3 guaranteed home runs by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2024 offseason

The Jacksonville Jaguars went 9-8 and failed to make the playoffs last year. Following their disappointing end to 2023, the team's brass realized that if they wanted to bounce back next season, they had to make changes to the roster and coaching staff. That's what they did.

Besides addressing most of their needs in the offseason, the Jags gave their coaching staff a makeover. And of all the moves they made, these three will help the team immensely.

Signing Mitch Morse in free agency, keeping the interior O-Line together

Apart from replacing Jawaan Taylor with Anton Harrison at right tackle, the Jaguars didn't make massive changes to their offensive line last offseason because they were pleased with their 2022 lineup. This turned out to be a crass mistake, as the unit became a weakness.

Left guard was a question mark because incumbent Ben Bartch was coming off a season-ending injury, and it wasn't unknown at the time if he was going to be at full strength for the opener. He wasn't and was benched after just three games. Had the front office had a backup plan in place, the Jags would've had stability at the position.

Ultimately, the team's brass traded for Ezra Cleveland at the deadline but he couldn't contribute right off the bat because he was nursing a foot sprain. He eventually joined the starting lineup but wasn't able to hit his stride. But as much as Jacksonville struggled at left guard in 2023, the center spot was even worse.

Luke Fortner, a third-round pick in 2022, was expected to make strides after showing promise as a rookie. However, he regressed and was arguably the team's weakest link in the trenches. If the coaching staff didn't bench him, it was probably because they didn't have anyone else.

In the end, the Jaguars couldn't protect Trevor Lawrence or get the running game going. Realizing that they had to fortify the offensive trenches, Jacksonville signed center Mitch Morse in free agency. A second-round pick in 2015, the former Mizzou Tiger played for Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson when he was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Aside from bringing in Morse, the Jags gave Cleveland a three-year deal worth $24 million and restructured right guard Brandon Scherff's contract to ensure he stayed in Jacksonville in 2024. The expectation is that keeping Scherff and Cleveland around will help the team build continuity up front. Add the arrival of Morse, and the Jaguars will be able to adequately protect Lawrence and open running lanes big enough for Travis Etienne.

Hiring Ryan Nieslen as the Jaguars defensive coordinator

When Doug Pederson became the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, he gave Mike Caldwell his first crack at a defensive coordinator position. All things considered, he fared well in his first season at the helm, with Jacksonville ranking 10th in the league in points scored.

Caldwell got off to a strong start to his second season on the job. However, the defense faded down the stretch. By the end of the year, position groups were no longer talking to each other, and players weren't discussing assignments. That fell on Caldwell.

Not surprisingly, Caldwell got the boot after the 2023 season ended. To replace him, the top brass conducted an exhaustive search, leaving no stone unturned. They ultimately went with Ryan Nielsen, who was the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons the year prior.

Under Nielsen, the Atlanta defense saw a noticeable improvement in key areas such as red zone, and third-down efficiency. One big reason for his success was his emphasis on fundamentals and technique. The mustachioed coach will have the same approach in Jacksonville.

On top of that, Nielsen should be able to get the most out of players such as pass rusher Travon Walker, linebacker Devin Lloyd, and safety Andre Cisco, to name a few.

The bottom line is that hiring Ryan Nielsen is one of the best decision the Jaguars' brass made the offseason.

Rewarding franchise players such as Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen

Former Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell had some hits but not nearly enough to overcome his blunders. Among his biggest mistakes was his decision not to reward the team's best players.

Granted, Caldwell gave extensions to Myles Jack and Brandon Linder but they were the exception, not the rule. Leonard Fournette, Yannick Ngakoue, Calais Campbell, and Jalen Ramsey were either traded or released when they expressed their desire to get paid. Ultimately, his unwillingness to reward his players, along with his draft misses, left the roster devoid of talent. Not surprisingly, he got his walking papers near the end of 2020.

While Caldwell's successor, Trent Baalke, hasn't been perfect, he's done a 180 in regards to paying the team's building blocks. Back in 2022, he gave left tackle Cam Robinson a top-market contract. Last year, he re-signed core contributors such as DaVon Hamilton, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Andrew Wingard. In 2024, he locked up the team's two best players: Josh Hines-Allen and Trevor Lawrence.

Negotiations with Hines-Allen weren't smoot but Baalke gave him a contract that made him one of the highest-paid pass rushers in the league. Contract talks with Trevor Lawrence, on the other hand, went without a hitch, and the former Clemson Tiger became one of the highest-paid quarterbacks.

By locking up Lawrence and Hines-Allen, not only are the Jaguars keeping their franchise building blocks in place but they're also showing his players that if they deliver, they'll be rewarded. That should most definitely give everyone a morale boost and motivate them to give their best on and off the football field.

More Jaguars analysis here: