How Dave Caldwell's NFL Experience Translates to Gators' Retention Efforts for Jadan Baugh

As the Florida Gators transition into an NFL-style front office under new general manager Dave Caldwell, the current battle to retain Jadan Baugh has put the staff in an uncomfortable situation early on at the University.

Baugh, undoubtedly one of the best running backs in the country, has been a priority for Florida as they work to retain a portion of the Gators 2025 roster for the future. As new head coach Jon Sumrall, Caldwell and others settle into Gainesville, the 1,000-yard rusher has seen a consistent effort from the staff while big time programs look to draw him away from Florida.

"He's extremely high priority," he said during a Zoom call on Wednesday ahead of the CFP game against Ole Miss. "He's a proven player, frontline player in the SEC. I have a lot of respect for what he's done. We'd love to have the opportunity to retain him. It's one of the top priorities right now... would love for him to stay."

Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh represents arguably the program's most important player to retain. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

While Baugh is one of the most valuable players on Florida's roster, his price tag has reflected that, with aggressive programs such as Texas, Georgia and Ohio State rumored to have large offers ready for the young running back.

Caldwell and Florida are reported to be aggressive in their attempt to retain him as well, seemingly heading for a large bidding war on a position that the NFL market has somewhat considered less important in recent years. Baugh is reportedly slated to meet with Sumrall early next week.

Caldwell, who has spent most of his career in the NFL, is hoping to translate his experience in the professional setting into his new gig in the college ranks.

“How you procure players, I think roster management, I think contract, asset allocations on how you build a team and what the important positions are,” Caldwell said on what he learned in his time working in the NFL. “Howie (Roseman) has been a great mentor over the last five years. Learning how they do things in Philadelphia and their process there has been eye-opening."

The market for running backs in the NFL has been a topic of discussion in recent years, with front offices seemingly valuing the position less and viewing high quality options more easily replaceable. Despite the shift, Caldwell is no stranger to how valuable an elite rusher can be, helping sign former Giants star Saquon Barkley away from his Eagles’ rival and witnessing the back aid Philadelphia to a Super Bowl title.

Though the Gators general manager understands how important a talent like Baugh is, Florida’s willingness to pay more than they would likely want to for a back could possibly depend on just how quickly Caldwell believes the new regime can compete.

“When we always looked at it, we said [tailback] would be our final piece we would add to build the team,” Caldwell said during his time in Jacksonville. “When you felt you were a playoff-caliber team, maybe invest in a running back.”

Heading into year one under Sumrall, Florida currently has a long way to go in building a roster ready to compete. As it stands, the Gators have seen 16 players announce their intentions on transferring away from the program, including starting quarterback DJ Lagway. However, Florida’s new coach has experience turning programs around overnight, and while the portal often takes, it also gives.

“We will use the transfer portal," Sumrall said on Dec. 1. "If you've studied my rosters the last couple years, I haven't had the resources to keep very many of my good players. They all end up getting poached. So I've had to embrace the transfer portal probably more than most, maybe even more than I'd like to at times, by necessity.”

Florida Gators general manager Dave Caldwell (left) recently worked under Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howard Roseman (right). | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As Florida continues in the negotiations with Baugh, his value on helping Sumrall win now will likely be an important driver in Caldwell’s motivation to allocate resources more aggressively than he may have initially wanted to at the running back position. While discussions intensify, the decision will have to be made whether it is worth leaving less money for other premium positions to retain the elite talent.

“You get a certain allotment of rev share that you have to stay under based off your budget. Then you have your additional funds, and your NIL and your third-party deals," Caldwell said on Florida’s resource structure. "So I think that all kind of comes together and we’re trying to figure out what is our actual pool, all-inclusive for all that money for our players."

Another aspect to the roster retention efforts is the fact that Sumrall is not on campus full-time. While he has made trips to Gainesville, Caldwell has been leading the retention efforts alongside coordinators Buster Faulkner (offense) and Brad White (defense).

“The partnership is great," Caldwell said. "I think the fact that (Sumrall) could focus on that, we can do all the initial process so that we can filter it up to him. So when it comes time for us to focus on the main recruits or the main portal guys, it's so seamless for him where he's like, 'I want that guy.  I want that guy. I want that guy. What do you think about this guy?'  And we could just compare and contrast that we get the best players in."

Florida seems determined to retain Baugh despite seemingly being pushed past their comfort zone financially for a position seen more as a luxury than a necessity in such an NFL structure. Regardless, the negotiations will continue to be fluid as the front office is tested on just how comfortable they are in being uncomfortable early on in Gainesville.

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