The Jacksonville Jaguars sent shockwaves when they announced they plan to retain general manager Trent Baalke. The decision hasn’t been well-received due to his track record of hiring head coaches and acquiring talent.
Baalke has certainly had his fair share of misses. However, he’s also been behind some solid moves and if you’re going to bring up the bad ones, you need to also talk about the good ones. His first year in Jacksonville could have been better but he also acquired several players that have gone on to become key contributors in 2021.
Now, this may be a tricky situation because former head coach Urban Meyer surely had a big say in all the moves the Jags made this offseason. However, Baalke had to sign most of them so he should get credit (or blame) for them.
With that in mind, here are the best five additions Trent Baalke has made during his tenure in Jacksonville.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke’s biggest move No. 1 – Drafting Andre Cisco.
The Jaguars knew safety was a position of need earlier this year and took several steps to upgrade it. They signed Rudy Ford and Rayshawn Jenkins in free agency. They also brought back Josh Jones and later selected Andre Cisco in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Out of all safeties the Jags acquired, Cisco may be the best of the bunch. Jenkins was the Day 1 starter but hasn’t many many big plays and has instead made several mistakes. He suffered an ankle fracture in Week 15, which paved the way for Cisco to see the starting lineup.
It’s just a small sample but the rookie out of Syracuse showed in Week 16 he should have seen the field sooner, as he nearly come down with an intercept and later blocked a field goal. Back in college, he showed his ballhawk skills, logging 13 interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 24 starts.
Cisco will most likely start the last two games of the season and if plays well, the coaching staff won’t be able to justify keeping him out of the field. Not bad for a safety that entered the draft process with injury red flags.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke’s biggest move No. 2 – Trading for TE Dan Arnold.
Tight end was one of the Jaguars’ most pressing needs this past offseason and it took them several tries but they got it right when they acquired Dan Arnold in a trade with the Carolina Panthers after Week 3 of the 2021 regular season. Back in free agency, the Jaguars had the chance to sign either Jonnu Smith or Hunter Henry (or both as the New England Patriots did). Instead, they locked up Chris Manhertz, who excels in pass-blocking situations but doesn’t offer much as a receiver in the passing game.
Later, the team’s brass signed Tim Tebow and tried him out at tight end. The move didn’t work out and they ended up releasing him after the first preseason game. Before the start of the season, the Jags acquired Jacob Hollister, who has been inactive for several games this season. It wasn’t until Jacksonville traded for Dan Arnold that they really addressed the position.
Keep in mind that the Jaguars could have and wanted to sign Arnold in free agency. Why they chose to wait to trade for him is anyone’s guess. The tight end was one of the few weapons the Jags had on offense this season and someone Trevor Lawrence trusts before he suffered an MCL sprain in Week 12. He’s been designated to return but just landed on the COVID-19/reserve list, so his status for the next two games is in question.
While the Jaguars can still sign or draft a tight end next year, the position isn’t as big a need as it was in 2021 thanks to the presence of Arnold.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke’s biggest move No. 3 – Signing Shaquill Griffin.
Giving cornerback Shaquill Griffin a three-year, $45 million contract in free agency was one of the most scrutinized moves the Jaguars made this offseason. After all, he was never a shutdown cornerback during his tenure with the Seattle Seahawks and had just registered five career interceptions.
Moreover, Griffin was coming off a season in which he allowed nearly 70 percent of the passes thrown his way. Nevertheless, the Jags felt confident they got a difference-maker when they signed him, and based on how things have played out, they are surely pleased with their investment.
Griffin has mainly covered the opposing teams’ number one receivers and has generally performed while doing so. He’s posted a healthy Pro Football Focus 70.3 coverage grade in 2021 and has allowed just three touchdowns. He hasn’t registered an interception but hasn’t allowed many big plays. But as important as the 2019 Pro Bowl nod has been for the Jaguars on the field, his leadership out of it has been critical in the midst of a 2-13 season.
Losing can be taxing but, Griffin has become a veteran presence in the locker room and has done his best to keep his teammates level-headed. The cornerback knows turning things around won’t’ be easy but he’s willing to put in the works while pushing other players to give their best.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke’s biggest move No. 4 – Drafting Tyson Campbell.
Shaquill Griffin wasn’t the only cornerback the Jags acquired in the offseason. In fact, they added several of them. Besides re-signing Tre Herndon and Sidney Jones, the Jags drafted Tyson Campbell with the 33rd pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. This was a bit surprising since safety, tight end and offensive tackle were bigger needs than cornerback. Moreover, the Jags had a promising second-year player in C.J. Henderson, so drafting Campbell seemed like an unnecessary luxury at the time.
The Jags traded Jones and Herndon tore his MCL in the preseason. This helped Campbell move his way up the roster and start in the season opener. He played in the slot the first two weeks but switched outside when the Jags traded Henderson to the Panthers. Although the former Georgia Bulldog struggled early and missed time with a toe injury, he showed significant improvement and has become a key cog in the Jaguars’ secondary in the second half of the season.
Since Week 8, Campbell has allowed a 54.7 percent completion rate and has snagged two interceptions. Furthermore, he’s posted a Pro Football Focus grade of 90.5 or higher twice this season. Keep in mind that he still has room for improvement and he will likely get better. The young corner was one of the few members of the Jaguars’ 2021 draft class that got playing time early in the season. Looking back, drafting him has paid off as the Jags now have a solid cornerback tandem.
Jaguars GM Trent Baalke’s biggest move No. 5 – Drafting Trevor Lawrence
How much credit does Trent Baalke deserve for drafting Trevor Lawrence? From the get-go, it seemed like the Jacksonville Jaguars had zeroed in on the former Clemson Tiger, and with good reason. He was one best quarterback prospects to come out of the college ranks in years.
Having said that, the Jaguars’ decision-makers needed to perform due diligence on other prospects. Zach Wilson of BYU was also trending up and Justin Fields of Ohio State also had had a case to be the top overall pick in this year’s selection meeting. In the end, the Jags didn’t overthink this one and ended up choosing Lawrence. Although he’s had a rough rookie campaign, he’s shown enough promise to make the team’s brass feel good about drafting him.
Going back to the original question, Baalke should get credit for drafting Lawrence, all generals do when they draft a franchise quarterback. Bill Polian did when the Indianapolis Colts took Peyton Manning. More recently, Tom Telesco took Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers) and the (Buffalo Bill) chose Josh Allen. While their respective head coaches get praise for their development, Telesco and Beane were the ones that made the pick and if Lawrence turns out to live up to expectations, Baalke should as well.
Has Baalke made mistakes throughout his career as a general manager? Sure, and some of them cost him his job with the San Francisco 49ers. Does he need to do a better job of identifying talent and adjusting his draft approach? You bet, but he also had gotten several picks right and deserves credit for it.