JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the NFL offseason has moved on, Jaguars fans have peppered media members for updates about the Jaguars search for an executive vice president. On March 1, Jaguars fans got an update that they didn’t want.
The search is ON HOLD.
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When that news broke, it was like I could hear a collective expletive coming from DUUUVAL.
I get it, Trent Baalke is public enemy No. 1 to a portion of the fanbase. Owner Shad Khan promised to add more smart people to the Jaguars front office equation.
But stopping the search now is the right move. Before you start hurling tomatoes give me a second to explain.
I am a huge proponent of adding as many smart minds to a room as possible, but there is a good time to add a new voice and a bad time.
Now is a bad time!
It is March. NFL free agency is about two weeks away. The current Jaguars collective has been having discussions for weeks now, with their pro scouts already starting to finalize their board. The NFL draft is around two months away. It is not a coincidence this came out during NFL combine week. Draft prep is a huge undertaking that has been going on for months. Teams start to finalize their draft boards the week after the combine.
If the Jaguars were to bring in a new EVP now it would mean that the new person at the top of the power structure would have very little input on who the Jaguars prioritize in the draft and free agency. Plus, as the Jaguars go into their busy stretch of the offseason, there would be the added dynamic of who is this new person calling the shots.
Doug Pederson and Trent Baalke have not known each other for long but the two have been building a relationship, even going out to golf together to get to know each other as people. Those are the steps towards a functional partnership, the type of partnership the Jaguars did not have last year.
If Pederson and Baalke think they can coexist and build a winner, why not let them try? There has been this narrative that Baalke is tough to work with and is widely disliked. Every interaction I have ever had with him has been pleasant. While Baalke may not be on every fan’s Christmas list, everyone I have talked with has said they would rather work with him than ex-coach Urban Meyer. That isn’t exactly setting the bar high, but it is a reason to believe that things can turn around with Baalke calling the shots.
Adding a new voice to an already late-developing dynamic would be more of a hindrance. While it wasn’t a popular decision, I think Khan made the correct decision by putting the search for an EVP on pause. Let’s see what Baalke and Pederson can do. Maybe there is a budding bromance here that will revamp the culture in the Jaguars building. Or maybe Khan changes his mind and restarts the search and brings in an EVP earlier after next season so they can be a part of the entire process.
But for now, let’s hope for a Doug and Trent Bromance!