Press Taylor

Jaguars’ Trent Baalke Wanted Doug Pederson To Fire OC Press Taylor?

November 20th, 2024 at 10:20pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars stood 8-3 at this point last season but have gone 3-14 in the 17 games since that hot start. As a result, Doug Pederson is almost certain to be fired by season’s end. GM Trent Baalke is also on unstable ground.

Pederson remains employed as Jaguars HC, with owner Shad Khan thus far resisting the former Super Bowl-winning coach join Urban Meyer and Gus Bradley in being dismissed in-season. But it appears only a matter of time before Pederson is gone. Some around the league believe Khan will have no choice but to fire both Pederson and Baalke to start the 2025 offseason, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes.

Sitting 2-9 after a 52-6 demolition at the hands of the soaring Lions, the Jaguars rank last defensively despite that being the area Pederson focused on in terms of staff turnover. Pederson fired two-year DC Mike Caldwell and most of his staff but opted to keep OC Press Taylor despite Baalke having conducted a close look into the state of the offense with Taylor at the controls. Pederson made Taylor the team’s full-time play-caller in 2023, and that plan carried over into this season. The younger brother of Bengals HC Zac Taylor, Press has not distinguished himself during a dismal Jags season.

Baalke and Pederson are not seeing eye-to-eye presently, and SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Press Taylor’s presence is a key reason why. Baalke is believed to have wanted Pederson to make more staff changes, with Taylor’s name coming up as one the fourth-year Jags GM would have liked to see go. As was the case with the Eagles, however, Pederson has been loyal to Taylor. This is not the first time Taylor’s name has come up as a Pederson anchor, nor is this the first report of Pederson-Baalke strife.

The Eagles shot down Pederson’s plan to promote Taylor to OC in 2021; the team fired Pederson soon after. Nevertheless, the former Philadelphia honcho brought Taylor with him to Jacksonville and has stuck by him despite steady criticism. The Jaguars have tumbled from 13th to 28th in total offense since last season and 13th to 23rd in scoring. Trevor Lawrence‘s absence has played a small part in the decline, though the former No. 1 overall pick has been healthier than last season on the whole.

It is rather interesting Taylor’s name has caused so many issues for Pederson dating back to his time in Philly — only to see no action taken. Taylor remains in place as Jags OC, though his tenure in that role will be capped at three seasons. This has marked Taylor’s first OC opportunity, but Pederson promoted him to pass-game coordinator with the Eagles. That drew scrutiny once Carson Wentz regressed; Taylor did not interview for another OC post once the Jags hired him in 2022. Taylor, 36, has been a Pederson staffer throughout the latter’s HC tenure, even though it was Chip Kelly who initially brought him to Philly.

The reported HC-GM friction aside, Fowler adds some believe the coach has not lost the locker room. Baalke has plenty to answer for as well, seeing as he greenlit the three most lucrative extensions in franchise history (for Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen and Tyson Campbell) only to see the team plummet off the contender tier. This came two years after Baalke’s famous Travon Walker-over-Aidan Hutchinson call. GMs do not receive second chances on the level HCs do, and it appears more likely than not the former 49ers front office boss’ second GM opportunity is nearing an end.

Doug Pederson Not Considering Reclaiming Jaguars’ Play-Calling Role

September 30th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

Uncertainty about the Jaguars’ play-calling situation persisted throughout the offseason, and fans were kept in the dark about the matter even into the campaign’s first month. Doug Pederson shed some light on the issue in the wake of the team’s fourth loss of the season.

It is indeed OC Press Taylor holding the call sheet, as the longtime Pederson lieutenant did last season and as he did to start the preseason. While Pederson said days before the season he had not decided who would call plays and then did not clear up this matter to start the year, Taylor is at the controls for what has been a tough Jags start.

When asked if he would consider retaking play-calling duties, the third-year Jacksonville HC quickly shot down that notion (via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco) and praised Taylor. The former Super Bowl-winning HC then shifted some blame onto his players, which should do nothing to cool down a seat that has warmed up as the team has gone from authorizing three big-ticket extensions to 0-4.

