2016 NFL offseason: Jacksonville Jaguars needs
By John Buhler
The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a 5-11 2015 NFL season, looking to retool their 2016 roster to contend once again in a winnable AFC South Division.
The Jacksonville Jaguars may have finished with the fifth-worst record in the NFL in the 2015 season at 5-11, but this team is closer to contending than people are giving them credit. Jacksonville plays in the weakest division in the NFL in the AFC South and have one of the league’s best passing attacks headlined by franchise quarterback Blake Bortles, wide receiver Allen Robinson, and tight end Julius Thomas.
Gus Bradley will enter his fourth season as the head coach of the Jaguars, looking to contend once again in the AFC South with the Houston Texans, the Indianapolis Colts, and maybe even the Tennessee Titans.
Jacksonville’s offense looked better in 2015 with Bortles at quarterback than it has since the Mark Brunell era came to an end in the early 2000s. The Jaguars have some emerging talent on defense including linebacker Telvin Smith and defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks for defensive-minded Bradley to work with.
After picking in the top three of the NFL Draft the last few years, general manager David Caldwell has accumulated a great deal of talent for Bradley to use and for billionaire owner Shahid Khan to possibly build a winner around.
That being said, the Jaguars still have some areas that need to be addressed this offseason on both sides of the ball entering 2016, a season where Jacksonville should be able to hold its own in the AFC South and play for maybe a trip to the AFC Playoffs for the first time since 2007.
On offense, the Jaguars’ two biggest needs are at offensive line and backup tight end. Bortles set a franchise record for touchdown passes in a season in year two behind what was a mediocre offensive line. He’s a big, strong quarterback, but could potentially become a Pro Bowl-caliber passer if he doesn’t have to constantly feel pressure from a collapsing pocket. The Jaguars will certainly address the offensive line both in free agency and the 2016 NFL Draft.
Tight end is interesting for the Jaguars because even though Thomas is a Pro Bowl-caliber playmaker when he’s on the gridiron, he did miss half the season due to a finger injury suffered in the preseason. The Jaguars’ passing game is superior when Bortles has a third down/red zone threat he can target in the middle of the field in Thomas.
Two of the Jaguars’ most intriguing free agents are tight ends Marcedes Lewis and Clay Harbor. Neither one has anywhere near the receiving ability of Thomas, but could help Bortles in pass protection and in run blocking in addition to catching the occasional pass. Look for the Jaguars to address the No. 2 tight end option this offseason. Lewis and Harbor could return, but the Jaguars may want a better receiving option for Bortles.
On defense, the Jaguars have two areas they need to address this offseason in cornerback and in the defensive front seven. Surely, the Jaguars are going to take either Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves, III or Florida State’s Jalen Ramsey at No. 5 in the 2016 NFL Draft. Bradley would love to have either guy become a potential shutdown corner in Jacksonville.
Caldwell has shown a proclivity to drafting players from the State of Florida in recent first rounds to help with the organizational turnaround (Bortles in 2014 out of Central Florida and Dante Fowler, Jr. out of Florida in 2015).
While Marks, Smith, and linebacker Paul Posluszny are all great players in the Jaguars’ front seven, Bradley could use a few more pieces up front to give his defense some serious bite in 2016. Yes, the Jaguars will get Fowler, the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, in their defense in 2016, as he missed the entire season with a torn ACL suffered in rookie minicamp, but if Jacksonville wants to push for the AFC Playoffs, they are going to have to build a defensive front seven that can routinely win in the trenches.
Along with Harbor and Lewis, the Jaguars will have 11 players entering free agency this spring including backup quarterback Chad Henne, punter Bryan Anger, and running back Bernard Pierce. Henne will probably return as he is a suitable backup for Bortles that Jacksonville can get behind if need be. As for the rest of Jacksonville’s free agents, it’s up in the air if they will return.
Entering 2016, the Jaguars will have more available cap space than any team in the NFL with an estimated $75,239,238 available to entice free agents to come to North Florida. Jacksonville had one of the most high-profile signings last offseason in signing Thomas away from the Denver Broncos. Expect Jacksonville to break the bank on one, possibly two huge free agent acquisitions.
Look for the Jaguars to aggressively pursue offensive linemen and defensive front seven players. On the offensive line, Jacksonville could potentially go after Seattle Seahawks left tackle Russell Okung, former New Orleans Saints guard Jahri Evans, or Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Andre Smith. On defense, the Jaguars could pursue San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle, Denver Broncos Super Bowl 50 MVP outside linebacker Von Miller, or Detroit Lions defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in free agency.
In the 2016 NFL Draft, the Jaguars will have eight selections to improve their team. Their picks include the No. 5, the No. 38, and the No. 69 overall selections. The Jaguars have a pick in all seven rounds, including an additional sixth round pick the team received in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers for franchise points leader kicker Josh Scobee.
With more cap space than any team in the NFL, eight picks in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Jaguars certainly have the framework to drastically improve their team and contend for a playoff spot in 2016 with Bortles as its franchise quarterback, Bradley as its head coach, Caldwell as its general manager, and Khan as its owner.