Category: Jaguars

Can the Jags find a way to trade Nick Foles in 2020 if they had to?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have their minds made up to see if rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II can bring some life to their offense, and they seem to be willing to roll with him to close the season. However, the fact that the Jags had to bench …

The Jacksonville Jaguars have their minds made up to see if rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II can bring some life to their offense, and they seem to be willing to roll with him to close the season. However, the fact that the Jags had to bench veteran Nick Foles has caused fans to wonder about his future as a Jag and the best method to get his contract off their hands sooner or later.

At this point, it’s clear what Shad Khan needs to do with his current staff in the front office and the coaching department: let them all go. It also would be wise to rebuild on top of that because the salaries they are paying out don’t match the results they are getting. Foles, unfortunately, fits into that category of not living up to his salary.

If Khan knows he can no longer take half measures and simply needs to reset everything, it appears Foles’ fate could be in the hands of another regime. Most front offices start by distancing themselves from the mistakes of their predecessors, and in Foles’ case, some are thinking that could lead to a trade in 2020. 

If Khan takes the right route and resets his front office, trading Foles (if they can) would help tremendously towards the salary cap. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract (or at least it hasn’t been reported) like some veteran quarterbacks who have big-time deals around the league, so that means he is moveable.

Of course, the issue with trading Foles is that his play has been lackluster in the time we’ve seen him, and his contract isn’t one that will appeal to a majority of the league. Simply put, if the Jags can find a suitor, it would be one with a lot of salary cap and one in need of a veteran quarterback. It’s inevitable that comparisons are drawn with Brock Osweiler, who the Houston Texans signed to a huge deal in March of 2016, but found a way to dump his salary ($16 million) on the Cleveland Browns in 2017 by trading them the veteran and draft picks (a second and sixth-rounder). 

Suitors that come to mind are the Miami Dolphins, who should be loaded with cap space next season, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals and perhaps the Indianapolis Colts as pointed out by our comrades at For the Win, although it would take a great deal of desperation from the next front office. 

Now, we’d like to hear from you all at home through our first-ever Jags Wire forum post. Do you all think trading Foles is even a possibility? If so, who do you think would take him? Or do you believe the Jags will flat out release or keep him under new management? Let us know in the forum.

3 things to know for Chargers vs. Jaguars

The Jags will enter this week’s game with just three wins out of seven against the Chargers. Can Gardner Minshew change that?

The Jacksonville Jaguars face off against the Los Angeles Chargers in a battle of struggling teams this Sunday. Of course, the biggest news is Gardner Minshew II being named a starter again which should bring some excitement to the fanbase.

Here are three things to know for the battle of opposing coasts:

Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

The Chargers lead the series 7-3

The Jaguars have an unfortunate history with the Chargers. The Chargers lead the series 7-3 and have won six of the last seven matchups. Both teams boast a 4-8 record and are looking to right the ship as each are coming off of multiple game losing streaks.

Luckily the game is in Jacksonville since generally, the Jaguars don’t travel well to the west coast. Veteran quarterback Philip Rivers has struggled this season, turning the ball over at an alarming rate with 15 picks on the season. Against a weak offensive line, the Jaguars’ defensive unit should be able to take advantage and make it a tough game for Rivers.

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Jags enter week as 2.5-point underdogs vs. Chargers

The Jags’ and Chargers’ seasons haven’t gone as planned, but LA haS been significantly more competitive and are listed as favorites Week 14.

The Jacksonville Jaguars entered last week as home favorites Week 13, but that won’t be the case Week 14. Per BetMGM, the Jags are currently down as 2.5-point underdogs to the Los Angles Chargers, who traditionally have been an issue for them with an all-time record of 7-3 against the Cardiac Cats.

The Jags’ and Chargers’ 2019 campaigns have been largely disappointing and both will come into Week 14 with identical records of 4-8. Mathematically, they haven’t been eliminated from the AFC playoff picture, however, they both will be coming into Sunday’s game simply looking to end their three-game (in the Chargers’ case) and four-game (in the Jags’ case) losing streaks.

The Jags will be coming off a 28-11 loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs Week 13 in which they benched veteran quarterback Nick Foles midway through. After seeing the offense and team become a little more lively under rookie sensation Garner Minshew II, Jags coach Doug Marrone named him the starter for Week 13’s game.

The Chargers, on the other hand, are coming off a much more competitive loss to the Denver Broncos, who defeated them by a score of 23-20. The driving force behind their team is their passing game (ranked No. 6 in the league) and defense (ranked No. 10 in the league), which is led by two fierce pass rushers in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram and coached by former Jags head man Gus Bradley.

The total for Sunday’s game is currently set at 43.5 points. The money line is set at +145 for the Jags, which means a wager of $100 on them would pay out $145.

Like their league record, the Jags haven’t been so hot with a 5-7 record against the spread and a 2-4 record at home against it. The Chargers have been even worse against the spread with a record of 3-8-1 in the category. Their record against the spread while serving as the away team is an unimpressive figure of 2-4.

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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.

