Jacksonville Jaguars: Gus Bradley’s optimism finally paying off

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has been optimistic about the team ever since he took over the top spot in 2013. His optimism may finally be about to pay off.

The bubbling personality of Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has been infectious. It had us all believing in the long rebuild ahead of the Jags.

The bark-like laugh that filled many a room and many, many video highlights has drawn fans ever closer to the team, ever more hungry to see what he can do. With a pedigree helping turn the Seattle Seahawks into a contender, Bradley’s resume backed up his optimistic attitude. His bubbly personality was attached to a record of hard work that was truly something impressive.

For the first three years it has been a long, hard slog. The Jaguars’ head coach has certainly hit a severe learning curve as a first time man at the helm and he certainly has struggled to overcome that as well as key personnel deficiencies.

Year one was essentially written off, with general manager Dave Caldwell openly stating that he couldn’t fill the team with enough talent to win. The 4-12 record was a surprise.

3-13 followed in 2014 with the Jaguars again fielding young, unproven players. New quarterback Blake Bortles was thrust in as a starter simply because the Jags couldn’t be competitive without him.

2015 started to hint toward some light and, possibly, greatness for the Jaguars. A 5-11 record wasn’t anything to write home about, but it was certainly an improvement for a team that hasn’t had high hopes through the last three years.

Gus Bradley has remained positive through it all.

Despite amassing a 12-36 record, Bradley received a contract extension. Despite a 13-26 record, Bradley has remained looking to the future, emphasizing just how good his young team has actually been.

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Make no mistake, these aren’t the delusions of an unproven head coach. These aren’t some ravings of a man who has struggled through the worst the NFL can throw at him and become insane.

Bradley’s approach has been a calculated attempt at moving the team forward. Known for barking at his team and demanding them to do their jobs before he came to Jacksonville, Bradley’s abrupt shift to the outgoing, bubbly guy we’ve come to know was a conscious effort to be the positive rock the team can rely on in these (anticipated) trying times.

Now with the Jags poised to finally be competitive four years into a tremendous rebuild, his optimism may finally pay off. The Jacksonville Jaguars have relied on Gus Bradley to be a rallying point for years and they can finally reward him for being a bulwark of optimism on a team that has made the Cleveland Browns look like a proven franchise as of a late.

Hopefully the team will be able to put it together in the coming season.