A lot of moves in the offseason have to cash in for an NFL team to go 13-4. For the Jacksonville Jaguars, even more stars had to align for them to win 13 games after going 4-13 in 2024.
Throughout the spring, Shad Khan flipped over the front office, won a bidding war for a prized assistant coach, and signed off on various personnel decisions that revitalized Jacksonville's culture overnight.
Hopefully, the Jags' Wild Card matchup against the Buffalo Bills will be the first of many home games this postseason. But while we wait for (yet another) 1 p.m. kickoff, let's look at some of the biggest changes Jacksonville made to have one of the most successful seasons in franchise history.
Tony Boselli becomes the executive vice president of football operations for the Jacksonville Jaguars
After reliving the previous regime of their duties, Shad Khan put his franchise in the hands of its first son. Tony Boselli, the franchise's only Hall-of-Fame player, was hired as the team's EVP of football ops right after Khan secured the team's new head coach.
Boselli's role is unique, as he doesn't have final say on personnel or what happens on the grass despite the weight of his title. However, the former All-Pro is still very busy. According to the Jaguars' official website, the Southern California alum handles player engagement, team security, travel logistics, equipment, and sports performance for the squad.
Clearly, Boselli's performance in the role was elite, as he provided the resources needed for the coaching staff to develop a roster that was largely scarred by 2024's brutal collapse.
Liam Coen's arrival as the youngest head coach in Jaguars history
Liam Coen's journey to Jacksonville was so contentious that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced the former offensive playcaller's departure on their official website. Before Coen made his decision, the Bucs put forth an offer that would have made him the NFL's highest-paid coordinator.
The financial terms of the proposed offer were never released, but Coen's rookie season in teal must have shot his market value through the roof. The coach's 13 wins as the leader of the Jags were the most since the team's famous 1999 campaign. The dynamic scheme guru also turned Trevor Lawrence into the MVP candidate we all knew he could be when he was drafted with the first-overall pick in 2021.
Of course, landing Coen came at a price. Parting with Trent Baalke wasn't Khan's first choice, but the benefits reaped from the decision could provide dividends for years. Hopefully, the new general manager shopping for the figurative groceries can give Liam the talent he needs to execute in 2026 and beyond.
James Gladstone re-tooling the roster with his aggressive trade-focused philosophy
James Gladstone was the last of the current leadership group to be hired. The former Rams executive comes from a school of thought that favors aggression and making trades for talent that can help teams win immediately.
After settling in, the young executive immediately declared he would elevate the floor of the roster and flooded the team with veteran free agents boasting versatile skill sets. Some of these moves were lackluster, as they involved players who provided depth for other teams. However, Gladstone would go on to prove his appetite for risk a few weeks later.
The biggest move he made all year happened at the start of the 2025 NFL Draft. In the first round, Gladstone traded with the Cleveland Browns to move from the fifth spot to the second overall selection. Before we could gather our bearings, Gladstone turned in the notecard and chose Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter.
Hunter suffered a lower-body injury that would eventually require season-ending surgery, but his spectacular catches on offense and tenacious man coverage on defense showed us that he'll have a bright future.
Unsurprisingly, Hunter's absence created a massive hole at wide receiver. After a disastrous two-game stretch against the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams, Jax needed help. Luckily, the Las Vegas Raiders had a disgruntled playmaker who was ready for a change of scenery.
Jakobi Meyers saves the season and jumpstarts Liam Coen's offense
You may think I'm exaggerating, but it only took Jakobi Meyers a few games to change the Jaguars' long-term plans for the receiver room. The team's phenomenal winning streak of at the end the season began once the former Patriot emerged as Trevor Lawrence's most reliable target.
After being traded, Meyers racked up 42 receptions for 483 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, these numbers don't tell the entire story. By the end of the season, No. 3 drew so much attention that other players were able to have some of the biggest games of their careers.
Hopefully, the North Carolina State alum can keep it up during the first round of the playoffs. His consistency helped the team live up to the new standard created by Boselli, Gladstone, and Coen.
Unfortunately for some, that standard led to some heartbreaking departures.
Tyson Campbell's trade to the Cleveland Browns
Follow me here, the Jags were not the same after Tyson Campbell was traded. The timing of the trade was rough, as it came after one of the biggest primetime games the organization has ever hosted.
Beating the Kansas City Chiefs should have led to endless celebration, but the new regime shocked everyone when they moved a big-money starter days before another huge home game against Seattle. After two hard losses and a much-needed bye, the Jags ended their losing streak and won a nail-biter against Las Vegas.
As Jacksonville approached the trade deadline, the organization needed to decide if 2025 was a rebuilding year or if it wanted to push towards playoff contention immediately. Clearly, the men in charge chose the latter and communicated that regular-season success was well within reach.
Now, we wait to see if the same messaging can lead to a magical playoff run.