Tag: Dave Caldwell

6 winners from Jags’ early free agency moves

Dave Caldwell, despite not making a lot of splash additions in free agency, is definitely doing some good things for the Jags this offseason.

We’ve almost reached the one-week mark of the tampering period and the Jacksonville Jaguars have made several key moves in terms of rebuilding their franchise. Of course, there is still a lot of work to be done and more moves will follow, but before we get to that point, we figured we’d reflect on who came out as winners from this week’s moves:

Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

GM Dave Caldwell

There was a lot of damage done to the Jags’ organization with the addition of Tom Coughlin (and before his arrival, too), and though general manager Dave Caldwell hasn’t fixed the team by any means, the future is one fans can somewhat be excited about.

In the beginning, it may not have been clear to fans exactly what Caldwell was doing or why he was breaking up what remained from 2017, but it is now and it’s the right move. It has long felt like the Jags’ organization was living in the past trying to hold on to what happened in 2017, but the fact of the matter was they overachieved that year and lost way too many key parts from that unit to begin with. The Jags were without notables Paul Posluszny, Telvin Smith, Tashaun Gipson, Barry Church and Malik Jackson in 2019 to name a few, and they needed to face reality then.

They’ve now finally realized that a rebuild is right, and though strong cases can be made that it should be without Caldwell, he’s almost knocked the early 2020 process out of the park. He moved on from pricey players like Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye and got fifth and fourth-round selections, respectively, for them. While they both were talented, the Jags likely weren’t going to be good by the time their contracts ended. That said, to get draft picks out of both is great.

However, Caldwell’s best move came this past week when he managed to trade quarterback Nick Foles and somewhat get away from his bad contract. To make things even better, he was even able to get something in return (a 2020 fourth-round pick) when maybe it should’ve been the other way around. That gave the Jags 12 draft picks and now they are in a situation where their starting quarterback, Gardner Minshew II, is on a sixth-round pick salary for two years.

If Minshew is good in 2020, that’s awesome. If he isn’t, he’ll lead them into a top selection to land his successor. That’s a win-win situation and one in which Jags fans should give props to Caldwell for — whether they like him or not.

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NFL salary cap for 2020 set at $198.2M for 2020

The NFL Management Council has informed each team that they will have just short of $200 million in available cap space.

In December, it was reported that the NFL’s salary cap for 2020 would be anywhere between $196.8 million to $201.2 million per team, and now with the NFLPA voting to approve a new CBA, we now know the exact number.

Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the NFL Management Council informed all 32 teams that the salary cap will be set for $198.2 million per organization.

The news of the league’s salary cap comes as the new league year is still scheduled to begin Wednesday, March 25. However, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the league and players union are currently discussing the matter as it isn’t solely up to the NFL.

The increase marks a rise of $10 million as the salary cap was set at $188.2 million last year. With Yannick Ngakoue’s franchise tag factored in, that would put the Jags at an estimated $12.4 million, according to Spotrac.

Heading into free agency, the Jags are expected to cut a few more players like tight end Geoff Swaim and receiver Marqise Lee and if those transactions are completed the Jags would be at approximately $21.4 million. If Ngakoue is traded as some suspect, the Jags would add a projected amount of $18 million, which is an approximation of the non-exclusive franchise tag amount. Add that in with the releases of Swaim and Lee and the Jags would have an estimated $39.4 million in available cap space according to Spotrac’s calculations.

The Jags could add an additional four million by releasing veteran Abry Jones then another $3.1 million if there are any willing suitors to take quarterback Nick Foles in a trade. So in other words, the key will be to get Ngakoue’s cap hit of their books through a trade or extension, and if they can, they’ll be in good shape this offseason.

 

5 potential tag and trade partners for Jags pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue

After this morning’s news he was going to be put under the franchise tag, these are 5 potential tag and trade partners for Yannick Ngakoue.

With news coming Monday morning of Yannick Ngakoue’s desire to play elsewhere in 2020, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made the decision to use their franchise tag on the former Pro Bowler. Unfortunately for the team, Ngakoue’s stance could lead to a trade, which general manager Dave Caldwell would have to orchestrate.

Make no mistake about it, using the franchise tag on Ngakoue is 100% the correct thing to do. At just 24 years old, there certainly will be interest in Ngakoue because good young pass-rushers are simply hard to find.

