3 Observations on Jaguars Adding Mike Caldwell As Defensive Coordinator
We have now seen exactly how Doug Pederson's first staff with the Jacksonville Jaguars is taking shape.
Pederson made it clear how confident he was in building a staff around him in Jacksonville that can develop and relate with the roster, pushing them closer and closer to being a winning team.
With the Jaguars' staff around Pederson now completely in place, how does each hire mean for the team moving forward? In an effort to put each new addition in context, we are going to go through some of the most important and high-profile hires to give an idea of what to expect from Pederson's staff.
After weighing in on quarterbacks coach Mike McCoy, we take a look at the pick for Pederson's defensive coordinator: Mike Caldwell.
What does Caldwell bring to the table and what could it mean for the defense moving forward? We break it down below.
Mike Caldwell will bring the Todd Bowles system, which will allow the Jaguars to keep their current defensive structure in place
If there is one reason besides his history with Doug Pederson that Mike Caldwell has been hired, it is likely this: his addition means the Jaguars won't have to completely overhaul their defensive structure. I believe that what both Caldwell and Pederson said on Friday about the defense's current lack of set scheme is true, but I also believe what each said suggested they want the defense to look at least similar to last year's version of a flawed but more aggressive Jaguars' defense.
"Really that question in Jacksonville, what the Jaguar players do well, we'll let them do that. It's really not going to be we're going to be this type of defense," Caldwell said. "That one, I'm going to look at the personnel, understand what they do well, let them go out there and do it well, and that's where success comes from."
Caldwell is correct in his sentiment the Jaguars should fit their scheme around the defense's personnel, but that personnel has also been built in the last 13 months as a 3-4, blitz-heavy defense. Many of the additions the Jaguars made last year are likely to still be in place for contractual reasons, while young players like Tyson Campbell, DaVon Hamilton and Andre Cisco have also already shown their worth.
In short, I think it is clear the Jaguars' defense is going to be different moving forward because it will be Caldwell's identity shaping it, but I do not think it is going to be a complete change in ideals. I still expect something similar to a 3-4 base front, a lot of blitzing from all levels of the field and a healthy mix of coverages called.
Why Caldwell is good news for Myles Jack
The defenders on Jacksonville's roster will be entering their third defensive scheme in three years during the 2022 season, including star linebacker and former second-round pick Myles Jack. Jack had arguably the best year of his career in 2020 before last year's losing streak and change in scheme led to a down year in terms of playmaking. The Jaguars' best linebacker just never seemed to fit exactly right in the middle of Joe Cullen's defense.
The hope for the Jaguars now is that a defensive coordinator with an extensive linebacker background like Caldwell's can change that. This is a fairly simple but true thought, but Jaguars defense is at its best when its best players are playing well. The Jaguars need to get Jack back to playing at the Pro Bowl-caliber level he was at in 2020 and Caldwell has shown in the past that he can get that kind of play out of his linebackers.
"With Myles he was just, Coach, I'm ready to go, whatever he wants to do. He's that type of -- talking to him, he's that type of guy that whatever the team asks him to do, he's a team-oriented guy," Caldwell said on Friday. "Whatever we want him to do, he's going to go out there and do it to the best of his ability. But as coaches, it's our job to let him go do what he does well, and that's what we plan on doing."
Caldwell's influence is evident with the rest of the defensive staff hires
While it is clear that this is Doug Pederson's team in every way, it isn't hard to see where he leaned on his defensive coordinator in terms of filling out his staff. Pederson hired several defensive coaches he has worked with before such as Bill Shuey and Rory Segret, but other coaches such as defensive line coach Brentson Buckner and safeties coach Cody Grimm have clear ties to Caldwell.
"When we ended up going to Arizona, Brentson came and he was our defensive line coach. From there, first time coaching, he's played in the league, I knew him as a player, first time coaching, he came in and did an outstanding job there," Caldwell said. "We've always stayed in touch and have become friends and would lean on each other for that. I understand what he does for a defensive line room. I understand how the techniques I want, he teaches them. It's a match that will gel together real nice."
"Cody is a coach that when you're in that quality control role, if guys from other positions go to you to get an answer, and when I was a linebacker coach down there, I saw that. When guys do that, that's someone that they know has knowledge, understands the game and can relay the message, and that's what Cody does," Caldwell said. "He played in the league. He understands that if we draw it up on the board and we call it this, that play -- you look in that player's eyes and it doesn't click, then we have to get it to them another way, and he's able to do that."
In short, Caldwell had a few coaches has been impressed by and has grown close to during his decade-plus coaching in the NFL. He wanted to bring those coaches with him to Jacksonville, and Pederson did the right thing as a head coach and listened to his coordinator, hiring qualified coaches who he knows will coach the techniques he wants in place.
"We talked about it, but at the end, it's Doug's decision. We talked about it, I sold the guys that I wanted, and he had guys that he wanted, and I think the staff is exceptional," Caldwell said.
