How the Jaguars Can Use the 2022 Offseason to Help Trevor Lawrence
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to help their quarterback.
There is maybe no other quarterback in the NFL who has had to deal with what 2021 No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence has dealt with this year. From the off-field Urban Meyer drama to injuries across the board on an already struggling offense, Lawrence has been put in the worst situation possible as a rookie quarterback.
The Jaguars need to change that in 2022, no matter what it takes. Luckily for them, there are legitimate and in some cases even easy steps they can take to ensure they do just that.
So, how can the Jaguars help Lawrence during the 2022 offseason? Here are a few scenarios we believe make sense.
Let Walker Little get starting experience and commit to him as the left tackle
The first thing the Jaguars can do in the 2022 offseason to help Trevor Lawrence is by figuring out exactly what their plan is for the offensive line. Cam Robinson, Andrew Norwell, and A.J. Cann are all on expiring contracts, while right tackle Jawaan Taylor has had a rough go at it in 2021. The Jaguars could potentially have up to four new faces on the offensive line next season, which isn't ideal for a young quarterback.
The Jaguars can get ahead of that issue by utilizing Walker Little. The No. 45 overall pick has started just one game and appeared for half of another in his rookie season, with the Jaguars otherwise leaning on Robinson as their starting left tackle. Robinson has been solid, but Little is the future at left tackle and the Jaguars need to let him start getting reps now to ensure they can go into the new year with as few questions as possible. Let Little get reps now and commit to him as the tackle, making the plan crystal clear -- something the Jaguars failed to do last offseason.
Hire either Byron Leftwich or Doug Pederson as head coach
While there are cons to each candidate (I am personally wary of how Doug Pederson's time with the Eagles ended), it is clear that if a team wants to help its quarterback, these are the two coaches who should be at the top of the list, or at the very least near the very top.
Leftwich has not only done a terrific job of blending aspects of both Tom Brady's preferences and strengths and Bruce Arians' offensive scheme, but he has also shown with Jameis Winston in 2019 that he can help a quarterback find production. He runs a quarterback-friendly scheme that more often than not has the answers, and the way both Brady and Arians talk about Leftwich makes it clear just how important he is to their offense.
Pederson, meanwhile, had one of the best quarterback rooms in the NFL during his time with the Eagles. He did a terrific job of calling plays for Nick Foles in the Super Bowl and playoff run and also helped get Carson Wentz ready to play in the NFL quickly out of college. While Pederson's tenure with the Eagles ended ugly, it is fair to say he got the best out of their quarterback situation, something few other coaches on the market can say.
Hiring either Leftwich or Pederson would be a hire with Lawrence's best interests firmly in mind. While there are questions about how each would build a staff around them, it is clear who the quarterback gurus are in this year's cycle.
Hire Jim Caldwell as quarterbacks coach/assistant head coach
While the development of Lawrence will clearly be the most important aspect of the head coach's job and success, it also will be far from their only duty. They will have to manage and lead the entire team, not just Lawrence. As such, finding a quality quarterbacks coach who can devote their entire focus and energy to helping Lawrence take the next step in his development is paramount.
While there are a number of talented quarterback coaches out there, I am not sure there are many more qualified than Jim Caldwell. Caldwell should be given consideration as a head coach, too, but he would also an ideal top lieutenant on a staff led by one of Leftwich or Pederson. Caldwell has shown time and time again that he is an asset to quarterbacks around the league, and hiring a coach with his level of experience would take a great burden off the shoulders of the head coach.
Sign Michael Gallup in free agency
The Jaguars need to completely revamp their wide receiver room entering 2022. Marvin Jones Jr. is better off as a No. 3 as opposed to a true starting receiver at this point and there is no guarantee the next staff would want to keep his cheap contract on the books following Darrell Bevell's likely exit. DJ Chark is an impending free agent (more on that later) and Laviska Shenault has had such a letdown 2021 season that is hard to project him as a major piece of the offense moving forward.
Enter Michael Gallup, who thrives as a perimeter receiver in the Dallas Cowboys scheme and has shown time and time again he can win outside the numbers and as a jump-ball specialist. This is the kind of receiver who pairs best with Lawrence and his skill set, and Gallup has already shown he can be a playmaker even on a crowded offense. He isn't a No. 1 receiver and would likely have to be overpaid, but the chances of landing a Chris Godwin or Davante Adams is low.
Re-sign DJ Chark
We haven't really seen much of DJ Chark since his Pro Bowl season in 2019. Chark showed No. 1 receiver potential that year, catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns and establishing himself as one of the NFL's top deep threats moving forward. Injuries and bad quarterback play made his numbers regress in 2020, and then he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 4 this season. Now, Chark is set to become a free agent in March and will have his choice of whether he wants to remain in Jacksonville or not in the post-Urban Meyer era.
The Jaguars would be wise to try to bring Chark back on a team-friendly deal, however. Chark likely won't be able to cash in for a big payday like we thought he would two years ago, but the Jaguars shouldn't give up on the former second-round pick. He has shown game-changing ability in the past and the Jaguars simply aren't in the position to let players like that walk away. They should bring Chark back, but should make sure they don't have to put all of their eggs in his basket yet again.
Draft Evan Neal in Round 1
With Little at left tackle, the Jaguars could look to use their first-round selection to provide stability at right tackle and replace a struggling Taylor. While the Jaguars could be enticed to draft a pass-rusher with their first selection -- which as of today is No. 1 overall -- drafting Neal is the only possible pick to help Lawrence. Lawrence has made the Jaguars' offensive line look better than it is for much of 2021, but adding a dominant run blocker and gargantuan pass-protector in Neal would take even more off of Lawrence's plate.
There is certainly some questions in terms of value if one is to take a right tackle this highly, but Neal simply makes more sense on the right side for the Jaguars than the left. Little has only ever spent time at left tackle in games and in college, and his few snaps at right tackle during training camp don't inspire much confidence. Neal, meanwhile, has actual starting experience on the right side and knows exactly what it takes.
Draft Jahan Dotson in Round 2
Is there a wide receiver in this year's class that fits the Jaguars' needs better than Penn State's Jahan Dotson? Dotson has the speed to beat defenders downfield while also having the quick-area quickness or open field instincts to be a yards after the catch monster, something the Jaguars lack on their current roster outside of Shenault. He can help turn small passes into huge gains and could essentially be a plus-version of Jamal Agnew, who Lawrence had his most success throwing to in 2021.
Dotson has been productive at Penn State despite less than ideal quarterback play, too, which bodes well for his NFL future. Dotson has caught 183 passes for 2,757 yards and 25 touchdowns and 1,182 of those yards and 12 of those touchdowns have come in 2021. Dotson has put together his best year yet and has proven to be a threat deep down the field, on screens and other designed plays, and even in the red-zone.
