The Super Bowl has now come and gone, and while it was a moment for Los Angeles Rams fans to rejoice, Jacksonville Jaguars fans are happy to close the door on what was a rough season.
Of course, the frustration with the season all came as a result of the disastrous hiring of Urban Meyer, who wasn’t ready for the NFL. Not only was he only able to win three games in 2021, but he was also the key part of dysfunction within the organization and ended up losing his job in December as a result.
Additionally, Meyer basically wasted the first season of rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who struggled at times due to his inexperience and chaos around him. As a result, he finished the season with a completion percentage just below 60 with 3,641 passing yards, 17 picks, and 12 passing touchdowns.
For that reason, Lawrence ranked 32nd in NFL Network’s post-Super Bowl quarterback rankings by Gregg Rosenthal. And while he made it known that he’s not worried about Lawrence, Rosenthal expressed his concerns for Doug Pederson’s ability to turn things around.
Lawrence was unable to overcome his brutal surroundings, and the flashes of his elite talent were too rare until his great Week 18 capper. I’m not that worried about Lawrence because he still looked the part of a talented NFL quarterback. The bigger concern is whether the Jaguars and Doug Pederson can get the surroundings right.
Part of these concerns could be because Pederson will have to work with general manager Trent Baalke through the process, who has been known not to see eye-to-eye with coaches. However, those same concerns have put the Jags in a predicament where the team plans to hire someone over Baalke and an assistant general manager, but if those changes don’t occur until after the draft, who knows how well this offseason will go.
The good news is that Lawrence will at least get the proper coaching on the field from Pederson, who is known as an offensive mastermind and is a former NFL quarterback, too. Still, an aggressive and accurate approach in free agency and the draft by whoever is running the show is needed to surround talent around Lawrence.
Specifically, the Jags need multiple skill weapons around Lawrence and approximately two or three new starters on the offensive line. If these key issues can be addressed, for the most part, the Jags offense could take a huge step like Cincinnati’s did this offseason.
