Neither said a move was a certainty, but Jags HC Doug Marrone and GM Dave Caldwell at least seem open to moving Myles Jack from inside LB.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been candid about putting their players in a better position to flourish this season after putting together two back-to-back seasons in which they had double-digit losses. Atop the list of names fans feel should change positions is inside linebacker Myles Jack, who struggled mightily with his role.
With the NFL Combine currently ongoing, the potential change was one that came up multiple times from the media when Jags coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell took the podium.
Marrone, who was first to address the media, said that the young linebacker was recovering well from the knee injury that put him on injured reserve in December and expects him to be back around mid-March. He also added that he thinks Jack has basically played well everywhere at some point but will look to put him in the best position for the team.
“I think when we look at Myles, first of all, he’s doing well, rehabbing well and will be back sometime in mid-March,” said Marrone. “I think that we’re going to make sure we better the team as a whole. The one thing about Myles, he’s been great. Obviously, he’s a guy that is super talented and has played multiple positions for us already.”
Jack has played at two linebacker positions in Todd Wash’s scheme, however, he clearly looked better at SAM linebacker (2017) than at MIKE. In fact, 2017 was his best season by the standards of Pro Football Focus as he registered a grade of 83.4. However, with Paul Posluszny retiring, he moved to the middle, where things haven’t gone as well.
In his defense, the MIKE linebacker position isn’t the easiest to learn as it comes with a lot of responsibilities. In addition to the retirement of Posluszny, it became painfully obvious when he became the leader of the group due to Telvin Smith’s retirement.
Like the fans, Marrone hinted that Jack may need to play at a position with fewer responsibilities but also said he’s handled the role fine. However, if moving him makes the team better, it appears Marrone wouldn’t be opposed to it.
“Getting him comfortable is really what my main goal is and putting him in a spot where he can go and play and maybe not have to worry about a lot of other people but he’s done a good job,” Marrone added. “He’s been able to call the defenses for us and he’s been a leader on that side of the football. I think at the end of the day whatever combination is going to make us a better player, that’s what we’re going to do but we’re going do that in discussions with the player first before we publicly go out there and tell people exactly what we’re doing.”
Caldwell practically said the same thing, pointing out Jack’s versatility and how it gives the Jags options.
“If we can get a guy to come in [through free agency or the draft] and move Myles [we’d possibly look into it] because Myles offers you so much flexibility rather it’s MIKE, WILL, and he played SAM in 2017, so we feel good about that,” Caldwell said.
In my opinion, Jack’s 2019 struggles and his success outside of the MIKE linebacker spot is a clear indicator that the Jags need to prioritize finding a new player to run things in the middle. If they feel Jack still needs to stay on the field full-time, then weak-side linebacker should be an option, but simply put, keeping him in the middle certainly doesn’t feel like a move that would be best for the team.
This offseason, inside linebacker options like Joe Schobert and Nick Kwiatkoski could be available on the open market as players who won’t be market-setters but will get paid well. Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray is a player who could be available early in the draft. Ultimately, time will tell if any of those players are options (or anyone else) but it appears Jack’s name certainly isn’t written in ink at inside linebacker.
