NFL insider wonders if Jaguars should feel buyer's remorse with Trevor Lawrence

Finding a franchise quarterback is tough, which is why the Jacksonville Jaguars were surely thrilled to stumble upon Trevor Lawrence in the 2021 NFL Draft. Dubbed a generational talent, the Knoxville, Tennessee native was arguably the best quarterback prospect to come out of college since Andrew Luck in 2012.

After three years, the Jags saw enough to give Lawrence a top-market contract in the offseason. However, he's been underwhelming to start 2024, which is why Dan Graziano of ESPN believes they should be feeling buyer's remorse.

Graziano shared what he's hearing around the league ahead of Week 4 and believes Lawrence's five-year deal worth $275 million with $142 currently doesn't look great, arguing that Jacksonville might come to regret it based on how things have played the past two years.

" Lawrence was guaranteed $142 million at signing, and that guarantee is split up as follows -- a $37.5 million signing bonus, a fully guaranteed salary of $1.5 million in 2024, $37 million of guaranteed money in 2025, $37 million of guaranteed money in 2026 and $29 million of guaranteed money in 2027. Yes, he has guaranteed money in the fourth year of the deal.

Lawrence is still 11 days shy of his 25th birthday, which is one of the reasons the Jaguars felt good about giving him the deal. They think he has plenty of time to improve and flourish. But it's certainly fair to wonder, based on the way the past two seasons have gone, if this is a deal they could end up regretting when they're still paying him big guaranteed money at age 28."

It's important to point out that the Jaguars just didn't wake up one day and decided to throw bags of cash at Lawrence. He's certainly played at an elite level at times, making throws that other quarterbacks can only do in their sleep. That said, it's easy to understand where Graziano is coming from.

Lawrence has yet to live up to draft and contract expectations. He's not getting paid to be a game-manager. He's one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL and isn't currently playing like one. In three games this season, he's completed 52.8 percent of his passes for 560 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His current stats are worse than the ones he posted in his rookie season.

Heck, the former Clemson Tiger tossed three touchdowns in his NFL debut. He's yet to have that many three games into 2024. Moreover, his decision-making hasn't been great, consistently pulling the trigger faster than he should or leaving the pocket even though he doesn't have to.

The Jaguars must help Trevor Lawrence to get the most out of their investment

As Michael DiRocco of ESPN outlined, inconsistency is the main reason Trevor Lawrence isn't among the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now, citing an NFL executive who believes he's got top-10 potential if he puts it together. He has a point.

Lawrence played a huge role in helping the Jaguars make the playoffs and win the AFC South in 2022. He was also a big reason they got off to an 8-3 start last year and routinely gave them a chance to win. Once injuries hampered his performance, Jacksonville came crashing down, winning only one of their last six games to finish 9-8.

This season, though, it's not injuries but coaching that's holding Lawrence back. There's no identity or rhythm in the playcalling. Add the fact that the Jaguars' offensive line is among the worst in the league in terms of pass protection and it's easy to see why No. 16 is struggling so much.

Does he deserve flak for the Jags' 3-0 start? You bet but he's done enough in the past to make you think that there are factors outside of his control that are affecting his play and the rest of the team. This is to say that the organization must make changes if they want their franchise quarterback to succeed and get a return on the investment they made in the offseason.

Ultimately, the Jacksonville Jaguars may not be able to turn things around in 2024, but that shouldn't stop them from making moves to ensure Trevor Lawrence has success in the long term. If that means cutting ties with the coaching staff and starting over next year, so be it.

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