Jaguars Owner on Bradley, Caldwell, Future
The Jaguars certainly spent some money this offseason, committing more than $70MM in guaranteed money to the likes of Julius Thomas, Jared Odrick, Jermey Parnell, Davon House, Dan Skuta and Tyson Alualu.
Ownership certainly hasn’t received the production they had been anticipating, as the Jaguars have gotten off to a 1-5 start. This has led some to question the job security of head coach Gus Bradley and general manager Dave Caldwell.
Prior to his team’s game in London tomorrow, owner Shad Khan was clear that no changes are imminent, but he did acknowledge that his franchise is struggling. To see what else the owner had to say, check out some other quotes below, all via Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com…
On whether Bradley or Caldwell’s jobs are in jeopardy:
“The only sane – and the only proper thing to do [is to make no in-season changes]. It has never even crossed my mind from that viewpoint.
“Believe me, they want to have success more than any of us do. They’re highly motivated. I think they’re really disappointed we’re not having the success we should [be having]. We have to see how the season unfolds. There is more than half the season out there and then we’ll be able to see what’s been done.”
On whether the team has taken a step back from 2014:
“Life in general and football in particular, it’s not a straight line going up. We know where the starting point was and we want to see where the ending point is and what the journey has been over the last three years.”
On whether the team has enough roster talent to be competitive:
“There are a lot of pieces in place there are certainly a lot of reasons for encouragement. But eventually, the way you measure a football team, or any sports team, is by wins and losses.
“It’s very, very important that we don’t become a victim of the status quo. The performance and actions on the field is what dictate [what happens] going forward.”
South Notes: Jags, Brooks, Saints, Mariota
Through at least the 2020 season, EverBank Field will continue to host seven Jaguars regular season games annually, rather than eight, as we learned earlier today. With Jacksonville having extended its relationship with Wembley Stadium through 2020, with an option for five additional years, the Jags will play at least one home game per year overseas for the foreseeable future.
While that announcement wasn’t a surprise, it’s worth keeping an eye on the Jags’ schedule over the next few years to see if they spend even more time in the United Kingdom. The team is a good candidate to become the first to play two consecutive games in London — likely one as a home team and one as a road team. Additionally, once Tottenham’s new stadium opens in 2018, the Jags would look like a prime candidate to play games there as well, given owner Shad Khan’s fondness for the market.
Here’s more on Khan, the Jaguars, and some other teams from the NFL’s two South divisions:
- While Khan is disappointed with the Jaguars‘ 1-5 record to open the 2015 season, he said today that he still has “a huge amount of confidence” in GM Dave Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.
- Texans guard Brandon Brooks, who figures to be one of the more intriguing free agents at his position in 2016, was impressed by Marshal Yanda‘s new contract with the Ravens, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “Not bad at all,” Brooks said. “He deserves it.” For his part, Brooks could end up seeking a similar deal this winter.
- Drew Brees is 36, and it’s time for the Saints to face reality and think about the future of the position, writes Pat Yasinskas of WalterFootball.com. Although Brees is coming off his best game of the season against Atlanta, Yasinskas rightly notes that there have been some signs that the veteran signal-caller is slowing down. If the Saints finish near the bottom of the league this year, they may have a chance to draft California quarterback Jared Goff, and that’s a pick that Yasinskas endorses.
- Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota didn’t take part in practice today, and head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that tomorrow’s practice will reveal a lot about the QB’s availability for Week 7 (Twitter links via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com). Reports on the severity of Mariota’s injury have varied, with some suggesting he could be sidelined for multiple weeks, while others have indicated he should play this weekend.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Extra Points: Ryan, Hundley, Jags
While some may be questioning Rex Ryan‘s job security following the Jets loss to the Bills, the head coach is confident he’ll be sticking around. “One thing I know for a fact, unless it changes drastically, is I will be the head coach here for the next five weeks,” he told reporters after the game (via Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo on Twitter). However, Ryan did clarify that he hasn’t spoken to owner Woody Johnson (via New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta on Twitter).
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes to wrap up this Monday evening…
- Chris Sprow of ESPN.com (on Twitter) wonders if wideout Donatella Luckett of Harding could be next year’s John Brown.
- It’s looking increasingly likely that UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley will enter the 2015 draft. The fourth-year junior appeared on the Jim Rome Show, stating that there is a “really high” chance that this weekend’s game against USC was his collegiate finale (via Chase Goodbread of NFL.com).
- A trio of players cleared waivers (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter): lineman Charles Brown, cornerback Richard Crawford and linebacker Akeem Jordan.
- Gene Frenette of Jacksonville.com questions whether the Jaguars have taken steps in the right direction under coach Gus Bradley, saying it’s about time to hold the regime “accountable.”
