Why the Jaguars will be an attractive destination for free agents and HC candidates

A history of dismal and underwhelming seasons has seemingly made the Jacksonville Jaguars a less-than-ideal landing spot for players and coaches. There's no denying Florida's biggest city lacks the allure of areas like Miami Beach, Phoenix, Los Angeles, or the Bayou in New Orleans. Similarly, there's no history of Super Bowl titles and/or brand recognition, like you’ve seen with the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, or Green Bay Packers.

You could argue that, among all NFL cities, Jacksonville has less appeal than most besides perhaps the warm weather. Jaguars fans have endured countless losing seasons while being one of just four NFL teams to have never reached the Super Bowl — Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Cleveland Browns are the others — When you add to that the disappointing campaign they're enduring despite so many high-profile draft picks in recent years, it's easy to assume that few would have the Jags at the top of their wish list of places to play.

But all the struggles this franchise has endured, though, in recent times, there's still some appeal for free-agent players and coaches.

The Jaguars' upside on offense

You can say what you want about the Jaguars franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his overall performance at the professional ranks. While it's no secret he's not lived up to the hype of being a generational talent out of Clemson; he still offers an attractive option to offensive free agents.

He at least had one impressive campaign under centre, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2022. Unfortunately, he hasn't been 100 percent all that often since then, which in turn has hindered his performance. That said, the Knoxville, Tennessee native has shown that he has the potential to play at an elite NFL level, which is more than we can say about many first-round draft picks the Jags have had since entering the league.

Aside from Lawrence, Tank Bigsby has been a massive presence out of the backfield in 2024 while fellow running back Travis Etienne has shown up in big games in seasons past.

If Etienne is healthy next season, he and Bigsby could have among the most dynamic duos out of the backfield next year, something this franchise has yet to experience since the days of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor.

In addition, an elite receiver has emerged in Brian Thomas Jr., who's on pace to reach the 1,000-yard mark in his rookie campaign. Meanwhile, there's a solid group of pass-catchers outside of him, including Evan Engram and Christian Kirk, though the latter may not return next season.

The Jaguars' defensive positives

There's been little to like about the Jaguars defense under Ryan Nielsen, but there are still some great pieces on that side of the ball. Jacksonville possesses two top-flight pass rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker.

Cornerback Tyson Campbell has yet to plummet like other Jags in the cover game, while Jarrian Jones has shown plenty of promise at nickel.

In the linebacking core, let's not forget that Foye Oluokun led the league in tackles not too long ago, while Devin Lloyd had a strong rookie campaign in 2022.

The coaching appeal the Jaguars possess ahead of the next hiring cycle

Doug Pederson is likely on his way out as head coach in Jacksonville. Given the talent on this roster, there's more appeal to taking over on the Jags’ sidelines next season than the club’s record currently indicates.

Before he took the North Carolina job, Bill Belichick was among the most experienced names linked to the Jags as Pederson’s potential heir, but the club has enough talent to sway whatever candidate it set its sights on.

It's an appealing destination for veteran coaches with championship experience and those up-and-coming ones like the Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The Jags roster has undoubtedly underperformed in 2024. However, many of those pieces have been produced before. A rebuild in Jacksonville may be shorter than many may think.

If Pederson is shown the door as many anticipate, he likely won't be the only coach axed. Ryan Nielsen's not lived up to the expectations everyone saw when he took over from Mike Caldwell, while Press Taylor's been mediocre at best when he does call plays.

Whoever takes charge will likely have his own staff to pick from, which is normal, but they'll probably have a new general manager, with Trent Baalke probably on his way out, too. In addition to that, for better or worse, owner Shad Khan tends to give his coaches plenty of wiggle room so whoever steps in on the sidelines won't need to fear a one-and-done situation.

The Jaguars' overall appeal

When you look up and down this roster, you will see that talent can still step up and make a difference. Meanwhile, there's a solid mix of youth and experience and guys who've stepped up in big situations. In addition to that, there’s the fact that it’s Florida, and for players and coaches, that’s bound to make you strongly consider the Jags, given they won’t need to pay taxes.

Whether it's a free agent or high-profile coaches and general managers, there are still plenty of reasons to want to join the Jacksonville Jaguars next season.

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