Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars

5 mistakes that hurt Jags during Tom Coughlin’s tenure as EVP of Football Operations

Tom Coughlin made a lot of costly mistakes with the Jags and not bringing back Allen Robinson was one of them.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were the talk of the NFL Wednesday after they decided to relieve Tom Coughlin of his duties as the team’s front office leader. He had been with the team since 2017 and was brought in to help get the franchise on the right track. He was able to do that during his first year, however, his formula proved not to be a sustainable way to win.

Along the way, there were also crucial mistakes made that ultimately prevented success for the franchise. Here are the five most significant ones that Coughlin had his hand in:

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

5. Not keeping WR Allen Robinson

One of the unfortunate trends fans witnessed during Coughlin’s run was him letting good players go. The first of those players was receiver Allen Robinson, who is still finding a way to be successful despite the struggles of Mitch Trubisky over with the Chicago Bears.

In an interview from February with ESPN 690AM, Robinson revealed that he and the Jags were“decently close” to a contract extension before the 2017 season, and in looking back at things in hindsight, life could’ve been better for Coughlin if the Jags would’ve just sweetened the pot. Sure, they presently have a stud in D.J. Chark, but most fans tend to agree the Jags need a No. 2 beside him as Dede Westbrook and Chris Conley haven’t wowed anyone this year.

Now, the Jags will enter the offseason with the need for an explosive playmaker next to Chark when the fact of the matter is that it’s possible he could’ve been paired with Robinson for years to come.

Could you guys imagine that duo? I certainly could.

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Searching for the logic in Bruce Allen’s continued employment with the Redskins

All signs point towards an expected dismissal of team president Bruce Allen, but Daniel Snyder has refused to pull the trigger as of yet.

Many fans of the Washington Redskins are probably scrolling through their newsfeed today and reading about the Jacksonville Jaguars’ firing of Tom Coughlin — the team’s top executive — with envy, and a hint of resentment.

It’s THAT easy to rid of a front office decision-maker? All you have to do is recognize that the team didn’t improve under his watch and has failed to build a solid foundation for the future, and then you can just fire him? Why haven’t we done that?

Why is Bruce Allen still employed by the Redskins?!

The answer is unclear. After 10 years in Washington, with a 62-98-1 regular-season record, Bruce Allen is still the Team President of the Redskins. Why has owner Daniel Snyder not moved on from him yet? The team is in disarray, the fanbase is dwindling, ticket-sales are plummeting, and a new head coach needs to be hired this offseason — one who is unlikely to take the job should Allen remain, unless they are desperate to get back into the coaching game. What’s the rationale there?

This may seem like an abundance of questions right off the top, but when you don’t have any answers, all you can do is keep asking questions until something starts to make sense. So far, we’re still searching for the logic in all of this.

In 2009, Snyder fired front office leader Vinny Cerrato, who had failed to right the ship in Washington and had caused multitudes of unrest in the fan base. Sound familiar? With just a couple of weeks left in the regular season, Allen was dubbed the savior of the Redskins, and the fanbase rejoiced. Many were optimistic at the prospect of a new general manager coming in and repairing the locker room while focussing on the roster talent in a much-needed way.

Deja Vu? If I were to take the last paragraph and make slight edits to the date and the name, it could easily be pasted into an article that might come out in a few weeks, should Snyder decide to give Allen the ax. Look at this quote that The Athletic‘s Ben Standig dug up from SB Nation on the day that Cerrato was fired, and tell me it doesn’t sound familiar.

“Redskins fans across the country are waking up to the greatest news they could’ve possible (sic) heard about their disappointing team: VP Vinny Cerrato, the man in charge of making the horrid personnel decisions for the franchise, has resigned. For many Skins fans… the dismissal of Cerrato was the only good that could’ve come from this season. Now that it’s really happening, it makes the 3-win year feel like a winning season.”

This isn’t a new spot for the Washington Redskins to be in, they’ve had to make this type of decision before. But for some reason, this time around, Snyder seems reluctant to pull the trigger, and both Allen and the fanbase as a whole are waiting with bated breath.

Will it happen before the regular season ends, or the 2020 season begins? Who knows, we don’t have the answers; we’re still searching for the logic in all of this, and coming up short.

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Jags fire Tom Coughlin

The Jags have begun their process to rebuild their franchise as Tom Coughlin was fired Thursday.

With just two games remaining and the NFLPA calling them out, most felt that the Jacksonville Jaguars would be parting ways from Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Tom Coughlin, by the end of the season. However, it appears they didn’t want to prolong the situation any more.

Wednesday evening owner, Shad Khan issues a statement announcing that Coughlin had been fired, leaving their EVP role vacant for the moment.

Coughlin’s firing came after the NFLPA won two grievances against the Jags this week by former defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. and running back Leonard Fournette. The Jags also could be dealing with others as the NFLPA reported that the Jags account for 25% of recent grievances that have occurred recently in the NFL.

