Jaguars Mailbag: What Does a Successful Season Look Like?

In this week's mailbag, we take questions on the Jaguars' expectations, who the No. 1 wideout is and more.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk (13) signals a first down during the third quarter an NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans 34-14. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Unio / USA

Throughout the offseason, we will be taking questions on the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars.

You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguars On SI Twitter handle or by submitting them here.

This week we take questions on the expectations for 2024, who the No. 1 receiver is, and more.

Q: If the Jaguars were to add 1 free agent for both sides of the ball. Who do you think they would be/target?

A: I am not sure they actually add anyone, but I would go with Pat Elflein as an interior offensive lineman and Tyus Bowser as a rotational EDGE/Strong side linebacker. Neither would be a lock to make the roster, and I think that is because the Jaguars feel content with the roster they have now. I am of the firm belief that people outside the building see the need for a pass-rusher much differently than the Jaguars do.

Q: Who is the Jags number one receiver?

A: Christian Kirk. He has seen 7.52 targets per game in his Jaguars career, with Evan Engram right behind him at 7.09. Engram has seen more targets since 2022, but that is solely because of the time Christian Kirk missed last year due to injuries. Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. will get their chances, but Kirk is Lawrence's favorite target and there is no reason that should change.

Q: What would a successful season look like if we were able to eliminate record and playoffs from the total?

A: I think there are three different things you want to see. One of them is obviously development from Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence is clearly a good quarterback, but he needs to tone down on turnovers and needs to prove he can be more consistent within each game, especially in close contests. Then, I think you want to see a natural improvement from the defense under Ryan Nielsen. If they can turn into a top-12 unit, that should do the trick. Finally, the offensive line. If it finishes in the bottom-5 again, heads should likely roll.

Q: When are throwbacks coming out

A: One day!

Q: Who has damaged Trevor’s public perception more? Urban Meyer or the CBS Sports Instagram account?

A: Yes.

Q: If Travon had another 10 sack season, what kind of contract do you think he’d get this offseason?

A: I am not sure he would get one. The only first round pick the Jaguars have extended after three years during this regime -- and most of the past others -- was Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence is obviously seen differently in terms of negotiations because he is a quarterback. With two more cost-controlled years for Walker, there is no real reason to rush into a deal. Let's circle back on this one in a year from now.

Q: Why are some guys (Tevaughn Campbell, Tim Jones, etc) able to carve out careers out of purely being viewed as STers while other guys can be viewed as guys who “don’t” and don’t last despite maybe being better positionally? Is it a players preference to not? What metrics make that decision? I hope that makes sense

A: The simple truth is you can only have so many wide receivers and cornerbacks play at once. If you are not one of the top three players on the depth chart at either position, you simply won't play much without injuries in front of you. For that reason, teams would prefer to have good special teams players who maybe won't play a large role on offense or defense when it comes to the later spots on the depth chart. If you can play receiver but offer no special teams value, what value do you bring to the 53-man roster as a backup? Not much.

Q: Press Taylor has said the offensive playbook will be taken down to the studs and reworked. What does that mean exactly? The vibe I get is the offense was too complicated and it seemed on just about every play someone did something wrong. Whether it was a wrong route, someone not running in the right gap or blocking etc. Do you believe it will be more basic and that is the main reason the offense wasn't able to convert Short yardage etc?

A: I do think the Jaguars were probably trying to do too much at times last year, but I also think it is a fair critique to say the Jaguars didn't adapt enough during the 2023 offseason. Instead of finding ways to innovate and improve, the Jaguars simply thought the same 2022 offense would do the trick. They clearly gambled wrong.

In terms of when they said the offense will be taken down to the studs, I think they mean more so in the running game. The Jaguars never had an identity in their running game in 2023. They tried to be a finesse team, they tried to be a power team, they tried zone runs, they tried gap runs, they did it all. The Jaguars were actually one of the most versatile running games in the NFL last year in terms of concepts. I think they are going to greatly diminish that this year and try to hone in on the things they actually do best.

Q: Following last season's unofficial NFL record for hamstring injuries, what are the strength & conditioning and training staffs of the Jaguars doing to better educate themselves and Jacksonville players on hamstring injury prevention? Any summer professional development seminars? That particular injury, imo, was a major factor in the defensive collapse last season, so yes, it's important to know what the Jaguars are doing different this year in an effort to minimize hamstring injuries across the board for the team.

A: I'll be honest: I got absolutely nothing on this. Circle back to training camp and we will try to get the coaches to answer.

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