HEADLINES

Dave Caldwell

Jaguars GM On Jennings, Blackmon, Draft

April 24th, 2015 at 5:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars GM David Caldwell isn’t opposed to trading a draft pick for a veteran player. “Depends on the player,” he told Ryan O’Halloran (on Twitter) and the rest of the Jaguars’ beat writers. But how about Vikings running back Adrian Peterson?

“He’s on the Vikings,” the GM said flatly.

Caldwell declined to really comment on AD, but he had plenty more to tell the group of local reporters. Here’s a look at the highlights of his presser..

  • The GM said he never made an offer to wide receiver Greg Jennings before he signed with the Dolphins, O’Halloran tweets. The Jags were among the teams interested in the veteran, along with the Panthers and Saints. The 31-year-old ultimately got a two-year, $8MM deal from Miami.
  • Caldwell says he’s not disappointed that the team hasn’t heard anything regarding wide receiver Justin Blackmon‘s status, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets. For now, the Jaguars will be going forward as planned without him.
  • The Jaguars have narrowed their choice at to three-to-five players if they stay put at No. 3, O’Halloran tweets. So far, he says he has yet to receive a call on the pick (link).
  • Caldwell said about 200 players are on the Jaguars’ board, O’Halloran tweets.
  • Caldwell emphasized the need for a difference-maker rather than two solid players, John Oehser of Jaguars.com tweets.

AFC Links: Texans, Jaguars, Dolphins, Browns

March 23rd, 2015 at 9:16pm CST by Ben Levine

The Texans current batch of quarterbacks would never be confused with Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. Ryan Mallett, Brian Hoyer and Tom Savage don’t evoke fear, but that doesn’t mean their team can’t be successful. Owner Bob McNair is a supporter of that sentiment, as he told Tania Ganguli of ESPN.com that he believes his team could contend for a Super Bowl:

“Teams have done that. Look at Baltimore back in 2000. They had an outstanding defense. They could run the ball and they had a quarterback that didn’t turn it over that much. I think that is a plan that can bring you great success. Look what we did last year playing four quarterbacks. We didn’t have that consistent play at quarterback and yet look how close we came. We’ve improved our defense this year.”

Let’s take a look at some more notes from around the AFC…

  • Jaguars general manager David Caldwell told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that his team has interest in free agent wideout Greg Jennings, but he warns that they haven’t scheduled a visit (Twitter link).
  • While appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Dolphins executive Mike Tannenbaum said his team also hasn’t scheduled a visit with Jennings (via Alex Marvez of Fox Sports on Twitter). However, Tannenbaum noted that Miami could pursue the veteran wideout later in free agency.
  • Following news earlier today that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam could be a candidate to purchase the Titans, a Browns spokesman told Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com that the Tennessee native is devoted to Cleveland. “It’s 100% false,” the spokesman said. “There is no truth to the careless speculation from the reporter.”
  • Browns general manager Ray Farmer said the organization would continue to monitor potential quarterback additions, tweets Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com.
  • Farmer would not reveal whether the Browns offered a first-round pick to the Rams for Sam Bradford, but he did comment that the current Eagles signal-caller likely isn’t available (via Ulrich on Twitter).

Jaguars GM On Murray, Cobb, Hardy

March 11th, 2015 at 1:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Jaguars GM David Caldwell told reporters, including John Oehser of Jaguars.com (on Twitter), that his work is not done in free agency. However, he says there’s not a whole lot brewing on star running back DeMarco Murray. Here’s more from today’s presser..

