Jacksonville Jaguars

After spending the past five seasons with the Detroit Lions, Marvin Jones Jr. will suit up for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jags will pay Jones $9.2 million guaranteed and up to $14.5 million over two years after the two sides agreed to a deal on Tuesday. 

Jones, 31, signed a five-year contract with the Lions in March 2016. He played at a consistently high level for the organization, averaging 57.8 receptions, 859.2 yards and 7.2 touchdowns per season. 

In the three seasons with the Lions that Jones played at least 15 games, he never had fewer than 930 yards receiving. He also caught nine touchdown passes in three of the past four seasons. 

Pro Football Focus ranked Jones as the 47th-best free agent in the 2021 class: 

"Jones has been incredibly consistent, grading between 71.0 and 76.0 in each of his last six seasons. Jones is still a capable Z wide receiver on the outside opposite a true X, but he has also seen his snaps from the slot increase steadily each season, which could perhaps make him more attractive to potential suitors if there are concerns about his game not aging well."

The Lions have already indicated they are looking at a long-term rebuild under new head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes. Jared Goff will replace Matthew Stafford as the starting quarterback after a trade with the Los Angeles Rams that also brought two first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 and a 2021 third-round draft pick to Detroit. 

With Jones not likely to be part of Detroit's long-term plans given his age, it opened the door for him to find the right situation to maximize his ability in 2021 and beyond. 

The Jags should be able to take advantage of Jones' skill in the slot. He figures to serve as a safety net for likely No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence, although he's still capable of breaking off a big play down the field. 

Veteran cornerback Shaquill Griffin agreed to a three-year, $40 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Shaquem Griffin reacted to his brother's move:

Griffin's value took a bit of a hit in 2020 after he reached his first career Pro Bowl a year earlier.

The 2017 third-round draft pick was limited to 12 games by a hamstring injury. His production (58 tackles, three interceptions and 12 passes defended) was solid, but Pro Football Focus noted his coverage grade fell from 76.0 to 63.6.

Upon the conclusion of the Seattle Seahawks' season, Griffin signaled his desire to stay with the team.

"They know I want to be here, so at this point I'm just praying on it, hoping for the best, hopefully everything works out," he told reporters.

Head coach Pete Carroll echoed a similar sentiment:

Russell Wilson earns every penny of his four-year, $140 million contract, but paying him a $35 million annual salary continually leaves general manager John Schneider in a bind financially.

In addition to Griffin, Schneider had to ponder what to do with K.J. Wright, Quinton Dunbar and Chris Carson, among others.

ESPN's Brady Henderson wrote in January that Griffin posed the most difficult question of the team's free agents, noting how Jamal Adams is due for an extension with his rookie deal expiring next offseason. The Seattle Times' Bob Condotta posited that Seattle may have to choose between Dunbar or Griffin, even on the assumption Dunbar would have to settle for much less money after having appeared in six games.

Griffin also benefited from the fact that he was one of the best cornerbacks available in a relatively weak year at the position. You could make a case for any one or all of William Jackson III, Richard Sherman or Desmond King II being a better investment, but the gap on Griffin wasn't significant. And without an elite corner available, the cost to sign those who did hit free agency probably climbed a bit.

Add all of the factors together, and it spelled bad news for the Seahawks. Finding a replacement for Griffin won't be easy because of the team's aforementioned cap squeeze.

And for as much as Griffin wanted to remain in the Pacific Northwest, doing so would have required him to settle for a lesser contract.

It's possible the effects of Griffin's hamstring injury lingered well after he got back on the field in November. With a full offseason to recuperate, he could bounce back nicely in 2021.

The danger for the Jaguars is that they are banking on Griffin replicating his Pro Bowl season, which was sandwiched between three generally nondescript years. Perhaps 2019 wasn't indicative of his true performance level, and he's merely a solid defender rather than an upper-tier one.

In the event that happens, this contract could look regrettable.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer spoke publicly Tuesday about Chris Doyle's brief tenure as the team's director of sports performance. 

The Jaguars announced Feb. 11 that Meyer added Doyle to his staff for the 2021 NFL season. Doyle resigned one day later amid public outcry.

Addressing the situation Tuesday, Meyer told reporters he "saw the impact of the decision and the distraction it caused":

"The most important part of the organization is and always will be our players, and I just -- we both felt, we all felt, when I say both, Trent and myself, and then Chris Doyle felt it was best, that this team didn't need [any distractions]. Everything's going too well. We hired an excellent staff. We don't need a distraction, and [to] move forward is the best interest of all."

