Is Hiring Offensive Coach Only Way For Jaguars to Get Most Out of Trevor Lawrence?
When it comes to the Jacksonville Jaguars' future, there is no questioning the importance of franchise quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
In many ways, the Jaguars need to place an emphasis on Lawrence and his development with each move they make on and off the field. It has been past time for the Jaguars to prioritise Lawrence, who of course has to do his part and play up to his potential.
But for the Jaguars to help Lawrence get to his proverbial ceiling, do they need to hire a head coach whose main calling card is developing quarterbacks and play-calling?
"Obviously, I'm biased—I'm an offensive guy, I'm a quarterback, so I think from that standpoint, sounds great having a young offensive coach that can bring the system in and that we can just grow together and have that system in place for years to come. That sounds great. So, from that standpoint, that would be great," Lawrence said last week.
"But I think just as far as a leader, you want the right guy that’s going to be the right leader and voice for your team and set that culture and just to be a tough team, mentally, physically, that can withstand the ups and downs this season. I think that was something that the last couple of years or two years ago, we did a great job of, but for whatever reason, this year, we weren't able to do that. It's hard to put a finger on sometimes why you're not able to, but I think from a leader standpoint, whether it's an offensive coach or a defensive coach, just the guy that's going to instill that culture, that toughness into our team and just that confidence that it doesn't matter who we're playing, when we're playing, just spot the ball and we can beat anybody; and just a tough team that other teams don't want to play against. I think all that, we need to get back to that and whether it's offensive or defensive, that's, I think, the most important piece. But yeah, of course, obviously, I'm biased with the offensive thing, but whatever it is, just that mindset, I think is important.”
The Jaguars tried that with Doug Pederson, which seemed like the right idea at the time. Pederson did not turn out to be the hands-on quarterback developer or play-caller the Jaguars envisioned, though, and he was fired last week after just three seasons at the helm.
And while the Jaguars are still in the early stages of their search for Pederson's replacement, it certainly appears the Jaguars would favor hiring another offensive mind to finish the job that Pederson started.
But it is fair to wonder if the Jaguars actually have to hire an offensive coach to help Lawrence reach his ultimate potential. After all, several of the top offenses in the NFL have a coach whose hand isn't on the wheel in terms of play-calling and quarterback development. A few that come to mind are the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, and the Washington Commanders.
Yes, all of those teams hired smart, forward-thinking offensive coordinators who are now in high demand because of the work they have done with their quarterbacks. But when looking at which teams have the best offenses today -- and which teams are still standing in the playoffs -- there is no real correlation between a head coach calling plays and success of the entire team.
The Jaguars need the best coach they can find, period. If they hire him, the rest should take of itself.
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