5 reasons Malik Jackson to the Jacksonville Jaguars makes sense
By John Buhler
4. Gus Bradley
Gus Bradley will enter his fourth year as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. Some close to the situation may not like that he gets to return for a fourth year, but when has he had a great defensive talent in his time with the Jaguars?
Bradley was the former defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks under head coach Pete Carroll during their climb to national relevancy in 2012. He left the Pacific Northwest for the banks of the St. John’s River after the 2012 NFL season. While success has escaped him in Jacksonville so far, it’s not like he doesn’t know how to coach. The top-end talent just hasn’t been there for the defensive-minded coach.
While players like Telvin Smith and Dante Fowler, Jr. are interesting pieces going forward defensively for the Jaguars, signing a dynamic playmaker on the defensive line like Malik Jackson is a potentially massive gain for the Jaguars’ defensive turnaround.
Jacksonville’s offense is a bit ahead of where the defense is in order to become truly competitive in the NFL, but both are definitely trending in the right direction in 2016. By getting Jackson to join the Jaguars’ front seven in 2016, it bodes well for the continued development of Smith and Fowler, as well as making the rest of Bradley’s defense even better.
The Jaguars haven’t had a transcendent defensive talent on their roster since Marcus Stroud was in his prime on a Mike Smith-coached defense in the heyday of the Jack Del Rio era in Jacksonville. That was a decade ago, and Bradley may have found a similar veteran leader in Jackson.
Next: 3. Blake Bortles