Jaguars News and Notes: Management Moves on to
If you ask Jaguars General Manager David Caldwell about the team and
his plan for 2014, he refers to the changes in this team as part of
“Step 2” in the process of building a winner.
Those change and the next step in the process is to continue with the foundation he and head coach Gus Bradley have built together and define the strengths and weaknesses of this team - all of which seem to need a tweak or an overhaul as the Jaguars just completed a 4-12 where Bradley and his players finished the season 4-4 in the second half.
There is the belief within the “brain trust” of the team that a “modest” free agent class can be signed and again this franchise will build through the draft where it looks like it hit on all of its draft picks from 2013, although some may take longer than others to grasp everything being asked of them by Bradley and the position coaches.
What makes 2014 better than 2013 is the fact all coaches were retained, there is a blueprint to work from and the coaching staff will get an advantage on scouting senior talent when they coach the South team in the Senior Bowl in Alabama. Just a side note, it could be argued that 2009 was the best draft class of former team general manager’s career in Jacksonville. That was the same year the Jaguars and then head coach Jack Del Rio coached the South Team and worked to analyze the seniors on draft boards.
As part of this new part of the growth and development of this team, Caldwell stated in a story in the Florida Times-Union and to the media following the end of the 2013 season…
Players like linebacker Paul Posluszny and tight end Marcedes Lewis will be retained. It was once thought that these players, because of their contracts, might be casualties. There is also talk that defensive end Jason Babin might not be back. The Jaguars need him to be here next year, in my opinion. Babin told the Florida Times-Union he understands what the team is trying to do here and may be open to renegotiating his contract to stay.
Two of the other issues the team must still deal with are what to do with quarterback Blaine Gabbert and when will wide receiver Justin Blackmon will be reinstated.
Gabbert has been a bust so far in the three seasons he has been in Jacksonville. He should be released or traded before the season.
Blackmon is suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for a third time. There is no word yet when the NFL might reinstate him and whether or not he will be released by the Jaguars.
Those change and the next step in the process is to continue with the foundation he and head coach Gus Bradley have built together and define the strengths and weaknesses of this team - all of which seem to need a tweak or an overhaul as the Jaguars just completed a 4-12 where Bradley and his players finished the season 4-4 in the second half.
There is the belief within the “brain trust” of the team that a “modest” free agent class can be signed and again this franchise will build through the draft where it looks like it hit on all of its draft picks from 2013, although some may take longer than others to grasp everything being asked of them by Bradley and the position coaches.
What makes 2014 better than 2013 is the fact all coaches were retained, there is a blueprint to work from and the coaching staff will get an advantage on scouting senior talent when they coach the South team in the Senior Bowl in Alabama. Just a side note, it could be argued that 2009 was the best draft class of former team general manager’s career in Jacksonville. That was the same year the Jaguars and then head coach Jack Del Rio coached the South Team and worked to analyze the seniors on draft boards.
As part of this new part of the growth and development of this team, Caldwell stated in a story in the Florida Times-Union and to the media following the end of the 2013 season…
Players like linebacker Paul Posluszny and tight end Marcedes Lewis will be retained. It was once thought that these players, because of their contracts, might be casualties. There is also talk that defensive end Jason Babin might not be back. The Jaguars need him to be here next year, in my opinion. Babin told the Florida Times-Union he understands what the team is trying to do here and may be open to renegotiating his contract to stay.
Two of the other issues the team must still deal with are what to do with quarterback Blaine Gabbert and when will wide receiver Justin Blackmon will be reinstated.
Gabbert has been a bust so far in the three seasons he has been in Jacksonville. He should be released or traded before the season.
Blackmon is suspended for violating the league’s substance abuse policy for a third time. There is no word yet when the NFL might reinstate him and whether or not he will be released by the Jaguars.
0 comments:
Post a Comment