By Nick Brinkerhoff
It can only go up from here right? Fresh off a disastrous season that saw former head coach Urban Meyer get fired only 13 games into his NFL experiment, the Jacksonville Jaguars have found what we believe is the bottom.
Unless they keep digging of course.
This is the type of rough ride that the team subjected their entire fanbase to in 2021. It’s almost impressive. They got the number one overall pick in 2021 and selected quarterback Trevor Lawrence, yet fans were still demoralized by the time the new year came around.
Maybe some good news is on the way for a change? Sure, general manager Trent Baalke went full “Wolf of Wall Street” this offseason, throwing his fair share of fun coupons off the yacht. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, until proven otherwise, the team will continue to pay premium rates, no matter how much Monopoly money it takes.
Jacksonville is that guy who orders the most expensive menu item just because he can. Let’s hope for Lawrence’s sake that it actually has a real impact and furthers his development after a difficult year.
It will be up to new head coach Doug Pederson to elevate the former Clemson star and alleviate the mountains of pressure that will be placed on the shoulders of the second year quarterback.
But, if Lawrence goes down, what happens next? Where do they turn?
Who is the Jaguars’ backup quarterback?
Let’s just say that if Lawrence goes down, especially if it’s early in the year, then we can once again pencil the Jaguars into a race for the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Baalke may have spent mountains of money since the new league year opened, but it appears the Jaguars backup strategy for Lawrence is to simply tank the rest of the season, should he miss time.
NFL fans will recognize the name C.J. Beathard, the former 49ers backup quarterback, but not for his success. As the 49ers lost starter Jimmy Garoppolo to injuries in recent years, it was Beathard that was forced into action. Even with a talented roster and Kyle Shanahan, a great offensive head coach, Beathard struggled, finishing his time in the bay with a 2-10 record as a starter.
He completed just 58% of passes to go along with a 18-13 touchdown to interception ratio.
There is also concern at this stage of the offseason around Beathard’s health, with him being carted off the field at OTA’s about a week ago. It was a groin injury, one that the team believes will not hinder him going forward.
Regardless, it’s a difficult situation for the team, especially if the injury bug is biting them early.
As it stands, a lot has to go right for the team to find success in 2022, even in a weaker division, at least on paper. Currently sportsbooks believe in Jacksonville, setting the win total at 6.5 on FanDuel. However, if Beathard starts, especially for any length of time, that might as well drop to an over/under of 0.5. If that comes to fruition, take the under.