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Poll: Which Coach Will Be Fired First?
Cowboys‘ head coach Jason Garrett has been on the hot seat for a while, with a myriad of 8-8 finishes on his coaching résumé. He has finished with eight wins in each of his three full seasons as the team’s coach, after going 5-3 taking over for Wade Phillips in 2010. Garrett’s odds of being the first coach fired are set at 2/1, according to Bovada Sportsbook.
However, Garrett is far from the only coach who should be worried about his job. Raiders‘ coach Dennis Allen (4/1 odds) has been given the organizational mandate to win some football games, despite being saddled with below average talent on the roster. General manager Reggie McKenzie might have to fire Allen in order to buy himself some time to improve the depth chart.
Dolphins‘ coach Joe Philbin (7/1), Bills‘ coach Doug Marrone (8/1), and Jaguars‘ coach Gus Bradley (12/1) have yet to take their teams to the playoffs, and their owners will only accept that for so long.
Jets‘ coach Rex Ryan (10/1), Bengals‘ coach Marvin Lewis (20/1), and Falcon’s coach Mike Smith (20/1) are all in danger of being fired if they miss the playoffs in 2014, following various levels of disappointment over the past few seasons. Panthers‘ coach Ron Rivera (20/1), who is coming off a 12-4 season, but is set to take a step back, is also a possibility if the season goes south early.
Rookie Quarterback Roundup: Bortles, Bridgewater, Carr, Manziel
Jaguars No. 3 overall choice Blake Bortles had an encouraging pro debut against Tampa Bay last night, completing 7-of-11 pass attempts for 117 yards, “which included three drops and just one questionable decision, a check-down effort on 3rd-and-19 that was tipped and nearly picked off,” according to the Orlando Sentinel’s Paul Tenorio. Head coach Gus Bradley was quoted after the game, saying, “I thought [Bortles] did a nice job, showed some good poise. We felt like we could protect him. Just the poise factor, we wanted to see that in him, and he did a nice job.”
How did the other rookie QBs fare?
- Vikings first-rounder Teddy Bridgewater’s first play was encouraging, as he bootlegged right and threw a 21-yard strike on the move. The gain was negated by penalty, but Bridgewater performed well enough against Oakland to generate excitement despite an uneven stat line (6-of-13, 49 yards, two sacks, fumble). Overall, Bridgewater generated excitement, but clearly has aspects of his game to work on before he challenges for the starting job. “He looked unsteady at times when challenged by unfamiliar defensive alignments,” according to Brian Murray of TwinCities.com.
- Meanwhile, Derek Carr, chosen by the Raiders four picks after Bridgewater, went 10-of-16 for 76 yards an interception (which should have been caught by the intended receiver). Carr was victimized by a few drops and bailed out on a few throws behind his receiver, but overall received passing grades in his debut. In terms of improvement areas, ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez notes the rookie needs to work on his touch.
- As Dallas Robinson mentioned last night, Patriots second-rounder Jimmy Garoppolo looked better in his first NFL game action than he had looked in practice, outshining veteran backup Ryan Mallett. The rookie from Eastern Illinois went 9-of-13 for 157 yards and a touchdown. Garoppolo “showed a poise and pocket presence that was impressive,” according to the Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian. “The players in the huddle responded to him. And, unlike Mallett, who struggled at times dealing with a shaky offensive line, Garoppolo made plays when the going got tough during Thursday night’s 23-6 loss to the Redskins in the preseason opener.”
- As for Browns 22nd overall pick Johnny Manziel, his debut in Detroit tonight ranks as one of the most anticipated preseason games in recent memory. “The Johnny Football Circus comes to Detroit” as Free Press columnist Drew Sharp puts it. The game is sold out and the Lions issued credentials for all 200 seats of the press box, reports Sharp’s colleague Dave Birkett.
Pompei On Bradley, Licht, Babin
A dearth of elite talent in Mobile has created a potpourri of non-traditional headlines. In his latest missive, Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei explains that Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has been the “star of the Senior Bowl.” Contained in the NFL Confidential section are the following notes:
- Despite Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith having final say on personnel matters, ownership made the final call on the hiring of GM Jason Licht. It is believed the Dolphins were also sold on Licht.
- Jason Babin is expected to be cut by the Jaguars. At 33, Babin might be relegated to a situational pass-rushing role for his next team.
- One GM calls the 2014 Senior Bowl rosters the worst he’s ever seen, explaining that many of the players expected to be drafted highly are underclassmen. Additionally, several of the most highly regarded seniors opted not to attend the All-Star game. The GM refers to the exhibition as a “second-round game,” saying 15-18 players could come off the board on the draft’s second day.