(04-15-2020, 11:28 AM)MalabarJag Wrote: [ -> ] (04-15-2020, 10:51 AM)NYC4jags Wrote: [ -> ]I don't mean to present a laissez faire attitude about it.
As I've expressed in countless posts/threads:
- I am very off put by Khan's insistence to increase revenue by moving a second game and it reeks of greed to my olfactory sense.
- I fully expected and supported a reboot in the front office and coaching staff this offseason even if I don't "hate" Caldwell as many fans do.
- I continue to be mystified by the moves made along the O-Line and the general lack of haste to improve its performance via player acquisition and coach placement. I know moves have been made, but without the necessary urgency IMO.
- I feel the organization turned a blind eye to the TE position during multiple offseasons and the moves that have been made have had unfortunate endings. *fingers crossed on Oliver*
- The reliance on #27 by multiple coordinators has been largely a failure as his effectiveness could be better fulfilled by having a c.o.p. compliment that presents a variance in challenge to opposing defenses. We saw 10 minutes of it with Grant and somehow this entire organization never felt a need to return to a winning formula there.
I've got my fair share of gripes and complaints.
I simply choose to sit back and see how many of those are going to be addressed between now and September rather than ranting about how unhappy I am.
The one thing the Jags haven't had is a lack of urgency on player acquisition on the OL.
Caldwell's very first draft pick was a LT, in spite of having Monroe at the time who was arguably the best player on the team the year before (some might say Poz).
The Jags traded up in the second round when they picked both Robinson and Taylor. Both players were listed much higher in every pre-draft mock I saw, frequently to the Jags as a 1st round pick expecting the Jags to fill the OL need.
Cann and Linder were both 3rd round picks, which is high for a guard. Caldwell even traded up to get Linder.
The Jags also signed Norwell as a free agent, one of the highest rated free agents in that class. They also signed former Pro Bowl guard Beadles, signed Steeler LT starter Beachum to replace Joeckel after he failed, and traded for LT Brandon Albert. They made a big money offer to Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, which the Browns matched (to their regret).
Of course the results have been disappointing. Whether that's due to coaching or the players just being overrated when they were acquired is debatable. I tend to blame coaching because Cann's best season was his rookie year, same with Robinson, and maybe Linder too. When every player on the OL with more than one year as a Jag has gotten worse with time it seems obvious to me that it's a coaching/development failure, not a player selection failure.
But even if you blame the player selection, you can't say the Jags didn't prioritize the OL.
We are in complete agreement, and I have made similar arguments before (though I omitted the part about trading up for Linder).
Looking back over the last ten years, I can't fault the Jaguars too too much over not taking OL in the first round.
2010, the team took Tyson Alualu at 10 over Anthony Davis (#11), Mike Iupati at 17, Maurkice Pouncey at 18, and Bryan Bulaga at 23-I won't even BEGIN to try to defend this. I did not like the Alualu pick then and like it even less now.
2011 was the Gabbert draft. Gabbert wound up being a horrible bust without question, but at the time, the consensus was that he was a first round pick and the team needed a franchise QB. We took him 10th over Mike Pouncey at 15, Nate Solder at 17, Anthony Castonzo at 22, James Carpenter at 25, Gabe Carimi at 29, and Derrick Sherrod at 31.
Justin Blackmon was our first rounder in 2012. From a talent perspective, he was absolutely worth a top five pick. In fact we traded up from seven to get him. Only 3 offensive linemen were taken in the first round after Blackmon, none of whom were taken before 23 (Reilly Reiff), 24 Dave DeCastro, and Kevin Zeitler at 27. But for Blackmon's substance dependence issues-the degree to which were unknown to the general public-nobody would have questioned the wisdom of that pick over OL.
Malabar already covered 2013.
In 2014 we drafted Bortles at 3. At the very least, Houston was considering taking Bortles #1 overall, so there was SOME sense he was worth a top 5 pick at the time. He was taken ahead of Jake Matthews (great bloodline-decent career) and Taylor Lewan (now THAT hurt).
Considering we just took Joeckel in 2015 and at that point, the hope had to be that he could still develop, the team drafted Dante Fowler 33rd overall. While most on this board felt that DT Leonard Williams would have been the better pick, the general consensus nationally was that Fowler was worthy of a top 5 pick at the time. However, the OL taken in the first were horrible that year. Brandon Scherff went to Washington at 5, and he wound up a good pick (though a top 5 pick for a G is arguably iffy.) After that? Ugh. The Giants took Erick Flowers at 10, the Saints took Andrus Peat at 13, Cleveland took Cameron Fleming at 19, Cincy took Cedric Ogbuehi at 21, Arizona took DJ Humphries at 24, and Detroit took Laken Tomlinson at 28.
I won't even bother to go into 2016. Without question we hit on the Ramsey pick and the consensus on the board and nationally was that we got a steal with him. He made all Pro and Pro Bowl during his time here, and the defense was always highly ranked during his time here.
In 2017, we took Leonard Fournette. WHile he remains an unpopular pick-especially considering we passed on Mahomes and Watson to take him- offensive line did not needlessly suffer because of his selection. Only two OL were taken in the first round that year: Garrett Bolles at 20 and Ryan Ramsczyk at 32 to New Orleans. Fournette has been decent if not worthy of that 4th pick, but Bolles has been a bust, and It would have been an incredible reach for Ramscyk at 4.
We took Taven Bryan at the end of the first round in 2018, 29th overall. The next offensive lineman wasn't taken until Will Hernandez at the top of roudn 2. I wanted hernandez at the time, but the Jaguars did not neglect OL that year, because they made Norwell (who made All Pro) a priority free agent signing. He didn't work out as we'd hoped he would. but his signing shows we didn't neglect OL.
Last year we got Josh Allen. Does anyone seriously have a problem with that because he was not an OL? If so, what OL would you have taken over him?