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The Jacksonville Jaguars might be a playoff team with Derek Carr, but can not afford him.
Nobody in the NFL has better defensive staff than the Jacksonville Jaguars, and they are paying handsomely for it.
From 2007-13, the Jaguars drafted 50 players and found a single Bowler Pro – Reggie Nelson – and zero All-Pro talent. In the years since, Jacksonville finally found some stars in the process, landing Telvin Smith in 2014 and Jalen Ramsey, Myles Jack and Yannick Ngakoue in 2016.
Still, the holes were gaping and eventually plugged by Jacksonville's annual free-agency blitzes. In the two offseasons prior to 2018, the Jaguars signed A.J. Bouye corner, Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson safeties, and Calais Campbell defensive ends and Malik Jackson. During the '17 season, Jacksonville trades for Marcell Dareus in an attempt to fix his woeful run defense, taking on one of the league's worst contracts in the process.
All told, those free-agent signings totaled $ 270.6 million, leaving little margin for error.
On the surface, the moves paid off. The Jaguars fielded a fearsome defense at all levels and ranked second in both yards and points allowed, finishing behind the Minnesota Vikings. Like Minnesota, the Jaguars, a rising championship weekend before finally bowing out.
Now, years of bad drafting and the disastrous decision to extend Blake Bortles are rearing their ugly heads in a significant manner.
On Sunday, the Jaguars were forced to bench Bortles in the second half of a 20-7 home loss to the Houston Texans. The fifth-year starter threw for 61 yards on 12 attempts while losing a pair of fumbles, looking utterly loss in Jacksonville's third straight loss.
Despite allowing 90 points over its last three games, the Jaguars' defense still ranks second in yardage and ninth in surrendered points. In other words, having a league-average quarterback would be the difference between playing and playing in the AFC South.
Enter Derek Carr. Carr, 27, is reportedly on the block with the Oakland Raiders in Jon Gruden's sight. In his fifth year, Carr has been terrible, throwing 1,783 yards on seven touchdowns and eight interceptions on a 1-5 club on the road to oblivion. The game is not all-worthy, but it's a team with the Jacksonville's defensive caliber, which would allow him to get back on track.
Unfortunately, the Jaguars can not afford to acquire Carr because of old sins. Jacksonville could do the Fresno State with $ 12.5 million in salary. However, moving forward, the Jaguars are projected to be $ 29.59 million over the 2019 cape number with Carr in the fold, and that's with it rising to $ 190 million.
Tom Hybrid and Robert Hyde, Abry Jones, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Lerentee McCray, Paul Niles, Dareus and Jackson to break even and create room for the incoming draft class.
Is it possible? Surely. Is it likely? No. The Jaguars would be dedicating $ 43.5 million to Carr and Bortles in 2019 while weakening the defensive front significantly. All of this for a quarterback that while an upgrade from Bortles, is struggling in his own right.
The best course of action for this season is to stand pat. Bortles and Cody Kessler is the combination of hell, but Jacksonville would be good, but it would be better to have a playoff berth, and then head into the offseason with options.
Jacksonville is going to be stuck with Bortles in 2019, but it can not be said that Teddy Bridgewater (who should have been to Jaguar this year) or make a play in the draft. The incoming quarterback is universally thought of as weak, but the group of Mitchell Trubisky, Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes was also viewed as soft. In short, nobody really knows yet.
In Duval County, the Jaguars are a source of angst. It's infuriating to waste time and talent, something of a Bortles specialty.
Ultimately, Jacksonville will be in this position with bad management for years, followed by huge paydays for veterans on the open market.
The Jaguars now in their own right to acquire another one.
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