The 2020 Jaguars are having a similar season to the 2019 Dolphins.
The Miami Dolphins were on a seven-game losing streak before winning their first game while the Jacksonville Jaguars won their first game of the season before going on a 13-game losing streak. The Jags are inexperienced, under questionable management, and suffering from a quarterback shuffle, which is pretty much what the Dolphins went through last season.
Dolphins 2019:
- 5-11 record (8-game losing streak)
- 25th ranked offense
- 32nd ranked defense
- Three first-round picks
Jaguars 2020 following week 15:
- 1-13 record (13-game losing streak)
- 24th ranked offense
- 32nd ranked defense
- Two first-round picks
Inexperience and Inconsistency
Something these two teams have in common is inexperience. The 2019 Dolphins had an average roster age of 25.3 years, which was one of the youngest in NFL history. The 2020 Jaguars have an average roster age of 25.5 years. The problem this causes is the lack of leadership from veteran players.
The Jaguars have used 79 players this year, which is the most out of any team. The Dolphins set the NFL record for players used with 80 last season. These two teams just can’t escape the inexperience and injury bug.
Questionable management
Dolphins general manager Chris Grier and jaguars former general manager Dave Caldwell were both under the harsh eyes of the NFL on how they were going to rebuild their teams. It didn’t work out well for Caldwell, as he was canned a few weeks back, but things are shaping up for Grier and his 2020 draft class, although it will take a few seasons to really decide if it was a successful draft or not.
Whoever succeeds Caldwell will have a tough task to mount.
Quarterback shuffle
The Dolphins and Jaguars have both gone through a bit of a quarterback shuffle. Last season, Ryan Fitzpatrick played in all 16 games, starting in 14, while Josh Rosen started three of the six games he started.
This season, Miami stuck with Ryan Fitzpatrick for the first six games, letting rookie Tua Tagovailoa sit and learn under the veteran until starting full-time in Week-eight, going 5-2 as a starter.
This year, Gardner Minshew II started the first seven games of the season before the job was handed to rookie Jake Luton for three games and then veteran Mike Glennon for two and a half games. Now, Minshew looks to finish out the final three games for Jacksonville after taking over for Glennon in the second half in Week 14 against Tennessee. If we’re seeing a pattern with Miami, will we see a rookie quarterback at the helm for Jacksonville in 2021?
What did the Dolphins do to turn things around?
The Dolphins went out in the offseason and added several seasoned veterans to their roster before entering the 2020 NFL Draft to fill in the remaining holes. Additions like Elandon Roberts, Emmanuel Ogbah, and Kyle Van Noy, have all been big playmakers on the Dolphins’ defense this season. Ogbah leads the team in sacks with nine and Van Noy isn’t far behind him with six. Van Noy and Roberts are also top five on the team in tackles.
Dolphins free agent signings:
- RB Jordan Howard
- CB Byron Jones
- LB Kyle Van Noy
- C Ted Karras
- G Ereck Flowers
- LB Elandon Roberts
- SS Clayton Fejedelem
- DE Emmanuel Ogbah
- LB Shaq Lawson
- LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
- FS Kavon Frazier
Two of the biggest moves that the Dolphins made were trading away key players in safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. These trades are what earned the Dolphins two additional first-round picks, a crucial part of their rebuild process.
The offensive line was the biggest weakness for the Dolphins and they made sure to bulk up on linemen in both free agency and the draft. Protecting your quarterback is key and that is something the Jaguars have to emulate.
Miami was also fortunate enough to have six draft selections within the first 70 picks. Jacksonville will have five within the first 70 picks, barring any trades.
Dolphins 2020 NFL Draft:
- No. 5: QB Tua Tagovailoa
- No. 18: OT Austin Jackson
- No. 30: CB Noah Igbinoghene
- No. 39: OT Robert Hunt
- No. 56: DT Raekwon Davis
- No. 70: FS Brandon Jones
- No. 111: G Soloman Kindley
- No. 152: DE Jason Strowbridge
- No. 164: LB Curtis Weaver
- No. 185: LS Blake Ferguson
- No. 246: RB Malcolm Perry
This should give Jaguars nation a glimmer of hope. Jacksonville has a ton of similarities to the 2019 Dolphins team and look how quickly they turned things around. While it might not be perfect, they went from winning five games last year to nine games (and potentially counting) this year. Jacksonville has the opportunity to do the same in 2021. But can they execute the correct plan?
Jaguars plan for 2021 success:
The first step in the Jaguars rebuild is to hire a completely new coaching staff. There’s no way they can retain anyone after the performance they have had this season. Go after an experienced play-caller in Eric Bieniemy or Brian Daboll or take the chance and hire someone who is as young and creative as Joe Brady as head coach.
Next comes free agency, which isn’t that exciting this year for the NFL but there plenty of names to watch for. The Jaguars’ biggest needs are quarterback, offensive line, and defensive line.
Players like Trent Williams, Bud Dupree, and Shaquil Barrett I expect to be hard to land, as they will probably re-sign with their respective teams.
The Jaguars could really use help at offensive tackle and how they play their cards in free agency will depend on if they re-sign Cam Robinson or not. Even if they did retain Robinson, they should go after a veteran like Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who has been the blindside protector of Ben Roethlisberger for the past six years.
Jacksonville also needs to go out and get a tight end in either free agency, the draft, or both. Hunter Henry, Jacob Hollister, and Gerald Everett are all talented young players who can make a difference at the tight end position for the Jaguars. Kyle Pitts and Pat Freiermuth are two of the top tight end prospects in the draft. I wouldn’t expect Pitts to be available by the time the Jaguars are on the clock for the second time in the first round and they won’t take him number one overall. So Freiermuth and Brevin Jordan have to be on the Jags’ radar.
The Jaguars also need a lot of help on the defensive line. This is where they can add some veteran presence in free agency and then go out and grab a few players in the draft. An interior guy like DaQuan Jones and an edge rusher like Leonard Williams would go a long way.
And the part most fans want to discuss is drafting a quarterback. It’s basically a given that Jacksonville will draft a quarterback with their number one pick and best guess is it will be Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence who will lead the team in the future.
Biggest Takeaways for the Jaguars:
It’s going to be a long but crucial offseason in Jacksonville. The front office, coaching staff, and roster will see drastic changes. By the time the 2021 season starts, they will have a new general manager, head coach (presumably), offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator.
The biggest keys to victory for a successful offseason will ultimately be decided by the roster additions. Get a quarterback early, secure offensive linemen, bulk up the defensive line and pass rush, and sprinkle a few playmakers around at tight end, wide receiver, and in the secondary.