5 Moves Jacksonville Jaguars Should Have Made This Offseason
The Jacksonville Jaguars have had an active and promising offseason, but it wouldn't be accurate to say that it has been perfect. There are still a few spots where it seems the Jaguars would've been able to upgrade, but it never came through.
And, while the age-old phrase of "hindsight is 20-20" is relevant here, there were moves to be made coming into the offseason that the Jaguars should've considered. It's never easy to tell what a front office will deem most important and worth doing, and such was the case with the Jaguars.
Sure, there were links to obvious fits in the team, but the Jaguars skipped on players in free agency and on potential re-signs who could have had the team in even better shape than it is currently.
No one understands the situation and needs of the Jaguars better than general manager Dave Caldwell, but there are fair criticisms to make.
Keeping Geno Hayes
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Geno Hayes was a solid contributor to the Jaguars in 2013 and 2014, and over that two-year span, he totaled 92 solo tackles, two forced fumbles and three sacks. However, Jacksonville didn't re-sign the strong-side linebacker this past offseason.
He was never a standout, but anyone who has watched the Jaguars regularly knows that Hayes had a place with this team. Sure, the Jaguars signed Dan Skuta to get a proper starter at the "Sam" spot, but was there not room or need for Hayes?
According to Spotrac, he didn't take up a lot of cap space, so that couldn't have been the issue. And with LaRoy Reynolds, Khairi Fortt and Thurston Armbrister currently battling for the backup spot, it seems like Hayes would've been a viable backup.
Head coach Gus Bradley's defense requires the LBs to help in coverage, and while Hayes wasn't perfect, he was useful. He could've been a great option to push Skuta and to come in on various situations or to even take over if Skuta couldn't get the job done.
Every team-player relationship has untold details, but it doesn't make sense that the Jaguars didn't re-sign Hayes.
Signing a Veteran Wide Receiver
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It may have not been the most open market for wide receivers, but 2015 free agency gave the Jaguars options for a veteran receiver who could both contribute and compete. They passed on everyone and now have a young WR core that could use a veteran presence.
Allen Robinson (age 21), Marqise Lee (23) and Allen Hurns (23) are all promising young receivers, but each has injury issues and inconsistencies. With guys like Stevie Johnson, Michael Crabtree and Brian Hartline available on the cheap (all three make less than $4 million a year), there's no reason the Jaguars shouldn't have capitalized on that.
Per Packer Report's Bill Huber, the Jaguars were seemingly interested in Randall Cobb (just about everyone in the NFL was, as Acme Packing Co. detailed), but nothing ever materialized. And for his $10 million-a-year demands, that's understandable.
But they also didn't need a guy like Cobb, who won't put up numbers similar to Dez Bryant's with a quarterback like Blake Bortles. Instead, grabbing a Johnson or Hartline would steady the receivers and Bortles and really help the offense.
But they didn't see the need, and adding tight end Julius Thomas does help a lot. Still, it's hard not to wonder how helpful a veteran presence could be to a young and talented group.
Signing a Top Free Safety
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Like WR, free safety wasn't a major commodity of 2015 free agency, but there were still some great options for a top-10 or even a top-five free safety in the league. It's hard to throw down the money for a position like free safety, and the Jaguars showed that this offseason.
This isn't a knock on Sergio Brown, who will be a serviceable player and decent starter if he can beat out rookie James Sample. Brown has experience and will be fine this season, but with guys like Devin McCourty and Nate Allen available, it's hard not to wonder.
Both Allen and McCourty were in positions to move on from their respective teams, and in Allen's case, he did. And it's not like Allen went to a top team; he signed with the struggling Oakland Raiders, who are at about the same level in terms of free agency.
Having top players at every position is impossible, but free safety was one that could've seen a huge improvement. Instead, the Jaguars went with Brown and Sample, and hopefully one of the two can pay off in a big way in 2015 and in the future.
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Veteran Depth Behind Telvin Smith
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Telvin Smith might be the brightest young player on the team. He's quick, instinctive and is not afraid to fly all over the field to make plays. However, he's only entering his sophomore year, and with a lack of experienced depth behind him, it may have been in the Jaguars' best interest to sign a backup with experience.
Larry Dean and Keith Rivers, both leaving the Buffalo Bills for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys, respectively, were two experienced options who could've been solid options for when Smith needed a break or a push.
Sure, Smith seems like he has enough energy and passion to play 40 games a season, but he is only human. He still makes mistakes and still has a lot to learn, and having someone behind him to guide and help would've been a smart move.
With John Lotulelei, Todd Thomas and Matt Robinson competing for the backup spot, the Jaguars run into a similar situation at the "Will" that they are dealing with at the Sam. They could've easily remedied the drop-off in depth, but it just didn't happen for whatever reason.
Smith should be able to hold his own this season, but he's young and will still be a little raw. And should the 24-year-old get injured, the Jaguars could be in trouble at the weak-side LB spot.
The Curious Case of DeMarco Murray
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DeMarco Murray is a top-five running back in the NFL and is one of the most complete backs in the game. Efficient between the tackles, dangerous on the outside and as a receiver and electric in big games, he seemed like the top back available in this year's free agency.
So it was no wonder that the Jaguars and plenty of other teams were in pursuit for his signature, per the Florida Times-Union's Ryan O'Halloran. He has the ability to transform an average offense into an incredible one, and signing him was probably a priority.
But it almost seemed destined that Murray would head to the Philadelphia Eagles. They rid themselves of LeSean McCoy and are consistently pushing for more playoff success, and it seemed like a perfect fit.
While there are no confirmed numbers, the Jaguars likely threw a good bit of money, probably around $10 million a year, to sign him. But he didn't choose the Jags and is now an Eagle to no one's surprise.
It hurts to realize, but the Jaguars' current state is not one a lot of top players consider appealing. They know that their shelf life and the Jaguars' probable contention for a Super Bowl don't match up, and that's what happened with Murray.
Signing Murray was what everyone, including the front office, wanted, but it was just never in the cards.
All stats were provided by ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the Jacksonville Jaguars. Follow Evan on Twitter at @evanreier.
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