Playing David Caldwell – Fixing the Offense
By Terry OBrien
I better do better in 2014
Let’s pretend we are David Caldwell and we are looking at our 2014 Jaguar strategy. Let’s look at the roster and the salaries and see how we feel about it. Maybe we can look ahead to the free agent market and the draft to see if there are any good options. Let’s fix the offense first:
Quarterback
Chad Henne – Free Agent for 2014 making $ 4,500,000 (2013)
Blaine Gabbert – Signed for 2014 making $ 3,800,000 (2014)
If I were David Caldwell, I would be done with Blaine Gabbert. Since Chad Henne is a free agent, I don’t want to pay $4,500,000 for him any more. We already know that a top QB is in the draft. The question is who is the backup? Do we sign Josh McCown or Michael Vick? A good backup will be needed if the rookie needs time. Maybe Christian Ponder when Minnesota is done goofing around with him. 2014 is the year we fix the Quarterback situation, both starter and backup.
Tight End
Marcedes Lewis – signed for 2014 – making $ 8,250,000 (2014)
Clay Harbor – Free Agent in 2014 – making $ 630,000 (2013)
This is a hard one to call. Marcedes is the second highest paid player on the roster and has not given any value in the first half of 2013. Marcedes is on the bubble and needs to produce to keep his high salary. He will stay employed in the NFL but I don’t see him getting an offer as high as he has now.
Clay Harbor is a free agent and he is turning out ok. We will watch him in the second half.
Free Agent market has Jeron Mastrud from Oakland coming free. He is a 25 year old making $650,000. He is a good run blocking and pass blocking Tight End. We might want to target him.
In the draft, maybe someone like Arthur Lynch from Georgia might fall to the 4th round. He is a good run blocker with decent hands and size, just not real fast. I don’t know though, I have a lot more holes to fill with this draft than use it on a Tight End.
I am probably keeping Marcedes in 2014. The offense will need more than one Tight End, so we are shopping the free agent market this year.