Urban Meyer Admits Changing Myles Jack's Responsibilities: Why the Move Came Concerningly Too Late
Things were a bit different for Jacksonville Jaguars' linebacker and captain Myles Jack in Week 5.
After Jack had been given full communication responsibilities for the defense for all of OTAs, training camp, the preseason, and the entire first month of the regular season, the Jaguars changed course against the Titans. Instead, the "green dot" on the helmet went to Damien Wilson, with Rayshawn Jenkins helping pitch in.
It was a move that was a long time in the making -- which makes it so much more concerning for Meyer and his staff.
"We have been evaluating that because Myles plays three positions - base, nickel, dime, and it's something we've been working on. He played his best football. We just did some research, he plays best when he doesn't have to make the call. So we gave it to Damien and also Rayshawn," Meyer said following Sunday's 37-19 loss to the Titans in Week 5.
Meyer and his defense staff, at last, made the right move for their star linebacker, who is also their highest-paid defender. But the way they did so inspires no confidence. It says much about Meyer's lack of preparedness for the NFL, but more specifically his lack of preparedness for this specific Jaguars team.
Why did it take four games -- an entire regular-season month -- for Meyer to find out something that he could have found out from asking any person who has paid attention to Jaguars' football over the last several years?
Why did it take four losses and one of the worst month-long stretches of play in Jack's career -- including a particularly rough game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 -- for Meyer and his staff to realize what even a bad Jaguars' staff in 2020 realized when it came to Jack?
Why after claiming time and time again in the offseason that he did a "deep dive" into the Jaguars' roster, does Meyer seem like he still doesn't have a true grasp for the strengths of one of his best players? Of a player that was not only named a captain, but who Meyer called a cornerstone and an "alpha" during the offseason.
For all the talent Jack has, which is plenty, he has always struggled when given the green dot. It has restricted his ability to play freely and without second-guessing himself. It is why he had down years in 2018 and 2019, when he played middle linebacker and had the dot. It is also why his two best years -- 2017 and 2020 -- came when he was able to be himself and play without the worries of setting up the other 10 players on defense.
The entire reason the Jaguars invested in Joe Schobert last offseason was to help Jack. To put Jack on the outside and take the dot off his helmet, giving him a chance to play with zero restrictions and to never doubt his instincts. Jack responded by having the best year he has ever had, consistently making plays on a week-by-week basis.
But why did it take Meyer and his staff four full games to realize what Todd Wash, Doug Marrone, and every other observer noticed long ago? Why did Meyer not know how to use arguably his best defensive player for nearly a full quarter of the season, despite claiming to be a player-centric coach who would pride himself on putting his players in the best positions?
Jack had a bad start to the 2021 season, but that isn't all on him. Instead, it is on Meyer and his "deep dive" not finding out what even the quickest and ordinary shallow dives could have answered. Meyer could have taken a walk down most streets in Jacksonville and got the same answer his research in Week 5 got him, but the answer would have at least came in before the losses started to pile up.
On the surface, this was poor usage of Jack. Perhaps Meyer and his staff thought they could get the most out of Jack in 2021, but they put him behind the eight-ball before the season began.
But beneath the surface, it is a smaller sign of a much, much larger issue. Meyer and his staff, to this point, have consistently failed to put their players in positions to win. It has happened with Tyson Campbell, James Robinson, Tyron Johnson, and others -- including Trevor Lawrence at times. There has been a startingly trend of misusage, a trend that looks even worse following Meyer's admission to having to do mid-season research on Jack's best role.
Meyer came into Jacksonville with all of the answers, but it looks like he is only just now getting the questions. As a result, Jack and the Jaguars as a whole have paid the price on the field.
The Jaguars have a chance to reverse their fortune, but at 0-5, they need to move mountains to make the 2021 season a meaningful one. And for that to happen, they will need Meyer to show better awareness than he and his staff did with their best defender.