Doyle was the longtime strength and conditioning coach at Iowa before his exit last June after former Hawkeyes players complained about how he had treated them during their time at the program, saying he made racist comments and treated Black players differently. 

As one example, Diauntae Morrow, who eventually transferred to Toledo, said Doyle made a remark about "sending [me] back to the GHETTO." Other Black players spoke out to say they had been made to feel uncomfortable.

The university initiated an investigation by an outside law firm that found coaches attempted to forge an "Iowa way" that "was built around the stereotype of a clean-cut, white athlete from a Midwestern background."

"In sum, the program's rules perpetuated racial or cultural biases and diminished the value of cultural diversity," the report said. "The program over-monitored players to the point that they experienced heightened anxiety and maintained a culture that allowed a small group of coaches to demean players."

Meyer initially defended the hiring of Doyle by saying he vets everyone on the staff and that he had known Doyle for "close to 20 years."

The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly set to use their franchise tag on offensive tackle Cam Robinson ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the news, noting Robinson was expected to be among the top tackles available in the free-agency period.

Robinson spent his first four seasons in Jacksonville after being selected in the second round in 2017. He has not done much to impress in that time frame, generating consistently below-average grades by Pro Football Focus metrics. The 2020 season saw Robinson post a 61.7 overall grade.

It's likely the Jaguars want to keep Robinson around for the 2021 campaign as one final opportunity to prove he can be a long-term fixture on their offensive line. The Jags have significant cap space this offseason (projected $72.8 million), so money is no object, and Robinson is at least a passable lineman to put in front of presumptive No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence next season.

Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer told reporters Tuesday that the relatively weak crop of free-agent tackles influenced the team's decision. Robinson seems highly likely to play the 2021 season on the tag rather than on a long-term contract in what will be a prove-it campaign.

If Robinson begins to realize his potential, the Jags may tag him again next offseason and begin negotiating a long-term deal. If he continues to struggle, the team can move on without long-term obligation and focus on fortifying the line in 2022.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer liked what he saw from potential No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence at the quarterback's pro day last month.

"We had extremely high expectations and we were not disappointed," Meyer told John Oehser of the Jaguars official site.

While the on-field performance was impressive, Meyer also liked the way Lawrence handled the plan to move up his pro day a month to account for his pending labrum surgery. 

"He very well could have said, 'I'm not going to throw. I'm going to go and you guys take me or not. I'm that good,'" Meyer explained. "The conversation was similar to this: 'Hey, what do you think?' 'Let's go.'"

Lawrence said after the session he wanted to prove his competitive mentality.

"Just having to adjust and showing I'm able to adjust and adapt and still willing to come out here and throw and give teams a chance to see me, that was important to me and important to my team to make sure we made that happen," he said on the broadcast.

The Clemson product has been arguably locked in as the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft for the past couple of years since leading the Tigers to a national championship as a freshman. He continued to thrive on the field, finishing second in Heisman Trophy voting in 2020 after totaling 3,153 passing yards and 24 touchdowns with five interceptions in 10 games.

While BYU's Zach Wilson has impressed, Lawrence could have been the top pick even without holding a pro day. He might have even been No. 1 if he opted out for the entire 2020 season.

He still used the opportunity to showcase his ability and those watching were impressed.

"Lawrence went out there today and showed me everything I needed to see," Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network said of the pro day. "It was crisp, and he threw some beautiful deep balls."

It could have put him one step closer to going No. 1 overall to Jacksonville.

When you're embarking on a new era, a bit of a rebrand is in order. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced Wednesday in an elaborate hype video they're once again using their teal jerseys as their primary home uniform for the 2021 season:

ESPN's Michael DiRocco shared a statement from head equipment manager Jimmy Luck on the switch:

"We've heard the fans loud and clear. As the only team in the NFL that wears teal, we know what this color means to our organization, the 904 and our entire fanbase. Teal inspires great memories of some of our franchise's greatest moments. Making the switch to teal as our primary uniform color allows us to celebrate that history while kicking off a new era of Jaguars football."

The Jaguars initially utilized teal as their primary color when they entered the NFL in 1995, with black secondary home jerseys eventually entering the rotation. Starting in 2013, however, black overtook teal as Jacksonville's primary home color.

Since then, the Jags have made one playoff appearance in 2017, reaching the AFC championship. That's also the only season in which they've finished with a winning record during that span.

Going back to teal coincides with the arrival of head coach Urban Meyer and the expected selection of Clemson's Trevor Lawrence with the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer said Monday he helped Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence decide on the dates for his pro-day throwing session, which took place Friday, and Tuesday's surgery to repair his non-throwing shoulder ahead of the 2021 NFL draft.

Meyer described his conversation with Lawrence, who's likely heading to the Jags with the first overall pick, on the NFL Network (via John Reid of the Florida Times-Union):

"We did a Zoom call with him, and I asked him—there are three choices you have. No. 1, you can wait until March 11 Pro Day—but now you are getting near August [for a recovery time]. That's getting late because it's a five-month recovery. It's a six-month injury. The second thing, you can not throw.

"He's probably a good enough player, but he said, 'I'm not doing that.' Third thing, I said why don't you just grab the ball and go throw for a little bit? I'd like to send our coordinator and passing-game coordinator to watch. They've never seen him. I've seen him, so he said, 'Let's go.'"

Lawrence has been the projected top pick in the 2021 draft pretty much since the moment he arrived to the Clemson campus as 247Sports' No. 1 prospect in the 2018 recruiting class.

He lived up to the hype across three years as the Tigers' starter. He completed 66.6 percent of his throws for 10,098 yards with 90 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 40 appearances. He added 943 rushing yards and 18 scores on the ground.

A couple of other quarterbacks, including Ohio State's Justin Fields and BYU's Zach Wilson, made a push to take over the top spot, but it would be a shock if the Jaguars select anybody other than Lawrence when the draft kicks off April 29.

Meyer's close consultation with the signal-caller to ensure he's ready for at least some of training camp and the preseason further solidifies that expectation.

Lawrence confirmed he saw the Jacksonville coach at Friday's workout.

"Yeah, yeah. I saw him," he told ESPN with a smile. "I saw a lot of the guys coming through, but yeah, I saw him. Just waved at him real quick. Can't really communicate out there. But yeah, it's been cool to see all the teams come out. It's definitely a cool thing to experience. I'm glad I got to still do it."

The arrivals of Meyer, who posted an .854 winning percentage across 17 years as a college head coach, and likely Lawrence will give the Jags the foundation to begin turning things around after a three-year stretch when they posted a 12-36 record, including a 1-15 mark in 2020.

Jacksonville still has other roster needs, most notably the pass rush after ranking 31st with just 18 sacks last season, but no position is more important than quarterback, and it's set to add the most surefire prospect since Andrew Luck in 2012.

That's an ideal start as the franchise attempts to push its rebuilding efforts into overdrive this offseason.

Jacksonville Jaguars director of sports performance Chris Doyle resigned Friday evening, one day after the team hired the former strength and conditioning coach at the University of Iowa. 

Doyle parted ways with Iowa ahead of the 2020 season after several players reported racist abuse and a hostile environment at the hands of the longtime coach. New Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer made Doyle one of his first hires, initially defending the decision by pointing to a friendship with Doyle stretching nearly 20 years. 

In a statement Friday, Meyer said Doyle came to the team with an offer to resign after becoming a distraction.

The hiring struck at one of the most concerning criticisms of Meyer's career: his ability to judge character. 

During his final season coaching Ohio State in 2018, Meyer was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into his knowledge of multiple domestic abuse claims against then-Buckeyes assistant Zach Smith by his ex-wife Courtney Smith. Meyer reportedly brushed off the allegations after Courtney reported the abuse to Meyer's wife, Shelley.

Those concerns over Meyer's judgement resurfaced almost immediately in Jacksonville when Doyle was announced as a member of his staff. 

The Fritz Pollard Alliance called the decision to hire Doyle "unacceptable" in a letter to Meyer on Friday and reflective of the NFL's "good ol' boy network." 

In his statement late Friday night, Meyer admitted he "should have given greater consideration to how his appointment may have affected all involved." That came only one day after Meyer told reporters he vetted Doyle and didn't expect his past issues to become a problem in Jacksonville. Rather Meyer said the Jags would have the top sports performance department in the league within two years. 

That may still be possible, but it won't be Doyle running that department. 

Less than a month into his first NFL job, Meyer is already looking for replacements on his staff. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing mounting criticism for hiring disgraced former University of Iowa strength and conditioning coach Chris Doyle, who left the program before the 2020 season after multiple former players said he made racist remarks and mistreated Black players.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance, a nonprofit made up of NFL personnel championing diversity and equal opportunity in the league, took aim at Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer on Friday, calling his hiring of Doyle as the team's director of sports performance a reflection of the "good ol' boy network" pervasive across the league. 

