November 11, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tackle Tyson Clabo (77) and defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux (95) prior to kickoff of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a major hole to fill at right tackle.  As the NFL Draft draws closer the consensus around the web is that the team will either go after West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith, a pass rusher, or a left tackle and force either that player or current starter Eugene Monroe to play right tackle for the time being.

Well that could all change if the Jags get their hands on recently released right tackle Tyson Clabo.  Clabo is considered to be a casualty of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan’s inevitable increase in pay.  Ryan deserves to be paid more but his right tackle has been added to the expense.  Clabo, who graded out as the fifth best right tackle in the league (per Pro Football Focus), has received some serious consideration from a number of teams.  The Jacksonville Jaguars, headed by ex-Falcons personnel man Dave Caldwell, have been at the top of that list.

While the best right tackle in 2012, Andre Smith, languishes in free agency, Clabo has teams clamoring to sign him.  The Dallas Cowboys look to be the main competitor for Clabo but will have to find some wiggle room beneath the salary cap, possibly asking current tackles Doug Free and Jeremy Parnell to take a pay cut to make it happen.

Clabo would be an instant upgrade for the Jaguars at right tackle.  Further, the Jaguars have the cap room to sign him and the familiarity with Caldwell could give them a leg up.

Personally, I hope that Clabo comes to Jacksonville because the team could desperately use his services.  Further, the offensive line needs a rebuild and unless the Jaguars are fine with its quarterbacks getting sacked 50+ times a season, they likely won’y really know what they have at the quarterback position.  This is especially crucial for Blaine Gabbert who is likely playing for his job in 2013.

- Luke N. Sims

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The Jags are trusting Caldwell (right) to provide the same kind of turnaround he helped orchestrate in Atlanta.  A Championship game is leaps and bounds above where the Jaguars are currently.  Source: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

They may have lost in the NFC Championship game, but the Atlanta Falcons really played well to get where they were on Sunday.  The 28-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers will be a heartbreaker for years to come, but the ability to turn around the franchise and rise to the top four teams in the NFL is something that GM Thomas Dimitroff and new-Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell should be proud of.

I don’t know where Caldwell watched the Falcons/Niners game from, but I can only imagine that he is proud of the product on the field that he helped to build.  Whether it’s Matt Ryan’s almost 400 yards passing, Julio Jones’ monster receiving day, or the time-defying play of Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons have a unique mix of talent that has made Michael Vick and the early 2000s a distant memory.

That rebuild is a difficult thing to accomplish.

Getting a coach to come in and revamp the entire team to post a 56-24 record in five years is impressive.

At all stages, the Atlanta Falcons have been set up for success.  They may have only been one poorly timed fumble away from  putting the game on ice in Atlanta on Sunday.  Unfortunately, it was not to be.

Caldwell has an opportunity to emulate that success again in Jacksonville.  The Jaguars desperately need a complete overhaul.  It has already begun with Caldwell’s hiring, Gus Bradley’s installment as head coach, and the beginning of the shaping of the coaching staff.  The goal is success like the Falcons.  If they can make it past the conference championship, that will just be one step better.

The Falcons’ success is what gives us Jags fans hope about the turnaround of our franchise.  It is a large part of why we trust Caldwell.  While we are all hoping for the change that Atlanta received, it is up to Caldwell to make that change happen.

From the perspective of a 2-14 team fan, losing in the championship games seems like an awful lot of success right now.

- Luke N. Sims

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You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims

New Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell, coming fresh from the Falcons, is familiar with the work of Armstrong after his role as special teams coordinator since 2008.  Caldwell’s familiarity with Mularkey, the ex-Falcons OC, did not stop him from firing him in favor of a fresh start, so it is nice to see Caldwell returning to the Mike Smith coaching pool he is familiar with.  For a coaching search that is potentially going to be mired in people that Caldwell knows, like San Francisco 49ers OC Greg Roman, it is curious to see if there is more to the approach than past connections.

With Armstrong, his body of work does promote him as a strong candidate.  Armstrong has spent significant time as the special teams coordinator with the Falcons, Miami Dolphins, and the Chicago Bears.  Prior to moving to special teams, he coaches the secondary and safeties for the Atlanta Falcons after he jumped up from the college ranks.  He has been coaching continuously in the NFL since 1994.

In order for Armstrong to be interviewed the Jaguars will have to wait until after the Falcons are bounced from the playoffs, or until the week off between the conference championship game and the Super Bowl.  Armstrong, as a black candidate, fulfills the Jaguars’ responsibility to the “Rooney Rule” of interviewing a minority candidate.

- Luke N. Sims

Feel free to leave comments on here or visit us at Facebook or Twitter!

You can also find me on Twitter @LukeNSims