Between now and the start of the new league year in March, TGS is providing brief summaries looking ahead at the offseason from the perspective of each NFL team. In this edition, we look at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
2016 record: 3-13 — 4th place, AFC South
What’s new? Tom Coughlin and Doug Marrone are now running the show.
Projected salary cap space: $68 million — The third-highest total in the NFL.
Key in-house free agents: S John Cyprien, CB Prince Amukamara, G Patrick Omameh
Omameh was good when healthy inside, and Cyprien had a major breakout season. They’d be silly not to bring both back, but could probably do without Amukamara.
Key needs: Offensive tackle, defensive back, maybe guard, possibly quarterback.
The last three depend on what they do with Cyprien, Amukamara, Omameh and Blake Bortles.
Draft breakdown: They have a league-high 12 selections, including the No. 4 overall pick.
Other potential priorities: Figuring out the quarterback situation will be key for Coughlin and Co. Bortles regressed in his third year, posting the fifth-lowest qualified passer rating in the league.
Outlook: Lots of money and lots of draft picks in order to improve a roster that is already pretty talented. Hard not to be optimistic, even if 2016 was a tremendous disappointment.
