
Coming off the 2017 AFC Championship, it seemed like the Jacksonville Jaguars were about to become a perennial contender. However, the wheels quickly fell off and they weren’t able to recreate their postseason magic. Even worse, they failed to win more than six games the following three seasons, which prompted the team to move on from head coach Doug Marrone.
Looking back, you could attribute the Jaguars collapse to a multitude of factors. Tom Coughlin’s outdated leadership methods certainly play a role, and so did their inability to find stability at the quarterback position. Also, the team was unable to retain its playmakers and started dismantling their roster in 2019, when they traded cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams for two first-round selections and a fourth-round pick.
The ‘Jags’ didn’t stop there and traded cornerback A.J. Bouye, safety Ronnie Harrison, defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell last offseason. While some of those moves might’ve been justified, it’s unlikely Jacksonville would’ve been worse than they were last season.
On the bright side, the Jaguars now have the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and are projected to have $73 million in cap space. With a new regime now in place, the team should consider bringing back a few of their former players this offseason. Here are a few that make sense.