It’s a bit difficult to gauge where the expectations should be for Jacksonville heading into the 2021 season. Coming off a 1-15 finish with one of the most depleted rosters in football, the Jaguars made a lot of progress this offseason and upgraded at positions all over the field. But with a new front office, new head coach, and new starting quarterback, expecting the team to take a major leap forward into playoff contention seems a bit ambitious.
Colin Cowherd, host of “The Herd,” is among the crowd that is tempering their expectations for Jacksonville in Year 1 under the new regime. He projects an improvement on the record from last season, but to just 6-11.
“Jacksonville’s fun to watch, a little bit of a mess defensively,” Cowherd said.
He only thinks one team in the AFC South will be competitive for a playoff spot: the Indianapolis Colts, who he has going 11-6. He predicts a drop-off to 8-9 for the Tennessee Titans and a disappointing 4-13 finish for the Houston Texans, who have an uncertain situation at the most important position on the field.
Cowherd’s prediction for the Jags is definitely a safe one. Considering the offense was moderately productive last season, the addition of Trevor Lawrence (as well as free agent receiver Marvin Jones Jr.) should make the unit at least sufficient.
The real concerns lie on defense, where the team was abysmal in 2020. It invested a lot of money in the unit this offseason, signing cornerback Shaquill Griffin, safety Rayshawn Jenkins and defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris. But it’s unclear if that will be enough for the Jags to be competitive against top teams this year.
Jags fans would like to see a better finish than six wins in 2021, but at the same time, if the team improves on its record while showing positive on-field strides and progress in Lawrence’s development, that would at least be a step in the right direction.