“For what? I thought he called a great game,” Pederson said of Taylor. “As coaches, we can’t go out there and make the plays. It’s a two-way street. So you guys can sit here and point the finger all you want and it’s fine. Point it right at me, I can take it. OK.”

Pederson served as the Jags’ primary play-caller in his first season, which — perhaps not coincidentally — finished best, as the 9-8 team rallied to the divisional round and gave the eventual Super Bowl-winning Chiefs a scare. That came after a historic wild-card comeback win. Although the Jaguars reached 8-3 last season, they have now lost nine of their past 10 games. Trevor Lawrence has lost his past nine starts. with the quarterback completing just 53.3% of his passes. The former No. 1 pick connected on 66.3% of his throws in 2022 and 65.6% last season. Despite the Jaguars signing Gabriel Davis and then drafting Brian Thomas Jr. in Round 1, their passing game has regressed.

Pederson standing up for Taylor is not new. He employed Press Taylor, the younger brother of Bengals HC Zac Taylor, throughout his Philadelphia tenure. Press Taylor had arrived as a Chip Kelly hire in 2013 but climbed the ladder under Pederson. He became Philly’s QBs coach in 2018 and added the title of pass-game coordinator in 2020. After a 4-12 2020 season that involved the Eagles benching Carson Wentz, Pederson pitched an idea of promoting Taylor to OC to Eagles ownership. Many in the organization were leery of Taylor jumping another rung on the coaching ladder. Philly brass passing on that proposal helped lead Pederson out of town in January 2021.

This offseason, owner Shad Khan seemed to voice a preference for Pederson returning to the play-calling role. After all, Jacksonville’s HC called signals throughout his time running the Eagles and had taken the call sheet at points under Andy Reid in Kansas City. Considering the hot-seat rumors tied to Pederson, he has shown tremendous faith in Taylor.

With the Jags 0-4 after giving Lawrence, Josh Hines-Allen and Tyson Campbell the three most lucrative deals in team history, Khan is undoubtedly losing faith in the hire he made in 2022. Pederson may well be coaching for his job in Week 5, even though he is the first HC to lead this franchise to back-to-back winning seasons wince Jack Del Rio from 2004-05. Khan has fired two coaches (Gus Bradley, Urban Meyer) in-season. It may well be an upset at this point if that number does not expand to three before year’s end.

Relationship Between Doug Pederson, Trent Baalke “Strained”; Latest On Jaguars’ HC, GM

September 29th, 2024 at 10:15pm CST by Rory Parks

Earlier this week, it was reported that Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson’s job could soon be in jeopardy given his team’s uninspired, 0-3 start to the 2024 season. Sources that spoke to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post appear to be in agreement that Jacksonville will indeed be making changes to its coaching staff and/or front office in the near future.

One GM told La Canfora that Pederson would be the first HC dismissed this year, and that, “it’s just a matter of time now. [Trevor Lawrence] hasn’t looked right since they made the playoffs [in 2022], [Pederson]’s offense is terrible, and the defensive coordinator (Ryan Nielsen) looks totally in over his head. That’s a bad football team.”

On the other hand, sources tell Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports that it is unclear exactly what changes owner Shad Khan could realistically make in-season. While much of the blame for the Jags’ poor start has been focused on Pederson and offensive coordinator Press Taylor – which is understandable, given that the team currently ranks 30th in scoring – there is no clear choice to replace either man on the coaching staff at the moment.

Mike McCoy, who currently serves as Jacksonville’s quarterbacks coach, has not coordinated an offense since 2018, when he worked as the Cardinals’ head coach and oversaw a unit that struggled, which led to his own midseason ouster. And while Pederson could certainly take play-calling duties back from Taylor – as owner Shad Khan not-so-subtly suggested should happen back in June – retaining Pederson while firing Taylor seems unlikely.

