Jaguars Mailbag: Who Is the Front-Runner To Be the Next Head Coach?

It has been a week and the Jacksonville Jaguars are still conducting the search for their next head coach. It has been even longer since the Jaguars began looking for a new general manager.

But nearly a dozen days into January, the Jaguars are one of more than five teams that are still looking for new leaders for their teams. The Jaguars have been linked to a number of coaches and general managers via media reports, but there is still nothing concrete.

With this in mind, and with the fact that this could be the last week before a coach is hired, we have opted to take to social media to get your Jaguars questions for this week's mailbag. This week, we take questions on the HC/GM search, backup options, surprise players, and more.

Q: Who is the front-runner for the job right now? Is it Urban Meyer?

A: Until it comes out that Urban Meyer has officially turned down the job, I think it is probably fair to call him the front-runner. I am not basing this off any inside information, but rather the fact that every move the Jaguars have made since even before last Monday screams Meyer. Perhaps one of the two parties changes course, but Meyer should still be considered the favorite as of Monday night.

Q: The news around Daboll has quieted down a bit. Is he still considered a solid candidate? Has he been formally interviewed by the Jags yet?

A: He should still be considered a solid candidate. We just saw the Buffalo Bills earn their first playoff win 1995 in large part due to a terrific game plan and afternoon of playcalling from Daboll and the rest of the Bills staff. This came against a good defense, too. We shouldn't judge candidates off their last game, but he at least had a better week than Arthur Smith had during Wild Card weekend. With that said, there hasn't been much out there on Daboll interviewing with teams, likely because he was a coach on a playoff-contending team and had to follow NFL protocol. He has yet to be connected to the Jaguars via the media and the team itself runs an extremely tight ship in terms of letting information come out during searches, so as of now it is probably safe to say he hasn't been talked to. Perhaps that changes this week, however.

Q: Which former Jag would you most like to see pick up a Superbowl ring this year and who do you think is most likely?

A: This is a different type of answer compared to what most readers would say because I am not a Jaguars fan; I am a reporter. Therefore, I have no ill-will against any former Jaguar for their departures. With that said, I came to admire Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue greatly in my one season covering them, and it would be proper to see Campbell end his terrific career with a ring. The most likely former Jaguars is probably Marcedes Lewis, though.

Q: Was there any reason given as to why the HC will be hired before the GM or is this just an assumption by everyone? I always thought the GM and HC should be on the same page which would usually leads to GM first followed by HC.

A: Not exactly. It is more so an assumption based on the fact that Shad Khan said he would like to hire the pair around the same time. In the past, it was a definitive fact that the general manager would come first and then do his own search for the head coach. The fact that Khan made a point to say that the general manager won't necessarily come first and that it could come at the same time as the head coach hire indicates that the general manager will not be running the show.

With that said, this isn't a "new" model. Perhaps it is for the Shad Khan era Jaguars, but Pete Carroll was hired before John Schneider in Seattle. Brandon Beane was hired by the Buffalo Bills months after Sean McDermott was hired. These types of situations exist in the NFL, they just haven't existed often in Jacksonville.

Q: Is there any indication of a top candidate besides Meyer? Out of Bieniemy, Smith, Saleh, or others who would be the most probable choice?

A: I don't think so. I think if this was the case, the Jaguars wouldn't even be toying with the idea of Meyer. You don't talk to him if you are just interested. You talk with him if he is the guy you 100% want as your next head coach. That doesn't mean he will take the job, clearly, but nothing says he isn't their top choice. After him, I would say Arthur Smith is the most likely. Bieniemy would be my choice between the two, but Smith is a coach the Jaguars know well due to his AFC South ties and he probably gets more credit for Ryan Tannehill's play than Bieniemy gets for Patrick Mahomes' play.

Q: Why is there so much hype for Urban Meyer? What does he bring that can get us excited if he’s hired?

A: The hype around Urban Meyer has little to do with his offensive prowess and playbook, though both of those play a factor. It more so has to do with the fact that he is second to only Nick Saban in terms of demonstrating how to run an elite program year in and year out. He hasn't done it at the NFL level, but his style of preparation, strength and nutrition programs, and general track record of success all suggest he can build a winner at any stop. He has done that with four very different teams, after all. If the Jaguars get him, be excited that they would be getting a massive overhaul of their entire football operations from top to bottom. How players train, eat, practice, and learn would all be impacted in a big way.

Q: What players on the roster this year surprised you most? Good and bad, who has earned another look and who has played themselves out of a spot

A: Joe Giles-Harris gets my "good" nod. He was the team's best strong side linebacker this year despite never taking a snap at the position in a regular season game until the final quarter of the 2020 season. His ability against both the run and the pass was a breath of fresh air at the position and should launch him to the top of the depth chart in 2021 considering Leon Jacobs's injury. I was surprised Taven Bryan was as unimpressive as he was. He wasn't "good" in 2019, but he was at least on the right track. He looked like a different player this year though, more often than not playing like a below-replacement level defensive tackle against both the run and the pass.

Q: What style of offense best fits Trevor Lawrence?

A: This has been a common question. I am of the opinion that any offense really "fits" him considering his massive skill set, but an offense that is heavy on RPOs and lets him move in the pocket would be best. He has one of the quickest releases you will see from a quarterback on run-pass options and is rarely making the wrong decision. His instant recognition of defenses and how to take advantage of space makes him a dangerous player from the pocket, and this is another reason an offense that lets him use his feet will get the most out of him. He shouldn't be used like Lamar Jackson as a runner, but the offense would be wise to use his athleticism to move the pocket and create good angles and advantages for the offense.

