Jaguars: Are more changes coming or is this what fans are left with?

Was the decision to part ways with John DeFilippo just the start of Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone’s plan to change his coaching staff?

I think we could speculate until the start of OTAs as to why the Jacksonville Jaguars and John DeFilippo parted ways on Monday. I also believe it is the first domino to fall with the remaining members of head coach Doug Marrone’s coaching staff.

Marrone told the media on Dec. 31 he would meet with his staff on Monday once they returned to work and assess any changes that might be made amongst the coaches. First, I was a bit surprised it was DeFilippo who made news this morning and not defensive coordinator Todd Wash. Second, I am not totally surprised by the move both sides made, but also thought there would be one year for the two sides to work together.

DeFilippo was brought in to put together an offense that would flourish with Nick Foles at quarterback and the use of tight ends in multiple sets. Neither of those things happened in 2019, which had a lot to do with the team’s dismal offensive output.

"As I wrote earlier on the Black and Teal Twitter account, “Parting ways with DeFilippo is one thing, but if the @Jaguars do not make changes in other areas of the coaching staff then the work is only half done.”"

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There is still plenty to be done with this coaching staff on both sides of the ball. While not all staff members deserve a pink slip, there are enough fingers to point blame all over the organization. Many people took to social media to wander through the magic of a keyboard as to why Todd Wash, the Jaguars defensive coordinator was not part of the divorce proceedings today.

I think it’s part of Marrone’s plan to deal with each component of the staff individually. And now that DeFilippo is gone, other questions have to be asked. Will the new O.C., with names being thrown around like a hot potato today, want to wipe the slate clean and bring in his own coaches? For coaches who were successful this season like Keenan McCardell and Terry Robiskie, what happens to them?

Is there a chance – and I don’t agree with it – that Wash will be given one more year to fix the mess on defense given the injuries up the middle and the loss of both Telvin Smith and then Jalen Ramsey? How many more opportunities will this scheme begin to prove itself wrong again?

And for those of you watching the Green Bay Packers beat Seattle on Sunday night, Aaron Rodgers is winning football games with Nathaniel Hackett running the show as offensive coordinator. I know that one hurts a bit. The NFL is a performance-based league after all. If that is the standard, Shad Khan should have made changes immediately after the season.

While I will say in closing is this is probably not over yet and there will be more news as early as Tuesday or in the coming days. Both Marrone and general manager David Caldwell know they are on a very hot seat right now to get this right, to change the culture and subculture of an organization that is used to losing. It’s not an easy fix.

I also agree with other writers who follow this team on a daily basis – it might not in one season and could linger into 2021. Patience is thin all around. This is hopefully the start of change for the better. Fans aren’t holding their breath. Neither am I or other local sportswriters.

We have seen this before with the Jaguars. Will this be another scene from the Peanuts comic strip where Lucy Van Pelt pulls the football out from underneath us or does this signal a change for better, but more importantly, a change for good.