CHAD MUMA REVEALS HIS ROLE IN NEW JAGUARS' DEFENSE

Trevor Ruszkowski/USA Today Sports

What role will third-round pick Chad Muma play in Mike Caldwell's defense?

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

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"Why on earth would the Jaguars draft Chad Muma at 70 after trading up for Devin Lloyd and signing Foye Oluokun to a massive deal in free agency?!"

"How can they possibly get all three players on the field at the same time?"

On Thursday, Chad Muma answered the questions that Duval had been asking when he joined the Frangie Show on 1010XL. 

"I've been meeting with my position coach this week and getting that install in, so being the money backer, the mo backer, in the defense is kind of the position they see me fitting at," Muma shared on 1010XL. 

What is the money backer?

A role created by Bucs' head coach Todd Bowles that helped his Arizona defense adapt to the modern rules that favor offenses, the money backer is a linebacker/safety hybrid. It's a player who can play in the box but also take on coverage responsibilities down the field. They can play the run, blitz, and cover. Deone Buchannon was the first prominent money backer for Todd Bowles' defense, but the role has been a staple in Bowles' defenses for much of the last decade.

While the money backer is technically a sub-package position, Todd Bowles has heavily utilized it, and his money backers see the field as much or more than some base defense starters. Jaguars' new defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell had been one of Bowles' top assistants for many years and looks to be taking the same approach to defense as his mentor. 

Muma's play on the field at Wyoming, his Senior Bowl performance, and NFL Combine testing suggest he's ready to take on the task. 

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"The NFL has become such a passing game too, that I'm also able to do that," said Muma. "If they're running the ball, I'm gonna be goin and throwing my head in there and making plays, stopping that run, but when it translates to the pass as well, I'm gonna be dropping back and making those plays and getting some picks here and there and breaking on balls and doing all that as well."

But Muma doesn't see money backer as his long-term position.

"When I was at Wyoming, I was a two-time captain for our team," Muma explained. "As the MIKE linebacker for our defense at Wyoming, I was always making the checks, making the calls, closing the defensive front, making the blitz check, and doing all that on the field. So I'm real comfortable with communicating with the whole defense and understanding where everyone needs to be. So that's definitely something I see myself developing into, is that green dot player, where I'm able to make those calls. Even at the Senior Bowl, when I was there, I had the green dot inside my helmet, so I was making the calls at the Senior Bowl, so I'm already kind of exposed to that mic in your head. I'm looking forward to making sure I understand the defense so I can be that player for Jacksonville."

My Take: Chad Muma carried an early second-round grade for me, so landing him in the third round was an incredible value. I see Muma thriving as the money backer for the Jaguars. He'll align in the box and at the second and third level of the defense. He has a high football IQ, excellent athleticism, and plenty of strength. He'll get the job done as a run stuffer, blitzer, and coverage player for years to come in Jacksonville. The Jaguars took the perhaps the weakest area of the team and turned it into a strength with Oluokun, Lloyd, and Muma. 

Follow Jordan on Twitter. ​