There are many reasons why Urban Meyer’s tenure as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars was a disaster and one of them was his inability to focus on what was really important. If had spent more time making sure his players were in a position to succeed instead of getting inappropriate at nightclubs and kicking Josh Lambo, maybe, just maybe he would still have a job.
Another reason Meyer flopped in Jacksonville was his failure to develop Trevor Lawrence. Sure, the former Clemson Tiger had his fair share of struggles as a rookie but he also had bright moments despite the fact that he didn’t have a good arsenal of weapons at his disposal. On the bright side, the Jaguars have more than enough resources to surround him with more talent this offseason and also make upgrades to both sides on the ball.
Moreover, the Jaguars will get several players back from injuries and all of them should contribute in some way or another in 2022. In particular, these four Jaguars should rebound after getting hurt last season.
No. 1 Jaguars player that should bounce back in 2022 – Dylan Moses, LB.
You could make the case that linebacker Dylan Moses can’t really bounce back since he hasn’t played a snap in the NFL and spent his rookie campaign on the Non-Football Injury list recovering from a torn ACL he suffered back at Alabama.
After playing through injuries in 2020, Moses underwent knee surgery last February. He went undrafted and signed with the Jags. Had he been healthy, there’s a chance he could have gone as high as the second round. The Alabama product was able to return to practice in late December, so he’s trending towards being 100 percent or close to it this offseason. If he has a solid training camp, he could work his way up the depth chart and become a darkhorse candidate to start for the Jaguars in 2022.
No. 2 Jaguars player that should bounce back in 2022 – Dan Arnold, TE.
Tight end Dan Arnold gave the Jaguars’ offense an immediate boost even though he joined them just three days before their Thursday night matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4. In that game, the Wisconsin-Platteville product hauled in two receptions for 29. And as the year progressed, his role and workload in the passing game increased. However, he sprained his MCL against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12 and missed the remainder of the 2021 season.
After landing in Jacksonville, Arnold went on to appear in eight games with three starts and hauled in 35 receptions for 408 yards with no touchdowns. If he hadn’t gotten hurt, his numbers would have been significantly better. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Jaguars had a chance to sign him last offseason but decided against it because they couldn’t make it work from a financial standpoint. In the end, they had reverse buyer’s remorse and acquired him (and a third-round pick in 2022) from the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback C.J. Henderson.
Arnold signed a two-year deal last offseason and will be playing for a contract extension in 2022. He showed last year that can be a featured weapon on the Jaguars’ offense and even if the front office adds another tight end this offseason, Arnold should still have a big role, especially when you take into account that he’s already built a rapport with quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
No. 3 Jaguars player that should bounce back in 2022 – Jamal Agnew/WR.
Jamal Agnew earned a First-Team All-Pro designation as a return specialist back in 2017, his rookie year, and early in 2021, it looked like was going to earn his second selection. Back in Week 2, he scored a touchdown on a 102-yard kickoff return. Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3, he took a failed field-goal attempt 109 yards back to the end zone. After his electrifying performance, his cleats were sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
If Agnew’s impact on special teams wasn’t enough, he became a key cog on the Jaguars’ offense as the season progressed. From Weeks 5 to 10, he caught 23 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown and racked up six carries for 100 yards. He also had a 66-yard touchdown run against the Indianapolis Colts. Alas, the 2017 fifth-round pick had a hip injury against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11 and went on to miss the remainder of the season.
Agnew had to step up on offense because the Jaguars lost DJ Chark Jr. to an ankle fracture in Week 4 and while his role in the passing game will most likely decrease in 2022, he should still get see the field and his fair share of targets. He should also resume making game-altering plays on special teams, so the Jaguars are surely eager to welcome him with their arms wide open.
No. 4 Jaguars player that should bounce back in 2022 – Travis Etienne.
The Jaguars threw a curveball at everyone when they selected Travis Etienne 25th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Why would you take a running back in the first round when you can easily get a good one in Day 2 or 3 of the selection meeting? Besides the fact that Etienne was Trevor Lawrence’s teammate at Clemson, the team’s brass surely liked his ability to make big plays at the collegiate level.
Etienne was poised to have a big role in both the Jaguars’ running and passing game in 2021. Furthermore, he and fellow running back James Robinson were supposed to form one of the most dynamic backfields in the NFL. But it wasn’t meant to be and he sustained a Lisfranc injury in preseason that cut his rookie campaign short.
Despite the fact that Etienne had a slight chance to return late in the 2021 season, he didn’t but so far, he hasn’t suffered any setbacks and is on track to return in training camp. With James Robinson tearing his Achilles in Week 15, Etienne may have a big workload early in the 2021 season.
Once Robinson is cleared to return, he and Etienne will form one of the promising running back tandems in the league. However, Etienne will have to carry the load early in the season, something he should have no trouble doing.