The Jacksonville Jaguars made a massive change this week, ridding themselves of Executive Vice President Tom Coughlin in a move that appeared to be quite popular in the locker room. If things go the way owner Shad Khan hopes over the next two weeks, that could be it for major changes.
While nothing firm has been decided, sources say there is a good chance that general manager David Caldwell and head coach Doug Marrone return for 2020. Khan has shown patience in the past and this is believed to be his preferred outcome.
The move toward continuity, which would be made easier with a solid showing the next two weeks, underscores the influence Coughlin had on that building. Marrone had to put out countless fires from players grumbling or worse about Coughlin's fine system, sources say. It was a constant focus.
The team losing a grievance filed by the NFLPA that returned hundreds of thousands of dollars to current Rams defensive end Dante Fowler and nearly $100,000 to running back Leonard Fournette and thousands to others was the catalyst.
Several high-profile agents said this week that they would have no qualms about sending their clients to Jacksonville this week after the Coughlin ouster. Couple that with Caldwell's recent draft success, and a turnaround could come quickly.
One issue the future person in charge of football would have to navigate going forward is what to do with the Jaguars' quarterback situation. Nick Foles is unlikely to want to return as a highly paid backup for 2020. That will be one of many challenges, assuming rookie Gardner Minshew continues to start.
Freed from that, will the Marrone-Caldwell regime find the success it did in 2017? That would be the hope.
Then there is the question of, who would step into Coughlin's shoes? One internal option is Tony Khan, the son of the owner who serves as vice chairman and director of football operations for Fulham Football Club. He helped his soccer team find success, and perhaps could get back to his roots in football.
The younger Khan has preached analytics as a tool for success for years, only recently finding the football world accepting. He could take over or simply take on an increased role. The organization could also hire from outside.
Either way, the hope is most of the changes are over, but how the season plays out will go a long way in telling if that's the case.
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