JANUARY 9: Changes on the offensive side of the ball have been made as well. Running backs coach Bernie Parmalee and offensive line assistant Todd Washington are out, per a statement from Pederson. The former was fired while the latter did not have his contract renewed, as noted by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
JANUARY 8: Following their late-season collapse, the Jaguars will make a major move. They are firing Mike Caldwell after his second season as defensive coordinator, Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reports.
Although the Jaguars struggled on both sides of the ball to close out this disappointing season, Caldwell will be the first domino to fall. The Jags hired the former NFL linebacker after he helped the Buccaneers win a Super Bowl as linebackers coach, but it is certainly unsurprising to see Jacksonville move forward with a big change.
As should be expected, the changes will not stop at Caldwell. Jacksonville is firing its defensive staff, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. While DVOA placed the Jaguars’ defense 10th overall, the group slipped down the stretch. Jacksonville allowed at least 28 points in four of its final six games — all losses. After an 8-3 start, the team closed what had looked like a promising season at 9-8.
Among the members of Caldwell’s defensive staff: D-line coach Brentson Buckner, pass-game coordinator Deshea Townsend, inside linebackers coach Tony Gilbert, safeties coach Cody Grimm and senior defensive assistant Bob Sutton. The Jags ranked 26th in pass defense. While the team did not make strides on offense after Doug Pederson handed play-calling reins to OC Press Taylor this season, no changes have emerged on that side of the ball yet. ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco adds that three defensive assistants — assistant D-line coach Rory Segrest, outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey and quality control staffer Patrick Reilly — will be retained.
The Jags splurged on both sides of the ball in 2022, allocating big bucks on free agents in Pederson’s first offseason as HC. They also added Travon Walker with the No. 1 overall pick while following that up with first-round linebacker Devin Lloyd. The Jags signed Foye Oluokun, Foley Fatukasi and Darious Williams in 2022. They extended Roy Robertson-Harris in 2023, largely returning the same cast from a defense that ranked 12th (scoring) and 24th (yardage) last season. Despite Josh Allen‘s contract-year sack surge, the Jags did not improve on that side of the ball as a whole.
DVOA, however, ranked Caldwell’s 2022 defense — additions notwithstanding — 26th. Yet, the Jaguars largely stood pat and ran it back following their AFC South title. The questionable decision burned the team, with Pederson pointing out missed assignments and missed tackles. Derrick Henry submitted a throwback performance Sunday, in what appears to be his Titans finale, by rampaging for 153 yards in a win-and-in game for the Jags. Jacksonville allowed 28 points to a Tennessee team that was previously 0-5 in AFC South play.
This firing means the Jaguars, by the 2024 season, will employ four defensive coordinators in five years. Todd Wash departed after the Doug Marrone firing, while Urban Meyer‘s DC (Joe Cullen) left after the unfit HC’s one-and-done. Caldwell, 52, played 11 NFL seasons and has been an NFL assistant for the past 16 years.
Need to admit Trevor isn’t generational. Build around him, don’t expect Lawrence to carry the team.
Arty again with another brilliant take. How many Jaguar games did you watch this year? The Jags have a terrible o line and had injuries to multiple key offensive players down the stretch run including T Law.
Thanks! 3 years and roughly around .500 as the starter. But keep making excuses for him. What team doesn’t have injures? Exactly when has Trevor been brilliant for 10 games in a row (NFL not college)? Read the link below. #1 priority from the HC is to stop turning the ball over.
link to larrybrownsports.com
When I saw a week or so ago how similar his stats are to Daniel Jones it was enough for me…
At least to realize the team isn’t good enough around him, and maybe the scheme/play calling hasn’t been up to par either. I admit I haven’t seen a ton of Jags games, but it seems like whenever I did (or saw “highlights”) he was making bad throws or decisions. That kinda tells me he’s not a generational talent.