Meyer defended his decision to hire Doyle by citing a 20-year relationship with the coach and said he'd done "a lot of vetting" before adding Doyle to the Jags' staff. 

Iowa parted ways with Doyle after several players, some now in the NFL, detailed their experiences with the coach and the program as a whole on social media. The school paid Doyle more than $1.1 million to break ties with their long-time coach and announced an independent investigation would follow. 

Hawkeyes athletic director Gary Barta offered an apology on behalf of the school to "anybody who has had a negative experience with Iowa football" following Doyle's dismissal. 

However, Meyer decided to bring Doyle with him as he embarks on an NFL career. 

This is not the first time Meyer has been criticized for his staffing choices. Meyer's assistant coach Zach Smith was accused of domestic abuse by his ex-wife Courtney Smith on multiple occasions during his time on Meyer's staff. When the allegations became public in 2018, Meyer said he did not know about them, however, Courtney Smith said Meyer had ignored the allegations even after she told Meyer's wife Shelley about the abuse.

The Buckeyes placed Meyer on administrative leave to conduct an investigation, however, he returned to coach during the season. Meyer retired at the end of the season. 

Now the Fritz Pollard Alliance has called Meyer's hiring of Doyle "unacceptable" while the head coach continues to defend his ability to judge character. 

"The allegations that took place, I will say [to the players] I vetted him," Meyer said. "I know the person for close to 20 years and I can assure them there will be nothing of any sort in the Jaguar facility."

Instead, Meyer indicated he believes the Jags will have "the best sports performance team in the National Football League" within the next two years. 

New Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer insisted on Thursday that he very thoroughly vetted the hiring of Chris Doyle, the team's new director of sports performance, despite a number of former Iowa football players saying over the past year that Doyle used racist language and treated Black players differently while he was the strength coach at the school.

Meyer told reporters:

"I vet everyone on our staff and, like I said, the relationship goes back close to 20 years and a lot of hard questions asked, a lot of vetting involved with all our staff. We did a very good job vetting that one.

"... I met with our staff and I'm going to be very transparent with all the players like I am with everything. I'll listen closely and learn and also there's going to have to be some trust in their head coach that we're going to give them the very best of the best, and time will tell. ... The allegations that took place, I will say [to the players] I vetted him. I know the person for close to 20 years and I can assure them there will be nothing of any sort in the Jaguar facility."

Per ESPN's Michael DiRocco, Meyer said he's known Doyle since they worked together at Utah. But the two never actually intersected with the Utes, with Meyer there in 2003-04 as the head coach but Doyle just there for one year in 1998.

A number of former Iowa football players spoke out against the treatment of Black players in June, with a few specifically mentioning Doyle:

Defensive back Greg Mabin, now with the Jaguars, tweeted at the time: "We appreciate the opportunities the Iowa program brought us, but I do hope bringing these issues to light can stimulate positive change."

Tennessee Titans defensive back Amani Hooker added: "I remember whenever walking into the facility it would be difficult for Black players to walk around the facility and be themselves. As if the way you grew up was the wrong way or wasn't acceptable and that you would be judged by that and it would impact playing time."

As for Meyer's past judgement, the head coach was placed on administrative leave in 2018 while at the helm of Ohio State after denying that he knew his former assistant, Zach Smith, had been the subject of a domestic violence investigation. However, Smith's ex-wife, Courtney Smith, said she confided in Meyer's wife Shelley, telling her about Zach Smith's behavior in both 2009 and 2015 and provided photos and text messages to back up her allegations. 

Meyer stepped down following the 2018 season. 

His track record at Florida also reflected questionable judgement. As ESPN's Andrea Adelson wrote in 2018:

"During Meyer's six-year tenure at Florida, some 31 players were arrested, with at least 10 accused of crimes ranging from misdemeanor battery to felony domestic assault to felony theft to domestic battery. Punishment varied depending on the player, but let's just say it was uneven at best. In perhaps the best example that illustrates that, star running back Chris Rainey was suspended only four games in 2010 after he was charged with aggravated stalking for allegedly texting his girlfriend, 'Time to die, b---h.'"

That Meyer would start his first tenure as an NFL head coach by hiring a staff member who has been accused of racism in the past is perplexing, to say the least.