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Lost in the shuffle of the news of who was returning and the Leonard Fournette fiasco is that the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to now be in the hunt for an offensive coordinator. I don’t know any names or targets off the top of my head at this current moment, but the first thing I thought of on Sunday was... are they realistically going to get anyone good considering the circumstances.
Based on this snippet from Jaguars owner Shad Khan’s statement released yesterday, it sounds like the 2019 season is a do or die season.
I am far from content with the status quo and while it’s best to put 2018 behind us, I will not overlook how poorly we accounted for ourselves following a 3-1 start. There were far too many long Sundays over the last three quarters of the season, with today’s loss in Houston being the final example, and that cannot repeat itself in 2019.
To me, personally, that sounds like another losing season in 2019 won’t be acceptable. All three of Marrone, Caldwell and Coughlin are under contract through the 2021 season, but if the edict is to win next year... how do you make an offensive coordinator hire for that with all the uncertainty.
First of all, the position could potentially be a one-and-done proposition. That’s not an attractive option, especially considering the work that needs to be done on the offensive side of the football. Not only could it be a one-and-done, but you have uncertainty at the quarterback position. The Jaguars may have a plan to sell whoever they hire for the position, but they won’t be able to actually execute that plan until well after they make a hire. Will it be a top tier veteran like Nick Foles? Joe Flacco? Tyrod Taylor? Will it be a first round pick? A mid-round pick?
You don’t know what your offensive line is going to look like, seeing as 3/5’s of it ended the season on injured reserve and the other two positions will have to be filled. What’s going to happen at the running back position? Will you have Leonard Fournette? Carlos Hyde? A draft pick? A new free agent?
What about tight ends and receivers?
It’s a leap of faith right now to take the Jaguars offensive coordinator job because there isn’t much certainty. Usually that’s not going to net you a good crop of willing candidates and/or will force you to take huge risks. Most likely you’ll end up with a recently fired head coach looking to get their name back into the ring for head coaching positions.