You guys are forgetting to throw out his first season with that trash coach tho…
You can’t throw out seasons. And if we did, then they skated into the playoffs last year and wiffed this year w/ the lead in the AFC South 6 weeks ago.
Trevor is a good QB, not generational (so far). That’s my whole argument. You can win with a good QB. You just can’t expect them to carry the entire team.
The first year with Meyer definitely stunted his growth.
Trevor didn’t look any different in year 2 w/ Doug. Both seasons had long losing streaks, 4+ games.
Not disagreeing with your assessment of Lawrence, but Tom Brady didn’t even “carry” his team in Year 3. Not sure any QB on a rookie deal really ever has.
Mahomes. As for Tom, he had a much better team around him. Jags are a poorly constructed team.
Why the excuses for Lawrence, Motown? He’s average. He misses open receivers, looks like a deer in headlights way too often, and makes some bad decisions. Injuries don’t cause Lawrence to overthrow open targets or force passes.
T Law definitely needs to protect the ball better that’s for sure. To say injuries don’t have an impact on performance is just plain ignorant.
When said “impact” is throwing balls 5 yards over WRs’ heads or deciding to force passes into double coverage, it’s on Lawrence regardless of who else is on the field. Having the best talent around him isn’t going to magically make him throw the ball on target or decide that two defenders vs. one weapon is suddenly too much. It’s not like dudes are dropping the ball left and right or something.
I didn’t say injuries don’t affect players or teams. I said what team doesn’t deal with injuries? I saw somewhere that only 1 team had the same OL from start to finish this year. GM has to have depth or get it, and coaching adjustments when there are new players starting.
Their D wasn’t very good most of the season. That and the injury to Trevor killed their playoff hopes.
They were still in the playoff hunt entering the final week of the season which would have been unheard of just a few seasons ago. They have finally got a solid drafting department and are adding good pieces to make them competitive. They aren’t a punch line to jokes anymore and are moving in the right direction.
I think Jax was expected to be an ascending team after making the playoffs and that great comeback playoff win. But the team was just inconsistent in 2023. Biggest problem I noticed was they couldn’t establish a strong running game. Trevor isn’t good enough to carry an offense on his own.
I think we have seen the ceiling for Trevor Lawrence and he isn’t good enough to carry this team.
Judging by the Jag’s fan comments on posts..it must be tough. They were sold the idea that Trev is a generational QB and at this point he isn’t even close. Thus, they’ll keep cleaning house of every coach around him until one day they can just blame the fact that there was never continuity. Or maybe he just isn’t QB god. No one is saying he isn’t good. But pretending he’s great, and everyone else is the problem, is embarrassing
Like it’s really his fault. Trevor Lawrence seems very average just kinda good then just bad like all the time. But hey, the quarterback doesn’t know how to close. Everybody gets the blame. Hopefully he can be a little better than the last guy who took them to the playoffs, wasn’t anything but had a good defense. I suppose that’s what they’re going for. Tune it up, but if that approach doesn’t work out, they’re gonna have to figure it out.
Maybe the GM who drafted an average player first overall and has a history of wasting picks is a bit to blame? Most of Baalke’s investments were on the defensive side, after all. I find it hard to blame Lawrence primarily when the larger problems loomed on the defensive side of the ball. It doesn’t seem like Lawrence is as relevant to those issues. He may not be a Hall of Famer, but the team would certainly be better with even a few better investments personnel wise. Somehow, Baalke turned the Meyer disaster to his benefit, and promptly spent the picks that Caldwell (GM Caldwell, that is) gathered for the rebuild. Some of those picks haven’t been bad, but have they had the impact that needed to?
There is still time to tell, of course. In my opinion, however, the current Caldwell’s firing does not address the issues that Jacksonville has had on its own. The Jags are not in panic mode yet, though, and could probably get back on their feet with a few good moves. This feels more like a stumble than it does the closure of a window, but they’ll need to address their problems early to precent a backslide next year. In my opinion (from the couch, of course, so to speak), it wouldn’t be hard to upgrade at the GM spot.