The Jacksonville Jaguars will soon start interviewing candidates for their head coach vacancy. However, they won’t be looking for a new manager, as they’ve expected to retain Trent Baalke. Ian Rapaport of NFL Media reports that owner Shad Khan plans to retain Baalke. The news doesn’t come as a surprise, as there were no signs the team would move on from him. Baalke joined the Jags in 2020 as the director of player personal and became the interim general manager when David Caldwell was given the boot. He got the job on a permanent basis earlier this year.
Baalke was part of the front office that drafted cornerbacks C.J. Henderson and defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson. The former is no longer with the team and the latter hasn’t lived up to his draft billing. Caldwell was the one that made the picks and he should be held accountable for them. Then again, Baalke should shoulder some of the blame.
Before working with the Jaguars, Baalke held different front office roles for the San Francisco 49ers from 2005 to 2010 before being promoted to general manager in 2011. In his first year on the job, the Niners went from 6-10 to 13-3 and he won the NFL Executive of the Year Award. Although San Francisco found success early in his tenure, his failure to replenish their roster and find a head coach cost him his job in 2017.
Khan gave Caldwell and his predecessor, Gene Smith, enough time to make an impact. Although he could change course at any time, it looks like he’s also going to grant Baalke the opportunity to work his magic.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke has a questionable track record at the helm.
All it takes is a look around social media to know the news the Jaguars were keeping Baalke weren’t well-received, and rightfully so. Instead of starting over, the organization only got rid of Urban Meyer, and Baalke’s presence could limit the number of potential candidates that may be interested in the head coaching gig in Jacksonville.
Baalke’s tenure in San Francisco started out well. He hired Jim Harbaugh as the head coach and the pair quickly turned the Niners into a contender, making the NFC Championship game for three straight seasons. However, Baalke and Harbaugh often clashed, their relationship became strained and the former ended up winning a power struggle.
Baalke couldn’t find an adequate replacement for Harbaugh and ended up hiring Jim Tomsula and Chip Kelly in back-to-back years. While it’s a good thing he didn’t double down on his mistake of hiring Tomsula, having three head coaches in as many seasons is the kind of decision that will get you on the unemployment line sooner than you can say draft bust. You could make the case Harbaugh was his only good hire and they constantly butted heads, so his ability to work with others may be put into question.
Also, there’s Baalke’s draft acumen. He had many bad drafts and all the players that helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship were acquired before he was the general manager. He often took a flyer on players coming back from injuries such as running back Marcus Lattimore and more often than not, the gamble didn’t pan out. Once Harbaugh left and the Niners’ talent pool dried up, Baalke couldn’t win.
Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Again, this wasn’t a popular decision and Balkee’s track record isn’t the best. But he deserves the benefit of the doubt and a legitimate chance to show what he can do. In his first year with the Jags, he wasn’t the one calling the shots. He then had to work with Urban Meyer, who Kahn wanted from the get-go. Baalke will now have the chance to pick a head coach.
The Jags’ 2021 draft could turn out to be a good one. Most general managers would have likely picked Trevor Lawrence, so Baalke gets no credit for selecting the former Clemson Tiger. However, cornerback Tyson Campbell is the real deal and safety Andre Cisco played well in his limited sample. If the team can get more production from offensive tackle Walker Little and running back Travis Etienne, this would have been a pretty good draft and Baalke should be credited for it.
If you think Baalke deserves blame for picking C.J. Henderson and K’Lavon Chaisson even though he wasn’t the Jags general manager, he also deserves credit for selecting linebacker NaVorro Bowman, offensive tackle Anthony Davis, guard Mike Iupati, and wide receiver Glenn Coffe. He wasn’t the 49ers’ general manager at the time but he was the director of player personnel.
Moreover, Baalke did draft some impact players at the end of his stint with the Niners. Defensive end DeForest Buckner has gone on to become an All-Pro. Defensive end Arik Armstead is still going strong and is a starter in San Francisco. The same is true for Jaquiski Tartt. Balke has had his share fair of flops but he’s had hits too. Khan knows that if he wants to land one of his top candidates, Baalke will need to compromise and work as a tandem, so it’s not like he will suddenly have unlimited power and do as he pleases.
You could make the case the Jags shouldn’t have hired Baalke to begin with but he will now have the chance to show what he can do. As long as the Jags start winning, nobody will mind Baalke stayed but if it doesn’t work out, both Khan and Baalke will get the scrutiny they deserve. Also, you can come back to this post and say, “I told you so”.