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If you’re measuring the stability of an NFL franchise, how do you do it? How long has the head coach been there? What’s his track record with coordinators? Is the team bouncing back and forth between competing offensive philosophies?
In his latest for The Ringer, Danny Kelly ranked all 32 franchises in terms of stability and has the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 10 in the league.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars return their head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators, and most of their devastatingly stout defense—and the foundational run game under Leonard Fournette should remain a constant. But the Blake Bortles decision (do they keep him as starter? Will they be forced to pay his fifth-year option if he can’t pass a physical in March?) looms large. With receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson set to hit free agency as well, Jacksonville’s got some work to do on an offense that held the team back at times in 2017.
There is finally some stability in Duval and a big reason why is because there was immediate success from a clear vision. New head coach Doug Marrone is the adult in the room that this franchise has needed since giving nearly four seasons away to Man Child Gus Bradley and Tom Coughlin introduced things that had been missing in this locker room — things like accountability, discipline, and the desire to actually win games over incremental improvements.
But Blake Bortles — the most important player on this team — is a big ol’ question mark and that’s probably why the Jaguars aren’t higher. If this team had a three-year contract on a guy like Kirk Cousins or, hell, Case Keenum (Case Keenum!) you’d see them a few spots higher. As it is, I agree with The Ringer.
What do you think? Should they be higher on this list or is No. 10 a good spot to be in?