“No one on staff can replace what Press does for [Pederson],” a source told Jones. Added another source, “I understand everyone’s narrative would be to fire Press. But even from a practical standpoint, I don’t know how you successfully game plan if you fire him. You’re wasting [Lawrence’s] season by doing that.”

Our story from a few days ago indicated that GM Trent Baalke was perhaps on firmer footing than Pederson, though the Jaguars’ struggles obviously are not doing him any favors either. Both Jones and La Canfora make note of Baalke’s ill-fated decision to use the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft on Travon Walker rather than Aidan Hutchinson, to say nothing of the top-of-the-market extension authorized for Lawrence this offseason, a transaction that has already garnered heavy criticism.

Per Jones, the relationship between Baalke and Pederson is strained, and there is “misalignment from owner to GM and head coach.” Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano, like Jones, says the fact that there is no obvious Pederson replacement on the staff could help the embattled HC at least get the chance to finish out the year. That said, if the losses continue to mount, Khan may feel compelled to pull the trigger on a midseason overhaul, in which case he might be making a call to Bill Belichick.

Jaguars Undecided On Week 1 Play-Caller

September 4th, 2024 at 3:09pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars switched their primary play-caller just before last season. At least, it was revealed they would do so shortly before their 2023 slate began. The team’s performance — particularly down the stretch last year — has made this topic one of the top issues coming out of Jacksonville this summer.

Days before Week 1, Doug Pederson may or may not know where the call sheet will reside Sunday. The third-year Jags HC said Wednesday (via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco) he has not decided if he or OC Press Taylor will call plays.

Pederson did say Taylor will be on the sideline, as opposed to in the press box, on gamedays. But the former Super Bowl-winning HC is either leaving the audience in suspense or is taking this rather important decision down to the wire. Pederson served as the Jags’ primary play-caller in 2022 but handed the reins to Taylor last year.

As of the team’s preseason opener, Taylor still held this role. However, Shad Khan injected himself into the proceedings earlier this offseason. Addressing a report that indicated Pederson could be on the hot seat, the owner said he would want to call plays were he in that situation. Khan did not confirm Pederson was on the hot seat, but it did appear the owner would prefer the former Eagles play-caller take the Jags gig back.

Were Pederson truly on the hot seat, it would be odd if he entrusted Taylor once again. Then again, Eagles ownership disagreeing with Pederson’s plan to promote Taylor to OC was among the reasons the HC was forced out of Philadelphia.

Trevor Lawrence‘s injuries hindered Taylor’s first full-time play-calling effort last season, but the team plummeting from 8-3 to 9-8 and out of the playoffs clearly dropped the third-year OC’s stock. Pederson certainly suffered from the collapse as well. Even though the freefall led to DC Mike Caldwell and most of his staff being shown the door, Jags GM Trent Baalke took a long look at the state of the offense as last season deteriorated. It would be interesting, then, to see Taylor back in the role.

Jacksonville made personnel changes on offense, swapping out Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones with Gabriel Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. The team also changed centers, signing longtime Bills blocker Mitch Morse. We will soon find out if another key change is coming.

Latest On Jaguars OC Press Taylor

August 11th, 2024 at 11:37am CST by Rory Parks

For now, at least, Jaguars OC Press Taylor is still the team’s offensive play-caller. Mia O’Brien of 1010 XL noted prior to last night’s preseason opener against the Chiefs that Taylor would call the plays in that contest, and that he would do so from the field as opposed to the booth.

In 2022, Doug Pederson’s first year as Jacksonville’s head coach, Pederson himself handled play-calling duties, and the Jags finished 10th in the league in both points and total offense. Pederson handed the reins to Taylor in advance of the 2023 season, and the club slipped to 13th in both categories and 18th in DVOA. Plus, quarterback Trevor Lawrence did not take the step forward that many anticipated (though that did not stop Lawrence from securing a massive extension in June, which is more of a testament to the exploding QB market than the former Clemson star’s performance to date).

