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Jacksonville Jaguars are back to back offseason champs, so what’s next?

By Luke Sims

Nov 14, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants former head coach Tom Coughlin walks off the field after being interviewed before a game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium. The Giants will induct Coughlin into their Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 14, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants former head coach Tom Coughlin walks off the field after being interviewed before a game between the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium. The Giants will induct Coughlin into their Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Jacksonville Jaguars made many key additions during 2017 free agency, but if the team wants to win in 2017 they need to do more.

After another big free agency period, the Jacksonville Jaguars are winning the offseason (again).

As any person who follows the NFL knows, however, it isn’t just about key additions in free agency or the NFL draft that make a team great. The 2016 Jaguars are a great example of that, having made key additions in free agency headlined by defensive tackle Malik Jackson and also landing top talents in the 2016 NFL Draft like Jalen Ramsey and Myles Jack. The end result was a meager 3-13 record.

Now, with a big free agency period in the books, the Jags can’t just sit back. They have to keep charging forward and “win lunch.” Executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin is the primary catalyst in a turnaround that won’t make the Jags’ back-to-back offseason victories count for nothing.

But Coughlin can’t do it alone.

The Jaguars need to establish leadership in the players’ ranks. A guy like defensive end Calais Campbell helps and both he and new strong safety Barry Church were brought to Jacksonville at least in part due to their leadership with the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys, respectively.

That leadership needs to be more than ceremonial, it needs to be a key part of the team’s identity and drive. Coughlin needs players like Campbell and Church to motivate the rest of the team and have them drive forward to no just compete, but win.

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In that regard, bringing in past captains is a big win for the franchise. The work of motivating everyone on the roster will never be over. Leaders on the team are pushing to change a culture that was fine winning the offseason and then taking the regular season off. Pushing against that culture takes time and effort.

As the 2017 NFL Draft inches closer, the Jaguars need to win that, too. There are a number of quality options for the team in a range of positions, making the judicious decisions Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell make all the more important. Then the real work will begin.

It isn’t over just because the Jaguars have the right pieces in place. Winning the offseason isn’t enough. There’s more than enough time to get complacent and the Jags have to stay hungry.

If not, winning the offseason won’t matter, just like it didn’t in 2016.

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