It’s not hyperbole to say this is going to arguably be the most important offseason in Jacksonville Jaguars history when you take into account all the assets they have to turn their fortunes around. Fortunately, Black and Teal had the chance to talk to former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum to make sense of the Jags’ hectic offseason.
The Jaguars have a new head coach in Urban Meyer and hired Trent Baalke as their general manager after the 2020 season ended. They also have the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and a plethora of cap space — even after slapping left tackle Cam Robinson with the franchise tag — to make significant moves in free agency.
If the Jags make the right moves and hit on most of their decisions, they will have the chance to turn into a perennial contender. On the other hand, not taking advantage of the vast amount of resources they have at their disposal could set them back for years.
Black and Teal asked Tannenbaum what he thought of the Urban Meyer hire, the gravity of drafting Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the positions the Jaguars should address in free agency, and more. Here is the first part of the conversation. Without further ado, here’s the second part.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have a clear-cut choice with the top draft pick.
B&T: There have been recent reports Zach Wilson’s draft stock has risen up but how much can a prospect’s stock really rise from Bowl season to Draft Day? Could he really go from the second-best quarterback prospect to the top one?
MT: Zach Wilson has the chance to be really good. That’s what the process is about, not only to evaluate prospects on tape but to get to know them, spend time with them, understanding how they learn, how they process information, what kind of teammate they are. Zach Wilson has the chance to become an outstanding quarterback.
With that said, it is a pretty easy decision. When Jacksonville is on the clock with the first overall pick in 2021’s draft, I can’t imagine them taking a quarterback besides Trevor Lawrence. He has the chance to become historically great at quarterback.
B&T: Do you think a quarterback prospect will fall down draft boards this year?
MT: Certainly, that will happen. As we go along, someone like Kyle Trask from the University of Florida will fall a little bit. For me, he’s more of a second-rounder. His lack of athleticism would be a concern. There are a couple of other quarterbacks in that group like Kellen Mond from Texas A&M that I like a lot. I think he’s a better athlete.
What Kyle did with Florida head coach Dan Mullen was obviously great, he had a great year, but I think his athleticism is a bit of a concern. I think Trey Lance is a really interesting discussion because he has tremendous talent but he played just one game last year. It will be interesting to see how teams will handle that.
Should the Jacksonville Jaguars prioritize fixing their offense or defense?
B&T: If you could prioritize fixing one side of the ball, which one would it be? Offense or defense?
MT: That’s a great question, I would say offense right now. If you have a quarterback like Trevor Lawrence and if you give them as many weapons as possible to be successful kind like what Kansas City Chiefs has been able to do with Patrick Mahomes. He’s been surrounded by big players like tight end Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill amongst others.
B&T: The NFL has become a passing league and teams are using tight ends like Jimmy Graham mainly as wide receivers to create mismatches in the passing game, so how important is inline blocking when evaluating a tight end?
MT: It’s important, the more you can do in terms of being able to block, it impacts the running game and the passing game. The more well-rounded you are, the more valuable you can be. It’s interesting, we talked about free agency before, but someone like Hunter Henry is a little bit of an underrated blocker, he’s a good receiver. He’s someone who will be interesting to see in free agency. I would expect them to go out and pursue him.
What players should the Jacksonville Jaguars target in free agency?
B&T: Who is an underrated player that should be getting more attention ahead of free agency?
MT: Kenyan Drake, somebody I drafted in Miami. He will be a free agent in Arizona, he’s explosive, he’s a great receiver out of the backfield, really good hands. I think he’s somebody who is a little bit under the radar but he’s a very productive NFL player.
B&T: What player do you see as high-risk, high-reward in the free-agent market?
MT: Bud Dupree. If he’s healthy, he can have a great impact. He’s coming off an ACL, so we need to see how that goes but I think he has the chance to be really really good if he’s healthy.
B&T: It’s rare for a running back to get top-market compensation in free agency because teams can replenish the position in the draft, so under what circumstances would you feel comfortable offering a top-tier contract to a running back?
MT: It has to be somebody really special like a Christian McCaffrey or an Alvin Kamara, somebody that can impact the passing game as much as the running game. There are not many of those out there, but Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, those are a handful of guys that I think are worth it.