Doug Pederson's uninspiring remarks don't reflect well on Jaguars' free-agent class

The Jacksonville Jaguars made several acquisitions in the offseason to bolster the roster. However, most of the players they signed have failed to have an impact. In fact, you could make the case that they've played a role in the team's 1-5 record. But as underwhelming as the free-agent class has been, head coach Doug Pederson says that he's pleased with the results.

Pederson met with the media after the Week 6 loss to the Chicago Bears and said, via Mia O'Brien of 1010 XL, that the Jags are getting enough help from the free agents the team signed earlier this year.

"Those are things I have to take a look at. We have to look at it internally. I do believe these guys are helping us -- listen, we all need to do better. I'm not here to point the finger at anybody but myself, really. We need to make sure we're putting the best 11 on the field -- and we gotta look at that as a staff...

"I know Gabe [Davis]'s been banged up a little, Arik's been working through the stuff from the offseason... we gotta just continue to work. Keep showing everybody the good, bad and, and make necessary corrections."

Gabe Davis signed a three-year deal worth $39 million in free agency. He caught two touchdowns against the Bears but has also had several costly drops and has a catch rate of around 50 percent, or half his targets, which is far from ideal.

Arik Armstead, for his part, inked a three-year, $43.5 million contract. He's mostly been a non-factor, posting six tackles and one sack in five games.

Apart from Davis and Armstead, the Jags' most prominent signings of 2024 include defensive back Darnell Savage, cornerback Ronald Darby, and center Mitch Morse.

Savage has missed time with a quad injury and has been underwhelming when he's suited up. On the other hand, Darby has managed to stay healthy but has struggled in coverage. Of the bunch, Morse has probably been the best. While he's been far from dominant, he's been dependable, giving up five pressures and one sack.

The Jaguars surely expected more from Gabe Davis and Arik Armstead

It's fair to say that both Gabe Davis and Arik Armstead have been disappointing. Their production doesn't match their respective contract, and they're among the many reasons the Jaguars are 1-5 heading into Week 7.

Davis was supposed to give Trevor Lawrence a dependable target but he's been far from reliable. On the other hand, Armstead was expected to create pressure inside and give Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen more favorable matchups on the edge. Instead, he's been getting lots of snaps outside. That's not where he's at his best.

Add the fact that the Jaguars gave long-term deals to Hines-Allen, Trevor Lawrence left guard Ezra Cleveland, and cornerback Tyson Campbell, and their offseason strategy doesn't look great. Having said that, the coaching staff deserves to shoulder some of the blame for their far-from-stellar performance.

After all, Lawrence, Hines-Allen, and even Armstead have previously shown they can play at a high level, but it looks like the coaching or the system isn't helping. That falls on Doug Pederson, who's had trouble getting the most out of his players.

The truth is that the Jacksonville Jaguars made a heavy investment in the offseason because they thought it would help them bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season. That's not the way things have played out, and nobody would be shocked if they're feeling buyer's remorse based on the results.

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