This offseason, GM Trent Baalke was rumored to be taking a hard look into the state of the club’s offense, and Taylor in particular. Obviously, both Pederson and Taylor remain in their respective posts, though the 2024 season will be pivotal for the Duval County futures of the HC/OC duo. Owner Shad Khan made some pointed comments on the matter back in June.

Referencing a New York Times piece alluding to Pederson’s job security, Khan said, “if I were in that situation, I’d want my hands on the wheel. But I don’t want to tell people ‘we need to do it’ because then things don’t work out, they look at me and say, ‘we did it because you wanted it.’ … Doug, he’s empowered. I’m going to let him decide.”

O’Brien did not indicate whether Pederson has even considered a reprisal of his role as play-caller, and it would qualify as something of a surprise if he did, given his steadfast loyalty to Taylor. Indeed, when he was serving as the Eagles’ head coach, Pederson reportedly wanted to promote Taylor – who was Philadelphia’s quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at the time – to offensive coordinator following the 2020 season. Pederson’s disagreements with team brass in that regard led to a mutual parting of the ways just two years after he stewarded the Eagles to their first and only Super Bowl title.

Pederson’s only recent comments about Taylor’s duties pertained to his protege’s move to the field from the booth. “You feel connected to the game a little more [on the field],” Pederson said. “Early in my career, I was in the box as well. Little more challenging up there.”

Nothing about that, of course, indicates that Pederson is contemplating a more dramatic change.

Shad Khan Addresses Jaguars’ Play-Calling Situation, 2023 Shortcomings

June 27th, 2024 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Entering Week 13 competing for the AFC’s No. 1 seed, the Jaguars tumbled to a disappointing 9-8 finish. This led to Doug Pederson canning most of his defensive staff. As for Pederson and the offensive staff, this figures to be an important season — especially now that the Jags extended Trevor Lawrence at a record-tying rate.

Lawrence is now tied to a five-year, $275MM deal, but the contract comes after the former No. 1 overall pick did not build on his late-season 2022 success. Injuries played a central role in Lawrence’s underwhelming third season, but the heat is on Pederson and OC-turned-play-caller Press Taylor.

After Pederson served as the Jags’ primary play-caller in 2022, he handed the reins to Taylor before the ’23 season. A former Pederson assistant in Philadelphia, Taylor — the younger brother of Bengals HC Zac Taylor — had not been a primary play-caller previously. Pederson has not said if he will reclaim those duties this season, but Shad Khan made an interesting comment about the situation. Referencing a New York Times piece alluding to the third-year HC’s job security, the owner said, “If I were in that situation, I’d want my hands on the wheel.”

“Yeah, I have an opinion,” Khan said, via the Associated Press’ Mark Long, on the Jags’ play-calling situation. “But I don’t want to tell people ‘We need to do it’ because then things don’t work out, they look at me and say, ‘We did it because you wanted it.‘ … Doug, he’s empowered. I’m going to let him decide.”

Khan did not indicate this is a do-or-die season for Pederson, though his hypothetical comment regarding the situation could certainly be perceived as the owner having a preference for the head coach taking back the reins. GM Trent Baalke also was believed to be taking a close look at the state of the offense during the season’s final weeks.

The Jags only dropped from 10th to 13th in scoring (DVOA placed Jacksonville’s offense 18th) between 2022 and 2023, but after a strong finish covered for a sluggish start in Pederson’s Jacksonville debut, his 2023 follow-up’s fortunes nosedived in the second half. Lawrence finished in the same QBR position (17th) as 2022, but after the team gave the fourth-year passer a $55MM-per-year deal, it stands to reason it expects a jump from the former elite prospect.

If Taylor lands another shot as the team’s play-caller, it will certainly come with high stakes for the 36-year-old assistant. Pederson showed enough confidence in Taylor he wanted to promote him to OC in Philly following the 2020 season. Eagles ownership disagreed, leading to Pederson’s dismissal two years after Super Bowl LII.

