A(nother) New Era in Jacksonville

In July, I wrote about how the Jacksonville Jaguars needed to intentionally lose as many games as possible in order to position themselves for Clemson phenom Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 NFL Draft. I remember posting the article to several outlets and being criticized for “rooting” for the team to lose. As I take my victory lap, let’s fast forward seven months later. The Jacksonville Jaguars are not only on the clock with the number one pick, but they have hired the legendary college football coach, Urban Meyer. Add in the 11 total draft picks, four in the first two rounds, and over $75M in salary cap room in 2021; the Jags are loaded with potential this off-season.

The Jags finished the 2020 season with a record of 1-15, the worst in franchise history. Thanks to the New York Jets stepping up with wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland Browns late in the season, Jacksonville earned their first-ever #1 overall pick. Not only does that bring in Trevor Lawrence, but it reeled in Urban Meyer. In fact, Meyer called having the #1 pick “huge” in the reasoning for taking the Jacksonville job.

Urban Meyer has won at every stop he’s had as a head coach. Throughout 17 seasons as a head coach at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, and Ohio State, Meyer went 187-32, winning 85% of his games and three national championships, making him undoubtedly the most accomplished individual to ever be associated with the franchise.

But what does this all mean? Teams do not win championships in the off-season; ask the University of Georgia.

First, it offers hope to a city and franchise that desperately needs it. Since the 2012 NFL season, the first of Shad Khan’s tenure as owner, the Jags have posted a record of 39-105, winning 37% of their games. There have been continued rumors of the team moving after having difficulty filling TIAA Bank Field year after year and for a good reason. With the slam dunk hire of Meyer and pairing him with Lawrence, however, there is now a buzz about the Jaguars in Jacksonville. There is a sense that the days of being the NFL doormat are in the rearview mirror.

It also shows Khan’s desire to change the losing culture around the team. Meyer has done that at every place he’s coached, and he likely does it in Jacksonville as well.

There have been concerns about hiring Meyer and whether he can win at the professional level. Everyone points to Nick Saban and Steve Spurrier's failures as examples of why it won’t work. However, similarly to everything else in life, context matters.

Nick Saban spent two years with the Miami Dolphins, posting a 15-17 record with the Dolphins. However, take a look at why they went 15-17. For starters, they chose Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees before the 2006 season. Brees went on to have one of the most extraordinary careers any quarterback has ever had in New Orleans, winning a Super Bowl and breaking several records. In 2005, they trotted out Gus Frerotte as their quarterback, which failed miserably. Essentially, the Dolphins never had the right guy at quarterback, which is vital in the NFL to get right. Saban was offered the head coaching position at Alabama the next year, a position that is hard to pass up. It’s hard to imagine Saban still fails if they pick Drew Brees instead.

With Steve Spurrier, context is also critical. Annoyed with the incredibly high and almost unrealistic expectations at the University of Florida, Spurrier decided to see if his “Fun ‘N Gun” offense would work in the NFL. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. After resigning from UF in 2002, he joined the Washington Redskins. During his two seasons, he posted a 12-20 record. Spurrier has gone on record saying, “I went to the team that offered the most money instead of the best situation. . .” on the Paul Finebaum Show in 2016.

With Urban Meyer, the situation is far superior in Jacksonville than those for Saban and Spurrier. Meyer will have the opportunity to draft Trevor Lawrence, regarded by nearly everyone who has watched him as the best college prospect since Peyton Manning in 1998. Meyer also holds a reputation as a control freak. He is exceedingly calculated and attains strong attention to detail. Reports suggest Meyer has been eyeing a move to the NFL for over a year while studying the NFL game. He has even talked to some of his former players, currently in the league, about what works and what doesn’t.

Other concerns suggest his former health issues will cause him to leave Jacksonville early. I think I speak for everyone who cares about the Jags when I say that doesn’t matter. If Meyer can be the head coach for the next five years, change the culture entirely and compete for Super Bowls (and potentially winning one), that is a success. Sustained success would be tremendous, of course, but this city needs a shot of success as soon as possible, or we may see them become the London Jaguars. He’s also an intelligent guy. It would be hard to imagine he would come back to coaching if he’s not okay health-wise.

As for the rest of the team, the roster is not bare of talent. The Jags found a diamond in the rough in undrafted rookie RB James Robinson this year. DJ Chark is good enough to be a WR1, and Laviska Shenault showed flashes this year as well. They also have a solid base at the offensive line with Brandon Linder, Andrew Norwell, and A.J. Cann. Defensively, C.J. Henderson showed flashes of greatness, Myles Jack is a top NFL linebacker, Josh Allen is legit, and Dawuane Smoot secured a spot on the defensive line. The Jags should target another starting receiver either in the draft or in free agency and offensive and defensive linemen as priorities. They could also use some secondary help. With 11 draft picks and $75M in cap space, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to fill those holes this off-season.

The buzz in Jacksonville is real. For the first time since the 2017 season, there’s hope again. There’s a belief that the franchise is headed in the right direction again. However, we need to temper these expectations in 2021. With a rookie QB, a rookie NFL head coach, and a lot of new pieces to be added, it will take some time for this team to gel and find their feel for the game. The schedule sets up rather nicely for a 7–10 win season, but there also needs to be an understanding that there may be a rocky start to this era. Regardless, it’s refreshing to see this franchise swing for the fences and finally make the big moves to become relevant.

Duuuval.