To lose a player of Ngakoue’s caliber for nothing would have been a devastating blow for Jacksonville. Now, Caldwell can explore the trade market and gain more ammunition for next month’s draft — that is if he wants.

The question then remains, who is willing to partner the Jaguars in a trade? Below is a list of some possible scenarios that could unfold before the starting of the 2020 season:

Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Dolphins

With no illusions that the Dolphins will be using some of their ammunition to make a move for a franchise quarterback, it makes a ton of sense for Chris Grier to also secure the team’s long-term future at the next most important position by trading for Ngakoue.

With very little edge depth in this year’s class, it’s unlikely that the Dolphins would be able to secure an impact player of Ngakoue’s caliber with either the No. 18 or No. 26 picks. Whilst the idea of trading a first-rounder for someone who then wants to sign a contract averaging $22 million a year is scary, the Dolphins have plenty of cap space to do so. They currently have over $88 million in available space, good for first in the league and more than enough to absorb such a contract.

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Yannick Ngakoue says he has a PSA to make, but it likely won’t concern a new extension for now

Yannick Ngakoue’s Twitter has been garnering a lot of attention and he now has a PSA to make from it according to him.

The Twitter and Instagram accounts of Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue have provided fans with some interesting content as of late, and it a appears more is on the way. Friday, the young defensive end tweeted out “PSA Monday. Stay tuned.” He also included a checkered race flag emoji in the tweet, which seems to be his signature stamp of a victory lap.

When asked by a fan if he was staying in Jacksonville, Ngakoue replied “Good Try,” so it appears whatever he has to announce likely doesn’t involve a long-term deal.

The feeling is that Ngakoue will be franchise tagged before hard long-term contract negotiations begin — if they begin at all. Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell somewhat hinted that the team’s focus for now would be free agency and then the draft in his Combine presser.

Caldwell also specifically mentioned the franchise tag when  on Pro Football Talk’s show this week.

“You try to do what’s best for your team [as a general manager] obviously first, and then the player,” Caldwell said to Chris Simms and Mike Florio. “In this case, the player has rights, the team has rights. We didn’t negotiate — at least I didn’t negotiate the rules of the franchise tag or the transition tag and all that stuff. So, we’ll use everything in our power to keep Yannick [Ngakoue] here and hopefully it’s on a long-term deal and if it’s not it would be for a year on a franchise tag.”

To tag Ngakoue, it’s going to cost the Jags upwards of $19 million, which they currently have thanks to the releases of linebacker Jake Ryan and defensive tackle Marcell Dareus which put them at $21.4 million, per Over the Cap. With such an astronomical figure, one would think the Jags would do everything in their power to concoct a long-term deal, which should come with a lower 2020 cap figure.

 

Jags reiterate their confidence in both Nick Foles, Gardner Minshew

As expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars sung a familiar tune at the NFL Combine during their presser meetings: they have two good quarterbacks and the best man will win. Of course, those two quarterbacks are Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew II, both of …

As expected, the Jacksonville Jaguars sung a familiar tune at the NFL Combine during their presser meetings: they have two good quarterbacks and the best man will win. Of course, those two quarterbacks are Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew II, both of whom will be involved in an open competition to start.

With Marrone taking the spotlight first with the media, he stated that the key will be seeing one or the two separate themselves from each other in the preseason, and once that happens, a starter will be crowned.

“The best thing to do is have those guys go out there and have them compete,” Marrone said Tuesday at the Scouting Combine. “When one of them separates themselves, and there’s been enough body of work for it, then that person’s going to be the starting quarterback.

“We’re trying to create that at all of the positions. Quarterback’s no different.”

Caldwell, on the other hand, was complimentary of both players, pointing out Foles’ experience and Minshew’s good rookie campaign.

“Both of those guys are in a situation that they both have proven in their own way that they can be a good quarterback in the NFL,” Caldwell said. “Nick obviously has a much larger body of work than Gardner does. But what Gardner did last year as a rookie I think is very impressive. He won six games and was .500 in the games he started […] He had probably the best stats of any rookie quarterback last year.”

Foles was the Jags’ big free agent acquisition last March and signed a massive four-year, $88 million contract. After coming off a season in which he filled in late for Carson Wentz, propelled the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl, and became the game’s MVP, Foles unfortunately wasn’t able to sustain his success. He suffered from a collarbone injury Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs and was eventually benched Week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers after returning Week 11. Ultimately, he finished the season 77-of-117 (65.8%) for 736 yards, three touchdowns, and two picks and will be hoping for a bounce back season in 2020.

