The Jacksonville Jaguars found themselves headlining the NFL news wire again after trading another key veteran. This time it was veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who was traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2020 fifth-rounder.
The decision to let go of the well-respected veteran is just one of many storylines that has Jags fans curious about what’s to come this offseason. Before we get to free agency and the draft, though, here are three takeaways from Sunday’s headline trade:
Dave Caldwell might have more time than some believe as the Jags’ GM
If it wasn’t clear before now, it’s pretty much undeniable at the point: The Jags are heading towards a rebuild. The powerhouse defense that once propelled the Jaguars to the AFC Championship has been deteriorating since Tom Brady put together that comeback on them and went on to Super Bowl LII. Now, all that is left from the unit is Abry Jones, Myles Jack, and Yannick Ngakoue (at least for now), which means Caldwell will be tasked with a massive overhaul on defense.
With such a mess on his hands, one possibility is that Caldwell may have more time to fix things than believed. After all, his pre-Tom Coughlin draft selections (most notably from 2016), and his free-agent additions (Malik Jackson) were the foundation of that 2017 run. While they did bring in other key pieces when the future Hall-of-Fame coach arrived, his way of doing business and treating players caused an implosion, thus affecting the work that Caldwell put in before his addition.
All of that said, owner Shad Khan may feel that it’s only fair Caldwell have at least two seasons to rebuild. After all, he didn’t say Caldwell had to have a postseason berth when he brought him and Doug Marrone back and ultimately time will tell what the future holds for the veteran general manager.