Who should be the Jacksonville Jaguars captains in 2020?

As the culture changes for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will be the team’s captains for the 2020 NFL season?

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a unique situation this offseason. With the changes to the roster and the new culture the franchise is working to establish, I am most interested to see who will be chosen as team captains for 2020.

This is not as clear cut as it has been in years past when Calais Campbell anchored the defense and quarterback Nick Foles, who had not played a down of football in black and teal but had already won the locker room. There will be some tough decisions to make by the players, who will charge their captains with keeping with the notion of a cultural change for the better.

No, I do not expect Yannick Ngakoue or Leonard Fournette to be given such an honor.

Looking at the roster, it will also be harder to find a wizened veteran to step forward and take command. So, here are a few thoughts I have on making these decisions.

Gardner Minshew

Gardner Minshew should be the unquestioned leader of the Jacksonville Jaguars. The quarterback who willed this team to six wins last season and replaced Foles as the motivator inside the building should continue on that path,

Minshew can be a game-changer, but he can also become the guy players like DJ Chark and Fournette rally behind this season. For those who have joined the team, the natural move is to look to the man under center for guidance. That is what Minshew has already done in the virtual offseason.

Brandon Linder

This is the seventh season Brandon Linder has started for the Jaguars and as a captain last season, he should retain the same title. It’s not often the coaching staff will call on an offensive lineman to become a vocal leader, but this might be the case.

More from Jacksonville Jaguars News

Linder is an underrated player, someone who works hard and brings his lunch to work every day and makes all the line calls. Keeping Linder in this role is important to bring the gap between the older regime and the new culture of this team.

Abry Jones

If you are looking for a veteran who could become a more vocal leader this season, look no further than Abry Jones.

Jones told me two seasons ago, in the middle of the run to the AFC title game, he looked to other veterans to make their presence known on the field and in the locker room. Now, it might be one of the longest-tenured players on the roster who is called upon to take on a more active role in the locker room.

Jones did not play as well in 2019 as in previous seasons, so this might also be a crossroads year for the former University of Georgia standout. He could enjoy a renaissance of sorts on the field and as one of the men who help these younger players make the transition to the NFL.

Joe Schobert

Will Joe Schobert come in and immediately win over his teammates? Will his addition make the defense immediately better?

Sometimes, like with the signing of Campbell in 2017, there is one player who walks on the field and commands the respect of everyone around him. Since the Jaguars have had issues in the middle of the defense since Paul Posluszny retired, this is a real opportunity for the defense to really around the man in the middle?

Can Schobert, who was a solid citizen in Cleveland, make that kind of impact?

Lerentee McCray

Lerentee McCray has already received the captain’s honor on special teams and could once again earn a “C” for his efforts.

McCray could also see more time on the field at outside linebacker or possibly at rush end. The former Florida Gator has become a mainstay on coverage teams, and could – like Jones – be asked to take a more active role in the leadership of this cultural change with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Next. Jaguars 15 best free-agent acquisitions of all time. dark

Home/Jacksonville Jaguars News