Gene Smith’s Delusion, David Caldwell’s Rebuild

Jan 18, 2013; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars new head coach Gus Bradley (left) is introduced by new general manager Dave Caldwell at a press conference at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Gene Smith may have thought he was in the right spot after three drafts on the job, but entering the 2012 offseason, we all knew we were more than a few pieces away.  Unfortunately, Smith didn’t see it that way.

Speaking at the combine, new Jacksonville Jaguars GM David Caldwell noted the delusion that Smith had when looking at the roster he had created.

"I think the delusional part came with the amount of money that they spent in free agency last year and thinking they were one or two pieces away.  And then to come right back and manage only a 2-14 season."

I remember buying into the delusion last offseason.  Aaron Ross, Laurent Robinson, and the Blaine Gabbert’s development were all supposed to make a struggling 5-11 team into a contender.  8-8 was in sight!  But then it all started to collapse.

While Caldwell continues to speak well of the roster that he has inherited, the truth is that the team did not do well as a unit or individually.  Performances like Cecil Shorts III, Justin Blackmon, and Paul Posluszny were easily the outlier and not the norm.  The Jags will need to find a way to either make the team much more than the sum of its parts, or else change some parts.

– Luke N. Sims

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