After a turbulent 12 months, the Jacksonville Jaguars manager can do two things.
First, his first AFC South appointment as the Jaguars’ general manager, which will give him a chance to start the offseason safely without his performance being questioned.
Second, he may have the final say.
Almost exactly a year after fans flocked to Jacksonville’s final home game, dressed in clown uniforms to express their emotions over owner Shad Khan’s retention of Baalke in the wake of Urban Meyer’s firing, Baalke can very much call himself the AFC South champion. . due to the personnel movements that he and his workplace have made.
It hasn’t been the best of things for the Jaguars and Baalke since he first joined the organization as director of the team’s player staffing staff in 2020. But Baalke, with the apparent contributions of owner Shad Khan, head coach Doug Pederson and his team, and the Jaguars’ roster helped lift the Jaguars.
At last year’s NFL Scouting Combine, Baalke said he was looking to break the Jaguars out of the doldrums.
Now, after a 9-8 record, fourth place in the AFC and second AFC South championship in franchise history, the once-struggling general manager can pretty much tell those who oppose him to eat the crow, even if they don’t. in their ranks. style to do so.
Baalke was named interim general manager at the end of a fickle one-win season after then-general manager Dave Caldwell was fired in a year in which the Jaguars won the No. 1 pick for the first time in franchise history.
Jacksonville’s 2021 was as bad as a season can be for any NFL franchise. Not only did the Jaguars finish with the worst 3-14 record in the NFL, but the team was marred by controversies in and out of the box due to former disgraces. Coach Urban Meyer.
Baalke and the striker didn’t have their hands blank in the mess of a season, although it’s clear that a year later (and even then) the vast majority of the blame lies with Meyer.
But even with all the baggage Meyer brings, several failures in free agency a year ago and the inability to build a solid formula in terms of ability around rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence were a deserved flaw for Baalke. The Jaguars’ lack of weapons around Lawrence and lack of playmakers on defense served as a rallying cry for a segment of enthusiasts who were brazenly clamoring for Baalke’s spot.
But a year later, Baalke is the young returnee who no one supported. A year after the Jaguars’ 2021 draft variety was selected, the organization proved indispensable in Jacksonville’s loss to the Titans.
Less than a year after Baalke was publicly criticized for spending a lot of money on Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Engram, Foyesade Oluokun, Brandon Scherff, Foley Fatukasi and Darious Williams, each and every member of the 2022 free-agent elegance has played a major role. vital role in transforming the Jaguars from worst to first.
While there are still moves worth wondering about in 2022, that can be said for any team. But just by looking at the box that left the champion at TIAA Bank Field on Saturday, it’s easy to see where Baalke made his mark.
No credit is given to Lawrence, whom anyone would have picked at No. 1. And it is widely accepted that Etienne was more of a choice of Meyer. But the rest of the elegance of 2021 was a home run.
Tyson Campbell has one of the top 10 most sensible cornerbacks. Walker Little solidified after three starts at left tackle, giving the Jaguars a post-injury security from Cam Robinson that almost no other team could have. Andre Cisco has been a reliable point guard. Luke Farrell is a vital component of the special and depth groups.
Then, this year’s flexible draft and enterprise class.
Kirk rushed for 1,000 yards and scored the Jaguars’ only offensive touchdown on Saturday. Zay Jones has had a year of career. Engram is one of the NFL’s most productive tight ends. Williams has excelled after being traded to outside cornerback. Over the past month. Oluokun led the NFL in tackles and the most important piece of defense. Scherff anchored the offensive line and started each and every game for the first time since 2016, his second year in the NFL.
Finally, the 2022 draft.
Travon Walker, despite recording only 3. 5 sacks as a rookie, dominated departmental games. It’s one of the main reasons the Jaguars limited Derrick Henry on Sunday, taking credit away from strength with an elite defense opposed to the run, while also adding total tension to create for other defenders.
They’ve made fun of Walker’s No. 1 number. But, in hindsight, it’s hard to see Aidan Hutchinson, Kayvon Thibodeaux or any other pick having an impact on the bigger game like Walker did.
Devin Lloyd and Luke Fortner, while not perfect, have also played a vital role throughout the year. Lloyd played 80% of the team’s snaps and recorded five serves, while Fortner played all 17 games at center. Add in third-round linebacker Chad Muma, giving the Jaguars a much-needed option as a linebacker and special teammate, the elegance of the 2022 draft seems like a vital component of what the Jaguars and Baalke are building.
There was once a trail to Baalke’s draft and the 2022 spending spree that sank the Jaguars. Now, however, that trail has led the Jaguars to prepare for a wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
While it’s worth noting that Pederson and his team have played a vital role in the progression and fulfillment of the aforementioned players, it’s also worth gifting Baalke with his flowers.
Baalke was once a long-suffering general manager who seemed to squander a No. 1 pick. Today, he is an AFC South champion who has helped make the Jaguars a bigger and bigger team for the future. What he does next will be his mandate, but the fires of the afterlife age have already been extinguished.