The good, the bad and the ugly of the Jaguars 28-11 loss to the Buccaneers

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have been on the road for their last three games, but it was clear that home was anywhere but sweet. The Jaguars finished up another brutal week against the Tampa Bay Bucs where they were absolutely manhandled by the …

The Jacksonville Jaguars may have been on the road for their last three games, but it was clear that home was anywhere but sweet.

The Jaguars finished up another brutal week against the Tampa Bay Bucs where they were absolutely manhandled by the score of 28-11.

The crowd in attendance witnessed an absolute drubbing at TIAA Bank Field against an opponent that the Jaguars have had the edge over in the all-time series, with a 4-2 record over the Bucs.

There are always positives, even in a game like this, where there seemed to be mostly negatives. Here’s a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of Sunday’s matchup vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

The good: Record setting aplenty

While the Jags didn’t get the desired result on the scoreboard, they did at least find some success in the record books.

Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen would start off the record-setting day by finishing the game with six tackles and a sack. The sack would be Allen’s ninth of the year which would set the rookie franchise record held by Yannick Ngakoue:

Josh Allen has a great chance to eclipse the Jaguars single-season record set by Calais Campbell with 14.5 sacks back in 2017. It would appear that the Jags have found an absolute gem on the defensive side of the ball in the rookie.

The record-setting day continued as Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette set the franchise single-season reception record finishing the game with nine catches for 53 yards. That gave him a total of 65 catches on the year.

While the Jaguars would rather have the win on the scoreboard, they can at least take solace in knowing that these two guys still give it their all in what seems like a lost season for the Jaguars.

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Jaguars move up to No. 8 spot of draft order after loss to Bucs

The Jacksonville Jaguars inched closer to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after sustaining their fourth straight loss Week 13. While it was just a one-spot jump from last week’s spot (No. 9), the No. 8 spot isn’t a bad spot for the 4-8 …

The Jacksonville Jaguars inched closer to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft after sustaining their fourth straight loss Week 13. While it was just a one-spot jump from last week’s spot (No. 9), the No. 8 spot isn’t a bad spot for the 4-8 Jags, who have several needs heading into 2020.

Per Tankathon, the rest of the Jags’ selections for 2020 are as follows as of Week 14:

  • Second-round (selection No. 43)
  • Third-round (selection No. 74)
  • Fourth-round  (selection No. 105)
  • Fifth-round (section No. 136 or No. 148 depending on which pick the Steelers take for Josh Dobbs)
  • Sixth-round (selections No. 171, No. 192)
  • Seventh-round (selection No. 202)

With four games remaining, the Jags aren’t mathematically out of the hunt for a playoff spot, but it’s clear the team isn’t postseason material. Additionally, it appears there might be sweeping changes at the end of the year, so acquiring the highest draft picks possible could help whoever is running things next drastically — that is if changes are made.

The Jags could currently use help at offensive guard, tight end, defensive tackle, linebacker and cornerback. Depending on how Gardner Minshew II fares this month, they also may be on the market for a quarterback in 2020.

Doug Marrone says he still believes in Nick Foles despite benching

Just because Doug Marrone benched Nick Foles doesn’t mean he’s lost confidence in the veteran.

Minshew Mania will be returning to Jacksonville soon as Jaguars coach Doug Marrone announced that the team will be starting rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II against the Los Angeles Chargers. The decision came after veteran Nick Foles struggled to get going since returning from the collarbone injury he sustained Week 1.

Marrone told the media the decision wasn’t an easy one in Monday’s media conference call, but in the end it came down to the mobility and elusiveness Minshew brings. He also added that he still believes in Foles and that his struggles solely weren’t his fault because the Jags weren’t playing well around him either.

“I still believe in him as the quarterback. I just think that a lot of times it’s never really just the one position, or one person. That’s the one position [where] it’s a team game, you need people around him to do a good job, and right now, we’re all not doing a good enough job. So, we’re just trying to put the best guys out there that give us the best chance to win. And it’s tough. It’s tough when you’re not doing a good job, starting with myself, to the coaches and at times obviously the players.”

Marrone’s statements on Foles sound identical to those he made when Minshew was sent back to the bench as he was on record for saying he believed in the rookie, who showed a lot of ability earlier in the season. After putting in the effort to cater the playbook to Foles this offseason alongside coordinator John DeFilippo, Marrone has built a strong bond with Foles. However, the Jags’ offensive line is an issue and the lack of mobility by Foles puts the unit at a disadvantage in most cases.

Heading forward, Minshew has a grand opportunity to put together a strong case to be the starter in 2020, too, regardless as to who is the coach. However, if he doesn’t, the Jags will have to heavily consider drafting or signing a starter in the offseason.

Gardner Minshew named Jags’ starter after Nick Foles’ struggles

The Jaguars are going back to Gardner Minshew.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars will be going back to the Mississippi Mustache.

On a conference call with the media Monday, Doug Marrone announced that the team will be officially rolling with rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II after he replaced Nick Foles midway through Week 13’s loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs. He added that the rookie gives the team more elusiveness in the pocket, which has been a huge issue with Foles.

Foles, who injured his collarbone in Week 1, returned to the Jags’ lineup as the starter in Week 11 against the Indianapolis Colts, but could never find a groove. His struggles really flared up Sunday against the Bucs, as he gave up three turnovers (a pick and two fumbles). He ultimately finished the game 7-of-14 for 93 yards and a pick.

