Gus Bradley was extended to provide "stability" (supposedly to allow Dave to more easily sign his free agents) and give the team the "best opportunity to win in 2016."

 

Dave's words:

 

<p style="font-size:16px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin-left:40px;">“For an organization that we believe is ready to make its move, extending Gus through the 2017 season provides our club with much-needed stability in every respect,” General Manager Dave Caldwell said in a statement. “It solidifies Gus' good standing with our current players, provides certainty for free agents who may be considering the Jaguars and helps to deliver the continuity throughout our coaching staff that we think is critical for us to turn the corner.

<p style="font-size:16px;color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;margin-left:40px;">“It also gives us the best opportunity to win in 2016. I appreciate [Jaguars Owner] Shad [Khan] supporting this approach as we enter a pivotal season with high expectations at every level of the organization.”  http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-foot...-extension

 

Did Dave compromise the season vouching for his coach in order to make his offseason objectives easier to obtain?

 

One could argue he put his free agency interests ahead of the interests of the team.

 

That's a very high stakes gamble.

 

The end result is that he chose to fight to retain a coach for the sole reason of serving his personnel desires, regardless of the negative impact retaining Gus may have had on the club.

 

For this to work out for Dave, his precious personnel decisions will now have to far outlive the consequences of that coaching decision.

 

Right now, a coaching change is expected to be inevitable.

 

That change, and a head start righting the ship, has been set back by Dave insisting on making his free agency job easier.

 

The outside free agents brought in were:

Jackson

Beachum

Gipson

Ivory

Amukamara

Nortman

Bernadeau

 

Was that free agency crop worth sacrificing the 2016 season and delaying a coaching change?

 

With his pursuit of immediate gratification in the 2016 offseason, did he make his own 2017 offseason (and beyond) that much more difficult?

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