Diagnosing the Jaguars' Confusing Handling of Brenton Strange
A couple of weeks ago, it looked like the Jacksonville Jaguars had found one of their top young playmakers of the future in tight end Brenton Strange.
During the Jaguars' Week 15 loss to the New York Jets, Strange was targeted 12 times and hauled in 11 receptions for 73 yards.
With Evan Engram sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a labrum injury, it made complete sense to get Strange more involved in the offense.
After all, Strange was a second-round pick last year, and the aging Engram represents a potential trade candidate with just one year remaining on his deal.
However, since Strange's breakout performance against the Jets, he has scarcely been use.
The following week, me managed just two catches on four targets in a loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Then, during Sunday's win over the Tennessee Titans, Strange didn't register a single grab. He was targeted just once.
What gives?
It's not like the Jaguars currently have a ton of weapons at their disposal, as all three of Engram, Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis are out for the season.
That leaves rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and not a whole lot else in the aerial attack.
So why isn't Strange getting looks?
It could perhaps be a result of the coaching staff sitting in lame duck position. Doug Pederson will almost certainly be gone after the season, so he may not have much motivation to get his young players involved for the future.
Heck, the same could be said about general manager Trent Baalke, who may already have one foot out the door.
As for quarterback Mac Jones? He is just aiming to earn a pay day during the offseason, so he almost surely isn't looking to develop a synergy with Strange or any players in particular.
Otherwise, it seems hard to fathom why Jacksonville wouldn't be targeting Strange—who clearly has talent—a heck of a lot more as the regular season winds down.
Maybe Strange will forge a much bigger role with the Jaguars in 2025 with a new coaching staff in place and a healthy Trevor Lawrence under center.
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