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Full Version: Dave Caldwell deserves credit if team plays continues to play well
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The way I see it, there are 31 other teams that don't have the group of guys Caldwell has drafted here.

Of those 31 other teams, only seven (7) have records equal to or better than the 10-4 record we currently have.

New England
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Minnesota
New Orleans
Carolina
and the Los Angeles Rams.

By default, that puts the Jaguars in the top quarter of the league.

If anyone wants to complain about Caldwell when Caldwell has picked most of the players on this team, I'm not sure what else can be said.
(12-19-2017, 08:12 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ]
(12-19-2017, 06:05 AM)jaglyn Wrote: [ -> ]After keeping Gus, the bad picks and failed FA acquisitions, if there was any way to redeem himself, this was it.

Whoever had the idea to reach out to Tom and offer him a position in the organization and believe that Marrone was the right guy to be able to coach this team up and prepare them in the off-season, is the brains behind all this success

Could someone tell me what our record would be this year without Ramsey, Jack, Smith, Linder, Bortles, Hurns, Lee, Ngakoue, Fowler, Jackson, Gipson, Colvin-all Caldwell picks/signings?

Missing on Gus or keeping him too long does not negate his good picks.

I can't see how anyone could say, either expressly or tacitly, the above list of players does not represent the nucleus of this currently 10-4 and playoff team.

I'd take Gipson off that list as he was a priority free agent signing. It's still a strong list without him, and you can add Cole.

A few other points:

1. I'm not sure why Caldwell stuck with Gus so long, since it was obvious that Gus was a big part of the problem. The only two explanations that make sense are that either Khan overruled him or that Caldwell felt obligated (maybe even contractually) to Gus after promising him a full four years to turn the team around. I tend to think the second theory is the right one. The Jags roster going into 2013 was in such disarray that any good coaching prospect would demand such an assurance before taking the job. As bad as he turned out, Gus was a hot head coaching prospect after the 2012 season.

2. The 2013 draft was done using the scouting staff Gene Smith assembled, and Caldwell replaced many of them after that draft. The 2014 draft was the first totally under Caldwell's regime.

3. As I've pointed out before, there are very few players who improved after their first year with the Jags. This points to coaching being a big part of the reason for the disappointing play of the early draft picks and free agent signings.

From points 2, and 3, and the overall weakness of the 2013 draft class, the 2013 draft shouldn't be used as an indictment of Caldwell. IMO his biggest mistake was drafting Yeldon early in round 2. When in four drafts (excluding 2013) his worst mistake was a 2nd round pick who's still not a total bust, that's a pretty good record.
Nah... Caldwell deserves some love for sure. He took some lumps from many of us over the way he chose to rebuild the roster and he had some key misses over his young career as a first time GM but as terrible as we were there weren't a lot of free agents coming our way. And he's had a couple drafts that have netted us almost 0 players today he's also had a couple drafts that compile all of our playmakers that are not free agents.

I was never as down on Caldwell as some but had Bortles not started to turn this proverbial corner... it was looking pretty rough for him.
Now that Bortles is who Caldwell always thought he would be it the scales have tipped in his favor.

The combination of Marrone, Caldwell, and Coughlin might be pretty special
Yeah I wanted Caldwell fired for Gus and Bortles. He has a clear eye for talent but up until this year his mistakes overshadowed alot of that. Now this year with some added help in Coughlin and a really good coach in Marrone we're finally seeing the vision Caldwell had.

I think in hindsight how Khan set about this rebuild was pretty naïve. He was essentially a rookie owner , who let a rookie GM hire a rookie HC to oversee one of the biggest rebuilds the NFL has ever seen. It all worked out in the end but definitely could have cut some corners to get here.
(12-19-2017, 11:48 AM)JackCity Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah I wanted Caldwell fired for Gus and Bortles. He has a clear eye for talent but up until this year his mistakes overshadowed alot of that. Now this year with some added help in Coughlin and a really good coach in Marrone we're finally seeing the vision Caldwell had.  

I think in hindsight how Khan set about this rebuild was pretty naïve. He was essentially a rookie owner , who let a rookie GM hire a rookie HC to oversee one of the biggest rebuilds the NFL has ever seen.  It all worked out in the end but definitely could have cut some corners to get here.

I wonder how much of Caldwell's "failed" picks/FAs would have panned out under a better coaching system like we have today.

