The Jacksonville Jaguars have failed to meet expectations in 2024, and nobody will bat an eye if they undergo a full rebuild next year. That would mean moving on from head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke. To replace the latter, they should set their sights on a vested executive who's played a huge role in the Detroit Lions' recent success.
The Lions have undergone a turnaround in recent years and are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. Head coach Dan Campbell most definitely deserves lots of praise for getting the most out of his players. Similarly, general manager Brad Holmes should also get credit for stacking the roster with lots of playmakers such as Aidan Hutchinson. Lost in the mix, though, is senior personnel executive John Dorsey, who's also had a big voice in shaping the team.
A former general manager, Dorsey joined the Lions in 2021 and has helped Holmes identify the kind of player Campbell wants. A former player, the Maryland native started his front-office career as a scout with the Green Bay Packers, working his way up until he became their director of football operations in 2012. Along the way, he left to serve as the Seattle Seahawks' director of scouting in 1999 but returned one year later. Then in 2013, he became the general manager for the Kansas City Chiefs.
After getting dismissed in 2017, Dorsey bolted for the Cleveland Browns, where he held the same position. Once again, he got the boot in 2020. He spent a year with the Philadelphia Eagles as a consultant before landing in Detroit.
Knowing Dorsey has been let go twice, you may be wondering why the heck the Jaguars should consider him for a potential opening to lead their front office. The answer is easy: He knows how to identify talent. Here's Mike Garafolo of NFL Media talking about his stint with Philly back in 2020.
From @gmfb Weekend: The #Eagles quietly brought former #Chiefs and #Browns GM John Dorsey aboard as a consultant the past few months. Dorsey could be in the mix for some GM jobs this cycle. If not, possible he sticks in Philly. pic.twitter.com/mXO1PWlOJZ
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 19, 2020
During his career as an executive, Dorsey played a part in drafting Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Nick Chubb. The Jaguars already have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, so their future general manager can focus on addressing other areas of the roster. The offensive line could certainly use some help. The same is true for the wide receiver corps. Of course, there's another move that will require his attention first.
The case for (and against) the Jaguars potentially targeting John Dorsey as their general manager
Ideally, John Dorsey would clean house if he were to join the Jaguars. One of the first things on his to-do list would be to find a replacement for Doug Pederson. That's where one of the biggest stains in his resume comes. Back with the Browns, he made the puzzling decision of hiring Freddie Kitchens as the head coach in 2019.
Realizing he had made a mistake, Dorsey kicked Kitchens to the curb one year later, but the damage was gone. Another knock on him is that he operated in a secretive way during his stint with the Chiefs, which turned out to play a role in his dismissal. On the other hand, no general manager executive or head coach has a perfect track record, and the the positives outweigh the negatives. In retrospect, he surely understands now why he failed in his previous stops.
Moreover, Jaguars owner Shad Khan wouldn't just hand the keys of the team to Dorsey. He would have to do due diligence before making a move. However, his resume should put him at the top of Jacksonville's list of potential replacements for Trent Baalke.
Granted, it's not a given that the Jacksonville Jaguars will part ways with Trent Baalke, but if they do, getting in touch with John Dorsey is the first thing they must do.