Jaguars fire Gus Bradley: 5 replacements Jacksonville should hire
By John Buhler
The Jacksonville Jaguars have fired Gus Bradley, which means it’s time to finally find the right guy for the job in 2017.
After the team’s ninth straight loss of the season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have fired head coach Gus Bradley. he is the second head coach to be fired this season, following Jeff Fisher’s dismissal in Los Angeles earlier this week.
In three plus years as the head coach of the Jaguars, Bradley had gone an atrocious 14-41 as their head coach. Yes, the Jaguars had a significant rebuild to undertake the last four years, but the 2016 team has too much talent on it to be coached this poorly.
Bradley was a defensive guru with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012 before coming to Jacksonville. His Jaguars defense is toothless, despite Pro Bowl caliber players and elite prospects in all three levels. They have a solid franchise quarterback in Blake Bortles, but he can’t get into the end zone in the first quarter. Imagine how good he could be if he could play with a first quarter lead.
Jacksonville should be one of the better jobs on the coaching carousel this winter. Khan has been a committed owner, general manager David Caldwell continues to draft well, and there are Pro Bowler caliber players all over the Jacksonville gridiron.
The Jaguars need an offensive minded coach to right this sinking ship. Here are five current NFL offensive coordinators that could work in Jacksonville as Bradley’s 2017 successor.
5. Mike Shula, Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator
Would the Jaguars consider bringing back a familiar face in Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Mike Shula? Jacksonville should because Shula has helped take sub-par offensive personnel in Carolina and guide Panthers quarterback Cam Newton into being a league MVP.
Shula is the son of legendary NFL head coach Don Shula. He was the quarterbacks coach in Jacksonville from 2007 to 2010. Shula is best known for failing as a college head coach with the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2003 to 2006. His success in Carolina with Newton makes Shula a hot head coaching candidate in 2017.
He’s only 51 years old and Shula has close to no opportunity to replace Ron Rivera in Charlotte, despite the Panthers’ losing ways of late. The NFL is increasingly an offensive-minded sport. It would serve Jacksonville to get a former quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator as Bradley’s 2017 successor.
Like Newton, Bortles is big, strong pocket-passing quarterback prototype. Frankly, Jacksonville has better perimeter weapons with guys like Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns than any receiver Carolina has for Newton to work with (sorry, Kelvin Benjamin). Shula has successfully reinvented himself as a great offensive coordinator with the Panthers.
He shouldn’t be the first call Khan makes, but he should be one of the handful of coaches he interviews to replace Bradley. Shula’s Panthers offensive scheme would thrive with Jacksonville’s personnel if he and Caldwell can improve this offensive line.