The Jaguars are in a slightly unique situation. They have a very good running back, exceptional actually, in Maurice Jones-Drew. They have a team that always plays well against their division opponents, including the Colts. And they also have a Coach who will be in a real ‘must-win’ situation in every game next season.
Jack Del Rio has done a pretty good job in Jacksonville, but for the past three seasons they just haven’t seemed to get the right pieces to the puzzle of winning the AFC South, a puzzle they nearly solved this year before melting down during the final three games of the season.
They do need to address the quarterback position. Trent Edwards is not the answer to any team’s problems yet. He showed promise in his first season in the league up in Buffalo, but has failed to show any considerable level of improvement since. David Garrard, the current starter, has shown weaknesses down the stretch. The best decision may in fact be to stick with Garrard under center next season, but that doesn’t mean the Jaguars don’t need to look very carefully at that position and explore their options.
With the kind of talent they have to play against, both Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub twice each season, Jacksonville had better be very confident in their defensive schemes, especially their secondary going into next season. But the Colts have shown that they may want to start running the ball more, and the Texans already have a successful rushing attack, so they can’t focus only on the pass defense. The good news is that their run defense wasn’t that bad this season, so they shouldn’t be too concerned about that. They can focus their time on the secondary for the time being.
The Jaguars have some other key players on both sides of the ball that they need to retain for next year’s campaign. However, free agency will be important for the Jaguars and Del Rio. I’ve always been a believe in using free agency to get players who will help you win now, something a coach in Del Rio’s position needs. Though Jacksonville should not ignore the draft and can certainly get some quality players in that manner, the free agent market will be filled with players that can help them immediately.
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