With the team down 25-0 in the first half and in desperate need of a spark, coach Doug Marrone went back to Minshew, who was 4-4 during his time as a starter.

Minshew electrified the league and his team during the first two quarters of the season, winning six Pepsi Rookie of the Week awards while playing. He was also the Rookie of the Month for September and finished his initial run with the Jags 188-of-307 (61.2%) for 2,285 yards, 14 touchdowns, and four picks before Foles took the starting job back.

Josh Allen proving to be a bright spot despite Jags’ struggles

Jaguars first round pick Josh Allen continues to make his case for Defensive Rookie of the Year and once again balled out Week 13.

In the midst of a rough game against the Tampa Bay Bucs Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars at least had a few players who stood out and Josh Allen was amongst them. The rookie has terrorized opposing quarterbacks all season and that once again was the case for Jameis Winston as Allen had a sack on the day in addition to accumulating four tackles.

In total, Allen now has nine sacks on the season which is good for the franchise’s record for rookies. Yannick Ngakoue held the previous record of eight, until Allen tied him this month and eventually surpassed him. His performance on the field further proves that the Jags were lucky he fell to them this April and made the right decision to draft him.

Throughout the process of his rookie success, the young pass rusher seemingly has become a fan favorite and a popular name as he was second at his position in Pro Bowl votes for the AFC. That popularity should only increase the more he closes in on Jevon Kearse’s rookie sack record of 14.5 sacks.

Most fans feel that the Jags immediate future may not be too bright when looking at the spiraling path the team is taking, but the next regime at least will have arguably the best pass rusher from the 2019 class (and maybe Ngakoue) getting after the quarterback. That said, fans who are disappointed in the team will at least have a reason to watch the remaining games as Allen has shown promise that is undeniable at the moment.

Winners and Losers from Bucs vs. Jaguars

There weren’t many positives to take from the Jags’ loss to the Bucs, but they did have some reserves step up in a big way Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars once again came away from game day with another one in the losers column after falling to the Tampa Bay Bucs in Week 13. The Bucs got off to a fast start and the Jaguars never seemed to get going. The Jags were shut out in the first half and it prompted Doug Marrone to make the switch from Nick Foles to Gardner Minshew II.

In another losing effort that ended with a final score of 28-11 here are the winners and losers from Jacksonville’s Week 13 game against their in-state rivals.

Winners

In a game like this, it is hard to identify many “winners,” but a few players stuck out to me.

Pass rusher Josh Allen

Josh Allen continued his sensational rookie campaign against the Bucs. The Kentucky alum registered two quarterback hits, and a sack in yet another solid performance. While he had a great day no doubt, Allen is a winner today for breaking the Jaguars’ rookie sack record with his ninth sack on the season.

Allen was recently second in Pro Bowl voting for AFC defensive ends and his production has been a big reason as to why. With four games still left to be played, Allen will only continue to bolster his lead on the Jaguars record and may even near Javon Kearse’s NFL rookie record of 14.5. He has been one of the Jags’ best and most consistent players, which is a truly remarkable and exciting feat for the young Jaguar.

The Jaguars’ reserve defenders stepped up

Continuing on the defense, both linebacker Donald Payne and safety Andrew Wingard had to be called on to start for Myles Jack and Ronnie Harrison, and neither disappointed. Payne and Wingard were first and second, respectively, as far as tackles go with 13 and seven tackles on the day. Payne also nearly had a pick while Wingard caused a fumble on Jameis Winston which was recovered by the Jags.

If anything, the Jags left the game confident in the two reserves if they have to be called upon again and should look to continue playing both players with the postseason out of reach. Fans should also be mindful of both players in the future because the Jags could be rebuilding, and often times depth is an issue for a team that has reset. If Wingard and Payne continue to make progress, however, the Jags’ depth might be better than expected in the future.

Losers

QB Nick Foles

Nick Foles didn’t have a good day against the Bucs — and he has yet to have one at all since returning. In fact, it’s looking like the Jags may be losing money after signing Foles to an $88 million contract in March.

Sunday, Foles arguably had his worst day aside from his Chiefs debut. Foles couldn’t seem to get anything going and was the reason for three first half turnovers and no points being put on the board. As a result, Marrone decided the offense needed a ‘spark’ and made the change at quarterback.

Minshew instantly gave the offense new life, accumulating their only touchdown drive of the game. Going forward, it seems he’ll be the guy the team might roll with. That would certainly mark a bad season for the former Super Bowl MVP.

The Run Game

Early in the year, Leonard Fournette was on a tear, leading the AFC in rushing yards at the mid-season mark. However, the team has moved away from their strong run game as of late in favor of a more pass-heavy attack. Fournette has become a reliable receiver, but the run game has suffered dearly.

With the return of Minshew under center, the team may return to a more run-based offense, but ultimately, time will tell. Hopefully, the offensive line can open up some more holes for Fournette as the young tailback ran for just 38 yards on 14 carries Week 13. If they can, the Jags would make things much more interesting heading into the last stretch.