SAD NEWS: Jacksonville Jaguars 2023 Offseason Already Been Ruled as Failure, After what Transpired within....

With the Jaguars Freefalling, The 2023 Offseason Already Been Ruled as Failure

Can you call this Jaguars season a failure before it even ends?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are freefalling.

A month ago, the Jaguars were 8-3 and were legit in the running for the AFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history.

Fast forward four games, and the Jaguars are 8-7 and essentially need to win-out to ensure a spot in the playoffs considering the Colts and Texans are both favored this week.

But even if the Jaguars do punch their ticket to the playoffs, it is clear that the 2023 season hasn’t gone the way anyone thought it would.

Jaguars JaMycal Hasty news: Press Taylor praises RB

Does limping into the playoffs at 10-7 or 9-8 qualify as a success? Do the Jaguars even look equipped to win a playoff game, let alone make a postseason run?

There are a lot of reasons to say no to both questions. And that means it is fair to start wondering if you can already rule the Jaguars’ offseason a failure.

Most notable moves and non-moves of the offseason, and one in-season move.

Traded for Calvin Ridley.

Let Jawaan Taylor leave in free agency for Kansas City.

Extended Roy Robertson-Harris (three-year, $24.3 million) and DaVon Hamilton (three-year, $34.5 million).

Franchise-tagged Evan Engram, then signed him to a three-year, $41.5 million extension in mid-July.

Let Arden Key leave in free agency for Tennessee.

Released Shaquill Griffin.

Replaced Riley Patterson with Brandon McManus.

Drafted Anton Harrison in the first-round.

Drafted Brenton Strange in the second round.

Drafted Tank Bigsby in the third-round.

Signed Dawuane Smoot.

Traded for Ezra Cleveland.

Jaguars JaMycal Hasty news: Press Taylor praises RB

The Jaguars ultimately returned 20 starters from their divisional round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The only starters who didn’t return were wide receiver Marvin Jones, who was replaced by Ridley, and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who was replaced by Harrison.

In short, the Jaguars operated this offseason like a team that was already built. Their messaging both during the free-agency period, where they re-signed backups like Andrew Wingard, C.J. Beathard and JaMychal Hasty, and the draft was that they wanted improved depth and special teams.

When you message and operate the way the Jaguars did in 2023, it implies that the team is seemingly already built. And after a fully-healthy Jaguars’ defense was just shredded by Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and after an entire season of the Jaguars’ offense not meeting expectations, it begs the question: how could one perceive this roster as built?

It does seem like a lot of the Jaguars’ hopes and expectations were development-driven. The hope that second-year players like Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd and Luke Fortner would take big steps. The hope that third-year players like Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Walker Little, Andre Cisco, and Tyson Campbell would turn into legitimate blue-chip players.

Jaguars JaMycal Hasty news: Press Taylor praises RB

Through 16 weeks, though, it doesn’t look like any of that happened. The Jaguars seemed confident it would based on their offseason, but so far it looks like a losing bet.

Walker and Lloyd are better than they are as rookies, with Walker’s sack production doubling. Neither is what one would call an every-week impact player, though. They have taken steps forward, but not leaps.

Fortner, meanwhile, has arguably been worse in 2023 than he was in 2022. The same can be said for Lawrence, who has seen turnovers and injuries pile up as he tries to overcompensate for his surroundings.

With the Jaguars Freefalling, The 2023 Offseason Already Been Ruled as Failure

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Related News

You may have missed