If the Jacksonville Jaguars want to move on from Doug Pederson, they'll have no shortage of options in the next hiring cycle. While their top priority should be finding a head coach who can get the most out of Trevor Lawrence, there will also be a handful of intriguing options whose expertise is on the defensive side of the ball. But despite the surplus of alternatives, Elle Duncan of ESPN believes the Jags' best option resides in the collegiate ranks.
Duncan partook in a roundtable on ESPN and suggested the Jaguars go after Deion Sanders, pointing out that he could turn them into a successful NFL team.
"Would I enjoy Deion Sanders in Dallas? Of course, because I'm always content farming," Duncan said when asked if the Dallas Cowboys were a fit for Sanders. "Because I do multiple television shows, because I need headlines. Why on god's earth would Deion Sanders want to go to the Cowboys? They are not built to win that roster is not good. And if you do bring in your son, you've got the albatross of that Prescott contract hanging around your neck as you're trying to figure out how to trade him."
Duncan continued, "You've got Micah Parsons you still have to deal with. You've already paid these dudes like this is not at all, I think a great fit for Deion, but I tell you what is, and it's not Florida State, because I don't think he's going to want to just... it's not a lateral move. Obviously, Florida State is a proud program that really needs a resurgence. But if he's going to go to the NFL, how about Jacksonville, guys? How about Jacksonville? They're very much in the running to have one of the top picks."
Ok, so Duncan made it clear Dallas wouldn't be a good fit for Sanders. What does she think makes the Jaguars the ideal landing spot for the Colorado head coach if he were to make the leap to the pros?
"No, Stephen A. Hear me out. They're very much in the running to have one of the top picks. Trevor Lawrence, it appears at least in Jacksonville, his days are numbered. Shad Khan is one of the most so is one of the most loyal and patient owners that exist in the NFL. Deion, of course, is a Florida boy, and you get to go to a place that really has no tradition of winning, save for a little pocket of time in the 90s when they were somewhat decent and relative," Duncan said.
"You get to go, and resurrect a franchise that really never was and make your own imprint there. Why not go there? At the very least, the team that's actually picking No. 1 as it stands right now and has a huge quarterback problem, and that would be the Giants. Either one of those makes more sense than the Cowboys, they just signed Dak. It's not happening, it's absurd."
The Jaguars are 2-8 this season and have won just three of their last 16 games dating back to last year. That's led to chatter about Pederson being on the hot seat. Josina Anderson reported that owner Shad Khan plans to make a decision about the head coach's future until the offseason barring a meltdown against the Detriot Lions in Week 11.
.@elleduncanESPN believes the Jaguars would be a better fit for Deion Sanders if he were to coach in the NFL 👀 pic.twitter.com/xd2OkQkOlV
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 15, 2024
Why Deion Sanders would be a bad replacement if the Jaguars fire Doug Pederson
In case it wasn't obvious, Elle Duncan's argument for the Jaguars hiring Deion Sanders isn't particularly strong. It's true that Shad Khan is one of the most patient owners in the league, but so is Jerry Jones, who gave Mike McCarthy and Jason Garrett more time with the headset that they deserved.
Duncan also states that the Cowboys aren't a good landing spot for Sanders because they just signed Dak Prescott. But her argument falls apart when she says that they're trying to trade him, so which one is it? They just sign him and will scare away any potential candidates, or are they going to trade him? At this stage, trading Prescott isn't feasible. She then goes on to say that Trevor Lawrence's days are numbered as if it were a fact. It isn't.
The Jags just gave Trevon Lawrence a top-market contract in the offseason, and are trying to build the team around him. As a matter of fact, there's a strong chance he'll be the team's priority when they search for Doug Pederson's replacement.
Last but not least, Duncan is making it seem like Deion Sanders is the holy grail of the head coaches. So far, he's not gotten serious consideration ahead of the next hiring cycle. Things could change in the upcoming months but there will be other candidates who will have bigger demand.
To his credit, Sanders has made Colorado relevant but that doesn't mean he'll have success in the NFL. He's routinely getting into beefs with the media or players for no apparent reason other than to reaffirm his place in the hierarchy. That kind of style won't be sustainable in the pros.
It's also worth noting that the Jaguars know firsthand that success at the college level doesn't carry over into the pros. Urban Meyer turned Ohio State and Florida into powerhouses but flopped during his lone season in Jacksonville.
The bottom line is that Elle Duncan got what she wanted: Headlines, but the truth is that her case for Sanders going to the Jaguars isn't compelling enough.