Most fans are well aware that Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke has limited supporters in his corner, and the team’s season finale and offseason proved it. However, owner Shad Khan saw something in the second-year Jags general manager and kept him as a result.
During the team’s coaching search, several reports revealed that coaches were skeptical about working with Baalke due to his poor reputation and track record. He somehow survived three coaching changes dating back to his time with San Francisco as he witness the organization fire both Jim Harbaugh and Jim Tomsula, then he witnessed the Jags fire Urban Meyer before a full season.
For that reason, many questioned Doug Pederson’s decision to join the Jags, especially after considering how his relationship with ownership and management went in Philadelphia. However, just a few weeks into their time together in Jacksonville, it appears Baalke and Pederson are getting along.
In an interview with The MMQB, Pederson said the two connected in their first interview and that he looks forward to getting to know Baalke over his time with the Jags.
“A lot of these reports that are out there are from a lot of unnamed sources,” Pederson said. “I can remember my time in Philly, back in ’16, there were a lot of unnamed sources that thought I wasn’t very good as a head coach. But they never put their name to it. And I’m like, ‘Well, what good is that? If you’re gonna say something, at least own up to it.’’And so my philosophy with things like that is I want to get to know the person.
I want to get to know Trent Baalke, what makes him tick, his family, his likes, his dislikes and his history as a GM. All those things. He’s had a lot of success in this league. And I’ll tell you something — we’ve connected from day one, all the way back to my first interview with the Jaguars […] I can go sit in his office, he can come sit in mine and we don’t even have to talk ball. We just tell stories and that’s how you get to know people.”
Pederson and Baalke have yet to go through a free agency or draft together, neither have they spent a regular season together. With that being the case, there absolutely shouldn’t be any issues at the moment, but the duo’s long-term relationship will be worth watching.
In the team’s introductory press conference, owner Shad Khan revealed that the team would be making new hires above and below Baalke, but those hires have yet to happen. That’s caused some to believe that they may not take place until after the draft, but ultimately time will tell.
The fact that Khan is hiring an executive vice president is likely a sign that he at least paid attention to the backlash the organization sustained for retaining Baalke. However, when looking at Baalke’s struggles in free agency (whether it’s not acquiring elite talent or poor skill position evaluations) it would be wise to get the top football executive in immediately. But if Pederson and Baalke have to handle free agency together, fans will view it as a questionable situation, which could lead to unsatisfying season ticket sales.