3 reasons why Doug Pederson can help the Jaguars franchise turn their fortunes around
The Jacksonville Jaguars recently hired Doug Pederson and will be hoping he can turn the franchise's fortunes around. To be honest, anything he does should be an improvement from the last couple of seasons the Jaguars have had. They picked up Trevor Lawrence in last year's draft after finishing bottom of the pile the previous season.
Yet instead of improving this campaign, they were abysmal as they finished with a 3-14 record, with a myriad of problems on and off the field as they crashed and burned under the since departed Urban Meyer.
Dough Pederson is a Super Bowl winning coach and as such should bring more to the table than Urban Meyer did. In addition to his own pedigree, Doug Pederson will get to work in unique circumstances, which should motivate him to get the franchise back on track.
Reasons Doug Pederson could be an inspired hire for the Jaguars
#1 - Trevor Lawrence
The first thing working in Doug Pederson's favor is that they have already locked up generaltional Trevor Lawrence. He is widely recognized as the best quarterback to come out of college since Andrew Luck. He is ready to take the offense to new heights.
Doug Pederson has already worked his magic once with Carson Wentz. when he coached the quarterback and the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win in 2018. One imagines that Pederson will relish the opportunity to work with a talented quarterback like Lawrence.
Congratulations to Doug Pederson on getting the Jaguars job. Trevor Lawrence is very fortunate. Doug will help him reach his enormous potential.
#2 - 2022 No. 1 draft pick
The only good that came with the the Jaguars flaming out the way they did last season is that they will now have the no. 1 overall draft pick for consecutive years. With the quarterback spot filled for the foreseeable future, they will not have to worry about that position, especially during a year in which collegiate quarterback candidates have not made a compelling case for automatic selection.
Instead, they could use their pick on someone like Alabama tackle Evan Neal, so that Trevor Lawrence is better protected. They could even trade away their first pick to get multiple picks in return to build an entire roster capable of competing at the highest level.
Doug Petersen now the Jaguars HC. Could see the following offseason happening
~> FA WR (signing or trade)
~> Evan Neal RT @ 1
~> trade back for less than normal; draft Charlie Cross or Kenyon Green for RT
~> 2 TE sets may play a role with Doug; Isaiah Likely (TE) R2
~> WR R3
#3 - Salary cap space
A team entirely dependent on rookies might not win the Super Bowl, but a healthy mix of top draft picks and veteran signings can work wonders. The Jaguars are expected to have over $57 million in cap space to bring in veteran free agents to add new key pieces to the team.
Doug Pederson could even invest in bringing in a backup quarterback like he did with Nick Foles in Philadelphia. Or he could splash out on prospective free agents like free agent receiver Allen Robinson to build a potent offense. With sufficient cap space, the possibilities are endless.