Jaguars Mailbag: Breaking Down What Doug Pederson Brings to the Table
Each week during this year's season, Jaguar Report will take Jacksonville Jaguars-related questions from our readers across social media and answer them in a question-and-answer format, giving readers a chance to have their voices heard.
You can submit your questions every week by tweeting them to the Jaguar Report Twitter handle or by submitting them here.
In this week's mailbag, we take a look at the Doug Pederson hire, who could join him on his staff and much more.
Q: You were a big Leftwich advocate. What are your thoughts on hiring Doug Pederson over him? Do you like the Pederson hire?
A: I was a huge Byron Leftwich advocate and I think Leftwich is going to be a terrific head coach whenever he gets the chance. That chance doesn't appear it will be with the Jaguars for whatever reasons, however, so it is time to move on and look at the direction the Jaguars did go in. And that direction is Pederson, who the Jaguars seemingly circled back to after a month of searching and looking at first-year options like Leftwich, Nathaniel Hackett and Matt Eberflus.
Overall, I am a big fan of the Pederson hire for a lot of the same reasons I was a fan of Leftwich. Like Leftwich, Pederson has an extensive knowledge of the quarterback position thanks to his NFL experience. Pederson knows what it looks like as a starter, as a No. 2 and as a fringe player on the roster. Put his quarterback coaching resume on top of all of this and Pederson is one of the most qualified quarterback developers in the NFL, let alone in this cycle.
I think Leftwich would have been a fantastic story and would have done a lot to mend feelings in the Jaguars' fan base, but Pederson is also more experienced and seems to be the same kind of respected leader many hoped to get in Leftwich. Pederson has won me over and I think he will do the same throughout Jacksonville over the next few years.
Q: What would the defensive front look like if Mike Caldwell takes over as DC? Jags back to a 4-3? 3-4? Multiple sets?
A: I would direct you to this excellent article on Tampa Bay's defensive scheme from Charles McDonald and Steven Ruiz. Mike Caldwell has essentially been Todd Bowles' No. 2 for the last decade, so I expect his scheme and philosophy to more or less match what we have seen from Bowles in Tampa Bay. There would be a mix of 3-4 and 4-3 looks but the defense would be more 3-4 than anything else, while it would also place a premium on blitzing and aggressiveness.
In short, I think we would see multiple sets but I think we ultimately see a scheme that would be similar to last year's, at least from the perspective of the front seven. There is a reason Caldwell was interviewed by the Baltimore Ravens, too.
Q: Who could potentially be Pederson's coordinators? Could any former players make his staff?
A: Press Taylor has been the name that has become the hardest to ignore. I think it is a near-certainty Taylor joins Pederson's staff in some capacity, but he seems like the likely offensive coordinator. The Jaguars will reportedly also attempt to speak to Houston Texans passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton, while former Chiefs offensive coordinator and Bears head coach Matt Nagy could also make sense after Pederson wanted to hire him as his first coordinator with the Eagles.
As for defensive coordinator, Mike Caldwell remains the most obvious name. He has never been a coordinator before but he has ties to Pederson after they coached together with the Eagles from 2010-2012. Caldwell is on the same Andy Reid tree that Pederson is a part of and is greatly respected around the league. Other names I think make sense are New York Jets game management coach Matt Burke, who served under Pederson as an assistant in 2019-2020 and San Francisco 49ers secondary coach Cory Undlin, who was Pederson's defensive back coach from 2015-2019.
Q: Based on what we know about Doug’s offense, what priorities do you expect them to target in free agency and then the draft?
A: I think continuing to make the tight end position a priority is going to be a focus. Dan Arnold gives Doug Pederson an athletic mismatch at tight end, but the Jaguars still need to find some tight ends who can double as blockers and receiving threats, something neither Luke Farrell or Chris Manhertz has proven.
I think the offensive line is an obvious area of focus as well. The Jaguars need to rebuild both the starting offensive line and the overall depth of the unit, with three starters and two key backups all set to hit free agency. Pederson likes athletic linemen who can block a multitude of schemes and be impactful blockers on screens, so this is an area the Jaguars will need to hit.
Q: I’m not really familiar with Press Taylor. Can you give us a little background on the guy?
A: He is Zac Taylor's younger brother and spent the first two years of his career as Tulsa's quarterbacks coach before Chip Kelly hired him as a quality control coach with the Eagles in 2013. Taylor spent the next eight seasons with the Eagles, becoming assistant quarterbacks coach in Doug Pederson's first year before being promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2018 and then having passing game coordinator added to his roles in 2020. Taylor is seen by many as a bright and forward-thinking offensive mind, though the 34-year-old was a factor in Pederson's departure from the Eagles considering reports that the Eagles' ownership wasn't happy with his offensive staff choices, including Taylor.
This article from NJ.com's Mike Kaye is a good look at the good and the bad that people with the Eagles saw in Taylor. In short, he was seen as too soft and even coddling when it came to coaching Carson Wentz, but he was still respected for what he brought to the table from a schematic standpoint.
