Jaguars: Moving on from John DeFilippo was the right move

Moving on from offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was the right move for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, we all wait to see what happens next.

At 10:53 on Monday, the local media got this message from the Jacksonville Jaguars regarding the decision to part ways with offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.

"“The Jacksonville Jaguars and Offensive Coordinator John DeFilippo have mutually agreed to part ways, the club announced today. Head Coach Doug Marrone will begin the offensive coordinator search immediately.”"

Since then, fans and reports alike have waited to see if other changes would be made to the coaching staff and who Marrone would find to replace his former coordinator.

We are all waiting to hear something from the Jaguars public relations department.

DeFilippo was brought in to help an offense that scored just 15.3 points a game in 2018. Jacksonville incrementally got better, but at 18.8 points a contest – 26th in the NFL – it’s hard to see the team moving forward as everyone thought it would happen.

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We don’t know what went on in the meeting between Marrone and DeFilippo and only speculate what “mutually agreed” means. Also, what happens to the offense moving forward.

The staff here at Black and Teal all agree this was the right move for both sides. Here are some thoughts from our writers.

David Levin – I thought DeFilippo would get one more season here in Jacksonville. The Jaguars made changes at quarterback, did not have a true tight end to work in his system because of injuries and the offensive line still had many issues this past year.

I understand the move and knew it might be a possibility. The Jaguars cannot wait to find someone, they must be aggressive. If Shad Khan is “serious” about this being the year the front office must turn things around, then go get the best potential candidate out there, no matter what it takes to bring them here to Duuuval.

Anthony Robertson – The Jaguars decision to part ways with coach DeFilippo is not a huge surprise. However, it is surprising to find they have not fired defensive coordinator Todd Wash as of yet.

Although DeFilippo was not the main reason for Jacksonville’s struggles far too often the Jaguars offense lacked a rhythm. The only concern is if this will hinder any progress for quarterback Gardner Minshew, as this move all but confirms that he will start over Nick Foles next season.

Lorenzino Estrada – I believe moving on from John DeFilippo is a good move for the Jaguars. The offense failed to generate points once it reached the red zone and failed to create a versatile running scheme for Leonard Fournette.

It should be assumed that the search would be for someone who can employ a play-action scheme which will give Fournette carries and opportunities for Gardner Minshew’s to make plays with his legs and theatrics.

Potentially going into his first season as starting quarterback, Minshew should be given a new and fresh playbook for work with for the foreseeable future.

Jesse Overby – The departure of DeFilippo from the Jaguars continues a trend for the team. Offensive Coordinators don’t have a long shelf life in Jacksonville. The last five OCs have had one year, two years, just under two years, just over two years, and one year.

If you look at the teams that are in the hunt for division titles and playoff spots almost every year they have a common thread – consistency. Jaguars head coaches have a tendency to fire OCs when the team isn’t doing well, and, in every case, it has been a prelude to their departure. This feels to me like Doug Marrone is trying to shift focus from him to the OC.

Maybe he’s hoping that he’ll keep his job if the Jaguars don’t improve significantly next season. But without better playmakers on offense, this strategy won’t work. The next person the Jags hire as OC should look at their recent history, and make sure they keep their resume up to date.

Kathy Clark – The removal of John DeFilippo was a good move for the Jaguars. First, he appears to prefer the traditional drop-back passer as in Philip Rivers or Nick Foles.

The Jaguars seem to be leaning toward Gardner Minshew as the starter. Second, the Jaguars prefer a run first/power run game that is not his strength. Both he and the team understood that it just wasn’t a good fit.

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