The Jacksonville Jaguars raised eyebrows across the NFL when they fired head coach Doug Pederson but chose to keep general manager Trent Baalke. The decision took observers by surprise as the Jags were expected to clean house to pave the way for a new GM-HC.
However, owner Shad Khan likes Baalke's football acumen and believes he is a positive. That's most definitely debatable, but it wouldn't certainly hurt to add another voice, and Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union has an interesting suggestion.
Kahn leans on Baalke to make football decisions, but whether he keeps him around or not, Frenette suggests the Jaguars hire Pro Football Hall-of-Fame left tackle Tony Boselli as the vice president of football operations, pointing out that the team enjoyed brief success when Tom Coughlin held that position.
In his column, Frenette argues that Boselli's love for the franchise is a positive, and one Khan must consider when adding to the team's brass.
"Boselli’s presence in the Jaguars’ building and genuine love for the franchise makes him, at minimum, an intriguing EVP candidate. It’s a safe bet that if Khan were interested in offering Boselli that role, the Hall of Famer would most certainly listen out of immense loyalty to the franchise. "
Granted, Boselli has never held an executive position for a team. However, other former players have made the leap from the gridiron to the front office. Who's to say the former All-Pro left tackle cannot pull it off?
The idea of bringing in an EVP was brought up to Khan during the press conference following Pederson's ousting. It isn't something he's planning right now, but he wouldn't rule it out.
The Jaguars need another executive voice aside from Trent Baalke
The Jacksonville Jaguars have entertained the idea of hiring a vice president of football operations in recent years. Back in 2022, they were planning on hiring former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman for that role but ultimately chose not to because Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke were getting along fine. The Jags should most definitely revisit the idea even though things didn't end well with Tom Coughlin.
Back in 2017, Jacksonville hired Coughlin as their EVP. They enjoyed immediate success with his renewed approach to discipline. Unfortunately, players grew tired of Coughlin, who wasn't able to adjust to newer times.
Things got so bad that the NFL Players Association warned free agents not to go to Jacksonville. Without other options, the Jaguars had to dismiss Coughlin before the end of the 2019 season. That may make the team hesitant to bring in another EVP. That said, Boselli has something working to his advantage.
The HOF left tackle isn't out of touch like his former coach, and can still relate to players. Add his love for the franchise, and he could offer another football voice to a team that is in need of one. Sure, Trent Baalke's track record at identifying talent isn't bad, but he's struggled to be on the same page with the coaching staff. Boselli could work as a mediator, which could be what the Jaguars need to be a well-oiled machine.
The Jaguars haven't been able to enjoy sustained success since owner Shad Khan became the owner. That's why they shouldn't rule out trying new things, including bringing in one of their most prominent and respected players into an executive role.