2017 NFL win/loss projections for all 32 teams
By John Buhler
Jacksonville Jaguars
There is a lot to like about what the Jacksonville Jaguars did this offseason. They crushed it in free agency. Adding guys like A.J. Bouye, Calais Campbell and Barry Church to their defense could make it a top-10 unit in football. Taking running back Leonard Fournette at No. 4 was interesting, but he could be a bell-cow back for the Jaguars like Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew before him. Landing Outland Trophy winner Cameron Robinson in the second round could be huge for the Jaguars’ struggling offensive line.
Overall, 2017 feels different for Jacksonville football, but weren’t we thinking the same things last year? Blake Bortles and Allen Robinson had a great connection in the passing game in 2015, but that evaporated as Bortles stunk in his third year as a pro. It didn’t help that head coach Gus Bradley only won 14 games in 3.5 years as head coach. Will promoting offensive line coach Doug Marrone to head coach help in 2017?
Maybe more than we think. He had been in Jacksonville since strangely resigning from the Buffalo Bills after the 2014 NFL season. Marrone knows all the guys on his team, but are we sure 70-year-old Tom Coughlin isn’t running the show. When the greatest head coach in franchise history is back in town and is the most energetic guy in the organization in his eight decade of life, that might be problematic.
The Jaguars have made some sound moves these last few offseasons that should translate to winning, but changing a culture is always an uphill battle. Add in that the AFC South isn’t a cake walk any more with Tennessee improving, Indianapolis on the rebound and Houston playoff relevant, a massive improvement in wins may not happen right away for the Jaguars.
Expect this to be the best year of Jaguars football since the Jack Del Rio era. However, that’s nothing to write home about. If Bortles plays close to how he did in 2015 and the defense is top-10, the Jaguars could be a dark horse to make a wild card berth, but probably not. This team is still at least a year away. That being said, seeing this defense come together should make for a fun unit to watch all season.
Projected Record: 6-10, Misses AFC Playoffs