As for Minshew, he put up better numbers than first round pick Kyler Murray in some categories like passer rating (91.2 to 84.7) and touchdown passes (21 to 20). In terms of completions, he was 85-of-470 (60.6%) for 3,271 passing yards, and threw six picks.

Doug Marrone, Dave Caldwell seem open to moving Myles Jack from inside LB

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.

Maurice Jones-Drew shoots his take on Jags’ handling of Yannick Ngakoue

Jaguars great Maurice Jones-Drew says he’s heard from Yannick Ngakoue this week and had some takes on the Jags’ handling of him.

With the Super Bowl coming up, radio row has provided some quality takes for Jacksonville Jaguars fans, whether it’s from current or retired players. Former running back Maurice Jones-Drew was one of many to share his thoughts with Jacksonville’s ESPN 690AM sports station, elaborating on a wide variety of topics including Yannick Ngakoue’s contract situation.

Jones-Drew, who once dealt with a contract situation early in Shad Khan’s tenure as owner, too, stated that he felt the Jags have basically mismanaged the situation by not taking care of Ngakoue earlier.

“That [deal] should have been taken care of a long time ago,” Jones-Drew said. “Take care of it early. My parents always told me, ‘You’re gonna pay. Either you’re gonna pay now or you’re gonna pay later, but you’re gonna pay.’”

Jones-Drew’s comments echo the sentiments we’ve stressed (and many others) during the 2019 season. When reflecting on last season, the mis-step that hurt the Jags in particular was the option to pay Nick Foles, something that was ill advised because of his limited success and injury history. Lo and behold, Foles ended up suffering an unfortunate injury and the team were stuck with a $12 million cap hit for someone who only took the field for 185 snaps.

Jones-Drew added that he spoke with Ngakoue this week and stated that he didn’t want to put his full personal conversation out there but did hint at there being a communication problem.

“We did have a conversation though, yesterday, and I think the biggest thing is communication,” Jones-Drew told Brent Martineau of ESPN 690. “Don’t play the game in the media. That’s kind of where [my contract situation] went a little bit, and I refused to do that because to me we’re talking about business.

“That doesn’t need to be going in the media,” Jones-Drew added. “It needs to be face-to-face. We need to sit down and have a conversation, I can tell you how I feel, you can tell me how you feel, and we can move on. Either we agree or we don’t or we agree to disagree — it is what it is.”

After the season Jags general manager Dave Caldwell stated that he and Doug Marrone think highly of Ngakoue and wanted to make signing him the team’s top priority. He later added that he felt the deal could take some time but was one that could be done “relatively easily” and that ownership could also get involved. Khan also said he met with players after the season, and one would think Ngakoue should’ve been atop the list.

However, based on Jones-Drew comments, it appears Ngakoue and his camp possibly haven’t heard anything from the Jags. His recent social media post insinuates the same, though it’s not completely clear.

Caldwell said the team would start making decisions on veteran contracts closer to March, which will give fans an idea of what they are working with in terms of cap space. In the meantime, it appears they need to establish a better means of communication with Ngakoue (at least in his eyes) as it appears to be a divide between both parties.

 

Should Jags give former Browns executives Eliot Wolf or Alonzo Highsmith a call for recent opening?

The Jags have a vacancy in their front office as Chris Polian has left. Could there be two former Browns execs available for his job?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have several openings available to be filled in the future, including one personnel executive job. On Thursday, we reported that Director of Player Personnel, Chris Polian, was no longer a part of the team’s front office, leaving a key spot vacant in a key season for the team’s front office.

With it just being January, several other front offices are making moves, including the Cleveland Browns, who apparently have parted ways with assistant general manager Eliot Wolf and Vice President of Player Personnel Alonzo Highsmith. Both executives had joined the team under former general manager John Dorsey after spending many years with the Green Bay Packers organization.

With both potentially looking for work and the Jags’ need to fill a key vacancy left by Polian’s departure, should the Jags give Wolf or Highsmith (or both) a call to join their front office?

Eliot Wolf, in particular, is a name that may ring a bell as he is the son of Hall of Fame general manager, Ron Wolf. He also has been a hot name to owners as he’s one of the top up-and-comers in terms of future general managers.