Fowler’s grievance was the first of the week to occur as the team violated the Collective Bargaining Agreement by wrongfully fining him over $700,000 for rehabbing away from the team’s facility in the offseason. Fournette, on the other hand, won a grievance for $99,000 after the Jags fined him for being inactive due to an ankle injury in 2018’s season finale against the Houston Texans.

In addition to his issues with the NFLPA, Coughlin failed to put a winning product on the field since being hired in 2017. While the team was a game away from the Super Bowl in 2017, they’ve regressed mightily since, accumulating a record of 10-20 over the course of the last two seasons. Add in the cap issues and bad calls at the quarterback position, and it would seem that Khan simply had no choice to move on as the Jags’ fanbase have grown very disappointed with how things have gone.

Jags promote safety Doug Middleton to active roster, waive Marcus Gilchrist

The Jags made a move a roster move within their secondary as Doug Middleton received a promotion from practice squad.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made one transaction Wednesday that involved their main roster as safety Doug Middleton was promoted from their practice squad. To make room for the transaction, the team waived veteran safety Marcus Gilchrist.

Middleton, 26, joined the Jags’ practice squad in late November. He initially entered the league in 2016 as an undrafted free-agent from Appalachian State with the New York Jets. He spent time on both their practice squad and active roster but was eventually released by them this September. Afterward, he joined the Miami Dolphins briefly and was released around the middle of November.

Middleton is a player with some experience under his belt as he’s participated in 12 games and started in four. He’ll enter his tenure with the Jags with 33 tackles and four pass breakups.

Will the Week 16 Saints-Titans game be broadcast in your area?

The New Orleans Saints will face the Tennessee Titans in Week 16. Will Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and the Saints show out in your area?

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The New Orleans Saints are coming off of a big 34-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football, but the downside to that prime-time slot is the shorter week they now have to prepare with. After coming off that record-breaking win, the Saints will now shift their focus to the Tennessee Titans, in which another historic NFL milestone could be passed: Marvin Harrison’s NFL-record 143 receptions in a single season.

Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is just 11 receptions shy of breaking Harrison’s record, which was set in 2002. But New Orleans is not just playing to break records this season; their goal is to win Super Bowl LIV in Miami. This game against the Titans may have seeding implications for the Saints, but it is a do-or-die game for Tennessee and their playoff hopes.

The broadcast map from 506 Sports highlights the coverage for each of the games during the NFL’s Week 16 slate. The Saints-Titans kickoff will be nationally televised at 12:00 p.m. CT, with the FOX crew led by Kenny Albert and Ronde Barberon on the call for this week’s game.

The areas in red on the map (running from coast to coast within the United States) will have access to the Saints game. Markets in green will catch the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts broadcast, while those in yellow will receive the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Atlanta Falcons. Finally, the areas in blue are catching the game between the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins.

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Jags open the week as 7.5-point underdogs

The Jacksonville Jaguars won’t have to travel far this Sunday as they will be heading to the neighboring state of Georgia to take on one of their annual preseason opponents in the Atlanta Falcons. They will also have some momentum by their side …

The Jacksonville Jaguars won’t have to travel far this Sunday as they will be heading to the neighboring state of Georgia to take on one of their annual preseason opponents in the Atlanta Falcons. They will also have some momentum by their side after a comeback victory over the Oakland Raiders on the West Coast.

The Falcons, on the other hand, also will have some momentum after defeating the San Francisco 49ers, who without a doubt are one of the NFL’s top teams. And while they weren’t favored in that game, they will be this week by a massive margin of 7.5-points per BetMGM, marking the biggest point spread of the year for the Cardiac Cats. The over/under is also currently set at 45.5.

Both teams have had underwhelming seasons and will roll into Week 15’s game with identical records of 5-9. However, of the two, I’d definitely say the Falcons have been more competitive throughout the season because prior to Week 14, the Jags had lost five consecutive games by 15 points or more.

The two teams surprisingly have only played each other six times in the regular season in their history. They will enter Sunday’s game with the series split right down the middle at 3-3 with the Falcons winning the last two games.

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Calais Campbell headed to third consecutive Pro Bowl

Calais Campbell will represent the Jags for the third straight time in the Pro Bowl.

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Calais Campbell will be heading to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.

With the league announcing its 2019 Pro Bowl rosters for the AFC and NFC Tuesday, the Jags announced that Campbell was their lone nominee (for now) to make the initial team. The Jags also announced that five players made the cut as alternates, including placekicker Josh Lambo (first alternate), tailback Leonard Fournette (second alternate), pass rusher Josh Allen (second alternate), punter Logan Cooke (third alternate) and receiver DJ Chark Jr. (third alternate).

So far this season Campbell has been able to register 53 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. He’s also found himself as one of Pro Football Focus top graded defensive lineman with a current grade of 90.3.

