3 Questions For The Jacksonville Jaguars This Offseason
The Jacksonville Jaguars came into the 2024 season hoping to compete for the division. Things went south very quickly. The team started out 1-5 en route to a 4-13 finish. Trevor Lawrence was injured for half the season, but even when he was playing, the team was struggling. A 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 11 highlights everything wrong with the season. An inconsistent offense, an abhorrent defense, and terrible coaching all contributed to a poor season. Doug Pederson was fired, and now they have to find another head coach. Here are the three most important questions the Jaguars have for the offseason.
1. Will The Jacksonville Jaguars Extend Travon Walker?
The Jacksonville Jaguars have taken some criticism for selecting Travon Walker as the number one overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Aidan Hutchinson was the next pick, and he was on his way to an All-Pro season before breaking his leg. Many fans believe the team made a mistake. However, Walker hasn’t played poorly by any means. After just 3.5 sacks in his rookie year, he has had back-to-back double-digit sack seasons. He set a career-high with 10.5 this year. Walker missed two games in his rookie year but otherwise has played in every game. He’s gotten better every year, which is what you want to see out of a young player.
The Jacksonville Jaguars should pay him. Good pass rushers are hard to find, and Walker has shown he is still improving. Furthermore, the Jaguars need to upgrade their pass rush after another abysmal year. I get it. It stinks that the player selected after him looks better right now, but the team didn’t miss. Getting him paid now would lock him down for the prime of his career. If he keeps developing, he could become a defensive force among the league leaders in sacks.
2. What Is The Ceiling For Trevor Lawrence?
When the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Trevor Lawrence, he was billed as a generational prospect. He has not quite lived up to that hype. To be fair, he hasn’t been bad. Outside of this year, he’s thrown for over 3,500 yards every year, with two of the years being over 4,000 yards. He’s made a Pro Bowl and thrown for 69 touchdowns over the first four years. While this is good, it isn’t what you want from a generational prospect. Inconsistency and turnovers have been the issue. He’s thrown 46 interceptions, making his touchdown touchdown-to-interception ratio nothing to write home about.
Defenders of Lawrence will say the Jacksonville Jaguars have done him no favors. He had to live through the Urban Meyer experience and Doug Pederson showed promise but ultimately didn’t help his quarterback enough. Some of it isn’t his fault. However, at some point, Lawrence has to play better. They squandered his rookie deal, only making one real playoff “run” when they made the epic second-half comeback against the Los Angeles Chargers. He is now on the books for a lot of money, and GM Trent Baalke (who somehow still has a job) will have to build a team with a stricter budget.
3. Can The Team Get A Complete Culture Makeover?
It isn’t just the roster that needs help. The Jacksonville Jaguars need a complete culture makeover this offseason. Some of this will come from whoever they hire for their head coach position, but it’s also on the players. This franchise has lacked an identity for years. Many franchises have changed players but kept a consistent culture. The Jaguars need this. From a player’s standpoint, this culture shift likely comes from the aforementioned Lawrence and Walker. We’ll have to wait and see with the coach.
Culture has been a big talking point in NFL circles this year. Many of the teams that are succeeding have a distinct culture. The Detroit Lions are the epitome of Dan Campbell. Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh have clearly defined how their franchises will behave. For years, Bill Belichick was praised for the culture he built around the team. A team with no identity is going nowhere. There are obvious holes that need to be filled on the roster, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have to establish an identity for 2025.
Final Thoughts
The Jacksonville Jaguars have one advantage over many of the teams picking in the top ten of the draft. They the quarterback position solidified. Many of the teams struggle because of a lack of quality quarterback play. Lawrence has areas he needs to improve, but he is still a quality starter in the league. Furthermore, the AFC South isn’t a powerhouse division and could easily be won with some roster improvement.
