Category: Dave Caldwell

Report: Director of Player Personnel Chris Polian no longer with Jags’ front office

In addition to having two vacant coaching it appears the Jacksonville will have an opening to fill in the front office, too. According to Neil Stratton of Inside the League, the team has moved on from Director of Player Personnel Chris Polian, …

In addition to having two vacant coaching it appears the Jacksonville will have an opening to fill in the front office, too. According to Neil Stratton of Inside the League, the team has moved on from Director of Player Personnel Chris Polian, leaving the position vacant at the moment.

As of this moment, Polian isn’t listed on the Jags’ staff page and the direct URL to his bio is invalid. He also is listed as the Jags’ “former” Director of Player Personnel by Professional Sports Representation Inc., which is the agency he’s signed to.

Polian was hired by the Jags organization May 2, 2013 after spending the previous year with the Atlanta Falcons where he build a good relationship with general manager Dave Caldwell, who was the team’s Director of College Scouting at the time.

Polian is most known for his time as the Indianapolis Colts’ general manager (2009-2011) under his father, Bill Polian, who was the team’s president. The team went 14-2 and 10-6 in his first two years, but was only able to win two games in 2011. Ultimately, that caused owner Jim Irsay to move on from both after the 2011 season.

Dave Caldwell on Calais Campbell: ‘We still feel like he has football left ahead of him’

Jags GM Dave Caldwell will have some tough decisions to make this offseason but it appears he does want to move forward with Calais Campbell.

There are a lot of big-time decisions to be made by Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell this offseason, including a decision on what to do about defensive lineman Calais Campbell. The veteran has just one year left on his deal, however, for a Jags team that’s currently over the salary cap, Caldwell will have to decide on whether or not the Jags want to bring him back on a price tag of about $15 million.

Caldwell was asked by Jaguars.com about Campbell’s future with the team, and his reply seems to indicate that the Jags want the veteran back.

“We still feel like he has football left ahead of him,” Caldwell said Tuesday.

Caldwell also added that the defensive staff is currently having discussions on Campbell’s role heading forward and how he’ll be used.

To lower his cap figure on the year, many fans have suggested an extension, something the team at least looked into last year. However, the Jags never went through with the process for whatever reason and it may be because both parties could come to an agreement each side felt was fair. If the Jags want to take a second swing at an extension, Campbell told Action Sports Jax that he’s open to it earlier this month, but again, the financial figures have to make sense.

“Obviously, there has to be communication, that’s just the way it is,” said Campbell. “There was communication in years past and we weren’t able to come to an agreement and that’s ok. Hopefully, if there is communication and we can come to an agreement and we can find something that makes sense for both sides. Do I think I’m worth $15 million still? You damn right. You see these guys getting paid 20 plus million (sic.) a year and they’re incredible players, but I feel like I’m as good as most of these guys getting paid this ridiculous money. I’m not going to go and ask for $20 million. I don’t mind being a $15 million a year guy.”

Heading forward it will be interesting to see what direction the Jags go with Campbell because they need to free up some cap space to retain defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. However, if Campbell is retained at his current price tag, the Jags are going to have to make some other big-time cuts to free up the space they need for Ngakoue, their rookie draft class, and free agents.

GM Dave Caldwell says Yannick Ngakoue deal ‘could take a little time’ and likely will involve ownership

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said Yannick Ngakoue would be the team’s top priority this offseason in his postseason presser and that tone hasn’t changed a few weeks later. Caldwell spoke with Jaguars.com while attending the …

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell said Yannick Ngakoue would be the team’s top priority this offseason in his postseason presser and that tone hasn’t changed a few weeks later. Caldwell spoke with Jaguars.com while attending the Senior Bowl Tuesday and Ngakoue was one of the many topics who came up.

“It’s a deal that we feel like could take a little bit of time but should be done hopefully relatively easily,” Caldwell said.

A deal that could “take a little bit of time” clearly sounds like Caldwell is aiming for a long-term deal, unlike the short-term one which the team shot his way last summer. That may likely involve the team temporarily franchise tagging him, which is projected to cost over $17 million this season.

Per NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the deal that Ngakoue was offered last year was one that paid out $19 million annually and would’ve made him the fourth-highest paid defensive end. However, the guaranteed amount wasn’t revealed.

Caldwell added that the process is one that will likely involve owner Shad Khan and his son Tony Khan, which proves their sense of urgency to keep their star. With the team coming off a season in which they lost their franchise player, Jalen Ramsey, and was called out by the NFLPA, it appears Khan may be looking to run his organization better and is striving to make the players a little happier.

Right now, the highest-paid 4-3 defensive end is DeMarcus Lawrence, who signed a five-year deal worth $105 million with $65 million being guaranteed last April. With Ngakoue beating him out in sacks this season with eight and having just five fewer tackles (41), he’ll likely view that as a starting point in negotiations. Before that happens, however, the Jags will need to begin clearing out some cap space, a process that Caldwell says the team has until the beginning of the league year (March 18) to address.

