Jaguars new DC Mike Caldwell can be a game changer

Head coach Doug Pederson said he was confident in assembling a staff, and it’s easy to see why. Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reports that the Jacksonville Jaguars intend to hire Tampa Bay Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell. This isn’t surprising when you consider that Pederson and Caldwell played together in Philadelphia. There were also assistants on the Eagles coaching staff when Andy Reid was the head coach.

If you need some reassurance on Caldwell, he joined Todd Bowles when he was the head coach of the Jets as well as followed him to Arizona. Bowles is one of the best defensive minds in the league today and has the Bucs’ defense playing at a high level. Caldwell provided assistance with his extensive knowledge of that side of the ball.

Pederson has said he is sticking with the 3-4 defense. This will bode well for a unit that already underwent a switch from 4-3 under Joe Cullen last year. Caldwell is going to be running the same scheme with his own added touches. The new defensive coordinator needs to bring some continuity. The fanbase has seen what it’s like to switch coordinators almost every year. No players can perform to their potential when the scheme keeps changing.

Is Mike Caldwell going to bring what Jaguars HC Doug Pederson wants?

While watching the defense play this year one would notice some inconsistencies. The linebacker corps was touted as a strength of the defense but the unit and the defense as a whole need some work done. Caldwell has a reputation for developing strong linebacker play. For example the level of play coming out of Devin White.

Myles Jack is a skilled linebacker that needs some direction. Caldwell must figure out a way to get him to up his game. Devin White’s type of production could send the Jaguar’s defense to another level. Jack’s contract has two more years on it, according to Spotrac. Depending on how the draft unfolds, the Jags’ front office may look for a potential replacement. The 2016 second-round pick does make a large number of tackles each year. The problem is where he is making the tackles are being made. He’s shown flashes of what he could be when allowed to roam around the field.

Look at the last game of the season when there was nothing to lose. The defense was playing lights out. Making plays all over the field. There will be some upgrades for the defense in the coming months. Nothing comes without risks of course. The Jaguars are desperate to upgrade the talent on the roster. There are a few foundational pieces in Tyson Campbell, Andre Cisco, and Josh Allen to build on but the front office needs to keep adding talent.

The Jaguars are building on the potential.

Can the Jags get some production out of players that have not lived up to their draft positions? A current player on the roster who comes to mind is K’Lavon Chaisson. The former LSU Tiger has not made the impact that the front office thought he would over the last two years. Potential means nothing if it does not come out on game day. Making it difficult for the opposition is the key to winning. Aggressive playing calling is going to change the fortunes of the defense.

Can you imagine if the defense played lights out every week? This gives the offense more opportunities to score. Look what Blake Bortles did with short fields in 2017 when the defense was playing at an extremely high level. Trevor Lawrence is way above Bortles at being a complete quarterback. From the outside looking in, Caldwell’s imminent arrival appears to be a good situation for the players on the defensive side of the ball.