After advancing to the 2017 AFC Championship Game and nearly beating the New England Patriots, many believed that the Jacksonville Jaguars were serious Super Bowl contenders for the 2018 season.
After all, their defense was arguably the best in the league, and they had running back Leonard Fournette, the fourth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, leading their offense.
Instead, the Jags finished 5-11, and now own the seventh overall draft selection. Significant changes must be made in order for this team to exit the AFC South cellar, and they will not be easy to make.
Jacksonville is in a very difficult salary cap situation, and must figure out a way to implement these five fixes before the 2019 season kicks off.
5. Move on from QB Blake Bortles
There have been some ups, and there have been many more downs, but the Blake Bortles era needs to end.
Bortles is the definition of inconsistent, and the issue of his shoddy accuracy was only worsened in 2018 by his timidness in the pocket. He tended to take the easy throw, dumping the ball off rather than pushing it downfield. Defenses did not respect Bortles' throwing ability and began to stack the box against the run, daring Bortles to beat them threw the air. When he couldn't (which was quite often), Jacksonville's offense couldn't move the ball.
Bortles' play is bad enough, but his contract is even worse.
Before the 2018 season, the Jags gave him a three-year extension worth $54 million. That may have been the worst decision of the offseason, as now the Jaguars are over the salary cap, have some major holes on their roster, have young players who must be extended soon, and are stuck paying a bad QB $16 million next season.
The Jags still owe Bortles $10 million of his signing bonus, so if he is cut or traded this offseason, they will be on the hook for that $10 million in dead money. Cutting him would save $4.5 million this season, while trading him would save a total of $11 million, in addition to eliminating the cap hit he currently has.
Jacksonville could offer Bortles and a second-round pick to a team like the Browns or Jets, similar to what the Texans did with Brock Osweiler two years ago. However, cutting him seems to be the more likely option at this point.
No matter which direction the Jags decide to go, Bortles cannot be the starting QB for this team next season.
4. Shed unnecessary salary
Bortles isn't the only bad contract on the roster. Far from it.
Defensive tackle Malik Jackson is a good player, but will make $13 million next season. He can be cut for a $4 million penalty, which seems like the smart move to make.
Although he had a poor season, 2018 first-round pick Taven Bryan would be able to replace Jackson inside. Marcell Dareus is another DT who could be on the bubble, as his $8.3 million salary is rich for a player who doesn't generate much interior pressure.
Marqise Lee is overpaid but nothing can really be done with his contract until after the season, and Carlos Hyde is almost guaranteed to be released. Jacksonville must create as much space as possible, as they have pressing issues to address.
3. Improve the skill positions
There have been rumors that the Jaguars may look to trade Leonard Fournette, and while he may have been a disappointment thus far, it's worth holding onto him for now, at least until he can be judged with any semblance of a legitimate passing game.
That means that in addition to a new QB, the Jags need to find more weapons.
Losing Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns hampered the offense last year, and now more talent will leave, as RB T.J. Yeldon is a free agent. Donte Moncrief, Marqise Lee, DeDe Westbrook, and Keelan Cole is an average WR corps that needs another piece.
The Jaguars do have the seventh overall pick, so while it would probably be a reach, taking a WR like D.K. Metcalf or N'Keal Harry would do wonders for the offense.
2. Lock up young talent
Cap space is needed to make the team better now, but it's going to be even more important in the next few years as players become eligible for extensions.
The biggest name is Jalen Ramsey, who will likely end up as the NFL's highest-paid cornerback. Others include Myles Jack, Cam Robinson, and Yannick Ngakoue.
Those four players could easily take up nearly half of Jacksonville's payroll, so they would be wise to begin making preparations as soon as possible.
1. Find a quarterback
The most important position in football is also why the Jaguars went 5-11 with a great defense.
You cannot win in the NFL without a good QB, and acquiring one needs to be priority number one this offseason. Whether that is through the draft, free agency, or a trade remains to be seen. Nick Foles, Tyrod Taylor, Teddy Bridgewater, Dwayne Haskins, and Drew Lock are all options. The problem lies in how to get each one.
Foles would need to be traded for, which would cost valuable assets, and then he would need to be paid as well. If he were to flame out like he did in St. Louis, Jacksonville would be in big trouble.
Taylor and Bridgewater would need to be signed, and right now, the Jags don't have the cap space to afford them.
In order to draft Haskins, the Jaguars would need to trade up from their seventh spot, outbidding the New York Giants in the process, who own the sixth pick. Haskins would be the most costly option, as the Jags would most likely lose their first three picks this year and another high selection in 2020.
Additionally, Haskins is not an NFL-ready prospect. There will be growing pains for him in his rookie season, and even after that. If he is not protected well and surrounded by weapons, things could get ugly.
The Jaguars were arguably the most disappointing team of 2018. The reason can be traced back to the quarterback position.
However, Jacksonville has more problems than just QB, and must fix them before they can even begin to contend with the rest of their division, let alone be considered Super Bowl contenders again.
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