Jaguars sticking with Trent Baalke as GM highlights organizational dysfunction
The Jacksonville Jaguars finally had something good happen this year when they hired Doug Pederson as head coach. He was a Super Bowl winner with the Philadelphia Eagles and heads to Jacksonville without any drama attached to his name, unlike a certain Urban Meyer.
Pederson was able to fight through one major problem surrounding the franchise, namely, general manager Trent Baalke. Candidates were rumored to be concerned about taking the job in Jacksonville because of Baalke. Top choice Byron Leftwich reportedly took his name out of the running because of the GM.
#Bucs OC Byron Leftwich “expected" to remove himself from the #Jaguars head coaching search, according @NFLSTROUD
He said he can't work with Jags GM Trent Baalke. He wants to bring in with Adrian Wilson to be the team GM.
Anyone refusing a job because of the general manager in place is a bad sign. But ownership did not cave in and Baalke is now set to work alongside Pederson in an attempt to return the Jaguars to relevance.
Owner Shad Khan has even doubled down recently, saying the goal is to build up their front office staff around Baalke. That is great news for the GM, but a concerning sign for fans. Then again, Khan is known to make drastic changes if things go south. Remember, Meyer did not even last a full season.
A unique front office structure for the Jaguars
Pederson seems confident enough in his ability to work under Baalke and reckons they should not have too many issues. Yet there is one more thing to keep in mind with the rumored plans in Jacksonville. The team reportedly tried to add former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman to serve in a role above the GM.
This appears to be positive news on the surface. Khan can hire a respected NFL executive to help run his team alongside his controversial and polarizing KGVVBGM. But let's analyze that statement again. What is the point of having a GM in place who others don't want to work with?
Khan is doing everything he can to make the Jaguars a winner again. He tried to stay patient with former GM David Caldwell and executive Tom Coughlin. But the team reached steep lows after an AFC Championship Game appearance as a reset was sought out.
From @gmfb: The #Jaguars continue to work toward adding former #Vikings GM Rick Spielman to their front office. Sources tell us at @nflnetwork progress has been made, though nothing is done yet. Doug Pederson remains in the mix for the HC job. https://t.co/g43SCSLzTZ
This is yet another sign of extreme organizational dysfunction in Jacksonville. Getting rid of Meyer and keeping Baalke is not a true reset. All it does is set up a scenario where Baalke enters the season already in the hot seat. That is, unless he successfully casts all the blame on Meyer for this past season.
The Jaguars went to the AFC Championship Game during the 2017 season. They have won a combined 15 games since then. Before that, their last winning season was in 2007.
Khan seems to want to do the best for his team. Unfortunately, keeping a GM in place who may be driving away top head coaching talent is another cause of concern for fans in Jacksonville.
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