Jaguars targeted veteran players in free agency to help them in one key area

The Jacksonville Jaguars got off to a slow start in 2023 but faded down the stretch and failed to qualify for the playoffs. While there were several reasons for their late-season collapse, one that isn't discussed nearly enough was their dearth of veteran leadership. The Jags seem to be aware of the issue and they expect their free-agency acquisitions will help them remedy the issue.

Michael DiRocco of EPSN took a look at under-the-radar storylines surrounding Jacksonville ahead of training camp. One of them was the team's decision to get veteran players with playoff experience in free agency, noting that they didn't know how to handle expectations.

"It's a different mindset completely to be the team that's being chased, rather than the underdog. There's more pressure, less room for mistakes and decisions -- especially those that don't work well -- seem to get magnified exponentially. Very few players on the Jaguars roster had been in that situation before, and it showed with a 1-5 finish that left them out of the playoff picture.

So the Jaguars front office acquired players with playoff experience in free agency. The team's six major free agent signees all came from perennial playoff teams and have appeared in conference title games or a Super Bowl."

DiRocco then cites head coach Doug Pederson's comments about how the veteran signings will help them establish a new culture now that they're going back to being the hunter again.

The hunter remarks come from general manager Trent Baalke, who said that the Jags went from being hunters to being hunted after winning the AFC South title and reaching the divisional round of the playoffs in 2022.

Going back to Jacksonville's free-agent acquisitions, they brought in defensive tackle Arik Armstead, defensive back Darnell Savage, center Mitch Morse, cornerback Ronald Darby, wide receiver Gabe Davis, and return specialist Devin Duvernay. Besides filling key roster needs, all of them have either played in a conference game or reached the Super Bowl.

Trevor Lawrence and Josh Hines-Allen will have bigger leadership roles for the Jaguars

Injuries exposed the Jaguars' lack of depth in 2023 but you could argue that they could've stayed afloat and even made the playoffs if there had been good leadership in place. Based on Doug Pederson's remarks and a handful of events, it doesn't look like they did.

Safety Andre Cisco admitted that they didn't know how to handle their success. Pederson and his staff most definitely deserve to shoulder some of the blame, as they should keep the team focused. On the other hand, players need to rise to the occasion when things get tough. in the Jaguars' case, they couldn't handle adversity.

After an 8-3 start, things went sideways when Trevor Lawrence's injuries started to pile up. It's possible that he was thrust into action because he gave them the best chance to win. It's fair to assume that they would've let him rest if they had had more talent and better leadership in place.

On defense, things got so bad that position groups were no longer talking to each other and alignments were no longer being discussed. Looking back, the Jhaveags had enough talent on that side of the ball to pick up the slack at the end of the year. Instead, they became part of the issue. That might not have happened if they had had a veteran core.

On the bright side, Trevor Lawrence is embracing a bigger leadership role. Similarly, Josh Hines-Allen told teammate Arik Armstead that he'll be more of a veteran presence moving forward.

When you factor in the arrival of grizzled veterans such as Armstead, Mitch Morse, and Ronald Darby, players who've seen it all in the NFL, leadership should no longer be an issue in Jacksonville.

Having checked off a box, the Jacksonville Jaguars just now have to worry about staying healthy in 2024 and their young players making an impact. If they do, they can get back to being the hunted.

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