4 Revealing Things Said During Trent Baalke's Introductory Press Conference
Photo credit: Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially entered the age of a new football regime.
For the first time since 2013, the Jaguars have had a major overhaul of their football operations by hiring both a head coach and a general manager in the same offseason. Three-time collegiate national champion Urban Meyer will lead the team on the field as its head coach, while former San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke has had the interim tag removed and will officially replace Dave Caldwell.
Meyer and Baalke, along with Jaguars owner Shad Khan, addressed the media on Thursday to introduce Baalke in his new role. During the 22-minute media conference, the trio outlined their vision for how the Jaguars should and will be built.
But on top of that, the leadership group also mentioned a few things that were quite revealing. The four most interesting ones standout for very specific reasons, and we now examine them with the framing of the team's future in mind.
1) Tom Gamble is a new member of the organization
Among the most revealing comments the Jaguars made on Thursday was when Trent Baalke confirmed rumors surrounding former Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers front office executive Tom Gamble. Gamble was rumored to have joined Baalke's Jacksonville staff, and Baalke said on Thursday that Gamble has already gotten to work for the Jaguars.
"Absolutely. Tom is already down here, on staff and working. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, we’ve got free agency, we’ve got a draft, we’ve got a situation in the NFL that’s going to be historic, with the cap going down for the first time," Baalke said. "There’s a lot of things we need to work through and I’m confident in the group we have, and we’re going to push forward with that group. "
Interestingly enough, Gamble turned down a second interview for Jacksonville's general manager job in 2013 before the Jaguars hired Dave Caldwell.
Gamble has a long history with Baalke, working with the 49ers for a number of years and serving under Baalke twice; once as director of player personnel and once as assistant general manager. Him coming over with Baalke isn't overly surprising, but the fact that he is involved with the franchise so early into Baalke's and Meyer's tenures is noteworthy. He doesn't have an official title yet, however.
“Right now, he’s just within the department. The title thing, I’ve never been a big title guy, we’ll figure all of that out," Baalke said. "I think the key is the value he brings to this organization, the value he brings to myself in knowing Tom and working alongside him for as long as I have. I trust him, I respect him and I’m just looking forward to working with him again.”
2) Urban Meyer and Trent Baalke didn't have much of a previous relationship
A common thought among many when Baalke was hired was that it was potentially because he had a previous relationship with Meyer. And the two did have a minor one, technically, due to the 49ers scouting Meyer's quarterback Alex Smith. The 49ers eventually drafted Smith No. 1 overall, but it isn't like Baalke was hired because of some sort of longstanding relationship with Meyer. Instead, it is clear that Baalke's name was brought up to Meyer with a high recommendation.
"Yeah, I’ve talked to some people that have worked with Trent before and I met him first many, many years ago when Alex [Smith] was drafted to the 49ers. But really, my experience with Trent has been of recent," Meyer said Thursday.
"Our conversations, obviously, we’ve gotten to know each other, about our families and other important things. But we’re right to work. We’ve got a job to do for a great owner and it’s a big job. It’s a job that’s going to take a lot of manpower. And so, our working relationship, I can’t imagine it being better than what we’ve gone through over the last [week or so]. Because we’re knee-deep in hiring a coaching staff and Trent has been—I mean, we’re right there, going at it. So it’s been fantastic so far. And I know, obviously, you take over 1-15, the work ahead of us is a tall task, but it’s certainly one you can’t do by yourself. So, it’s been great.”
As Meyer said earlier in the conference, he knew Baalke but he didn't really know him. So, this isn't some situation where the Jaguars are hiring someone simply because he is close to Baalke, nor is there any real history of a working relationship between Meyer and Baalke.
This isn't a negative, of course, but is instead a clarification. It also gives us an idea that their partnership is a fresh one, so expect for them to continue to grow in their dynamic as time continues.
3) The Jaguars have talked about the No. 1 overall pick
No, the Jaguars, Meyer and Baalke are not going out there and parading through the streets with Trevor Lawrence jerseys. Not yet, at least. But that doesn't mean they haven't talked about this year's No. 1 overall pick, which is the most important draft selection in franchise history.
The Jaguars have made it clear that they will pick a quarterback already. Khan said following Doug Marrone's firing that a franchise quarterback has been what has evaded the Jaguars to this point in their history. Meyer said picking their next quarterback will be one of the most important decisions of his life.
But have the Jaguars actually talked about the pick yet? That has been the question on the minds of many. Meyer made it clear on Thursday that the pick and the discussions around it aren't quite a major focus as of today, but he did reveal the Jaguars have at least talked about it to this point.
“No, we’ve talked. That’s a three-month, two-month—I think we all know there’s a couple incredible players out there, but my focus has been on the staff," Meyer said. "But to say we haven’t talked about it, of course we have, and that’s going to be a deep, deep dive.”
4) Jacksonville will be a value-based team in terms of drafting
Every front office has different philosophies. The Jacksonville Jaguars under Dave Caldwell marched to the beat of their own drum when it came to a few high picks, namely Blake Bortles. The Gene Smith regime placed an emphasis on need. The Tom Coughlin regime drafted for the future.
So, what will the Baalke regime draft like? In short, Baalke revealed his strategy, at least as it pertains to the draft, revolves around getting good value and adding the most talent to the team possible. You hear a lot of general managers say this, but it isn't like every single front office has the same idea of how to build a team and how to determine who the best players available are.
"We’re always going to look at the value of a player and value matters. It matters in their value as to where you draft them, how much you pay them, how much you pay them in free agency, need," Baalke said. "We’re a value-based team, not a needs-based. You always have needs regardless of when you set the 53, so the best player available is usually the direction you want to go, but yet you have to keep in mind the needs of the organization as well and the team.”
In short, don't expect the Jaguars to pick a second-round cornerback over a first-round receiver just because the need for a corner happens to be greater. Instead of needs, it is clear that positional value and what Meyer places an emphasis on will be what Baalke looks at the most.
“Well first of all, I think the draft is a collaborative effort between everybody in the organization: coaches, personnel staff, ownership. Everybody has to be aligned, so that’s number one," Baalke said. "Then once you have the shared vision and you know exactly what you’re looking for positionally, whether it be offense, defense, special teams, then it’s the philosophy of the head coach and the coaching staff on how you’re going to build that out. Then you go into a room and you grind through the tape and you set the board, whether it’s free agency or the draft."