Gus/Jedd/Babich bad-torn down roster, very little Caldwell influence 4 wins
Gus/Jedd/Babich bad Bortles shows up, gives hope. 3 wins
Gus/Oly/Babich  bad-but we see it all coming together, defense isn't terrible, offense scores a bunch in "Garbage time" 5 wins
Gus/Oly/Wash  defense is good, but held back by a regressing offense. 3 wins

Marrone/Hack/Wash defense balling, offense much improved and continuously improves weekly despite injuries to key offensive starters. 10 (plus?) wins.

I know Campbell might be the best FA signing ever.. and Bouye and Church have been amazing...
but those 3 players didn't create a 7 game turn around. The development of the players from last season to this is insane and the play of rookies this season is out of this world.

Coaching matters so much more than I ever gave it credit for. I know at one point during 2014 or 2015 I questioned if Caldwell was giving Gus enough to work with. Crazy...
(12-19-2017, 11:01 AM)MalabarJag Wrote: [ -> ]
(12-19-2017, 08:12 AM)Bullseye Wrote: [ -> ]Could someone tell me what our record would be this year without Ramsey, Jack, Smith, Linder, Bortles, Hurns, Lee, Ngakoue, Fowler, Jackson, Gipson, Colvin-all Caldwell picks/signings?

Missing on Gus or keeping him too long does not negate his good picks.

I can't see how anyone could say, either expressly or tacitly, the above list of players does not represent the nucleus of this currently 10-4 and playoff team.

1. I'm not sure why Caldwell stuck with Gus so long, since it was obvious that Gus was a big part of the problem. The only two explanations that make sense are that either Khan overruled him or that Caldwell felt obligated (maybe even contractually) to Gus after promising him a full four years to turn the team around. I tend to think the second theory is the right one. The Jags roster going into 2013 was in such disarray that any good coaching prospect would demand such an assurance before taking the job. As bad as he turned out, Gus was a hot head coaching prospect after the 2012 season.

I’m fairly sure there was a point that Caldwell actually stated this or possibly heavily implied it.

I think a lot of people look at Caldwell’s FA acquisitions much to black and white. 

I’ve always been of the opinion that in the first few years many players were signed as short term placeholders and absolutely not meant to be long term pieces of the team.
(12-19-2017, 03:21 PM)Senor Fantastico Wrote: [ -> ]
(12-19-2017, 11:01 AM)MalabarJag Wrote: [ -> ]1. I'm not sure why Caldwell stuck with Gus so long, since it was obvious that Gus was a big part of the problem. The only two explanations that make sense are that either Khan overruled him or that Caldwell felt obligated (maybe even contractually) to Gus after promising him a full four years to turn the team around. I tend to think the second theory is the right one. The Jags roster going into 2013 was in such disarray that any good coaching prospect would demand such an assurance before taking the job. As bad as he turned out, Gus was a hot head coaching prospect after the 2012 season.

I’m fairly sure there was a point that Caldwell actually stated this or possibly heavily implied it.

I think a lot of people look at Caldwell’s FA acquisitions much to black and white. 

I’ve always been of the opinion that in the first few years many players were signed as short term placeholders and absolutely not meant to be long term pieces of the team.

Yes. Everytime one of these Caldwell threads comes around the anti-Caldwell portion of the board has collective amnesia about those articles that were published after Bradley was fired. 
Caldwell, without actually throwing his owner under the bus, implied that the decisions to both hire and to retain Bradley were made collectively between he, Shad, and Tony Khan.
Whether he'd do the same if it were solely up to him is open for speculation, but why make the distinction otherwise? 

Obligated, influenced, or fully on board regarding Bradley -   I still think he's acquired enough talent to deserve some praise.
https://youtu.be/aYP0PGkGrjY

Posting a vid of a reaction to our last game by fans of other teams (but still show a decent knowledge about our players). I post it here because they point out things about Caldwell. Pretty energetic as well lol
(12-19-2017, 05:00 PM)jvillejagsn1 Wrote: [ -> ]https://youtu.be/aYP0PGkGrjY

Posting a vid of a reaction to our last game by fans of other teams (but still show a decent knowledge about our players). I post it here because they point out things about Caldwell. Pretty energetic as well lol

I could only make it through 6 seconds.
I got through a minute.
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