3 offseason decisions the Jaguars must regret in light of rough start to 2024

After a disappointing end to 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars made several changes to the roster and the coaching staff. While some of them have quickly paid off, others have already aged poorly.

So which moves have played a role in the Jags' 0-2 start to the 2024 NFL Season? These three certainly come to mind.

Giving Ezra Cleveland a 3-year deal worth $24 million

Last year, the Jags dealt with uncertainty at left guard. Incumbent Ben Bartch was coming off a season-ending injury he suffered in 2022, and there were doubts he was going to make a full recovery in time for the opener. The former St. John Johnny made it but wasn't at full strength. By Week 4, he was already phased out in favor of long-time backup Tyler Shatley, who wasn't much better.

Shatley only made one start before the coaching staff bumped offensive tackle Walker Little inside. Looking for a fix at left guard, Jacksonville traded for Ezra Cleveland at the deadline. The former Boise State Bronco was dealing with a foot sprain at the time of the deal and was never able to hit his stride.

But despite his underwhelming play, the team's brass gave Cleveland a three-year deal worth $24 million to prevent him from leaving in free agency. The expectation was that he was going to put it all together after recovering and spending a full offseason in Jacksonville. So far, that hasn't been the case.

Cleveland has given up just two total pressures and one sack. However, that sack was a costly one, as it led to a safety. Compounding the issue is that he's struggled as a run blocker.

Maybe Cleveland will eventually turn the corner, but the decision to bring him back doesn't currently look great.

The Jaguars probably regret restructuring Brandon Scherff's contract

Right guard Brandon Scherff was probably the Jaguars' best interior offensive lineman but that was a low bar to clear. Once a Pro Bowler during his stint with the Washington Commanders, the former Iowa Hawkeye could be experiencing a decline.

Last year, Scherff gave up an acceptable two sacks and 15 total pressures. That led the front office to the decision to restructure his deal to ensure he stayed in 2023. This is noteworthy because they could've freed up $9 million in space and looked for a potential upgrade in either free agency or the draft.

Instead, Jacksonville kept Scherff with the expectation that the offensive line could develop a better rapport. The trouble is that the 2015 first-round pick isn't off to a great start to the regular season, posting a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 49.4 in two games.

At this pace, it's hard to see the Jags bringing back Scherff in 2025. They could've moved on from him in the offseason and would already have his replacement in place. Now, they have to wait until next year.

The Jaguars are still waiting for Maason Smith to make an impact

You cannot call a player a bust after just two games but it's fair to say that 2024 second-round pick Maason Smith has left much to be desired. The former LSU Tiger earned comparisons to Calais Campbell during the draft process but he's yet to record his first NFL stat.

Although Smith suited up for the season opener, he didn't log a single tackle or a pressure. Then, he was inactive against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2. Regarding the decision to make the rookie a healthy scratch, head coach Doug Pederson said that other players practiced much better ahead of the game and that Smith didn't necessarily do something wrong.

What Pederson failed to point out is that using the same logic, Smith didn't do enough or more than other players to play in Week 2. The fact that the Jaguars were already stacked in the trenches makes the pick currently look not-so-great.

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