Jaguars Owner Shad Khan Comments on Jacksonville's Roster, 2016 Expectations

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been patient with the regime of head coach Gus Bradley and general manager Dave Caldwell, who have produced only 12 wins in three seasons.

This year is the time for the Jags to show the fruits of a laborious, long-gestating rebuilding project, according to team owner Shad Khan.

Speaking to USA Today's Tom Pelissero, Khan commented on Jacksonville's outlook:

"

We should have ambitions for the postseason now. I think we've suffered long enough. It's been painful. ... I'm not saying, 'If we win, this is the blueprint for everybody.' It's the blueprint for us.

Now, we have the talent in place, and I think if you are a Jaguars fan, you should be excited and you should have some expectations that we're going to be a sustainable, winning organization now.

I have expectations that not only are we going to be better, but we're going to be sustainable and this isn't going to be a flash in the pan where we're just going to flame out.

"

Per Pelissero, Caldwell made it clear to Khan when he took the helm of the front office that it'd take time for the Jaguars to be competitive.

"One of the temptations is that everybody thinks they have a remodeling project on their hands," Khan said. "There are some teams—the Jaguars would be one—that really, no, it's a teardown unfortunately."

Khan pointed out the Jaguars' talent upgrade in recent years, which is largely thanks to Caldwell's savvy draft strategy.

Jacksonville's 2014 draft class was heavy on offense: No. 3 overall pick Blake Bortles made strides in 2015, throwing for 35 touchdowns, and his top target, second-round choice Allen Robinson, has emerged as one of the fastest-rising stars in the league.

In a breakout 2015 campaign, Robinson racked up 80 catches, 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. He and Bortles could be one of the NFL's most dynamic passing-game combos for years to come.

Bradley, a former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator, has an influx of talent on defense to work with, too, which bodes well for the upcoming season and beyond. Last year's first-round pick, edge-rusher Dante Fowler Jr., missed all of 2015 with a torn ACL, but he will be back in action.

The Jaguars brought in top defensive back Jalen Ramsey and linebacker Myles Jack in the first and second rounds, respectively, of this year's draft. Although Jack's future is precarious because of a knee injury, Caldwell may have landed the two best defenders from the 2016 draft.

Calculated risks such as the flier on Jack and the bold move to use a high selection on Bortles show the Jags have faith in their collective philosophy. It appears Khan believes the bright football minds working for him will put a competitive product on the field.

Thanks to ample salary-cap space, Jacksonville was able to spend in free agency as well, bringing in standout free safety Tashaun Gipson and former Denver Broncos defensive end Malik Jackson as an anchor in the trenches.

With the Indianapolis Colts coming off a down year, the Tennessee Titans posting the worst record last season (3-13) and the Houston Texans posting consecutive 9-7 records, the AFC South is for the taking in 2016.

Provided Bortles continues to progress, the defense improves with upgrades at multiple positions and the chemistry finally clicks, Khan's forecast of a sustainable winner should start taking root this season.