When addressing the events of last season as a whole, Khan called it an “organizational failure.” The Jags, who also made franchise-tagged defender Josh Allen the NFL’s second-highest-paid edge rusher, have one 10-win season during Khan’s 12-year ownership tenure.

“Injuries are a part of the game. We had some of those injuries, but I think it’s organizational failure that it happened,” Khan said. “All of these players I talked to, it’s like how could this happen? What happened?

“For me, it’s really a cause for self-reflection and then something good to come out of it because we just can’t have that this year.”

Pederson’s first season gave Khan some cover for his disastrous Urban Meyer decision, one he backtracked on in less than a year. Although Khan fired Meyer and 2012 hire Mike Mularkey after one season, the Jags owner gave Doug Marrone four-plus seasons and Gus Bradley nearly four years despite the latter’s tenure producing a historically bad .226 win percentage. But the Jags have been one of the NFL’s worst franchises under Khan’s ownership.

The Pederson-Lawrence partnership represents a gateway to potential contender status, and were Khan to fire the former Super Bowl-winning HC, it would tie the franchise quarterback — the only one left standing with his original team from 2021’s five-QB first round — to a third offensive scheme in five seasons. This is a rather deep AFC, however, and it will be challenging for the Jaguars to infiltrate the conference’s top tier. The team will hope a Lawrence leap can elevate the roster, one that added two new wide receivers (Gabe Davis, first-rounder Brian Thomas Jr.) and veteran linemen in Arik Armstead and Mitch Morse, this offseason.

Assessing NFL’s OC Landscape

February 15th, 2024 at 8:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason showed the turnover that can take place at the offensive coordinator position. As a result of several decisions in January and February, the NFL no longer has an OC who has been in his current role for more than two seasons. Various firings and defections now have the 2022 batch of hires stationed as the longest-tenured OCs.

One of the longest-tenured coordinators in NFL history, Pete Carmichael is no longer with the Saints. The team moved on after 15 seasons, a stay that featured part-time play-calling duties. The Browns canned their four-year non-play-calling OC, Alex Van Pelt, while three-year play-callers Arthur Smith and Shane Waldron are relocating this winter. Brian Callahan‘s five-year gig as the Bengals’ non-play-calling OC booked him a top job.

The recent lean toward offense-oriented HCs took a bit of a hit of a hit this offseason, with five of the eight jobs going to defense-oriented leaders. Callahan, Dave Canales and Jim Harbaugh were the only offense-geared candidates hired during this cycle. But half the NFL will go into this season with a new OC. Following the Seahawks’ decision to hire ex-Washington (and, briefly, Alabama) staffer Ryan Grubb, here is how the NFL’s OC landscape looks:

2022 OC hires

Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions*
Mike Kafka, New York Giants*
Wes Phillips, Minnesota Vikings
Frank Smith, Miami Dolphins
Adam Stenavich, Green Bay Packers
Press Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars*

Although this sextet now comprises the senior wing of offensive coordinators, this still marks each’s first gig as an NFL OC. Three of the six received HC interest this offseason.

Johnson’s status back in Detroit has been one of the offseason’s top storylines and a development the Commanders have not taken especially well. The two-year Lions OC was viewed as the frontrunner for the Washington job for weeks this offseason, and when team brass did not receive word about Johnson’s intent to stay in Detroit (thus, waiting until at least 2025 to make his long-expected HC move) until a Commanders contingent was en route to Detroit for a second interview, a back-and-forth about what exactly broke down took place. Johnson should be expected to remain a high-end HC candidate next year, but Dan Campbell will still have his services for 2024.

Kafka interviewed for the Seahawks’ HC job, and the Giants then blocked him from meeting with the NFC West team about its OC position. Rumblings about Kafka and Brian Daboll no longer being on great terms surfaced this year, with the latter yanking away play-calling duties — given to Kafka ahead of the 2022 season — at points in 2023. Taylor may also be on the hot seat with his team. Doug Pederson gave Taylor the call sheet last season, and Trevor Lawrence did not make the leap many expected. After a collapse left the Jaguars out of the playoffs, the team had begun to look into its offensive situation.

2023 OC hires

Jim Bob Cooter, Indianapolis Colts
Nathaniel Hackett, New York Jets*
Mike LaFleur, Los Angeles Rams
Joe Lombardi, Denver Broncos
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens*
Matt Nagy, Kansas City Chiefs
Drew Petzing, Arizona Cardinals*
Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas Cowboys
Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans*

Only nine of the 15 OCs hired in 2023 are still with their teams. One (Canales) moved up the ladder, while others were shown the door following that organization canning its head coach. The Eagles were the only team who hired an offensive coordinator last year to fire that staffer (Brian Johnson) after one season. Nick Sirianni fired both his coordinators following a wildly disappointing conclusion.

Hackett may also be drifting into deep water, given what transpired last year in New York. Rumblings of Robert Saleh — who is on the hottest seat among HCs — stripping some of his offensive play-caller’s responsibilities surfaced recently. This marks Hackett’s fourth chance to call plays in the NFL; the second-generation staffer did so for the Bills, Jaguars and Broncos prior to coming to New York. After the 2022 Broncos ranked last in scoring, the ’23 Jets ranked 31st in total offense. Hackett’s relationship with Aaron Rodgers has largely kept him in place, but 2024 may represent a last chance for the embattled coach.

Of this crop, Monken and Slowik were the only ones to receive HC interest. Neither emerged as a frontrunner for a position, though Slowik met with the Commanders twice. The Texans then gave their first-time play-caller a raise to stick around for C.J. Stroud‘s second season. Stroud’s remarkable progress figures to keep Slowik on the HC radar. Monken, who is in his third try as an NFL OC (after gigs in Tampa and Cleveland), just helped Lamar Jackson to his second MVP award. The former national championship-winning OC did not stick the landing — as Jackson struggled against the Chiefs — but he fared well on the whole last season.

Schottenheimer is on his fourth go-round as an OC, while Lombardi is on team No. 3. The latter’s job figures to be more secure, being tied to Sean Payton, compared to what is transpiring in Dallas. With the Cowboys having Mike McCarthy as the rare lame-duck HC, his coordinators probably should not get too comfortable.

2024 OC hires

Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills*
Liam Coen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers*
Ken Dorsey, Cleveland Browns
Luke Getsy, Las Vegas Raiders*
Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks*
Nick Holz, Tennessee Titans
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders*
Klint Kubiak, New Orleans Saints*
Brad Idzik, Carolina Panthers
Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles*
Dan Pitcher, Cincinnati Bengals
Zac Robinson, Atlanta Falcons*
Greg Roman, Los Angeles Chargers*
Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers*
Alex Van Pelt, New England Patriots*
Shane Waldron, Chicago Bears*

The 49ers do not employ a traditional OC; 16 of the 31 teams that do recently made a change. Most of the teams to add OCs this year, however, did so without employing play-calling coaches. This naturally raises the stakes for this year’s batch of hires.

Retreads became rather popular. Dorsey, Getsy, Moore, Van Pelt and Waldron were all OCs elsewhere (Buffalo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Seattle) last season. Smith will shift from calling the Falcons’ plays to running the show for the Steelers. Dorsey, Getsy and Van Pelt were fired; Moore and Waldron moved on after the Chargers and Seahawks respectively changed HCs. Moore and Smith will be calling plays for a third team; for Moore, this is three OC jobs in three years.

Coen, Kingsbury and Roman are back after a year away. Kingsbury became a popular name on the OC carousel, having coached Caleb Williams last season. This will be his second crack at an NFL play-calling gig, having been the Cardinals’ conductor throughout his HC tenure. This will be Coen’s first shot at calling plays in the pros; he was Sean McVay‘s non-play-calling assistant in 2022. Likely to become the Chargers’ play-caller, Roman will have a rare fourth chance to call plays in the NFL. He held that responsibility under Jim Harbaugh in San Francisco; following Harbaugh’s explosive 2015 49ers split, Roman moved to Buffalo and Baltimore to work under non-offense-oriented leaders.