Listen: Jags Wire discusses Khan’s decision to keep Marrone, Caldwell and Ngakoue’s future with Jags

This past week has been a wild one in the AFC South and it all began with the Jacksonville Jaguars retaining coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell. To discuss the news, Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I hit the booth for another …

This past week has been a wild one in the AFC South and it all began with the Jacksonville Jaguars retaining coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell. To discuss the news, Jags Wire contributor Phil Smith and I hit the booth for another episode of “The Jags Den Podcast” to break down Shad Khan’s statements about his decision to keep both, which many fans disagree with.

Afterward, we discussed the messages in which Yannick Ngakoue has been posting on social media and what they mean for his future with the Jags. Lastly, we discussed the odds of Gardner Minshew II being the Jags’ QB1 in 2020 after an impressive rookie season in which he went 6-6 as a starter.

To listen to all of episode 58 and our shows from the past, check out the link below and subscribe to our iTunes page for previous episodes. Listeners can also check us out via the various other interfaces below.

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GM Dave Caldwell calls getting Yannick Ngakoue re-signed Jags’ No. 1 priority

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that both general manager Dave Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone would be returning to their roles in 2020 after owner Shad Khan met with both Tuesday and throughout the previous week. After the news broke, both got …

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that both general manager Dave Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone would be returning to their roles in 2020 after owner Shad Khan met with both Tuesday and throughout the previous week. After the news broke, both got back to work and had a presser for the media, which provided some details on where the team will go from here.

There was a lot to unpack from the presser but the most important nugget to take from it was that Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell want pending free-agent edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue back on a long-term deal.

″I think you guys all know in this room how both Doug and I feel about Yannick through our conversations over the years,″ Caldwell said Tuesday. ″He is a tremendous player and even a better person. How he handled his business this year was tremendous. But I would say that’s priority No. 1 to make sure he comes back to Jacksonville and that he’s a Jacksonville Jaguar. Hopefully, we can get that done where he’s here for a long period of time.″

Ngakoue has been the topic of the last two postseason’s being that he’s one of the Jags’ best young players who they would be wise to keep being that they have a strong young nucleus of talent. In the postseason of 2018, there was what fans felt was a lackadaisical attempt to sign Ngakoue with Tom Coughlin leading the way. However, with a new power structure and Caldwell now answering only to Shad Khan, it appears the veteran general manager will look to do whatever he can to retain what looks to be his best remaining draft pick.

Ngakoue has been nothing short of phenomenal for the Jags since being drafted in the third-round of the 2016 NFL Draft. In totality, he’s managed to accumulate 122 career tackles, 37.5 career sacks (good for the second-highest total in franchise history) and has been a turnover machine with 14 career forced fumbles. Simply put, he’s been a model player for the locker room and Caldwell likely knows what has to be done to start moving away from Coughlin’s culture which felt like it was more about punishing players than rewarding them.

The first order of business will be for Caldwell to get the Jags’ cap situation right, which will involve parting ways with some key veterans and restructuring some pricey contracts. Once that’s done, the Jags should likely lay low in free-agency and focus on taking care of Ngakoue instead of burning a lot of cash on players from other teams as they’ve done in the past.

As for the contract he could be looking for, he may be looking to top Demarcus Lawrence’s five-year contract worth $105 million with $65 million guaranteed after having one of his better all-around seasons as a pass-rusher and run defender. Sure, it won’t be an easy deal to iron out, but maybe with some cap gymnastics, the Jags can finally pay a player who has earned his money accordingly.

HC Doug Marrone, GM Dave Caldwell to return to Jags in 2020

Doug Marrone and Dave Caldwell will be returning in 2020 as Shad Khan wants to see what both can do with Tom Coughlin out of the picture.

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According to reports, Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone will be returning to his role with the team in 2020. General manager Dave Caldwell will be, too.

Marrone’s return comes after some fans were calling for a shake-up after he registered his second consecutive double digit-loss season in 2019 (6-10). In his first season in 2017, the Jags compiled a 10-6 record where they would go on a lengthy playoff run only to fall to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game. However since that season, they’ve gone 11-21, with a 5-11 season occurring in 2018.

The move comes after the Jaguars also let go of former football executive Tom Coughlin prior to Week 16’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. It was reported by several media insiders that owner Shad Khan preferred to keep both Marrone and Caldwell with Coughlin out of the picture, and that’s exactly what happened Tuesday for the veteran head coach and general manager.

