Early in the 2019 off-season, the Jacksonville Jaguars made the quarterback switch most, at that point, expected; swapping Blake Bortles for Nick Foles. By now, you know that story of Foles. But, if you don’t, let’s catch you up (if you do, skip to the third paragraph). In 2012, he was drafted by the Eagles in the third round, by the end of 2013, he was a Pro-Bowl MVP. But, after a frustrating third season, he was shipped off to the Rams in 2015 in exchange for Sam Bradford. Then, two years later, he resigned with the Eagles and proceeded to shock the world as Carson Wentz's backup turned Super Bowl LII MVP.
After winning the Super Bowl, Foles again stepped in for an injured Wentz. In 2018, he led the then-6-7 Eagles to a wildcard birth and win. But, in his second consecutive playoff run, he fell short, falling to the Saints on a dropped catch turned interception. Nonetheless, the result of the story is a quarterback forever engrained into Philadelphia and NFL folklore. But, now, he’s onto the next chapter, as he agreed to sign with the Jaguars on a four-year $88 deal in March.
Foles will join a well-built Jaguars team with a Super Bowl caliber defense, but is the offense enough for him to succeed? To find that out, it should be known what type of offensive build he does best in, including coaching. After accounting for the Eagles roster build in his three best seasons (2013, 2017, and 2018), it was pretty easy to see what Foles does best with.
Here is the “ideal” offensive coaching and roster build for Foles:
Coaching: He's historically done in his best work with pass-happy, offensive-minded coaching staffs. His 27-2 TD-INT ratio in 2013 can be partially credited to Chip Kelly’s high-profile offense. In his two “comeback” seasons, he played under Doug Pederson’s offense – a little less aggressive than Kelly’s but more pass orientated. The team’s average pass percentage play rate during his three best seasons of play stands at 56.77% — a reasonably high number.
Offensive line: This should come as no surprise, but Foles, a pocket quarterback, is at his best when his line is. Though he’s a good thrower under pressure, he’s not nimble. His three best seasons of play directly correlates with his offensive line. At least two Pro-Bowl offensive linemen blocked for him in each of those three seasons.
Running backs: From LeSean McCoy to Todd Gurley to Jay Ajayi, Foles has played with high-quality backs. And he can take advantage of them. He's an excellent play-action thrower, and it showed in his second stint with the Eagles. In 2017 through 2018, he was famed for his use of the RPO (essentially play-action), but it was at its best with a powerful running back — think Jay Ajayi or Josh Adams.
Wide receivers: Foles throws to his receivers a lot, and he’s played with a few good ones. However, at his best, his receivers were able to stretch the field with speed. It's easy to see why, he's an aggressive, gunslinger-type quarterback with a big arm. It should be noted that he built a rapport with Alshon Jeffery during his second stint in Philly as well. Jeffery isn’t a speedster, but he is a contested catch ace and a respected No. 1 option. But maybe his career best QB-WR tandem was with speedster DeSean Jackson in 2013.
Tight ends: Foles tends to favor slot receivers over tight ends in the inside, but he’s made use of “move” tight ends in the past. The NFL's ideal “move” tight end Zach Ertz was used less with Foles than Wentz on the Eagles, but it wasn't a huge dropoff in production.
With the “ideal Foles build” in mind, let’s see if the Jaguars check off any of those boxes above.
Coaching: Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone isn’t particularly offensive or pass-orientated, but their offensive coordinator John DeFilippo is. DeFilippo was a big selling point for Foles, as he was the quarterback coach in Philadelphia during his second tenure. But their fit doesn't end with chemistry; he’s as pass-happy as it gets and uses the RPO and Pederson-like schemes frequently. CHECK
Offensive line: The Jaguars line has a lot of talent, but they couldn’t stay healthy last year. If they can stay on the field, Foles will likely deal with a clean pocket more often than not. 2017 All-Pro guard Andrew Norwell was a big get for them in last year’s off-season, but he didn’t repeat as an All-Pro in 2018. Their center Brandon Linder is amongst the best in the league, and young tackles Cam Robinson and Ja’Waan Taylor have franchise potential. Though they need to develop together and stay healthy, the offensive line appears to be solid. CHECK
Running backs: Foles and DeFilippo have precisely what they need to bring the RPO to Jacksonville — Leonard Fournette. Though the 2017 No. 4 overall pick has dealt with injuries through his first two years, his power, speed, build, and relentlessness have star written all over it. To back him up, the Jaguars have Alfred Blue, Thomas Rawls, Ryquell Armstead, and Benny Cunningham in place. Four primarily power backs and a scat-back in total. Very similar to his time in Philadelphia. CHECK
Wide receivers: There is a lot of intriguing talents here, but a notable lack of known commodities. The young grouping of DeDe Westbrook, Keelan Cole, and D.J. Chark is fast, versatile, and shows promise. And you can say the same for their veterans Marqise Lee, Chris Conley, and Terrell Pryor. But, there isn't a known No. 1 in place, there is just speed and potential. Though I think Lee or Westbrook could be that respectable No. 1, for now, they aren’t. NOT YET
Tight end: It’s a good thing Foles isn’t reliant on tight ends because the Jaguars don’t have an outstanding one on the roster. However, rookie Josh Oliver is an interesting piece as a “move” tight end similar to Ertz. Foles will likely see the same traits in Oliver that he's played with in the past. CHECK, KIND OF
As it currently stands, the Jaguars have three out of the five pieces needed to get the most out of Foles. As for the other two, there is a good foundation, and they could be pluses if potential turns to production.
All in all, Jacksonville appears to be a good fit for the Foles. The team is mostly suited for his playstyle, and I expect them to build upon that continually. If you think the Jaguars have a legitimate playoff contender built on a stingy pass-defense aided by a well-built offense, you are right.
On another note, with Foles in-fold, the Jaguars may make the AFC South one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. Their rivals the Texans, Colts, and Titans are all strong and are playoff contenders in their own rights.
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