01-10-2022, 09:27 AM
I readily admit I have never spoken with Trent Baalke. In fact, I have rarely even seen him interviewed, and the time or two I have ssen an interview with him, there is very little in terms of his overall philosophy that sticks out to me, so I do not pretend to myself or to you that I have direct knowledge of what he is thinking. But I have to think Baalke has very specific goals and objectives to accomplish this offseason.
With this in mind, what does this have to do with Bill O' Brien?
Given the way Bill O' Brien single handedly ran the Texans into the ground with some absolutely horrific trades, why would he want BOB? Why is he advocating BOB be interviewed? I know BOB would be a very unpopular choice with the Jaguars' fan base based on the reactions on the board. To many fans, such a hire might be the final straw. U know BOB is not my first or even second or thirdchoice. I've been pushing for Pederson since he became available last year, so I promise you this isn't some instance of paradigm attacking, devil's advocacy board stirring post from me. But I present to you some possible reasons why Baalke is pushing for Bill O Brien, if the reports are true based on the considerations I have listed above.
1. Bill O' Brien is, on some level, a defensible hire. He's been a head coach on the NFL level. He won several division titles. He has won with less than stellar QBs and with Deshaun Watson, so it checks the box about being able to set a good culture and develop Trevor Lawrence, which brings me to my 2nd point.
2. BOB is well versed in the Patriots scheme, having been an assistant coach under Belichick who has worked with Brady. You could argue that his system is QB and WR friendly. Presumably, he'd bring his best friend Doug Marrone to coach the offensive line. Say what you will about Marrone, but there was a stretch when he was here earlier where he oversaw dramatic improvement along the offensive line, where the team gave up 70+ sacks before he got there, dropping that number to 55 his first year, then cutting it down to a low of 24 in 2017. On top of that, he's coached most of the incumbents along the OL.
3. Part of the angst against Baalke is the near complete lack of rookie impact in the draft class outside of Trevor Lawrence. It's not a stretch to suggest the near complete lack of rookie impact in this draft class contributed a great deal to the 3-14 record. On too many levels to delineate, this team needs immediate impact from rookies. This is where a Bill O' Brien hire possibly tips his draft hand. Bill O' Brien is currently Alabama's offensive coordinator. He has direct first hand knowledge of the football abilities of some guys who could be of interest to the Jaguars this draft-T Evan Neal, WRs Jameson Williams, John Metchie III, and TE Jaleel Billingsley. All of these guys fit positions of major need for the Jaguars, and if O Brien is named coach, would possibly have great bearing on the Jaguars draft strategy. IOne of the hardest things for a team to do is get a handle on the football and overall character of guys they never coached. That would not be a problem with a BOB hire. They worked with these prospects every day. They are in a position to know if there are any off the field concerns, their work ethics, and practice habits. They are in a position to know the strengths and weaknesses of these guys. They won't have to depend on the reliability of 3rd and 4th hand information from interviews with coaches and scouts with whom they may not be familiar. While it may not be a stretch to say they ran Saban's schemes, it's also not a stretch to suggest BOB incorporated many of his own principles and philosophies into into the Alabama offense. To the extent he has done so, their transition to the NFL would be made much easier if a BOB led Jaguars team drafted them. I think with Bill O Brien, the Jaguars will employ one of two possible draft strategies in the first round. If they stay at one, Neal is the target. If they are able to trade back, Williams is the target. If they double up at WR, they add Metchie in the middle rounds, especially given Baalke's thing for guys with torn ACLs. If the Jaguars drafted those guys, they are more likely to have a positive immediate impact, which gives TL help and Baalke time. Furthermore, they will have coached against Alabama's defense every day in practice, and Georgia's defense twice this season. In case they decide to bolster the defense, they have extensive film study on many quality prospects already.
4. I think if things go south, a BOB hire at least gives Baalke some cove. Baalke has a reputation of being difficult to deal with. That reputation is matched by BOB. He clashed with a very capable GM in Smith. He clashed mightily with DeAndre Hopkins which led to his trade. He gives Baalke someone to point the finger at from a personality standpoint in the case of any clashes.
Again, Bill O Brien is not my choice. I think there's a lot to dislike about his hire. But I could also see why Baalke would want BOB, and a little thought can make some of Baalke's possible draft thoughts obvious. My belief is at present, Baalke is eyeing Neal and Williams early and wants a coach who will be able to either endorse the decision or give compelling reasons why his mindset is wrong.
- He has to get the coaching hire right
- He has to build around Trevor Lawrence
- He has to get the draft right with immediate impact players.
- He has to take some of the heat off of himself
With this in mind, what does this have to do with Bill O' Brien?
Given the way Bill O' Brien single handedly ran the Texans into the ground with some absolutely horrific trades, why would he want BOB? Why is he advocating BOB be interviewed? I know BOB would be a very unpopular choice with the Jaguars' fan base based on the reactions on the board. To many fans, such a hire might be the final straw. U know BOB is not my first or even second or thirdchoice. I've been pushing for Pederson since he became available last year, so I promise you this isn't some instance of paradigm attacking, devil's advocacy board stirring post from me. But I present to you some possible reasons why Baalke is pushing for Bill O Brien, if the reports are true based on the considerations I have listed above.
1. Bill O' Brien is, on some level, a defensible hire. He's been a head coach on the NFL level. He won several division titles. He has won with less than stellar QBs and with Deshaun Watson, so it checks the box about being able to set a good culture and develop Trevor Lawrence, which brings me to my 2nd point.
2. BOB is well versed in the Patriots scheme, having been an assistant coach under Belichick who has worked with Brady. You could argue that his system is QB and WR friendly. Presumably, he'd bring his best friend Doug Marrone to coach the offensive line. Say what you will about Marrone, but there was a stretch when he was here earlier where he oversaw dramatic improvement along the offensive line, where the team gave up 70+ sacks before he got there, dropping that number to 55 his first year, then cutting it down to a low of 24 in 2017. On top of that, he's coached most of the incumbents along the OL.
3. Part of the angst against Baalke is the near complete lack of rookie impact in the draft class outside of Trevor Lawrence. It's not a stretch to suggest the near complete lack of rookie impact in this draft class contributed a great deal to the 3-14 record. On too many levels to delineate, this team needs immediate impact from rookies. This is where a Bill O' Brien hire possibly tips his draft hand. Bill O' Brien is currently Alabama's offensive coordinator. He has direct first hand knowledge of the football abilities of some guys who could be of interest to the Jaguars this draft-T Evan Neal, WRs Jameson Williams, John Metchie III, and TE Jaleel Billingsley. All of these guys fit positions of major need for the Jaguars, and if O Brien is named coach, would possibly have great bearing on the Jaguars draft strategy. IOne of the hardest things for a team to do is get a handle on the football and overall character of guys they never coached. That would not be a problem with a BOB hire. They worked with these prospects every day. They are in a position to know if there are any off the field concerns, their work ethics, and practice habits. They are in a position to know the strengths and weaknesses of these guys. They won't have to depend on the reliability of 3rd and 4th hand information from interviews with coaches and scouts with whom they may not be familiar. While it may not be a stretch to say they ran Saban's schemes, it's also not a stretch to suggest BOB incorporated many of his own principles and philosophies into into the Alabama offense. To the extent he has done so, their transition to the NFL would be made much easier if a BOB led Jaguars team drafted them. I think with Bill O Brien, the Jaguars will employ one of two possible draft strategies in the first round. If they stay at one, Neal is the target. If they are able to trade back, Williams is the target. If they double up at WR, they add Metchie in the middle rounds, especially given Baalke's thing for guys with torn ACLs. If the Jaguars drafted those guys, they are more likely to have a positive immediate impact, which gives TL help and Baalke time. Furthermore, they will have coached against Alabama's defense every day in practice, and Georgia's defense twice this season. In case they decide to bolster the defense, they have extensive film study on many quality prospects already.
4. I think if things go south, a BOB hire at least gives Baalke some cove. Baalke has a reputation of being difficult to deal with. That reputation is matched by BOB. He clashed with a very capable GM in Smith. He clashed mightily with DeAndre Hopkins which led to his trade. He gives Baalke someone to point the finger at from a personality standpoint in the case of any clashes.
Again, Bill O Brien is not my choice. I think there's a lot to dislike about his hire. But I could also see why Baalke would want BOB, and a little thought can make some of Baalke's possible draft thoughts obvious. My belief is at present, Baalke is eyeing Neal and Williams early and wants a coach who will be able to either endorse the decision or give compelling reasons why his mindset is wrong.