Team Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars

 

After a disappointing season in 2023 which consisted of a massive downfall, the Jaguars look to prove why last year was just a fluke. The Jags look to bounce back with their superstar quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, at the helm. 

Jacksonville was sitting comfortably in the AFC South last season until they dropped five of their last six games, losing the division by one game to the Houston Texans. Duval County has made a lot of notable transactions, including numerous extensions so they don't have a repeat season of 2023. 

The Jags extended two of their cornerstone pieces this offseason after giving both Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence five-year deals to stay with the team until the near end of the decade. Along with extending Allen, Jacksonville also extended their other starting linebacker, Foye Oluokun, for three more years. Many consider this duo to be one of the top linebacker combinations throughout the NFL. Oluokun has earned a lot of praise for his play throughout the years. 

Moving on from extensions, the Jaguars had a very busy offseason to say the least. The Jags moved on from big pieces such as Calvin Ridley, Foley Fatukasi, and Darious Williams. Jacksonville did sign some notable replacements for these big names such as Gabe Davis, Darnell Savage, Arik Armstead, and more. 

Doug Pederson and the rest of management believed it was a good idea to shake up the dynamic of the team after the collapse they witnessed in 2023. With the rest of the AFC South notably improving around them, the Jags wanted to do the same. 

The Jaguars hope to see more of that dynamic offense featuring Trevor Lawrence and star running back Travis Etienne this upcoming season. Doug Pederson has supplied Lawrence with ample weapons this season including a stacked receiver core, and one of my favorite tight ends in the league in Evan Engram. 

Aside from free agency, the team also announced that they will be building a brand new stadium in Jacksonville coming in the near future. With there being rumors whether the Jags will relocate overseas because of owner Shad Khan, this almost solidifies that Jacksonville will be staying put on U.S. soil. 

It will be a tough climb for the Jaguars to make it back up to the top in the AFC South with the Texans looming, but I do believe this team will be better than last year's debacle. Jacksonville definitely has the talent to at worst sneak into the AFC Playoffs as a wild card team.