LOTS of Trent Baalke acquisitions playing well lately.

If Travon Walker comes on strong next year, I think fans will be changing their tune on Baalke yet again.

https://www.si.com/nfl/jaguars/news/this...ayoff-push

Well done NYC on reviving this thread.

It's curious that there are so many people on this board that were adamant on defending Lawrence regardless of how many losses he contributed to earlier in the season, and yet, they didn't afford Baalke the same 'lets wait and see' consideration.  You know who you are.

You're curious about people defending a QB in his second season after playing his first under Meyer???

I'm not. I'm curious why some were so impatient with him at all. 

As to why ppl were impatient with Baalke, I think the overall grand scale of the failure that was the 2021 season drove already impatient fans to a dark place, and then once his SF rumors began swirling he was scapegoated.

---

https://twitter.com/heykayadams/status/1...7995433984

---

I still think he blew the Walker pick. He reached and the Lions got the better player, unforced error. Dude has 3.5 sacks and 24 solo tackles, he’s not good…

---

"If you always do what you've always done, You'll always get what you always got"

Baalke has done this before in San Francisco. It's not really all that surprising. I think what turned people off, myself included, was the massive falling out that had happened in San Francisco. There was a lot of rumors and a few articles and players speaking out against him and his behavior. Essentially the man was deemed to be a snake in the grass.

You can be a solid talent evaluator and build respectable rosters while still having a negative reputation and being known as a dick head. It's not uncommon in many places. My concern is how will we handle building upon what he's accomplished in one off season? You built something up and it's been pretty impressive. So what, now what?

Moving forward the standard is now set much, much higher. We're no longer sneaking up on anybody as Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence have become the next big thing since Sean Payton / Drew Brees & Andy Reid / Patrick Mahomes. Keeping critical pieces intact and on the football team while racing up against the clock of the inevitable King's Ransom that the Prince that was Promised will command by 2025 is going to be a very, very fun scenario to watch unfold.

Will Baalke continue to bolster his "guys"? Or, will he continue to sell snake oil and throw these guys under the bus when they get close, but not quite there? We'll see. I am confident with Pederson and Lawrence though that the sky's the limit and a Superbowl is very, very obtainable now. Baalke DOES indeed deserve credit though. His draft classes are shaking out nicely. His recent free agency class? Even better.

---

"What do I know of cultured ways, the gilt, the craft and the lie? I, who was born in a naked land and bred in the open sky. The subtle tongue, the sophist guile, they fail when the broadswords sing; Rush in and die, dogs - I was a man before I was a king."

I still think he blew the Walker pick. He reached and the Lions got the better player, unforced error. Dude has 3.5 sacks and 24 solo tackles, he’s not good…

I posted the following chart over 9 months ago to illustrate my personal confidence level in Trevor's success probability.
Turned out favorably. 

I feel almost exactly the same about Walker. I think you'll be very, very wrong about Walker. 

---

I still think he blew the Walker pick. He reached and the Lions got the better player, unforced error. Dude has 3.5 sacks and 24 solo tackles, he’s not good…

I posted the following chart over 9 months ago to illustrate my personal confidence level in Trevor's success probability.
Turned out favorably. 

I feel almost exactly the same about Walker. I think you'll be very, very wrong about Walker. 

I sincerely hope I am

---

"If you always do what you've always done, You'll always get what you always got"

How do you watch Travon Walker play and think that he isn’t good?

---

How do you watch Travon Walker play and think that he isn’t good?

X2

All of Hutchison sacks have been no effort  at least walkers has resulted from him creating pressure and manoeuvring his opposing player

---

Walker needs to get home. But beyond my limited knowledge I would imagine that pressure he generates sometimes is what opens it up for Key, Allen, and RRH to take the QB down. I’m cautiously optimistic he’ll be a decent player but he’s a first overall pick. He needs to be a game changing rusher to live up to his status

---

Walker needs to get home. But beyond my limited knowledge I would imagine that pressure he generates sometimes is what opens it up for Key, Allen, and RRH to take the QB down. I’m cautiously optimistic he’ll be a decent player but he’s a first overall pick. He needs to be a game changing rusher to live up to his status

This ^

---

"If you always do what you've always done, You'll always get what you always got"

I still think he blew the Walker pick. He reached and the Lions got the better player, unforced error. Dude has 3.5 sacks and 24 solo tackles, he’s not good…

Way, Way too early to say this.  Most pass rushers (even the greats) need a year or two to get better.  Yes Hutch has had a better rookie year, we do not know who will have the better career.  Time will tell.

---

Walker needs to get home. But beyond my limited knowledge I would imagine that pressure he generates sometimes is what opens it up for Key, Allen, and RRH to take the QB down. I’m cautiously optimistic he’ll be a decent player but he’s a first overall pick. He needs to be a game changing rusher to live up to his status

But there no need for the team or people to pile on pressure on the kid just because he was taken No. 1. He didn't control that. Most of time predicting which of the top 5-10 prospects will be PoY type is practically impossible.

If he becomes key DE/DL that is no brainer for extension in 4 years than that is a win, especially considering the Jags bust rate history on the DL.

---

I posted the following chart over 9 months ago to illustrate my personal confidence level in Trevor's success probability.
Turned out favorably. 

I feel almost exactly the same about Walker. I think you'll be very, very wrong about Walker. 

I sincerely hope I am

It wouldn’t be the first time that you had a [BLEEP] player evaluation,

---

And Josh Oliver finished the rest of the season after playing us with 6 starts, 3 receptions for 19 yards, and no TDs.

Baalke really blew that chance at "quality" depth.

---

I don't think I've been too harsh on Baalke..

Never commented on him.. I like to use the 'wait and see' approach..

So far I think he's done a pretty damn good job.

---

https://jaguarswire.usatoday.com/2023/01...nfl-draft/

---

Urban Meyer was SO awful, I don't think we realized just how awful he was. Like... bring back Gus Bradley awful. Bring back Mike Mularkey awful. Give us Nathaniel Hackett awful. Urban Meyer may just be the worst head coach in the history of the NFL. And a lot of that informed a lot of our opinions about Baalke. I'll admit to being wrong, though. Let's just hope we can sustain success and take the crown again next year.

---

I was wrong about Trent Baalke. 

Urban Meyer was SO awful, I don't think we realized just how awful he was. Like... bring back Gus Bradley awful. Bring back Mike Mularkey awful. Give us Nathaniel Hackett awful. Urban Meyer may just be the worst head coach in the history of the NFL. And a lot of that informed a lot of our opinions about Baalke. I'll admit to being wrong, though. Let's just hope we can sustain success and take the crown again next year.

It's not even a question, Urban Meyer was absolutely the worst Head Coach in NFL History and it's not even close.

---

Urban Meyer was SO awful, I don't think we realized just how awful he was. Like... bring back Gus Bradley awful. Bring back Mike Mularkey awful. Give us Nathaniel Hackett awful. Urban Meyer may just be the worst head coach in the history of the NFL. And a lot of that informed a lot of our opinions about Baalke. I'll admit to being wrong, though. Let's just hope we can sustain success and take the crown again next year.

It's not even a question, Urban Meyer was absolutely the worst Head Coach in NFL History and it's not even close.

I never thought I would hate a coach more than Jeff Fisher and then Urban Meyer happened.

---

Balkie needs to hit on the next draft to solidify what’s going on now with this tremendous run. I’d say a little depth at certain positions such as cb and o-line plus d-line. The future looks spectacular. Look at the Seahawks draft. They improved their team immediately and had a nice surprise success this season. Jags can have a great draft and be looking so pretty for years to come.

---