The veteran has had quite a career with both the Jags and Arizona Cardinals, accumulating a total of 688 tackles, 14 forced fumbles, and 88 sacks. His recent nomination puts him in company with Jags greats like Tony Boselli (five selections), receiver Jimmy Smith (five selections) and running back Maurice Jones-Drew (three selections) all of whom have been to three Pro Bowls or more with the franchise. He also had two nominations with the Cardinals in 2014-15.

Leonard Fournette praises Doug Marrone’s efforts through organization turmoil

Jags coach Doug Marrone has done his best to communicate with his players throughout the Jags recent turmoil and it isn’t going unnoticed.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been one of the NFL’s biggest topics of discussion after the NFLPA recently singled them out for fining Dante Fowler Jr. (and perhaps others) for not rehabbing at their facility during the offseason. With the team heading towards a rebuild, that’s going to greatly complicate things as Shad Khan and the Jags will have to change the perception of the team gradually over the years.

Despite the recent drama, it appears the Jags have at least one player who isn’t completely miserable in Duval. On Monday’s episode of “Action Sports Jax” on ESPN 690 AM the third-year tailback joined hosts Brent Martineau and Austin Lane in the process of him doing some holiday shopping with the Jacksonville youth at Academy Sports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noy4hXA9Jzs&t=7235s

Towards the end of the interview, Martineau brought up the various battles between the NFLPA and Jags as of late and asked whether he thought it was an organizational problem. Fournette responded by saying he’s not sure, but praise coach Doug Marrone’s efforts through it all.

“I don’t know [if it’s an organizational problem],” 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 [Fowler] 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.”

Fournette’s comments echo the sentiments we’ve been pushing all along about Marrone distancing himself from personnel executive Tom Coughlin and his stern culture. Seemingly, Marrone’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by the players despite how the season has gone.

Afterward, Fournette was asked if he wanted to continue his time with the franchise throughout all of the recent turmoil and his response was one that should definitely put a smile on the face of Jags fans.

“Yeah, most definitely [I want to be here],” Fournette said. “I love it here. The people love me. [Jacksonville] is my second home so I’ve enjoyed every bit of it.”

Much of Fournette’s desire could be because he understands changes are coming. Now, it’s on Khan to get the right people in his front office to steer the organization away from the path they’re currently on.

Jalen Ramsey, Allen Robinson share thoughts on Twitter after NFLPA wins grievance over Jags

With the NFLPA winning its grievance against the Jacksonville Jaguars it was only a matter of time before players started chiming in on the situation and former cornerback Jalen Ramsey unsurprisingly jumped on the opportunity. Like his teammate …

With the NFLPA winning its grievance against the Jacksonville Jaguars it was only a matter of time before players started chiming in on the situation and former cornerback Jalen Ramsey unsurprisingly jumped on the opportunity. Like his teammate Dante Fowler Jr. did, Ramsey took to social media to share his thoughts and posted the following tweet:

As you all at home can see, former Jags receiver Allen Robinson had a response as well, which may be hard to judge. However, it’s worth noting that Robinson is on record for saying he felt that he also needed to get away from the Jags’ organization.

As for Ramsey, it’s pretty much stating the obvious that Coughlin was one of the reasons he left, but he probably wasn’t the only reason he left. Being the star he is, it shouldn’t be ruled out that Ramsey also wanted to land in a more desirable market where he could expand his career beyond football.

Regardless, it’s clear the Jags are a circus at this point. With a rebuild coming up, fans are right to be concerned at the moment because the perception of the team isn’t good right now, which will make the process an uphill battle.

Former Jags DE Dante Fowler Jr. shares thoughts on winning grievance vs. organization

Dante Fowler was revealed to be the player who won the recent grievance against the Jags. He took to Twitter to share his brief thoughts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were slammed yesterday by the NFLPA after it was reported that an arbitrator ruled in their favor against the organization after the team fined a player over $700,000 for rehab treatments that weren’t mandatory. With the modern-day web being as powerful as it is, it didn’t take long to find out who the player was in former defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. thanks to Mark Long of the Associated Press.

Eventually, Fowler himself came to the light and shared some comments of his own via social media. In a nutshell, he was happy but felt the Jags’ front office hated him based on their actions.

Fowler was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in October of 2018, and as fans expected, the move was fueled by more than the Jags’ upcoming cap situation in 2019. It’s worth noting Fowler had some off the field issues that occurred with the Jags prior, most notably the misdemeanor charges filed against him in 2017, so that likely didn’t help the relationship between him and the Jags either.

There are likely more like Fowler currently on the team who simply don’t like how things have gone under football executive Tom Coughlin and owner Shad Khan. With that being the case, it might be wise of Khan to start removing the stench of this current regime away from the franchise as soon as possible because waiting really does him no good at this point.