Jacksonville Jaguars: Why Extending Gene Smith Has Doomed the Jaguars

Lost in all the drama of Tuesday's events in Jacksonville was one very important piece of the Jaguars future puzzle.

Before Wayne Weaver made the announcement that he was selling the the team to local businessman Shahid Khan, it was announced that current general manager Gene Smith was given a three-year contract extension to continue to drive the team forward.

But was it the right move?

Smith, who has been with the Jaguars since the team's inception, was named general manager three years ago after the team parted ways with James "Shack" Harris after a myriad of questionable free-agent moves and questionable draft picks that set the team back in its rebuilding efforts since the days of Tom Coughlin as head coach.

Smith has had a penchant for drafting small-school talent with very little return on the team's investments.

This season, he rolled the dice on rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert from Missouri, and while he was lauded as one of the top prospects to come out of the college ranks, he has done little to prove the move of trading up to take the much-needed passer was the right decision.

Could the retention of Smith in this capacity be the undoing of the team that is already unraveling before the eyes of Weaver, Khan and the rest of the NFL?

It would appear Smith should get an opportunity to wait out his prized rookie and see if he can deliver on the potential that is there and waiting to be uncorked. However, that waiting period should only be a year since this is technically a new team that is looking to make a splash with a new owner, possibly a new coach (other than "interim" head coach Mel Tucker) and a new look in the AFC South.

Smith, however nice a guy he is who wants to do the right thing, has caught as much heat from the media, the fans and this Bleacher Report writer about the lack of talent on this team currently, and there seems to be a difference of opinion in why the team—which is still under the salary cap—did not go out and secure the services of a top-rated pass-catcher.

Securing defensive free agents only helps the problem in front of him.

That, not Gabbert, may be the downfall of this team and Smith in filling this capacity.

It is up to Smith to make the personnel moves for this franchise. It is his job to draft players, sign free agents, deal with veteran contracts and make sure this team is as good as the other 31 teams in the league. It is also his job to find the best talent available and put the team in a position to win football games.

He hasn't done that so far ,and just because there is a new owner, a new coach and new sense of livelihood in this organization, there is no reason to believe Smith will change his philosophy any time soon.