Q: Who are some GM candidates that might be unique (other than those that have already been mentioned) if Urban were to get the job?

A: I really think Scott Pioli would be an interesting hire. He drafted a ton of Pro Bowlers with New England and Kansas City but his biggest issue was the fact that he missed on two head coach hires with the Chiefs. If the Jaguars got Urban Meyer, however, Pioli wouldn't have to worry about that aspect of the job. He would simply have to scout, which he does exceptionally well. Meyer shares a close friendship with Bill Belichick, so there is at least that connection.

Q: Why hasn’t Urban been announced yet?

A: Maybe he hasn't decided yet. He is still connected with the Ohio State Buckeyes program, too, and is also covering the National Championship game for Fox so there is a chance he doesn't want to overshadow what Ohio State is doing tonight, though that is just an assumption on my end.

Q: If Urban is named HC, will he call the plays or hire a OC?

A: My honest answer is I don't know, though Meyer had interesting thoughts on this during his time at Ohio State. Here are some quotes via TheOzone from 2018.

“The one thing that I’ve tried to make clear, is there’s not a dictator here,” he said. “And there’s not some guru going to come in and say it’s his offense. That will never happen here. Same thing on defense. We’re not going to hire some guy that, ‘Hey, this is so-and-so’s defense.’ It’s not. It’s Ohio State’s defense and every coach in there has an ownership in that.

"Same thing on offense that when Kevin Wilson or Ryan Day or whomever come into the program, it’s not ‘Hey, this is his offense,’ because it’s not it at all. Now, they all have a chance to make it better and I think they have. So we don’t get caught up — I don’t know if you noticed that, in 16 years I’ve never been caught up in that. It seems to be those are great questions, but it’s insignificant as far as the way we look at it.”

Q: Does an all college coaching staff worry you?

A: I highly doubt any Meyer staff, in the event he actually coaches the Jaguars, would have only college coaches. The fact that it does seem like it would be staffed with some of his former top lieutenants from his college days at Florida and Ohio State isn't overly surprising, but it does make one wonder just how much experience the staff would have in terms of the NFL game. TL;DR: Let's wait and see who is on any staff before any doubt is thrown, but a staff with little NFL experience isn't exactly appealing.

Q: What’s your top FA list that we can legitimately land?

A: John Johnson III of the Los Angeles Rams and Leonard Williams of the New York Giants are the first two names I can think of. Johnson is a 25-year-old playmaking safety who can help every level of the defense, while Williams is the only established interior pass-rusher in the free agency class.

Q: Obviously QB is the number 1 need but after that what are the top 5 needs for the Jags?

A: Outside cornerback, defensive tackle, tight end, offensive tackle/offensive line depth in general, and nickel cornerback. Maybe I am cheating by listing cornerback twice but it is two different roles. Plus, it is my mailbag!

Q: What, do you believe, is the hold up on HC hires around the league? None of the 7 have hired yet to my knowledge.

A: I think the playoffs play a big part in it. Teams have been wanting to talk to coaches with the Saints, Titans, Packers, Chiefs, Buccaneers, Colts, Rams, Bills. Teams have had to wait in some instances to conduct interviews, so they are likely waiting for more clarity with their top targets that are still on playoff teams.

Q: Any HC/GM combos that make us not take Trevor Lawrence?

A: No. I do not think there is any scenario the Jaguars take any player but Trevor Lawrence. Perhaps I get "Freezing Cold Take'd", but I will stand by it until the draft is here.

Q: Do you think that Urban Meyer's the answer?

A: Maybe? I know that is a bit of a cop-out, but I see both sides of the coin pretty clearly. Jacksonville needs an overhaul of their entire operation as well as a proven winner, and Meyer checks both of those boxes. They also need to ensure they don't make things rocky for Trevor Lawrence's first few years, though, and as good of a coach as Urban Meyer is, there is little doubt that there is risk with him. How long would he even stay in the role is a major question. I think he could be the answer and is more likely to be than most other candidates, but I also think there is plenty of risk.

Q: Are we eligible for hard knocks? This would be a great preseason for it.

A: No, since the Jaguars will have a first-year head coach. That is one of the three sets of criteria the show looks at.

Q: Who is the surprise cut next season?

A: Josh Oliver. He is a cheap and young tight end, but the next staff has no real allegiance to him and to this point he has had too many injuries to make any kind of possible impression. If he doesn't have a great camp, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Jaguars give up on him after two seasons.

Q: Do you believe the Jaguars should try to bring back Allen Robinson, and do you think he would do it? Who would you consider the feature WR in that scenario; Chark or Robinson?

A: Should they? Maybe don't need to considering their deep receiver room, but they have enough cap space to spend big and have it not really impact their bottom line. I do think he would consider it, too, since Tom Coughlin is no longer here. He was the major thing making it unlikely for players to return, so that is no longer a factor. Chark is more athletic and a better big-play threat, but Robinson is more reliable and consistent, so it would probably be a split.

Q: Who would you personally pick as the next general manager and head coach?

A: Brian Daboll and Rick Smith, though Urban Meyer isn't far behind.

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