How Does the Jaguars' Hiring of Jay Gruden Impact Gardner Minshew and Nick Foles?
MOBILE, Ala. — There is a new play-caller in town for the Jacksonville Jaguars. And unlike in past years, this one has zero ties to any of the quarterbacks on the roster.
Replacing former offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, who was presumably hired largely due to his past with veteran quarterback Nick Foles, will be ex-Washington head coach Jay Gruden. Gruden was with Washington from 2014 until Week 6 of 2019, and before then was Cincinnatti's play-caller. He has never once coached Foles or Gardner Minshew II so, unlike DeFilippo, he is entering his position with an open mind when it comes to the quarterback.
The question of Foles vs. Minshew is going to be one that rages on all offseason long. The two each saw time as Jacksonville's starter in 2019 -- with Foles being the unquestioned starter in training camp and then starting Week 1 before a clavicle injury forced him out until Week 11. Minshew started the next eight games, going 4-4 in the process and dazzling with his raw play-making ability.
Foles would get his job back when he returned from injury, but his tenure as the team's primary signal-caller was a short one. After three starts, Foles was benched at halftime of a home game vs. Tampa Bay in Week 13 due to three first-half turnovers. From that point on, the Jaguars rolled with Minshew, who led the Jaguars to a 2-2 record to end the season.
Foles threw only three touchdowns in 2019 and the Jaguars were 0-4 in the games he started, while Minshew threw 21 and oversaw a 6-6 record. On the surface, it was clear who was a better option at quarterback for head coach Doug Marrone's squad in 2019.
But what about now that Gruden is in the fold?
“At the time, we have three quarterbacks. And situations, they’re up, they’re down, they can change," Marrone told reporters Wednesday after the Gruden hire was announced.
Marrone, of course, is referring to Foles, Minshew, and backup quarterback Josh Dobbs, who Jacksonville traded a fifth-round pick to accquire from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jacksonville's head coach remained non-committal on who his starting quarterback will be next season, much like he was when the season ended.
But eventually, Marrone won't be able to toe the line. He will have to make a choice, and it will have to come sooner than later. So, what does the Gruden hire indicate about which way Marrone may lean?
Stylistically, Gruden's West Coast, play-action heavy scheme is a perfect fit for Minshew. Foles played in similar schemes under Andy Reid and Doug Pederson, but Foles' lack of mobility also took away some concepts the two would typically have at their offensive disposal. Foles and Minshew both look like Gruden quarterbacks skill set wise, but Minshew simply adds another element and thrives when using the running game to set up the pass.
DeFilippo ignored play-action to a dramatic level despite Minshew and Jacksonville's offense thriving while utilizing it, so the hope for the Jaguars is Gruden will reverse that trend regardless of who the quarterback is.
Aside from schematical fit, the question of whether to go with the young and developing passer, or the veteran who is likely not going to change much, is maybe the most pressing question for Gruden and his new quarterbacks. Luckily for Marrone and Jacksonville, Gruden has an extensive history with both young and veteran quarterbacks, dating back to his history with a rookie Andy Dalton, a young Kirk Cousins, and elders in Alex Smith and Case Keenum.
"There is diversity, there is different kinds of quarterbacks that he has worked with, whether it be younger guys that are developing, a guy that might have been in the league a couple years developing and a veteran guy," Marrone said. "You look for that."
On the face of the matter, it appears Marrone wanted a coordinator who could excel with either Minshew or Foles. Gruden's job will be the get production out of the position in Jacksonville for the first time in a long, long time -- regardless of who his quarterback is. While Minshew is a perfect fit for Gruden, the new play-caller will have to succeed where DeFilippo failed and be able to make it work with whatever signal-caller is in the game.
But it is impossible to say Minshew doesn't at least appear to be the favorite to start in 2020 entering the offseason. This isn't a result of Gruden's hire, as Minshew has always had a strong case, but Gruden's impact on Minshew's game could certainly help solidify the reality of Minshew winning the job over Foles.
"It is a position that you would like to get locked in and be with one guy for a long period of time, kind of like my experience was in New Orleans with that quarterback [Drew Brees] or many of these quarterbacks that have played for a long time at a very high level," Marrone said.
"I think that I want to make sure that we have someone that understands where everyone is within their process or learning process to their development that can have plans for maybe that third guy that is on your roster that you’re trying to bring up or the type of backup. Is it a veteran backup, is it a younger guy who is a backup? Is the younger guy playing? Is the veteran guy playing? How you keep those players developing is the key to every organization. Jay has really good insight to that.”