  • Caldwell said that he had a brief conversation with Murray’s agent last night and he also talked with the team’s finance people, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Caldwell says he wanted a slot wide receiver and targeted Packers star Randall Cobb, DiRocco tweets. He’ll only sign one going forward if the right situation presents himself. Of course, he’s not going to find another slot wide receiver as good as Cobb.
  • Caldwell wouldn’t close the door on signing Greg Hardy, DiRocco tweets. The GM explained that he would have to do his research on the troubled star. His philosophy is that if a guy shows remorse for his actions, they can give him a second chance.
  • Caldwell said Jared Odrick‘s versatility was key to his signing, Oehser tweets. Interestingly, Caldwell referred to Odrick, who previously lined up as a defensive tackle, as a defensive end. Odrick’s deal will see him earn $8.5MM per season with $22MM guaranteed overall.
  • When asked about tight end Marcedes Lewis‘ future with Jacksonville, Caldwell said “he’ll have to compete to be here,” DiRocco tweets. Lewis, 31 in May, played in only eight games last season after suffering a high ankle sprain in September. His IR-DTR status allowed him to return later in the year.
  • Caldwell said (via Oehser on Twitter) that the team had five initial targets and wound up landing three of them. Free agency might not have been a home run, he says, but he said it was probably more like hitting a double. The GM added that the Jags “probably haven’t” spent as much as he expected, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union (via Twitter).
  • Caldwell explained there has been no decision yet on Red Bryant, DiRocco tweets.

Jaguars Notes: Caldwell, Blackmon, Bradley

December 30th, 2014 at 7:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell addressed the local media to close out the year. John Oehser of Jaguars.com was on hand and has the goods. All links go to his Twitter unless noted otherwise..

  • Caldwell said (link) that the offensive line needs to be addressed, but he feels good about where they are at the positions of right guard, center, and left tackle. Left guard Zane Beadles, he says, settled down later in the year.
  • The GM is rooting for Justin Blackmon, but isn’t banking on his return at all (link) and hopes to hear about Blackmon’s status before the draft (link). Blackmon recently sold his Jacksonville area home.
  • Caldwell feels that the Jaguars are “right on par” with where they thought they’d be and isn’t completely surprised with their 2014 record (link).
  • Any coaching changes will be up to head coach Gus Bradley (link). Offensive line coach George Yamo plans to return (link).
  • Caldwell noted that the team has to spend 95% of its allowance to hit the cap minimum (link), which may imply that he doesn’t have plans to spend like crazy this offseason.
  • The GM said he likes the state of the roster and that he doesn’t feel compelled to draft a player to start right away (link).
  • Caldwell says (link) that is appeared that the game slowed down for rookie quarterback Blake Bortles towards the end of the year.

Extra Points: Davis, Hankins, Vernon, Brown

June 27th, 2014 at 12:00pm CST by Matt Feminis

“Vernon Davis sounds resigned as if he’ll report to 49ers training camp in 26 days without a new contract,” writes Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, and the tight end does not sound stressed about it.

Here’s more lunchtime links:

  • Giants 2013 second-round pick Johnathan Hankins came on strong down the stretch last season and is poised to inherit the nose tackle position vacated by Linval Joseph, who signed a free-agent deal with the Vikings, writes NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan.
  • Eagles defensive end Cedric Thornton was terrific against the run last season, but he’s making a concerted effort to improve his hand use and pass-rushing ability. In a story by CSNPhilly.com’s Geoff Mosher, Thornton says part of his motivation came from his wife telling him, “You only had one sack.”
  • Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon‘s stock is on the rise, says ESPN’s James Walker: “The former third-round pick exploded on the scene and led the Dolphins with 11.5 sacks…Vernon had another strong offseason, capped by his 2 1/2 sacks in Miami’s team scrimmage last week. Not only that, Vernon beat Dolphins Pro Bowl left tackle Branden Albert for two of his sacks…Vernon looks poised to hold onto his starting job and keep former No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan on the bench.”
  • Tarell Brown‘s one-year, $3.5MM deal is the Raiders’ best contract, while Sebastian Janikowski‘s four-year, $15.1MM deal — which “ranks in the top 10 of the Raiders annual salary structure, top 3 in total value for the team among veterans, and first overall among kickers in the NFL” — is the worst, in the opinion of OverTheCap.com’s Jason Fitzgerald.
  • Chiefs injury plagued tight end Tony Moeaki is on the bubble, explains ESPN’s Mike Rodak.
  • Same goes for Jaguars safety Josh Evans, thinks ESPN’s Michael DiRocco: “Evans will have to prove early in camp that he’s completely healthy and is more consistent than he was as a rookie. If he doesn’t, he’ll lose reps and could end up being the first David Caldwell draft pick who gets cut.”

