Alert, everyone! The Jacksonville Jaguars have improved a lot during free agency.
It seems every single year it’s the same thing. However, this year that comment won’t be far from reality. The Jaguars made several moves on defense, adding two of the top players available in Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye. And to make things even better, they signed Barry Church. That’s three new starters on a defense that was already young and set to make a leap in 2017.
They already a decent core on offense even if didn’t perform last year. There are two dominant receivers such as Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. There’s an improving – but inconsistent – RB in T.J. Yeldon. And there’s Blake Bortles, who’s trying to get rid off of several mechanical issues that plagued him last year.
Yes, the Jaguars haven’t have many on-field success over the past few years. But things could change this year with Doug Marrone as head coach, and Tom Coughlin leading the way as VP. For the first time in a while, the Jags have competent people making football decisions. The next step is the hardest, though – their new additions have to translate to the field.
This is where things get interesting for Jacksonville, because for the first time in a long, long time they might have a REAL shot to make the playoffs. Let’s take a look at their division rivals.
The Tennessee Titans improved drastically last year with Marcus Mariota under center, but it remains to be seen whether he will be able to start in Week 1. They also have a strong running game with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry leading the way. They might be favorites to win the AFC South right now, and there’s no question the Jaguars’ defense will go under a huge test when facing the Titans.
The Houston Texans are quite a mess. Sure, they had one of the best defenses in the league last season and J.J. Watt should be healthy for 2017. But they don’t have a quarterback, and their offseason success lingers on the chance of getting Romo. If they get the Dallas Cowboys signal-caller, then they will become one of the favorites to potentially upset the New England Patriots in the AFC. But if they don’t and if they start the season with Tom Savage under center, then they could easily miss the postseason all together.
Last but not least, we have the Indianapolis Colts. Andrew Luck is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL. But he doesn’t have a lot of help aside from T.Y. Hilton, their running game is suspect and the defense needs a lot of work. This seems like a team the Jaguars could beat if the new defense performs as expected. Although that’s a big IF, because one injury could change things quickly.
At least on paper, the Jaguars look win coming off another successful offseason. Can this success translate into on-field results? At the very least, there’s a high chance of that happening. And Jacksonville’s fans should be excited about the team next season.