Marrone was well respected by the Jaguars locker room despite a tumultuous season. Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette was one of many players to praise his former head coach a few weeks ago when asked about him after Coughlin’s firing:

“I don’t know [if it’s an organizational problem with the NFLPA],” Fournette said. “As far as the money part, I think it’s kind of extreme sometimes. To see what I seen today [with the grievance situation] was crazy. Individually, I don’t know what happened to cause it, but I’m glad [Dante Fowler jr.] got his money back, or will be getting his money back. Whatever the case may be. I think that Doug is doing an excellent job of trying to communicate with the players and build a better relationship with the players No. 1. That’s all I can speak on is coach Doug.”

Of the Jags’ top personnel members, many fans have long held the belief that Marrone deserved the least amount of blame for the Jags’ shortcomings and most believed Caldwell and Coughlin deserved more of the blame than anyone. However, Marrone didn’t make any excuses and issued a heartfelt apology to the fans and sponsors early last week.

Marrone was initially brought into the organization in 2015 as the teams assistant head coach and offensive line coach in 2015 under Gus Bradley. When Bradley was fired, he was promoted to the head coaching role in 2017.

Report: HC Doug Marrone, GM Dave Caldwell have a “good chance” to return to Jags in 2020

The Jags may not make a head coaching or general manager change in 2020 with Tom Coughlin now out of the picture.

Despite football executive Tom Coughlin being fired, Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Marrone has stressed that he’s focused on fighting for his job with just two games left. If he has a strong showing in the process, it appears both he and Dave Caldwell will keep their jobs in 2020, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

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With Black Monday just over a week away, Rapoport stated something fans already knew and that was the fact that Coughlin didn’t make anyone’s job easier, including that of Marrone and probably Caldwell, too. For that reason, owner Shad Khan wants to see how the two do without Coughlin making the atmosphere tense.

Rapoport is right about how detrimental Coughlin was for the organization as he chased away some solid players, most notably Jalen Ramsey. However, several players have come out to say they appreciated Marrone’s communication with them throughout the year, with the most recent being Leonard Fournette. Their respect for Marrone also was on display in last Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders, as they went out and fought hard for him and got the victory.

As for Caldwell, it’s very possible Coughlin made some decisions that he didn’t agree with. Shelling out a boatload of money to Nick Foles in free-agency may be at the top of the list and the handling of the top-3 picks from Caldwell’s 2016 class (which consisted of Ramsey, Myles Jack, and Yannick Ngakoue) also may not be something he was happy with.

Personally, I think the Jags should pull off a clean sweep because making half measure changes has never worked for them. They did it in the past by keeping Caldwell and firing Gus Bradley, and prior to that by keeping general manager Gene Smith and pairing him with Mike Mularkey. Both situations ended up being catastrophic and the Jags have only had one winning season during Khan’s whole tenure.

Additionally, the Jags have looked very unprepared since coming from their bye week. They went through a stretch where they lost five games by 17 points or more, which hadn’t been done since the 80s. Sure, a lot of that was a result of Todd Wash’s struggles as a defensive coordinator, but it isn’t as if the Jags have looked good on offense either through the stretch.

Report: Jags ‘likely’ to go through a coaching change after 2019

NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo doesn’t know if it will be before the season, but believes the Jags are heading towards a coaching change.

The Jacksonville Jaguars season has been a big-time failure and the fans aren’t happy. Jags owner Shad Khan likely isn’t happy with the results he’s seen either as the Jags are on a four-game skid in which they’ve been outscored 129-47 and have looked like a dumpster fire organization along the way.

Due to all of the aforementioned issues, many have suspected changes are coming. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo seems to believe that those changes could definitely include acquiring a new head coach after stating that the Jags are “likely” to move on from Doug Marrone, who has been the Jags’ coach for almost three full seasons now.

“If you’re asking me if it is going to be before Week 17, I honestly have no idea. It’s gonna depend on what happens in these next couple of games here,” Garafolo said Tuesday afternoon. “But I think everyone is looking at this situation saying it’s a likely coaching change in Jacksonville.”

It’s worth noting that Garafolo was the source to break the news of Doug Marrone being hired by the Jags under Gus Bradley, so it appears he knows his stuff when it comes to the veteran head coach. It’s also worth noting Garafolo stated that Marrone could make a case to stay by finishing the season strong and showing he can win with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

The news is pretty much what most fans were expecting, however, when looking at how the Jags have looked over the last two years. In fact, since going to the AFC Championship the Jags are 9-19, which isn’t a good look —even when looking past 2018, which was a year full of key injuries for the Jags.

I think Marrone is a good coach but there may be varying opinions on him in the locker room because executive vice president of football operations, Tom Coughlin, has seemingly gotten involved with issues that the coach should more so control. A prime example is the Jalen Ramsey situation.

Speaking of Coughlin, Garafolo didn’t really offer any news about his job security or that of general manager Dave Caldwell, though he did say the front office wants to see how the season plays out. However, a half-measure by Khan wouldn’t be wise. Ultimately, he’d still be keeping two people who have played a key part in the organization’s mistakes of the past. There is also the fact that no head coach that’s worth having will want Coughlin hovering over him while he does his job.