JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it …
Fred from Naples, FL
We will probably get a third-round draft pick for losing Juwan Taylor, so the Jaguars are probably not letting the draft pick we give up to the Atlanta Falcons for wide receiver Calvin Ridley factor in their decision. He was the only healthy receiver we had all year, so defenses were double-teaming him down the stretch. He did an admirable job as well as finally jelling with quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the season went on. Here's to hoping he returns.
The Jaguars indeed likely will receive a third-round compensatory selection in the 2024 NFL Draft for losing right tackle Jawaan Taylor as an unrestricted free agent to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2023 offseason. They would still rather give up a third-round selection as opposed to a second-round selection in the final piece of the Ridley trade because you want as many selections as possible to be as early as possible in any draft. I agree that retaining Ridley, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on the March 13 start of the NFL League Year, would be a positive for the Jaguars. He had 1,075 yards receiving and eight touchdowns this past season. That's not the 1,400 yards many Jaguars observers expected from Ridley, but it's still 1,075 yards and eight touchdowns you must replace if he leaves. That's tougher than it might sound. Perhaps.
Boomgrounder from Moundsville, WV
I heard Pederson at the combine express confidence in the Jaguars' interior offensive line. I sure hope it's a smoke screen.
Both Head Coach Doug Pederson and General Manager Trent Baalke understand the Jaguars' offensive line must improve in 2024 over how it played in 2023. Specifically criticizing players or areas in a public forum gains them nothing.
Devin from RVA
I forgot we had two first-round picks. Do we get two fifth-year options?
The Jaguars indeed selected Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne Jr. in Round 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft. They will be able to exercise fifth-year options on both players this offseason if they so choose.
Daniel from Jacksonville
Correct me if I'm wrong, KOAF, but it seems that there is a way to keep three very important pieces this offseason – outside linebacker Josh Allen, Ridley and our second-round pick in the draft. It would mean a long-term deal for Allen and tagging Ridley as opposed to an extension so as not to trigger the second-rounder in the Falcons trade right? How likely is it that you think such a scenario could play out?
The entire scenario essentially rests on the Jaguars signing Allen to a long-term contract by March 5. I don't have a great feel for the likelihood of such a scenario. I wouldn't rule it out. I assume both sides would like it to happen and I sense each side will find out more about the likelihood of it happening as March 5 approaches. Deadlines have a way of clarifying such things.
Bradford from Orange Park, FL
Praise, Goodness. Pederson is at least sounding sensical on the play-calling issue. I didn't necessarily take issue with handing off full-game play-calling duties to Press Taylor at the beginning of the season. And where the offense finished versus the 2022 season, the overall numbers, seemed negligible. But doubling, tripling and quadrupling down on not even considering making a change there, when the offense developed the sizable issues it did, just hit the ear wrong. My gut reaction to his newfound perspective leads me to believe ownership might have assisted him in obtaining it. Wasn't there consternation with him and ownership in Philadelphia over offensive particulars? That seemed to precede a mightily quick exit for a lone Super Bowl-winning coach from an awfully grateful football city, yeah? Not saying this to cast him in a negative light. On the contrary, I'm encouraged by this for the Trevor Lawrence's development and the Jaguars' sake. I'm nowhere near a proponent of ousting Pederson. But with it all playing out like it did, I could never understand why he was so ready to die on that hill.
Pederson during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine this past week said he had not yet decided whether he or offensive coordinator Press Taylor will call plays next season. I never got the idea that Pederson was "doubling, tripling or quadrupling down" on this issue this past season. Though I get why observers saw it that way, my sense is that Pederson simply didn't see much regarding the Jaguars' offense that he would have done differently – or much that Taylor did wrong. Pederson and Taylor have worked together extensively for a long time. They worked together to plan the offense in 2022 when Pederson called plays in the first half of games and Taylor called plays in the second half of games in essentially the same way they did in 2023 when Taylor called plays the entire game. Pederson and Taylor are therefore pretty much of like mind when it comes to offense. The difference in the Jaguars' offense – how it was called and how it performed – also was negligible much of the season. It struggled fairly notably in the final six games when Lawrence was dealing with injuries and when wide receiver Christian Kirk missed essentially that entire stretch. The offense also had to deal with offensive line inconsistency and an injury to wide receiver Zay Jones, and Jones was a trusted receiver for Lawrence throughout the 2022 season. My sense was Pederson attributed whatever struggles there were offensively to those issues more than Taylor's play-calling.
David from Orlando, FL
KOAF – What is Zay Jones' contract situation and do you think he will be with the team next season?
Jones' is entering the final season of the three-year contract he signed as an unrestricted free agent in the 2022 offseason. He will have a $10.7 million salary-cap figure if he is on the team in 2024 and a $6.5 million figure if he is released. That makes it feasible for the Jaguars to release him and save $4 million on the cap, but my sense is he will return to the team. Stay tuned.
William from Jacksonville Beach, FL
I found the combine, in a word, uninspiring.
This is pretty general and I assume you're referencing Jaguars news from the combine. While no definitive news emerged regarding Jaguars pending unrestricted free agents such as Allen, Ridley and offensive guard Ezra Cleveland, definitive news on those players wasn't expected from the combine – and such news likely won't happen until at least March 5. That's the deadline for teams to place the franchise tag on prospective unrestricted free agents. The combine did give us something of an update on how the Jaguars may feel about areas of the roster, and it gave us insight into Pederson's thoughts on play-calling next season. It also gave us a decent idea that left tackle Cam Robinson likely will return next season. All in all, I'd call it a decent combine "newswise" – if not overly "inspirational."
Marcus from Jax
I know that offensive line continuity is extremely important, as it is a position group that really works as a unit. My question is, does the Jaguars scheme on offense make continuity a bigger issue than other teams? It seems like the Jags favor smaller linemen who are more mobile and can move around a lot. I can see why continuity is important when guys are moving all over the place every play. Does a team that opts for bigger, stronger linemen have less issues with continuity because their role is less finesse and more brute strength? It seems like continuity on the line would be less of an issue if the guys stepping in were told to go be a wall instead of pull here, get around the corner and block a linebacker at the second level. I know there are elements of both in every offense, but it seems like our guys are asked to do that a lot. What say you?
Your point that offensive lines that move/pull need continuity and cohesion is correct. But cohesion and communication are as important in pass-blocking as they are in run-blocking. I've never been around a head coach or an offensive line coach who didn't consider cohesion, continuity and communication on the line critical to success.
Bill from Jacksonville
Was Patrick Mahomes considered a bust when he did not contribute in his rookie year?
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes played sparingly as a rookie in 2017, but no one around the Chiefs felt he was a bust because the Chiefs selected Mahomes No. 10 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft with the idea that he would not play that season. It's possible some Chiefs fans believed he was a bust. This is because fans fan. It's what they do.
David from Jacksonville
Where can a guy get a beer around here?
Legitimate question.