Q: Who are the biggest Free Agents you think would follow Dougie P?
A: Zach Ertz is the biggest name by far. He had a solid season with the Cardinals after being traded and he saw his best stretch of production in Pederson's offense. Pederson knew exactly how to use Ertz and is unlikely there is any player in free agency who would have a better relationship with Pederson and a better knowledge of his offense than Pederson.
There is also Derek Barnett, the former first-round defensive end who appears unlikely to be retained by the Eagles. The Jaguars need to add to their pass-rush, and Pederson saw first hand in the Super Bowl what Barnett can do to an offense when he is on top of his game.
Q: What physical traits are necessary to play in Doug’s offense? Outside of Davante Adams, what free agents would make sense?
A: I think one thing Pederson does well is fit his offense to the players he has on hand. I don't think he will try to force square pegs into round holes, mostly. With that said, I do think his West Coast-style offense wants a few specific things from its offensive pieces.
I think Pederson wants tight ends who can be blockers and also safety blankets in the passing game, attacking the middle of the field and in the red-zone. I think he prefers agile offensive lineman who can get on the move as opposed to a large, hulking offensive line. As for receiver, I think Pederson's offense would place an emphasis on route-runners and separators against going for size. At running back, look for pass-catching flexibility but also the power to get downhill consistently.
I think the following free agents make sense: Chris Godwin, Jamison Crowder, Marques Valdes-Scantling, Zach Ertz, Eric Fisher, C.J. Uzomah, and Rashard Higgins.
Q: If Spielman is EVP, what’s his history spending to the cap in FA? We know Baalke loves “value,” curious if Speilman (or insert EVP here) brings a different approach.
A: I think we have seen Rick Spielman pay up on a few occasions, mainly with Kirk Cousins and defensive tackles in recent seasons, but he does seem to be a general manager who is more leaning toward building his team through the draft and retaining homegrown players. I do not think he would be Trent Baalke in terms of unwillingness to spend big, but I do not think he is going to come to Jacksonville and just start writing checks.
Q: Almost Draft and FA time. Having Neal (R), Ekwonu (R), Cross (R), Penning (R), Armstead, O. Brown and Fisher as OT. Thibodeaux (R), Hutchinson (R), Ebiketie (R), C. Thomas (R), Chandler Jones, Von Miller and Reddick as DE; and Garret Wilson (R), D. London (R), J. Williams (R), J. Dotson (R), Davante Adams, Godwin, A-Rob as WR. Which is the best combination possible with Jax 1st and 2nd picks and one FA? Thanks and greetings from Mexico.
A: Hmm. This is an interesting exercise. Here is how I would do it, just based on how I see the board now.
Free agent: Hasson Reddick
Round 1: Evan Neal
Round 2: Jahan Dotson
I think the Jaguars need a blue-chip pass-rusher added somehow, but I don't think they are a team who is going to make sense for Von Miller or Chandler Jones. I also don't see any of the veteran tackles as smart investments considering both their skill level and the fact that the Jaguars have Walker Little in the building. If you aren't going to pay Cam Robinson, I do not see why you would pay Orlando Brown.
Jahan Dotson is one of my favorite receivers in this class and is overall a great fit for the Jaguars' considering his speed, versatility and yards after the catch ability. The Jaguars need to get faster and more explosive at receiver and I think they would do just that with Dotson in round two.
Q: Obviously depends on the hire but would you expect incoming DC to stick with 3-4 or go back to 4-3?
A: I think it will be a mix of both if it is Mike Caldwell, but more 3-4 than anything. I would be surprised if the Jaguars aren't fairly multiple no matter the hire, that is just the nature of the NFL. Defenses are mostly in nickel more than anything else, so the real philosophy would have to do with coverage calls, pressure packages and overall aggressiveness.
I don't think the Jaguars are going back to Todd Wash's 4-3 under any time soon though, no. I think we still see a defense that is moving in the right direction concept-wise. The Jaguars took a healthy step forward in terms of the defensive scheme in 2021, and I expect that to repeat this season.,
Q: Should we focus on OL in the draft or in free agency, considering we should get some wide receivers.
A: I think the offensive line is an area the Jaguars are going to need to use both the draft and free agency to address. Just with how things got timed with the Jaguars' offensive line and expiring contracts, the Jaguars could enter the 2023 season with all five of their 2021 Week 1 starters no longer on the team, while two of their top backups (Will Richardson and Tyler Shatley) are free agents this offseason. In short, the Jaguars need to completely rebuild their offensive line. There is no one right way to do that, so bringing in a mix of youth and experience makes the most sense.
It wouldn't shock me if the Jaguars paid big money for an interior offensive lineman and then drafted a tackle. I think with both guards becoming free agents, the Jaguars likely feel better about their internal options at tackle compared to guard.
