise, unafraid to upgrade positions and sign free agents in an effort to build a winner. You’ve got to respect that.
The biggest upgrade the team made since the end of last year was at head coach. Gone is Gus Bradley, the absolute and unquestioned worst NFL coach in history. In his place, the Jaguars elevated Doug Marrone, a guy who nearly had the Bills in the playoffs a couple of seasons ago. The team also brought back Tom Coughlin as executive vice president of football operations. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Jacksonville take a major leap this season. Let’s see if they have the personnel to do it.
Free Agents Kept
Patrick Omameh, Offensive Guard
Free Agents/Players Gained
A.J. Bouye, Cornerback, formerly of the Houston Texans
Calais Campbell, Defensive End, formerly on the Arizona Cardinals
Barry Church, Safety, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys
Audie Cole, Middle Linebacker, formerly of the Minnesota Vikings
Lerentee McCray, Linebacker, formerly of the Buffalo Bills
Earl Watford, Offensive Guard, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals
Branden Albert, Offensive Tackle, acquired in a trade from the Miami Dolphins
Free Agents/Players Lost
Tyson Alualu, Defensive End, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Prince Amukamara, cornerback, signed with the Chicago Bears
Joe Banyard, Running Back, signed with the Buffalo Bills
Kelvin Beachum, Offensive Tackle, signed with the New York Jets
Johnathan Cyprien, Safety, signed with the Tennessee Titans
Davon House, Cornerback, signed with the Green Bay Packers
Julius Thomas, Tight End, traded to the Miami Dolphins
2017 NFL Draft
Round 1: Leonard Fournette, Running Back, LSU
Round 2: Cam Robinson, Offensive Tackler, Alabama
Round 3: Dawaune Smoot, Defensive End, Illinois
Round 4: Dede Westbrook, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma
Round 5: Blair Brown, Linebacker, Ohio
Round 7: Jalen Myrick, Cornerback, Minnesota
Round 7: Marquez Williams, Fullback, Miami
Proposed Offensive Starters
QB: Blake Bortles
RB: Leonard Fournette
WR: Allen Robinson
WR: Allen Hurns
WR: Marqise Lee
TE: Marcedes Lewis
LT: Branden Albert
RT: Jermey Parnell
LG: Earl Watford
RG: A.J. Cann
C: Brandon Linder
Offensive Outlook
Up front, the Jaguars are starting two new offensive lineman in Branden Albert and Earl Watford. Albert is a solid upgrade over the departed Luke Joeckel and Watford has been a part of one of the better lines in football in Arizona for the last few seasons. Behind Albert and right tackle Jermey Penrell is Cam Robinson, who is probably better than both of them. Don’t be surprised to see him at left tackle and Albert at right before season’s end.
The Jaguars offense significantly underperformed last season and people want to throw that at Blake Bortles’ feet. Maybe some of it was him, but I can guarantee a new coaching regime. Nathaniel Hackett took over as offensive coordinator in October, but the season was already toast at that point. Hackett was Marrone’s offensive coordinator in Buffalo and got solid production out of significantly poorer offensive weapons.
At wide receiver, the Jaguars are in the upper quarter of the league in talent. Marqise Lee has finally emerged as the outside threat he was meant to be when the team drafted him in the second round in 2014. His emergence moves Allen Hurns into the slot and takes even more pressure off the team’s best wideout, Allen Robinson. In the backfield, Leonard Fournette will have to beat out T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory, and while both those guys are NFL backs, Fournette should send them both to the bench.
Proposed Defensive Starters
DE: Dante Fowler, Jr.
DE: Calais Campbell
DT: Sheldon Day
DT: Malik Jackson
OLB: Telvin Smith
OLB: Paul Posluszny
MLB: Myles Jack
CB: A.J. Bouye
CB: Jalen Ramsey
FS: Tashaun Gipson
SS: Barry Church
Defensive Outlook
The Jaguars barely used Dante Fowler Jr. last season and only started him in one game, utilizing him as a situational pass rusher in the other 15. You see how well that worked. Fowler will finally have the chance to show why the Jags spent a high first round pick on him in 2015 thanks to a solid couple of defensive tackles next to him and free agent Calais Campbell charging the backfield on the opposite side.
Plugging second-year (and finally healthy) Myles Jack into the middle linebacker position allows the Jagaurs to slide the underrated Paul Posluszny to the outside. That’s opposite Telvin Smith, one of the best outside linebackers in the game.
Jacksonville spent the money to create a new defensive backfield. After drafting the best corner in last year’s draft (Jalen Ramsey), the Jaguars brought in the best corner in free agency to line up opposite him (A.J. Bouye). Barry Church isn’t an upgrade over the departed Jonathan Cyprien, but he’s a solid NFL starter. The same could be said for Tashaun Gipson, who seems to have fallen off the map since a couple of insane Troy Polamalu-ish seasons in Cleveland at the beginning of his career.
Grade: A
Nothing the Jaguars could have done could have improved their team more than firing Gus Bradley. After that, it was just spending money in the right places and they’ve done that. This is a significantly better Jaguars team and if Marrone and Hackett can get a legit NFL season out of Bortles, they might make some noise.
O/U wins: 6.5
Preseason Schedule
Week 1: at New England Patriots
Week 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 3: Carolina Panthers
Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons
Regular Season Schedule
Week 1: at Houston Texans
Key game: If the Jags want to compete with the big boys, they need to take down the defending NFC South champion here in Week One and set the tone for the season.
Week 2: Tennessee Titans
Key game: The Titans took a major leap last season and are on everyone’s playoff radar as the 2017 campaign begins. Getting a win over the Titans here at home (and a 2-0) start could steal a lot of that thunder.
Week 3: Baltimore Ravens
Week 4: at New York Jets
Week 5: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 6: Los Angeles Rams
Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Cincinnati Bengals
Week 10: Los Angeles Chargers
Week 11: at Cleveland Browns
Week 12: at Arizona Cardinals
Week 13: Indianapolis Colts
Week 14: Seattle Seahawks
Week 15: Houston Texans
Week 16: at San Francisco 49ers
Week 17: at Tennessee Titans
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