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Jacksonville Jaguars Current Offseason Grade

By Robby Sabo

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While stud tight end Julius Thomas was the jewel for the Jacksonville Jaguars during free agency, he’s only a piece to their entire offseason puzzle.

It’s been a long, tiring road for Jacksonville Jaguars fans.

Not only do they have to continue to hear rumors surrounding the team’s eventual relocation (including London of all places), but year in and year out they have to endure watching a struggling franchise looking to front office to finally place the team on firm footing again. Not since 2007 during the good old days of Jack Del Rio have they enjoyed having the tag of “playoff team.”

In 2009 the Jags won seven games and a year later they finished .500. Every other season since ’07 they’ve won five or fewer games.

It’s a tough job to take the general manager spot in Jacksonville. Not only does the man have to fight the reality of possessing a lousy squad, but he also has to fight perception that it’s the least desirable place to play in the entire league.

I mean let’s get serious for a moment, what player wants to play eight times a season in front of half empty buildings?

Jan 20, 2015; Fairhope, AL, USA; South squad head coach Gus Bradley of the Jacksonville Jaguars watches practice as he coaches the South squad at Fairhope Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The two men who’ve taken on that role of rebuilding the Jaguars are the talented personnel eye of David Caldwell and defensive specialist Gus Bradley.

Despite a 3-13 record in 2014, the Jags finally took a step in the right direction. Thanks to Caldwell the personnel took a major step up and they can finally believe they possess a franchise quarterback in Blake Bortles, which is always the toughest piece of the puzzle to fit in.

The team displayed toughness and character – part of the reason they’re starting to gain a little traction as a team to watch out for in 2015.

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This offseason is a crucial one in their attempt to take a struggling squad and make it respectable, and mission accomplished with the signing of stud tight end Julius Thomas. Caldwell inked Thomas to a massive five-year, $46 million deal ($24 guaranteed) making him the highest paid man at his position.

The beauty of the deal is the fact that Thomas is so incredibly young at 26-years of age. It now allows Bortles to have a bonafide number-one target to grow with during his NFL career. Not only will he be a stud weapon, but will provide that safety blanket young quarterbacks appreciate so much.

While many franchises trip and fall over each other for free agents over the risky age of 30, Caldwell went hard after his young player and landed him. Not an easy thing to do – convincing a guy who just played with Peyton Manning for two seasons to come to Jacksonville.

Thomas cannot be the only major piece they add considering they are now tops in the NFL with a whopping $46 million under the salary cap, via Spotrac.

Parts one and two of the rebuilding job are now complete. Part one in obtaining that franchise quarterback and part two in reeling in their first big fish.

The Jags have also recently added cornerback Davon House, linebacker Dan Skuta, safety Sergio Brown and offensive tackle Jermey Parnell. None of these will blow anybody away with excitement.

It’s clear though what the strategy is: do not cripple yourself with terrible veteran contracts and instead build through youth very intelligently.

Regardless of who Caldwell could reel into Jacksonville this offseason, they wouldn’t be a serious contender until 2016 anyway. We also don’t know how hard Caldwell is burning up the phones only to be rebuffed time after time by legit player because of the Jacksonville stigma.

However, parts one and two of the rebuilding job are now complete. Part one in obtaining that franchise quarterback and part two in reeling in their first big fish.

Offseason Grade to this point: B+

Because Caldwell’s intent is not to overshoot the team’s potential in 2015, he’s taking the step by step route. Holding the number three selection in the draft will land them another building block talent, most likely on the offensive line.

Quite frankly, there are still way too many holes to even start analyzing them.

The B+ grade is as high as Caldwell’s threshold could be at this point. Free agency a year from now will be a completely different story.

Next: Jaguars And Julius Thomas Big Winners With Deal

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