Grubb, Holz, Idzik, Pitcher and Robinson represent this year’s first-timer contingent. Grubb has, however, called plays at the college level. Robinson is the latest McVay staffer to move into a play-calling post; he was a Rams assistant for five years. A host of teams had Robinson on their OC radar, but Raheem Morris brought his former L.A. coworker to Atlanta. Pitcher appeared in a few searches as well, but the Bengals made the expected move — after extending him last year — to give him Callahan’s old job.

* = denotes play-calling coordinator

AFC South Notes: Taylor, Rankins, Colts

January 21st, 2024 at 10:35am CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars are retooling their defensive staff after their late-season collapse knocked them out of playoff position, but Jacksonville’s offense submitted a clunky campaign as well. Trevor Lawrence did not take the step forward many expected, battling injuries and producing an inconsistent third season. After finishing 10th in points and yards in 2022, the Jags ranked 13th in both categories (and 18th in DVOA) this season. As Doug Pederson fired most of his defensive assistants, SI.com’s Albert Breer notes some late-season buzz pointed to GM Trent Baalke taking a hard look into the state of the offense.

This effort is believed to have centered around OC Press Taylor, whom Pederson gave play-calling duties before the season. Pederson called plays in 2022. Pederson displayed loyalty to Taylor in Philadelphia, and Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie was not onboard with the prospect of Press Taylor — the younger brother of Bengals HC Zac Taylor — staying on as Eagles QBs coach and pass-game coordinator for a second season back in 2021. (The Eagles did not employ an OC that year, making Taylor Pederson’s top lieutenant on that side of the ball.) Nearly two weeks after the Jags’ season ended, Taylor remains on track to be the Jags’ OC for a third year. The coming season will be pivotal for the Jags, who may want to see a true leap from Lawrence before extending him.

Here is the latest from the AFC South:

Sheldon Rankins has now played out his one-year Texans contract, though the team has exclusive negotiating rights with the veteran defensive tackle until the legal tampering period begins in March. Rankins, however, said (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson) he would prefer to re-sign with the Texans rather than leaving in free agency. Working as a full-time starter, Rankins played well in Houston. The former Saints and Jets D-tackle registered six sacks and returned a fumble for a touchdown this season. The Texans have part of their DT equation solved, having given Maliek Collins another contract (two years, $23MM) last summer.
Kenny Moore‘s Colts contract became an issue back in 2022. With the NFL still not placing considerable value on slot cornerbacks financially — at least, not compared to high-end boundary cover men — Moore expressed frustration about the four-year, $33.3MM deal he signed back in 2019. Moore has now played out his deal and is on track to be a first-time free agent. One of the NFL’s better slot corners over the course of his career, Moore became vital to a Colts team that did not feature consistent perimeter coverage this season. While the prospect of testing the market would seem appealing, Moore said (via the Indianapolis Star’s Joel Erickson) he wants to stay in Indianapolis. After an injury-plagued 2022, Moore returned to form this season. With Moore intercepting three passes and returning two for TDs, Pro Football Focus ranked the 28-year-old defender 17th at the position.
Ryan Kelly attempted to set the record straight recently, indicating (via Fox 59’s Mike Chappell) he is not considering retirement. The eight-year Colts center finished up his age-30 season, ranking as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall center, and is under contract for 2024. The Colts shopped Kelly this past offseason. The final year of the Pro Bowler’s contract includes a nonguaranteed $11.4MM base salary.

