Sports Illustrated ranks Jaguars as one of most improved in 2019

Sports Illustrated has ranked the Jacksonville Jaguars as one of the most improved teams in the NFL from last season. The team was 5-11 in 2018.

After looking at the changes the Jacksonville Jaguars have made over the course of the offseason, Sports Illustrated has named them as one of the most improved teams heading into the 2019 season.

Of all the moves the front office has made, everything starts at quarterback with the addition of Nick Foles from Philadelphia. Even before he was signed to a contract in North Florida, the team secured the services of John DeFilippo to run the offense, who told the media on Thursday he was in on the process to bring the former Super Bowl MVP here. Now, the two are reunited trying to help an offense that was on life support last season.

"“It’s a quarterback’s league, as the old cliché goes,” Mitch Goldich writes. “And while this may sound simplistic, it’s often true: The most important thing when it comes to contending in the NFL is whether or not you’ve got one.“If you’re looking for teams that improved the most in a given timeframe, looking at teams that changed quarterbacks is often a good place to start. This offseason saw a few—the teams that drafted rookies, plus the Redskins, Dolphins, Broncos, and Jaguars, who came away with the most coveted arm in the free agent market.”"

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In Foles, who has shown in the first three days of OTAs to throw a tight spiral and has connected with several receivers in practice, the Jaguars got a leader who has won on the highest level. With players returning from injury, and an offensive line that should be better this season, it’s conceivable to think Jacksonville will be much better this season.

There are a few knocks against Foles, whether he can sustain being a consistent quarterback over the course of a 16-game schedule and whether he can perform the same magic in Jacksonville with a roster that might not be as talented on offense as with the Eagles. But he should be an improvement from what they had in Blake Bortles the past five seasons.

"“…Foles should not be confused for a top five quarterback in the league. It’s possible he will struggle without Philly’s line and pass-catchers,” Goldich adds. “He may not move Jacksonville’s floor, or even their median expectations that much. But the reason I include them on this list is because he dramatically improves his team’s ceiling.”"

The Jaguars added depth on the offensive line in free agency and drafted Jawaan Taylor in the second round. The team added two free agent tight ends and then draft San Jose State’s Josh Oliver.