Wolf previously spent over a decade with the Packers and worked his way up from being a pro personnel assistant in 2004 to becoming the team’s Director of Football Operations in 2017. in 2018, he was a candidate to become the team’s general manager, however, Brian Gutekunst got the nod instead.

Highsmith, on the other hand, was a scout under Ron Wolf in the late 1990s. He eventually found himself working his way up to the team’s Senior Personnel Executive role in 2012-17. It may be worth noting that he is a native of Bartow Florida, which is roughly three and a half hours from Jacksonville and is relatively close in proximity.

At the moment it’s unknown whether or not the Jags are looking to fill Polian’s spot and it’s possible they could elect to keep it vacant for 2020. They have yet to officially speak on the matter or say anything about filling the vacancy, but with the combine coming up we could know more soon.

On the other hand, not having a lieutenant may not be the smartest decision for general manager Dave Caldwell, who already has his plate full and is basically fighting for his job. Sure, Caldwell can lean on his faith from the current front office but having a new pair of ears in the building could help. After all, Wolf and Highsmith have been a part of a Packers organization that routinely made the postseason over the past decade and even won a Super Bowl in 2011. With the Jags only having one successful season under Caldwell and his group, that alone should entice them to call either former executive.

We’d like to hear from you all on the matter. Should the Jags have interest in either Wolf or Highsmith? Let us know on social media.

NFL.com explains what Jags need to do to dethrone Chiefs

The Chiefs will be the AFC’s top team in 2020 and to dethrone them the Jags must have a solid offseason.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were the first team in the 2019 regular season to get a chance to see if they could go toe-to-toe with the AFC Champions in the Kansas City Chiefs and it wasn’t a pretty outing, to say the least. It then became clear that the Chiefs were miles ahead of the Jags and the regular season further proved that point.

Now, here we are just a few days away from the Super Bowl and the Chiefs have proven to be the force most thought. Regardless of the outcome of the Super Bowl, the Chiefs will be the team the Jags and every other AFC team will look to dethrone with their high powered offense.

NFL Network’s Gregg Rosenthal recently posted an article stating what each team needs to do to dethrone the Chiefs, and for the Jags, the solution comes down to moving on from the past and making some tough personnel decisions.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Get unemotional about past personnel mistakes.

Jaguars general manager David Caldwell is getting another chance to re-shape the roster after the departure of Tom Coughlin. To move forward, the team needs to make some tough choices regarding some of the moves Coughlin and Caldwell made over the last few years. They have a raft of cap-related decisions pertaining to veterans like cornerback A.J. Bouye, guard Andrew Norwell, defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, wide receiver Marqise Lee, linebacker Jake Ryan and possibly even running back Leonard Fournette. The Nick Foles-Gardner Minshew QB conundrum won’t be easy to solve because of Foles’ contract, but the arrival of new coordinator Jay Gruden was a big step in the right direction. Jacksonville has prized continuity to a fault over Caldwell’s seven seasons, resulting in one campaign with more than six wins. Before Caldwell gets to spend his three top-50 draft picks in April, he needs to honestly assess what’s gone wrong.

The Jags are about $3.2 million over the cap according to Over the Cap, so Rosenthal is right about the moves they need to make to get them out of the negative. Releasing Marcell Dareus, who would free up $22.5 million, is clearly where they will need to start but they can’t stop there. They will need more cap space to address a couple of needs in free agency, pay Yannick Ngakoue and pay their rookie draft class. That said, decisions will have to be made on the other names Rosenthal mentioned.

With nine picks in both 2020 and 2021, it’s time for general manager Dave Caldwell and the front office to stop relying on free agency at the capacity they have and look for more bargains on the open market while also being precise in the draft. With Tom Coughlin out of the picture, that sounds like the path Caldwell will take this year as he told ESPN 690’s Brent Martineau that the Jags will look to be “wise” in free agency.

“I think this could be a quick flip,” Caldwell said about a turnaround. “I think if we make wise choices in free agency, and it might not be market-setters, but wise choices, then we’ll follow it up with a good draft. We have all the way up until the beginning of September to have the roster set so it’s going to be a fluid thing, but we have to make the right choices all the way up to the trade deadline and in the middle of [the regular season].”

Another key variable in taking down the Chiefs will be defensive coordinator Todd Wash. Several coordinators have figured his scheme out and Week 1’s game proved the Chiefs were amongst that group. He’s going to have to adapt and improve as a coordinator in 2020 because the Jags probably won’t have the defensive talent they did in 2017.

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.