The 10 Most Important Jaguars for 2021, No. 2: Josh Allen
The 2021 offseason completely revamped the Jacksonville Jaguars. The maligned franchise had every aspect of its organization inspected, weighed, measured and often found wanting. A new head coach and fresh set of standards were the first steps. Then through the draft, free agency and ultimatums to current players, the staff put together what is essentially a brand new roster.
After a season in which the Jags finished 1-15 (an unenviable feat but one that beget Trevor Lawrence), the club really has nowhere to go but up in the first season featuring 17 regular season games.
Head Coach Urban Meyer and players have said consistently this offseason that they’re working to win now. As admirable and understandable as that goal is, the reality is, this team is in a massive rebuilding process. When in the midst of a rebuilding process, every single piece counts and it’s ok to take time making sure each is perfect to do the job. This is especially true when rebuilding a team. Each player contributing will be of the utmost importance; but some will have the onus put on them more than others.
As we move closer to the 2021 schedule, we take a look at the 10 most important Jaguars for the coming season.
No. 8: Tyson Campbell and Tre Herndon
No 2: Josh Allen
For the second year in a row, Allen is the top defensive player on this list.
Last season, he was considered the most important Jaguars defensive player because he was the only known star the team had and could depend on to make an impact. After a rookie season which saw him notch 10.5 sacks (most by a rookie that season and a franchise record) and earn Pro-Bowl recognition, Allen went into 2020 with the weight of the Jaguars defensive success on his shoulders, thanks in large part to a mass exodus of defensive starters.
A knee injury placed Allen on Injured Reserve in late November and in total, he played only eight games last season. Unsurprisingly, the Jaguars sack production plummeted, accumulating only 18 sacks team-wide all season. The need to stay healthy and help change those sack numbers has shaped all of Allen’s offseason work thus far.
“For me personally, it’s to stay healthy,” Allen told reporters during OTA’s of his goal for the upcoming season. “It’s to be on the field as long as I can and help my teammates as much as I can. As long as I’m out there on the field, I feel like I can contribute. An improvement from last year is to just get off the ball and have the same mentality every snap. I’m looking forward to that, staying healthy, staying on the field.”
Suffice to say, Allen returning to form is vital for Jaguars success in any sense. But as new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen switched Jacksonville to more of a 3-4 defense, the onus on Allen grows ten-fold.
In the defensive scheme, Allen’s position as the hybrid linebacker is paramount to success. He can change the scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3 himself, up to the moment before the snap. He put himself where the ball is and everything that happens in the front seven—especially along the line of scrimmage—stems from what Allen decides to do ahead of each play.
It’s what Allen played at Kentucky, it’s what got him drafted by the Jaguars at No. 7 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft and it’s where he knows he can be most valuable. Former defensive coordinator Todd Wash had Allen in a three-point stance for much of his Pro-Bowl rookie season, but ahead of the 2020 season, Allen expressed excitement at returning to a more “stand-up” heavy role, which he believed would elevate his game in the pro’s even more.
“This year I’m looking to play just strictly rush, so I get to do a little more stand up which I’m obviously more comfortable with,” Allen admitted last August. “I know if anything goes wrong, where I have to move to big end, I can definitely switch, but stand-up defensive end is something I feel like I can improve on and I feel like I can bring a better asset for this team.”
As the season fell apart and Allen suffered injuries, Wash reverted back to his under-front scheme, scrapping the 3-4/4-3 playbook that he never wanted to implement in the first place.
Now, with the promise of if it finally coming to Jacksonville under Cullen, Allen sees a resurgence for himself as a pass rusher and for teammates, as they lean on the bag of tricks that has always produced their best play.
Said Allen during OTA’s in early June, “Just having two athletes that can change positions like K’Lavon [Chaisson] and myself, also [Dawuane] Smoot, I feel like we’re playing back to our old ball. We’re playing what got us here, so going back to those habits, going back to those traits, I feel like it’s a good sign for both of us, especially Smoot as well. I’m just excited to see us put pads on so we can really put that to use and make a lot of plays for us.”
Allen will be crucial against RPO heavy offenses like the Tennessee Titans. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Coaches have alluded Chaisson will play more at the strong side linebacker role instead, leaving Allen to handle the hybrid linebacker/defensive end role himself (Smooth plays more on the opposite end of the line). It’s a position in which he feels most comfortable, something the coaching staff wants to take advantage of when lining him up this fall.
“Josh [Allen] has completely dominated his training. He’s attacked it, done everything we asked of him. It’s been really neat to have him, see another guy that’s really brought the strength gains and what he did [in the offseason],” said defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi at the end of Jaguars mini-camp this offseason.
“I think he’s a really versatile athlete. He’s somebody that can play on the edge, operate out of two-point, a three-point. We’re going to ask him to rush the passer, set edges, drop in coverage and up to this point, he’s done a nice job attacking all three of those phases.”
The Jacksonville Jaguars defense has undergone a lot of changes this offseason, from staff to players. But one thing remains the same; for success to come on the field, it must start and end with Josh Allen.
