3 offseason catastrophes the Jacksonville Jaguars must avoid in 2024
2. Not making upgrades to the offensive line
The Jags have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, who played a huge role in their turnaround in 2022. Lawrence, was expected to keep getting better in 2023 and join the upper echelon of signal-callers in the NFL. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to take the leap and instead regress. While he made a few puzzling mistakes, the main reason for slipping was the poor protection up front.
Steezy Trev's ability to get rid of the ball fast often masked the pass protection issues. But when he needed time to throw, he was pressured at one of the highest rates in the league.
Trevor Lawrence's pressure/sack numbers are misleading because he gets rid of the ball so quickly.
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 13, 2023
On throws between 2.5-4 seconds, he's been pressured on 43% of dropbacks--the highest rate of any QB in the NFL this year. Worse than Daniel Jones!
Anton Harrison proved to be a stud at right tackle, and the Jags had a pair of options at left tackle in Cam Robinson and Walker Little. However, the interior offensive line struggled to give Lawrence good protection. Similarly, they couldn't hold their ground in the running game, failing to create lanes for Travis Etienne.
After an underwhelming season, it's fair to say that bolstering both guard spots and the center position should be among Jacksonville's top priorities in the offseason. Luke Fortner regressed in his sophomore campaign, and the team's brass needs to either find their replacement in the draft or acquire a veteran replacement in the draft. Also, the Jags must decide what they'll do at left guard. They traded for Ezra Cleveland at the deadline, but he's set to be a free agent in March.
Even if the Jags re-sign Cleveland, they need to add depth at the position. If they let him walk, they will then have to add the position to their to-do list. Also, they need to make a decision on right guard Brandon Scherff, who's got a year left on his contract and is slated to count for $23.9 million in 2024. Although he's been solid, his play hasn't been proportional to the top market deal he inked in 2022. Releasing him would free up $9.09 million in space, with $14.8 million in dead money.
If the top brass believes they can find a better/cheaper alternative in the open market, they should then move on from Scherff. Either way, they need to make sure their interior offensive line is better in 2024 if they want Trevor Lawrence to bounce back and get the running game going.