The Jaguars must part ways with GM David Caldwell

By David Levin | Dec 29, 2019

Team general manager David Caldwell (L) chats with Shahid Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium on December 28, 2014 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

Should the Jacksonville Jaguars move on from GM David Caldwell after six rocky seasons in North Florida?

I am going to piggyback a bit from a conversation I heard this week on XL Primetime on 1010XL and 92.5 AM here in Jacksonville about the Jaguars record while David Caldwell has been the general manager of the franchise.

At 35-76 in seven seasons with one game left to play in 2019, how can team owner Shad Khan give Caldwell a pass and let him and head coach Doug Marrone return for one more season here in Duval County? It’s hard to understand the logic in the potential of that event, but according to several media outlets, including ESPN.com, there is a distinct possibility it does come to fruition.

That record only indicates the regular season. The Jaguars are 2-1 in the postseason since Caldwell came onboard.

In most cases, a 35-76 record in any sport isn’t even a subject. The person or personnel in charge would have already been shown the door. But as it has been noted in the past, team owner Shad Khan showed great patience with former head coach Gus Bradley before showing him the door and it appears that is what he is doing with Caldwell, who hired Bradley after he took over for Gene Smith in the same capacity after a 2-14 season.

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While the fans are screaming for change, as they continue to see the same effort with the same results, the notion of keeping Caldwell around is beginning to set off alarms all over this city.
I can make an argument that Marrone, who is in his third full season with the team, has not been given the chance to coach the team as he has wanted, possibly because of the influence of Tom Coughlin, who was fired last week by Khan.

But the argument against that theory was made in a 24-12 loss to Atlanta on Sunday that didn’t look as close as the score might have indicated.

By the way, the Jaguars are just 37-90 since Khan bought the team from its first owner, Wayne Weaver. Futility is not what NFL teams should be known for. The Jaguars are one of the worst teams in the NFL in the past decade and that includes a 10-6 2017 team that traveled to New England and lost in the AFC Championship game.

Words cannot describe how this team has suffered. Jack Del Rio. as head coach of this team for nine seasons. and had double-digit losses in only three years.

Yes, change needs to be made, but that is not a guarantee. There will be changes made after this season with the front office and coaching staff. To what degree, it’s not known. Salary cap issues will once again present themselves.

High draft picks may alter the look of this roster, but unless there are holes filled on the offensive line, the interior of the defense, at linebacker, at wide receiver and depth in the secondary and at running back, there is no need to bring in new blood.

It’s a hamster wheel this organization continues to run on. At some point, it has to stop running around in a circle.

A friend of mine suggested the Jaguars go after Louis Riddick to run the front office and then seek Mike McCarthy as the team’s new head coach. I’m sure there are plenty of other potential candidates out there who fans want to see step in. But until the change is made and Caldwell or Marrone or both men are terminated, this is what fans will have to deal with.

Khan still has another week before he must render a decision on the team’s future. If he wants to see if Caldwell and Marrone can work together next season before making a move to change the course of this team, then that’s how it is. But if he decides the time is right to move forward, then he must choose to clean house completely or determine who gets a reprieve, which may only prolong the inevitable.

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