During his introductory press conference a few weeks back, Jacksonville Jaguars’ head coach Liam Coen alluded to what position group might end up being a big priority for the team this offseason.
“I think we would all agree that it needs to improve,” said Coen about the Jaguars’ offensive line.
Last season for the Jaguars, their offensive line unit was below-average in pass protection by ESPN’s pass-block win rate metric, ranking 19th in that category.
Of course, as we all know, an important part of success for any quarterback is having time in the pocket to go through their reads, along with having a clean pocket to throw from.
In the run game, Jacksonville again ranked 19th, averaging 4.2 yards per rush, which included the Jaguars’ running backs totaling the third-fewest yards before contact.
Trevor Lawrence would note during his end of season press conference that in order to shake the predictability that the Jaguars’ offense had in 2024, they have to be a more consistent running team.
The run game was also a big part of Coen’s success in Tampa Bay, where his offense ranked top five in scoring.
Having a steady run game to lean on helps keep the offense out of predictable long down-and-distance situations and when operating from ahead of the sticks, the entire playbook opens up for an offense, and with that, opportunities in the passing game.
“I think that when you look at, first and foremost, the offensive side of the ball, you want that unit and that group–it’s the first thing that when you break the huddle the defense sees,” added Coen of the offensive line. “I want that to mean something. We want that to mean something and it will.
“That’s a mentality, that’s personnel, that’s scheme, that’s technique, that’s fundamentals, and that’s attitude. That’s something that we need to make sure we instill.”
Along the offensive line, Brandon Scherff is set to be a free agent this offseason. While not the most popular pick, LSU tackle Will Campbell is a prospect we see mocked to the Jaguars somewhat often.
When it comes to free agency, the Jaguars rank 17th in available salary cap space with just over $32 million–although they have the ability to create more room.
A position group that needs improvement and one that’s going to be vital to the offensive success under Coen sure sounds like a recipe for additions–and perhaps some high-end ones–to be made.
“That’s where it starts,” said Coen of the trenches. “To go win playoff games and to go and do it, you’ve got to be able to run the football and stop the run, first and foremost.”
