In 2013, Head Coach Gus Bradley’s first year, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a record of 4-12. In 2014 General Manager David Caldwell began to start the process of changing the culture of the organization by drafting the building blocks needed to improve his football team.
Quarterback Blake Bortles (University of Central Florida) has provided the team with a field general that they can build around. Over the past two seasons he has played fairly well considering how much he has been asked to throw the football. Pass-catching stud Allen Robinson, also part of that 2014 draft class, has proven to be a valuable target for his signal-caller.
Still, the Jaguars have lost 11 or more games the past three seasons under Bradley.
It is well understood that the head coach took over a team that lacked talent and depth in key areas. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day. A football team that has historically drafted poorly and lacks major pieces also can’t be built overnight.
It is now Year 4 for Gus Bradley in Jacksonville and the Jaguars entered this off-season with a pocket full of dough that was burning a hole in their pockets. They landed defensive tackle Malik Jackson and defensive back Tashaun Gipson to help bolster the defense. They would also sign running back Chris Ivory to complement T.J. Yeldon.
In the 2016 NFL Draft, the Jaguars added additional talent and depth to their defensive roster by taking highly coveted defensive back Jalen Ramsey in the first round and a guy with first-round talent in linebacker Myles Jack.
Despite all these positive moves, games are won on the field during the regular season not in March and April.
The question that looms in 2016 for the Jags is this… do they have the roster needed to help Coach Bradley make this team a force in a wide-open AFC South division?
Last year season Jacksonville’s offense struggled on third down, converting just 72 of 205 for a disappointing 35 percent. This issue put unnecessary strain on the team’s defense by leaving it on the field for extended amounts of time.
When examining the Jaguars offensively, it was obvious that they were unbalanced in their approach with 354 rushing attempts to 607 passing attempts. It was pretty lopsided.
In some cases this lack of balance could have been due to playing from behind. But it will be imperative for the Jaguars to make the running game their focal point. This will help their young quarterback to be more comfortable and cut down on turnovers, something Bortles has struggled with in his two-year career. In fact, he collected 18 of his 35 career interceptions last season.
It’s not hard to understand why Jacksonville focused on the defensive side of the ball considering they finished the 2015 season 31st in points allowed. This must improve if they want to have any chance of winning games against quality football teams.
The Jaguars defense must have a harassing approach to the both the passing and running game. Putting pressure on the opposing quarterback will help this potentially ball-hawking secondary get off the field more quickly, providing more opportunity for the offense.
The front office has potentially created this dynamic by getting younger, faster and more athletic. These three team attributes, along with depth on the defensive line, will help them get opponents off the field on third down… something they also struggled with last season.
That all said, the time is now for Gus Bradley & Co.
The ball is in his court to generate a consistency on the offense of extending drives and scoring points. If they can’t win the time of possession battle, all of the moves made on defense will prove to be worthless.
The AFC South is a division with no clear favorite and with all the changes that have gone on among the other three teams; there is no excuse for Jacksonville to not be contending for a playoffs spot and possibly a division title.
One thing is certain… if, come December the Jags find they’ve had another 5-11 season, Bradley’s services may no longer be needed.