Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell Discusses NFL Draft and Futures of Yannick Ngaoue and Calais Campbell
Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell has an important offseason on the horizon -- likely the most important offseason of his eight-year tenure with the Jaguars.
Amongst the several pivotal decisions Caldwell will have to make in the coming months is how to navigate the Jaguars' newfound draft ammo, which comes in the shape of two first-round picks. Jacksonville owns the ninth overall pick after their 6-10 season in 2019 and also holds the 20th overall pick thanks to an October trade with the Los Angeles Rams, in which the Jaguars sent Jalen Ramsey to the Rams in exchange for a haul of draft selections.
This is the first time the Jaguars have had two first-round picks in one season since 1998, making this year's draft uncharted waters for not only Caldwell but for the franchise as a whole.
Caldwell discussed these picks with John Oehser of Jaguars.com in an article released Tuesday. Caldwell also described the depth and talent of this year's draft class, indicating he is more than happy with having two first-round picks in this specific draft.
"It's really exciting, looking at what we have, the pieces we can fill with our extra draft capital," Caldwell told Jaguars.com "I've never had this type of draft capital – not only here, but in my career. We're excited to use that and see what we can do with it."
"There are a lot of good players," Caldwell said. "Every time I start evaluating a player, I'm like, 'This guy can play, this guy can play, this guy can play.'''
Along with talking about potentially the biggest draft of his career, Caldwell also discussed two other topics that could shape his reputation, and the Jaguars' future, moving forward. Defensive linemen Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue could each have potentially murky futures with the team, and Caldwell will need to navigate each situation with foresight and delicateness.
Campbell will be 34 during the 2020 season and is entering the final year of his contract. If the cap-strapped Jaguars opt to cut Campbell this offseason, they would save $15 million.
But is that even on the table considering Campbell's leadership role and production? According to what Caldwell told Jaguars.com, the team's defensive staff is already having discussions about how to use the veteran moving forward.
"We still feel like he has football left ahead of him," Caldwell said.
Unlike Campbell, Ngakoue is not under contract with the Jaguars in 2020. Ngakoue's rookie deal expires on March 18 and he will be eligible to hit the open market as a free agent for the first time in his career.
Ngakoue has been vocal, to say the least, about his desire for a big-money contract. Whether that deal comes from the Jaguars or not is maybe the largest question looming over Jacksonville's offseason, but Caldwell has indicated in the past he wants to keep Ngakoue in Jacksonville.
Caldwell doubled down when speaking to Jaguars.com Tuesday, saying he "would love to have him back" and that the next step is to speak with Ngakoue and his agent, a process owner Shad Khan will be a part of, according to Caldwell.
"It's a deal that we feel like could take a little bit of time but should be done hopefully relatively easily," Caldwell told Jaguars.com.
Whether the deal happens or not is anyone's guess, but Caldwell has said nothing publicly to indicate he will not do his best to make it happen.
