3 Observations on Jaguars' Finalized 2024 Staff
The Jacksonville Jaguars finalized their 2024 coaching staff on Thursday, announcing a face-lifted defensive staff and a number of new assistants on the offense.
But what do we make of the staff and how the Jaguars' offseason is shaping up so far? We break it down below.
A combination of Ryan Nielsen and Kris Richard has the potential to be a game-changer
Make no mistake about it: Ryan Nielsen is the biggest addition the Jaguars have made this offseason, but the second-biggest might be Kris Richard. Richard's background as a defensive backs coach is as impressive as maybe any other coach's in the NFL. The politics of the NFL have led to him working on three different teams in the last decade, but that says nothing about the quality of coach that he is. The results speak for themselves, and he is one of few secondary coaches who has coached elite secondaries at multiple spots.
Considering the rave success the New Orleans Saints found in 2022 with Nielsen and Richard working together, the Jaguars have every right to be excited about their prospects on defense entering 2024. Nielsen knows how to put together an effective attacking scheme and is a master-level front-seven coach, while Richard will be able to marry his ideas and tie them to the secondary.
The hire that is a potentially underrated one
The hire that pops off the page as a potentially underrated one? Inside linebackers coach Matt House. House, who already has a relationship with Josh Allen dating back to their days together at Kentucky, hasn't earned a lot of fan fare after his stint as LSU's defensive coordinator, but that doesn't matter when it comes to his role with the Jaguars.
House will be taking over a unit that has three young linebackers with Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma, and Ventrell Miller. It isn't the first time he has had a young room, either, with House serving as Kansas City's linebackers coach during the early days of the Nick Bolton and Willie Gay era. House is respected as a linebackers coach and has the background of a coach who can help get the best out of the Jaguars' unproven trio.
Jaguars missed the chance to add to the offensive staff
The Jaguars seem to have their staff in place for 2024 considering the team announced they "have finalized new additions to the coaching staff for the 2024 season." And when it comes to this group, the one notable position that hasn't been filled is passing game coordinator, which became vacant when former assistant Nick Holz left to become the Tennesee Titans' offensive coordinator.
In general, the Jaguars don't really have many new voices on offense in general. There is a new running backs coach in Jerry Mack, but the only other two coaches filling new roles are quality control coach Jamel Mutunga and assistant offensive line coach Greg Austin, who was already on the staff as a quality control coach.
There aren't really many new ideas being brought in to the offense, which is perplexing to say the least after how the 2023 season went on offense. And it isn't as if there wasn't interest.
Per sources familiar with the situation, at least two former NFL offensive coordinators expressed interest in joining the Jaguars' staff, but nothing came together. It seems as if the Jaguars, or at least head coach Doug Pederson and specifically offensive coordinator Press Taylor, do not believe they need the help. If they wanted to add coaches to the brain trust, they would have. They had the chance to do so.
Taylor has received flak after his first year as play-caller and league sources were surprised when the Jaguars didn't make more changes to the offensive staff. And now, it seems like the offensive success will once again come down to Pederson and Taylor alone.
Maybe the Jaguars shift focus and add a coach at some point later this offseason, but it seems unlikely. This seems like a missed opportunity to improve.
