4 Offseason Takeaways From The Jacksonville Jaguars

Before the Coronavirus interupted the Jaguars’ offseason schedule in Mid-March, the players and coaches were enjoying their free time away from football. Now, weeks later, the National Football league is preparing for the 2020 season with the coronavirus in mind. Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone, along with his staff, is also focusing on the upcoming year in a different way. Marrone met with members of the media this week to disucss a number of topics ranging from free agency to the upcoming NFL Draft. Here are four takeaways from that conversation.

Jaguars 2020 Vision 

Marrone said he wants his unit to be a “big, strong, tough and smart football team”. He added that he wants players who enjoy playing and share the love of the game without any drama. 

“We want people to be on the same page, as far as everything we’re doing is all about just trying to win. All the individual things will come if we win football games,” Marrone said. “That’s the one thing that I’ve always tried to preach from the beginning, from when I first started coaching, whether it be as a position coach or as a coordinator or as the head coach, those are the things that I’m looking for.” 

Specifically, on the field, Marrone said he wants to bring in players that can stop the run. 

“Usually bigger people can tackle better, they’re a little big bigger, and as long as they’re athletic enough, and they can run their feet and run their hands and get people down on the ground, so that’s a priority for us and what we’re trying to accomplish there,” Marrone noted. “I think offensively we’re expecting our offensive line to take a big jump from what they did last year, but again, how many weapons, how many playmakers do we have surrounding the quarterback position? Do we have enough of those guys that can make plays? That’s really the key when you look at it, explosive plays are coming from playmakers.”

Draft Preparation

Front offices around the NFL are preparing for the upcoming draft differently this season as a result of social distancing. FaceTime phone calls and Zoom sessions are some ways the teams can evaluate a prospect on a more personal level.

“I think that helps quite a bit,” Marrone explained. “You can look at someone or tell them to put a board behind them. And you can work some things with them.”

Marrone added that this process reminds of him of the days he was a college coach. The Jaguars head coach kicked off his college coaching career in 1992 at Cortland (N.Y.) State as the school’s tight ends coach before serving as the offensive line coach at U.S. Coast Guard Academy (1993) and Northeastern University in 1994. Marrone served as the head coach for Syracuse, his alma mater, from 2009-12. 

Marrone appreciates that many college players are posting workouts of themselves on social media. He also revealed that NFL teams are logging calls to players and there is more sharing of information around the league when it comes to injuries. 

“It reminds me a lot of college when everyone had a call log and everyone had to write down the time, write down the time that ended,” Marrone said. “Our coaches are doing a really good job of that. I think it’s something that we are going to get quite a bit from.”

Jaguars On Social Distancing

The uncertainty surrounding upcoming workouts and the season is something Marrone keeps an eye on. Meanwhile, he understands the challenges for players that go along with the act of social distancing. 

“I think with the players, it is very difficult. We are in a dead period. We have gotten a bunch of stuff out more from the standpoint of precautionary, making sure you are listening,” Marrone explained. “Making sure everyone is on board with how serious this is and how we have to all pull together and do our part to defeat this virus and stop it from spreading.” 

While the team has provided tips for the players and stayed in communication with them, the coaches are also adjusting to the change.

“As far as us as coaches, we are trying to stay with the schedule knowing that things are obviously not open for us right now and it is something that is changing throughout time,” Marrone said. “We’re getting everything prepared from a standpoint of our installations. We are getting ready to tape a lot of meetings and things of that nature, so if we are allowed to send things out to the players, they can be able to look at it at their own pace and work on their profession in a safe environment.”

The Future Of Defensive End Yannick Ngakoue

The Jaguars placed the franchise tag on defensive end Yannick Ngakoue in mid-March. Last year, Ngakoue played the final year of his four-year rookie contract worth $3,480,000 with Jacksonville according to Spotrac.com. The one-year franchise tag is worth $17,788,000, also per Spotrac.com. The move allows the Jaguars to continue negotiating with him. Also, he can negotiate and sign with another team. However, the Jaguars would have the right to match the offer or they would receive two first-round draft picks from the team that signed Ngakoue. The 25-year-old has made it known on social media that he does not want to play for Jacksonville. 

Marrone, who played two years in the league, appreciates what Ngakoue has done for his team.

“I’m just hoping that somewhere down the line or somehow all this stuff can be resolved in a way, but again I understand both sides to it. It’s a part that I’ve always struggled with, the business end of it,” Marrone admitted. “It’s just tough. It really is, especially with a player that has done everything we’ve asked. I’m hoping that somewhere down the line we can get this situation resolved.”

Meanwhile, Marrone will continue to work diligently to tweak his roster for the 2020 season.