Jaguars fans must trust new regime and their decision-making
By Jeff Tice
![Jacksonville Jaguars GM Trent Baalke and HC Doug Pederson at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville Knight Campus. (Imagn Images photo pool) Jacksonville Jaguars GM Trent Baalke and HC Doug Pederson at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville Knight Campus. (Imagn Images photo pool)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fblackandteal-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2017-2F07-2F18802767-850x560-5eaaccb0545557f73880e582ee2663015e9f08f3410c1b3760b1725cc96da199.jpg)
The Jaguars’ D-Line is another curious set of choices
Another spot where unconventional thinking may be at play is the defensive line. Adam Gotsis notwithstanding, the team waived several players that were thought to be locks to make the team, leaving the unit relatively light up front.
Jacksonville will go into the season with only six defensive linemen, including only two players weighing over 300 pounds. Roy Robertson Harris is nearly there at 298, but that’s about it for beef up front.
It’s tough to compare teams’ defensive lines because some run a 4-3 alignment while others use a 3-4 base. But, one way to compare the Jags’ size on the D-Line to other teams is to look at the average weight per defensive linemen per team. For example, the division rival Tennessee Titans average 301 pounds per man across the defensive front. The Houston Texans average 309 pounds per man, and the Indianapolis Colts come in at a much lighter 280 pounds.
Meanwhile, the Jags average 288 pounds per player on the defensive line depth chart. That’s not bad compared to the Colts, but pretty light compared to the other two teams in the division. If you take out Arden Key, who is kind of an outlier in terms of this discussion, the Jags’ average rises to 297 pounds, which doesn’t look bad.
But, even with Key, the Jags currently only have six defensive linemen listed on the depth chart compared to the Titans (8), Texans (9), and Colts (9)! Plus, the Jags have only three defensive linemen on the roster near or above 300 pounds, while the Titans (5), Texans (5), and Colts (4) all have more.