Losing ten straight games in the NFL is no easy feat. That's precisely what the Jaguars — with a roster built by general manager Dave Caldwell — have done over the last eleven weeks. Now, after a 1-10 start to the season, the Jaguars have fired Dave Caldwell. Jaguars' owner Shad Khan released this statement: "I've met with Dave Caldwell to express my appreciation for his service to the Jacksonville Jaguars as our general manager. Dave was exceptionally committed and determined to bring a winner to Jacksonville, but unfortunately his efforts were not rewarded with the results our fans deserve and our organization expects. Our football operation needs new leadership, and we will have it with a new general manager in 2021." Caldwell struggled to find consistency from a roster construction standpoint. His Jaguars peaked during the 2017 season when they were a missed call away from making the first Super Bowl in franchise history. Of course, much of the Jaguars' success in 2017 is attributed to Tom Coughlin, who was in his first of three seasons as the Jaguars' Executive Vice President. We may never know exactly who made which decisions while Coughlin and Caldwell worked together from 2017-2019, but Caldwell's overall resume speaks for itself, and not in a positive fashion. Caldwell had been the Jaguars' GM since 2013. The team made the playoffs just once during his tenure and managed an overall record of just 37-86 during the regular season. Caldwell's greatest failure came in his inability to find a franchise quarterback. He drafted Blake Bortles with the third overall pick in 2014, and while Bortles had some moments, he never lived up to his draft stock and proved unworthy of a starting job in the NFL. Caldwell has had his fair share of hits and misses in the draft and free agency, but the most significant issue outside of not finding a quarterback was his inability to retain draft picks. Allen Robinson, Jalen Ramsey, and Yannick Ngakoue headline the list of stars that have departed before their second contract.
Jaguars director of player personnel Trent Baalke will serve as interim general manager. Khan informed Doug Marrone that he and his coaching staff are secure through the end of the 2020 season. I wouldn't expect them to hand around much longer than that. Whoever Khan brings in to be the next general manager of the Jaguars will inherit a wealth of draft capital, salary cap space, and young talent, making Jacksonville an attractive job. Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis. |
