Jacksonville Jaguars 2014 Offseason: Set Up for Success
By Daniel Lago
Dec 22, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew (32) runs with the ball as Tennessee Titans defends during the second half at EverBank Field. Tennessee Titans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-16. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in the midst of the most extensive rebuild in franchise history. Owner Shad Khan completely overhauled the front office and coaching staff after going 2-14 in 2012, effectively ending the Gene Smith/Jack Del Rio/Wayne Weaver era. In his second season behind the wheel, general manager David Caldwell has a slew of draft picks and cap space at his disposal.
Caldwell’s vast set of resources this offseason got the attention of Chris Burke and Doug Farrar over at Sports Illustrated. They put together an “offseason outlook” power rankings and put the Jaguars at the top spot.
"1. (tie) Jacksonville JaguarsBreakdown: FAs: 2.5 | Cap: 5 | Draft: 4.5 | GM: 2 | TOTAL: 14All systems go on the rebuilding process this offseason. The Jaguars have a projected $50 million available in cap space for 2014, and they’re in possession of 10 draft picks. Three of those selections land in Round 4, with another three in Round 5, so Jacksonville could dominate early on the draft’s final day. The big-name free agent here is long-time Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew. His future appears to be elsewhere. — Chris Burke"
The Jaguars are at the top of the rankings mostly thanks to their massive amount of cap space. Still, this probably isn’t the offseason for David Caldwell to spend big. With 10 draft picks, Caldwell should have opportunities to address needs at non-premium positions like guard and linebacker. The Jaguars are probably another draft away from competing and making their roster deep, so Caldwell will likely look to maintain that cap space for 2015 and beyond.
-Daniel Lago
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