Jaguars OC Press Taylor To Serve As Primary Play-Caller

September 10th, 2023 at 11:10am CST by Rory Parks

Jaguars OC Press Taylor will serve as the team’s primary offensive play-caller in 2023, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Taylor, who joined the team in 2022 as part of head coach Doug Pederson‘s first Jacksonville staff, called plays in the second halves of games last year and will now get the chance to run the show on a full-time basis.

“I totally trust Press,” Pederson said. “We think alike. We’ve been together for a long time, and he’s around [quarterback] Trevor [Lawrence] all the time and knows what Trevor likes.”

Taylor worked under Pederson on the latter’s Eagles staffs from 2016-20, operating as a quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Pederson reportedly wanted to promote Taylor to offensive coordinator in Philadelphia following the 2020 season, and his disagreements with the organization in that regard led to a mutual parting of the ways. Pederson spent the 2021 season away from the NFL while Taylor worked as a senior offensive assistant with the Colts. The two men reunited in Duval last year, with Taylor landing the OC post.

After a disappointing rookie season in 2021 under then-HC Urban Meyer, Lawrence thrived in the Pederson-Taylor offense in 2022, throwing 25 TDs against just eight inteceptions and leading the Jags to a stirring victory in the wildcard round of the playoffs. The Jags finished 10th in the league in both total offense and points per game, and there is reason to believe that they will perform even better this season.

While it would be fair to question whether this move is an attempt to fix a problem that doesn’t exist — as former Jaguars beat writer and current Bills reporter Ryan O’Halloran suggested — Pederson will obviously continue to have a significant role in the offensive design and gameday preparation. Plus, as Pederson himself noted, his own career trajectory unfolded in a similar fashion.

“It’s kind of like coach [Andy] Reid did with me in 2015 in Kansas City,” Pederson said. “Coach Reid would call the first half and he would let me call the second half with a very watchful eye.”

“Press is a smart coach who has been in the league a long time. He’s going to be a head coach one day,” Pederson added. “What better time than right now with the team we have to get that experience?”

The Jaguars’ new arrangement will get its first test against the division-rival Colts in the regular season opener today.

Jaguars To Reduce Travis Etienne’s Workload

May 29th, 2023 at 5:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

Travis Etienne made his long-awaited debut with the Jaguars in 2022, and he delivered a strong season as the team’s lead running back. The former first-rounder is part of a more crowded RB room in Jacksonville, now, however, something which is expected to affect his usage rate.

Jacksonville turned lead back duties over to Etienne on a permanent basis midway through the 2022 campaign when they traded away James Robinson. The former was left with a sizeable workload, seeing 74% of running back carries following the trade. That came in part due to his effectiveness, but also the lack of other options the team had on the depth chart.

This offseason, the Jaguars have supplemented Snoop Conner and JaMycal Hasty with free agent signing D’Ernest Johnson and third-round rookie Tank Bigsby. Johnson showed signficant potential in a rotational role with the Browns, while Bigsby put up considerable production during a three-year career at Auburn. Those two are in line to play a notable supporting role in their first season in Duval County.

ESPN’s Michael DiRocco notes that Jacksonville’s moves at the position this year have been aimed at reducing Etienne’s workload moving forward. The Clemson product logged a snap share of 60% overall on the season – though that figure was higher following the Robinson trade. Overall, he totaled 1,125 yards on 220 carries (good for an average of 5.1 yards per attempt), adding 316 yards in the passing game. His aim, and that of the team, will be a setup allowing him to remain efficient on the ground and in the air while lessening the burden he is responsible for in the offense.

“I feel like it keeps the wear and tear off my body,” Etienne said. “I don’t have to go and bang myself up each and every play. I’ve got somebody else to take a couple licks off of me and I love that.”

Offensive coordinator Press Taylor confirmed that the RB pecking order and workload will be determined over the summer, but Etienne remains in line for signficant usage in 2023. On a team with a capable array of pass-catchers (especially considering the reinstatement of Calvin Ridley) and, now, a deeper group in the backfield, though, Etienne’s second NFL campaign should see him on the field slightly less often than his first.

Load More Posts