James Palmer says the quiet part out loud about Jaguars after paying Jakobi Meyers

The Jacksonville Jaguars proved general manager James Gladstone was right to trade for Jakobi Meyers when they gave him a three-year extension worth $60 million with $40 million guaranteed. Right out of the gate, the veteran receiver gave the offense a facelift and became Trevor Lawrence's most trusted target.

So instead of waiting until next year to reward Meyers, the Jags got ahead of the curve and rewarded him with a deal that reflects just how much of a difference he's made since landing in Jacksonville in early November.

In fact, Meyers has had such an impact that analysts across the league have universally heaped praise on the decision to pay him. One in particular has even wondered if his presence has elevated the Jaguars enough to make a Super Bowl push.

James Palmer wonders if Jakobi Meyers makes the Jaguars Super Bowl-bound

Not long after the news of the Jakobi Meyers extension broke, James Palmer of The Athletic took to social media to praise the Jaguars for getting a deal done, highlighting just how much of a game-changer the seventh-year receiver has been for them since his arrival. Here's the skinny.

"Did a midseason trade transform one AFC team into a legit Super Bowl contender? Jacksonville Jaguars first-year general manager James Gladstone traded for Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Jacoby Meyers. He gave up a fourth and a sixth-round pick, a small price to pay for a player that has now transformed Jacksonville's offense. Since he's been acquired, since week 10 on, Jacksonville is the second-highest scoring team in the NFL."

Palmer continued, "We all know Brian Thomas, Jr, in his second season, has had some issues with drops, but it's still considered the team's No. 1. But since Jacoby Meyers has arrived, he's the team's leading receiver in both catches and yards, and the offense just operates at a better clip. Why? My understanding is Meyers came in and picked everything up very, very quickly, and that everybody in that organization believes he's changed the offense because he's always in the right place at the right time."

"And it's a veteran presence in the middle of the field for Trevor Lawrence, which is why we've seen Lawrence play his best football, perhaps, of his career, over each of the last three weeks. Another thing that I've been told is that Myers changes Lawrence's confidence. This is a team that leads the NFL and drops, and Myers has caught everything over the middle of the field. So this is a team now that has an offense that's firing one like we've ever seen in Jacksonville. As they've scored 25 points or more in now a franchise-record seven consecutive games."

As Palmer noted, the Jacksonville offense has been clicking since Meyers' arrival, averaging 32.8 points per game the past seven weeks. Similarly, Lawrence has been playing like a top-10 quarterback in the same span.

Related: The Trevor Lawrence hype explodes after Chase Daniel says the quiet part out loud

The Jaguars are a talented bunch (but they have tougher tests ahead)

Circling back to the question James Palmer posed, calling the Jaguars a Super Bowl contender may be a bit of an overreaction. Has Jakobi Meyers made them better? You bet. Is he one big reason for Trevor Lawrence's recent surge? No doubt. Having said that, Jacksonville still has its work cut out.

Coming off a five-game winning streak, the Jags are set to face the Denver Broncos in Week 16. They're their toughest challenge remaining in the second half of the season and will be a good barometer of just how good Jacksonville is.

But even if the Jags leave Mile High with a win, making it to Super Sunday would be an uphill battle. After all, they could meet clubs such as the Houston Texans, the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots, or the Broncos themselves in the playoffs. And make no mistake, Jacksonville could go toe to toe with any of them, but Liam Coen's squad has an equal chance of coming up short.

Ultimately, nobody will deny that the Jaguars have already exceeded expectations in Year 1 of the Liam Coen era. Moreover, they are getting hot at the right time. And precisely for that reason, no team should overlook them. Then again, it may be a bit too early to start uncorking the champagne if it isn't to celebrate the Jakobi Meyers deal.