AFC Notes: Quarterbacks, Jaguars

May 10th, 2014 at 2:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

Titans’ head coach Ken Whisenhunt said the team was considering quarterbacks in the fourth round, reports Terry McCormick of TitansInsider.com (via Twitter). They are one of the many teams that seem interest in the secon and third tier signal callers in this draft.

Here are some other notes from around the AFC:

  • Although they have Alex Smith, the Chiefs considered taking a quarterback in round one, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team has been unable to get Smith signed to an extension, but ultimately went in another direction early. They instead took Aaron Murray out of Georgia in the fifth round.
  • The Bengals are in a similar situation to the Chiefs, and also considered a quarterback in the first round, according to Rapoport. They selected A.J. McCarron of Alabama, one pick after Murray in round five. McCarron will likely be Andy Dalton‘s backup in 2014, before they make a decision about Dalton’s future with the team next offseason.
  • Jaguars’ general manager Dave Caldwell said there was not much talk of trading down today on day three, according to Ryan Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (via Twitter). The Jaguars only had discussion that included 2015 selections.

Caldwell Didn’t Tell Anyone About Bortles

May 10th, 2014 at 8:42am CST by Matt Feminis

Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell didn’t tell anyone Blake Bortles was his man at No. 3 overall until two days before the draft. Literally. In fact, his wife was the first to know, as we learned in an interesting Sports On Earth article by Dan Pompei, who details the process by which Caldwell settled on Bortles and kept the decision under wraps:

  • By October, Caldwell was already anticipating having a pick at the top of the draft.
  • Caldwell took notice of Central Florida’s near-upset of South Carolina, a game in which Bortles threw for 358 yards.
  • By Halloween, Caldwell felt Bortles had potential to be a No. 1 overall selection.
  • The Jags held scouting meetings in December, at which time Caldwell still had not mentioned Bortles to anyone, not even on his scouting staff.
  • Caldwell instructed his coaches and scouts not to share opinions on prospects. “I didn’t want to influence anyone, or for anyone to be influenced by anyone else,” said Caldwell. “I wanted guys to come back with their own evaluations and see if we could find a consensus. They came back with a consensus [that Bortles] was the best quarterback for our system.”
  • Coaches and a team crosschecker shared the same opinion: Bortles was the best QB available.
  • After Bortles passed the eye test, analytic evaluation revealed he excelled under pressure, on third down and outside the pocket. “For our system, we want a combination of a guy who can create outside the pocket, but also who can stand in the pocket and deliver with pressure in his face,” Caldwell said.
  • In February, Bortles impressed at the Combine. In March, he validated his standing with an impressive pro day in front of 70 NFL people.
  • By the end of the process, Bortles “checked all the boxes.” Furthermore, Caldwell is comforted when he hears other teams also value him highly.
  • Two days before the draft, Caldwell told his wife that Bortles is the Jags’ man. Bortles had no idea.
  • Come Thursday night, Caldwell was not swayed by trade offers, and head coach Gus Bradley was on board with the pick.
  • Said Caldwell: “We feel if we can solidify the quarterback position, that’s huge for 10, 12 years down the road. And when you evaluate quarterbacks, they aren’t making 6-5, 240-pound quarterbacks very often who are very athletic and have the production and arm strength that Blake has.”

AFC Notes: Jags, McCourty, Decker

February 8th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Matt Feminis

The Jaguars have been upfront about the team’s desire to re-sign Chad Henne as well as draft at least one quarterback, but GM Dave Caldwell told Jacksonville.com’s Vito Stellino (subscription required) he won’t be a slave to need: “If we’re going to give into pressure (to take a quarterback high if they have other players rated higher), we’re going to make the wrong decision,’’ he said. “Our vision is to build a franchise that can sustain and win over a period of time. In that process, if a quarterback presents himself, we’ll grab him.’’