Duuvaaall

By: Josh Frey-Sam

Sorry for the hiatus — I’ve been busy and, frankly, a bit lazy.

I missed sharing my takes on the playoffs and the beginning of the off-season, but I will make up for it in the coming days and weeks as we move through the roster-building process — my favourite stretch of the NFL calendar.

Today, I want to talk about a team that I’ve already built a ton of conviction on for next season: the Jags.

Last season was really a dream if you were a fan of the squad in Duval County. It began with a complete change in regime as the young James Gladstone took over as GM and hired Liam Coen to be the head coach.

A lot of questions swirled around this team, with a 34-year-old building the roster and a first-time bench boss calling the shots on the field. Not to mention the big one at quarterback.

Those questions only grew as Gladstone took a big swing to trade up for Travis Hunter just one pick into his first draft.

Things worked out pretty well in the end, with the Jags going 13-4 before falling short in the wild card to the Buffalo Bills.

Now looking ahead to next season, I believe this is the team we need to watch to take a big next step.

To me, they are this year’s version of what many of us believed the Denver Broncos or Los Angeles Chargers would be last season: an up-and-comer that could be a dark horse contender to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Let me explain why.

This season is already taking a shape that is eerily reminiscent of the 2024 Detroit Lions.

Remember those Lions, who everyone was giddy about? They were fresh off a season in which they fell short in the playoffs, but everything pointed to them being legitimate players the next year.

This was largely because everyone and their dog knew that was going to be an all-in season in the Motor City.

Both of the team’s co-ordinators, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, were being courted by numerous teams for a head coaching job, but both pulled out of the running, claiming there was unfinished business in Detroit.

It was the same thing just a few weeks ago, as Jags offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, a touted young offensive mind, and Anthony Campanile, who turned the franchise’s defence around in his first season as DC, were both interviewed for head jobs but ultimately agreed to return to Duval for another season.

You can bet that if the Jags have anything close to the same kind of success next season, both Udinski and Campinile will be near the top of the list of HC candidates.

Because it can be so difficult to lose co-ordinators — see the 2025 Lions — the Jags understand that next season presents an opportunity that can’t be wasted.

Why I also like them — and again, why many of us liked the Lions two years ago — is the continuity they have on the roster.

On offence, the biggest departure is likely going to be Travis Etienne, who had a bounce-back campaign in 2025 and likely earned himself a nice payday. That shouldn’t hurt the Jags too much, however, as they drafted *potential MY GUY alert* Bhayshul Tuten last year with this succession plan in mind.

On defence, Greg Newsome, Andrew Wingard and Devin Lloyd are the marquee names set to hit free agency. Newsome came over in the trade for Tyson Campbell — a cap dump for the Jags — but wasn’t as productive as they had hoped, so he will not return. That’s OK, because Travis Hunter will fill his place as the team’s top corner.

The Jags will still have some money moves to make to clear up cap space, as they have roughly $-12M available right now.

Will they be active in free agency? Unlikely, beyond some less flashy signings. The draft will be key for this team once again. Despite not owning a first-round pick, the Jags have four picks inside the top 100 — they can get some immediate contribution from those player.

Those decisions aside, there will be a ton of continuity on this team heading into next season, and the biggest reason for optimism is the quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, who we saw finally reach a level of consistency that had eluded him since the moment he arrived in the NFL.

It was never a question of whether TLaw could do it; it was only whether he could do it over and over again. He proved he could — thanks to finally getting a competent coach — while playing at an MVP-calibre level down the stretch.

The Jags’ win total is set at 9.5, and they are second in odds to win the AFC South next year. Their schedule will be difficult, but I have a feeling I will be all-in on them finding success, just like they will be all-in before likely undergoing some significant coaching changes in 2027.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh