Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke has reportedly "aligned" himself with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus amid the team's search for a new head coach.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported Saturday that Baalke's reputation within coaching circles is "quite poor," which has complicated the Jags' process and left the GM reaching out to potential candidates to "gauge their interest in him."

He's "strongly backed" Eberflus after another one of his preferred candidates, former Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien, fell out of contention to fill the vacancy, per La Canfora.

The decision to retain Baalke, who was hired as the director of player personnel in February 2020 and promoted to general manager nine months later following the dismissal of David Caldwell, came as a surprise given the team's struggles in 2021.

Jacksonville posted a 3-14 record to put itself in position to make the first overall pick in the draft for the second straight year.

A major reason for the lack of success was the disastrous tenure of head coach Urban Meyer, who posted a 2-11 record while dealing with a constant barrage of controversies. The Jags compiled a 1-3 mark under interim head coach Darrell Bevell to finish the campaign.

The coaching turmoil wasn't the only problem, though. The Jacksonville front office, led by Baalke, failed to make enough improvements to the roster around quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the 2021 No. 1 pick, and struggled on both sides of the ball.

It created a situation where a total rebuild of the front office and coaching staff seemed in order, but team owner Shad Khan and Co. decided to retain Baalke and involve him in the head coaching search.

The result has been a "bizarre coaching process" that's left many of the top candidates holding "significant reservations" about how to move forward if Baalke is going to remain with the team, per La Canfora.

Meanwhile, Eberflus has served as the Colts defensive coordinator since 2018. The team has ranked in the top 10 of takeaways in all four of his seasons and in the top 10 of points allowed three times.

If Jacksonville could pair the 51-year-old Ohio native with a highly touted offensive coordinator, there would be reason for optimism within the coaching staff. But there would still be questions about whether the front office could revitalize the roster.

All told, it's not hard to see why frustration is beginning to mount within the Jags fanbase with the organization having earned just one playoff berth since Khan bought the team in early 2012.

Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Lerentee McCray was arrested on Sunday morning after a high-speed pursuit with police, according to ESPN's Michael DiRocco.

According to court records obtained by DiRocco, McCray was issued a citation for speeding and was charged with fleeing/eluding police with disregard of safety to person or property, which is a second-degree felony. He was booked into Lake County Jail in Central Florida and was released that morning after paying a $5,000 bond.

"We are aware of the situation and are gathering more information," the Jaguars said in a statement to ESPN. "We have no further comment at this time."

According to DiRocco, the Fruitland Park Police Department report stated that a patrol officer attempted to pull McCray over for a traffic stop after seeing him traveling at 88 mph in a 50 mph zone. Instead of complying with the officer, McCray showed the officer a middle finger and kept driving.

The police report went on to state that McCray was pursued by two police vehicles "at speeds up to 100 mph," per DiRocco. The officers stopped chasing after McCray's vehicle began "being driven recklessly and swerving across three lanes of traffic."

McCray was later apprehended by the FPPD officer after he was informed by the members of the Tavares Police Department that McCray had come to a stop and appeared to be in an "altered mental status." McCray was transported to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.

After being treated, McCray was taken to Lake County Jail. His arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 14.

McCray has mostly been a special teams player during his seven-year career. He finished with 11 total tackles in 12 games this season, which was his fourth in Jacksonville. 

McCray started his career with the Denver Broncos in 2014 and also spent one season with the Buffalo Bills in 2016. He is set to become a free agent in March.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will conduct a second interview with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus for their head-coaching vacancy.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the news Tuesday and added that the 51-year-old Eberflus, who has been in his current role since 2018, is the first known finalist for the Jaguars' job.

Jacksonville is looking for a new head coach after firing Urban Meyer following a tumultuous tenure that ended after a 2-10 start to the 2021 season.

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell took the team over on an interim basis for the final five games, losing four straight before guiding the Jags to a 26-11 victory over the Colts to end the year.

The Jags aren't the only team courting Eberflus, as the Chicago Bears have also brought him in for an interview. Chicago, which is in the market for a general manager, also spoke with Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds for the role.

Indianapolis' defense has largely been successful under Eberflus, finishing top 10 in scoring defense in three of his four seasons. This season's Colts D also finished eighth in Football Outsiders' DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) metric.    

Albert Breer of MMQB reported that the second Eberflus-Jaguars interview will occur in Indianapolis. Per Breer, Jags owner Shad Khan, who lives in Illinois, will be there.

Eberflus' coaching career began at his alma mater, Toledo, where he played linebacker from 1988-1991. He was on the Rockets' coaching staff from 1992-2000, rising to the rank of defensive backs coach.

He then left for Missouri, spending eight years as the Tigers' defensive coordinator. Eberflus then bolted for the NFL, working for the Cleveland Browns (2009-2010) and Dallas Cowboys (2011-2017) as linebackers coach. He added passing game coordinator duties to his role in 2016 and 2017.

Eberflus left for the Colts when the team hired ex-Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich as its head coach. Indianapolis has gone 39-27 in four seasons under Reich, reaching the playoffs twice.

No matter who gets the job, the Jags' new head coach will have a Herculean task ahead, especially after the team finished last in points scored and fifth-last in points allowed.

Jacksonville does have a franchise quarterback to build around in Trevor Lawrence as well as the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, so there's definitely current (and future) talent to work with.

Eberflus, who has never been a head coach at any level, could be the person to guide the Jags out of the disastrous Meyer regime. Based on the second interview news, it's clear Jacksonville is very interested in the possibility that may be the case.

Alabama offensive coordinator and former Penn State and Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien is "unlikely" to be the Jacksonville Jaguars' choice for their head coaching vacancy, according to the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. 

While O'Brien interviewed for the job earlier in January, Garafolo said he was "not getting that vibe" when speaking about the possibility of the Alabama OC becoming Jacksonville's head coach.

Chase Goodbread of NFL.com added that the Jaguars planned to interview Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn; Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles; Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus; Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett; former NFL head coaches Doug Pederson and Jim Caldwell; and interim head coach Darrell Bevell. 

The Jaguars are seeking to replace Urban Meyer, who was fired in December after a disastrous, controversy-laden first year. He went just 2-11 at the helm. Bevell led the team to a 1-3 record in his stead. 

As for O'Brien, the 52-year-old will bring an impressive resume into any future NFL interviews. 

As an NFL head coach, he led the Texans to a 52-48 record across seven seasons (2014-20), leading the team to four playoff berths. That followed two years (2012-13) as Penn State's head coach. 

His lengthy coaching career also included stints as the offensive coordinator for Georgia Tech (2001-02), Duke (2005-06) and most recently Alabama this past season at the college level. 

His NFL career also included five years with the New England Patriots (2007-11), where he held a number of roles throughout his tenure, including as an offensive assistant, wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and eventually the offensive coordinator in his final year with the team.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will interview interim head coach Darrell Bevell for the full-time position on Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.    

The Jaguars fired Urban Meyer in December after just 13 games and a series of controversies. The team was 2-11 under his watch and 1-3 after Bevell took over.

Bevell, 52, has been in the NFL since 2000, serving as an offensive assistant until 2002 with the Green Bay Packers before becoming the team's quarterbacks coach between 2003 and '05. He then was hired as the Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator (2006-10) and held the same role with the Seattle Seahawks (2011-17), Detroit Lions (2018-19) and Jags under Meyer. 

His offenses have finished top 10 in the NFL in yards just three times and top 10 in points five times. 

But Jacksonville rallied around Bevell, beating an Indianapolis Colts team on Sunday that was fighting for a playoff berth, 26-11. 

Expect the Jags to search far and wide for their next head coach, however, with NFL.com reporting the team is expected to interview the following candidates:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles
• Former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell
• Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus
• Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett
• Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich
• Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore
• Former Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien
• Former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson
• Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn

The next head coach's job will be a tall order.

While the Jaguars have a talented young quarterback in place in Trevor Lawrence, they have made the playoffs just once since 2008. Yet again, they are firmly entrenched in a rebuild. Getting the right head coach in place, alongside surrounding Lawrence with talent—starting with the top overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft—will be key to getting this particular rebuild right. 

RoofClaim.com, a roofing company signed to a sponsorship deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, is suing the team.

According to Mark Long of the Associated Press, the company wants to disassociate with the NFL franchise with Jaguars fans planning to dress as clowns at the team's regular-season finale against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at TIAA Bank Field.

RoofClaim wrote in a complaint filed in a Jacksonville circuit court Thursday that it does not want "its brand being emphasized as the primary sponsor of the clown game."

The company is looking for damages "in excess of $30,000" in a jury trial. It also asked for "temporary and permanent injunctive relief" from the Jags using RoofClaim's brand.

The clownout plans started came together after word emerged that the 2-14 Jags would bring back general manager Trent Baalke, which caught the ire of fans.

Per Long:

Jacksonville's finale will feature a “Klown out” in the stands. Hundreds, if not thousands, of fans are planning to wear clown attire—red noses, colorful wigs, face paint—in hopes of persuading [team owner Shad] Khan to fire Baalke, whose draft picks have been underwhelming and his free-agent acquisitions less than impactful.

The Jaguars are expected to finish with the league's worst record for the second straight year. Their offense is last in scoring (14.2 points per game), while their defense has given up the second-most points (27.9).

Urban Meyer's controversial tenure as head coach ended after 13 games.

Per Long, RoofClaim had an agreement that it could terminate its contract with the team if Meyer was not the coach between the end of the 2023 season and March 1, 2024.

The company said it tried to end its relationship with the Jags one day after Meyer was fired Dec. 15, but the franchise turned down the request.

A spokesperson for the Jags said the lawsuit is "baseless and without merit" and the franchise "will exhaustively protect our interests in this matter at every turn."

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will interview for the Jacksonville Jaguars' head coaching vacancy Friday night, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport.

The Jags' job became available last month when Jacksonville fired Urban Meyer just 11 months after hiring him with a 2-11 record through 13 games.

Moore, 33, played quarterback for the Detroit Lions from 2012 to 2014 and the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017. He became Dallas' quarterbacks coach in 2018 and got promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019.

Moore joins a list of candidates for the Jaguars' position that includes former Indianapolis Colts and Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.

John Reid of the Florida Times-Union reported Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien is also set to interview.

In three seasons as the Cowboys OC, Moore has enjoyed a great deal of success.

Dallas ranked first in the NFL in total offense and sixth in scoring in 2019, and with one game left to play this season, the Cowboys are second in total offense and first in scoring.

The 2020 campaign was an outlier. Dallas was 14th in total offense and 17th in scoring as quarterback Dak Prescott missed much of the season because of injury.

Prescott has continued to develop into one of the NFL's top quarterbacks under Moore's leadership. He has bounced back from a broken right ankle to complete 68.4 percent of his passes for 4,154 yards, 32 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 15 games this season.

Moore's work with Prescott likely appeals to the Jaguars since they have a young, talented quarterback in need of guidance in Trevor Lawrence.

Lawrence was the consensus top prospect in the 2021 NFL draft coming out of Clemson, and the Jaguars made him the No. 1 overall pick, but his rookie campaign has been rough.

Jacksonville is a league-worst 2-14, and Lawrence has completed 58.9 percent of his passes for 10 touchdowns and an NFL-high 17 interceptions. He has also rushed for 317 yards and two scores.

Given how much the Jaguars have invested in Lawrence, hiring an offensive-minded head coach with a history of working well with quarterbacks would be a logical move.

Moore has no head coaching experience and would be the youngest head coach in the NFL, but given how much success the Los Angeles Rams have enjoyed since hiring Sean McVay at age 30 in 2017, precedent exists for such a hire to work out.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to interview Bill O'Brien for their head coaching vacancy next week, according to John Reid of the Florida Times-Union.

O'Brien, who has spent the past year as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at the University of Alabama, has experience as a college and NFL head coach.

The 52-year-old went 15-9 in two seasons at Penn State from 2012 to 2013 before posting a 52-48 record as head coach of the Houston Texans from 2014 to 2020.

While O'Brien was often maligned during his tenure with the Texans, Houston won the AFC South division in four of his six full seasons at the helm.

Playoff success largely eluded O'Brien and the Texans, though, as they went 2-4 and never made it past the AFC Divisional Round.

O'Brien's time as head coach of the Texans ended on a low note with Houston firing him after an 0-4 start in 2020. It wasn't long before O'Brien landed on his feet at Alabama, however.

After previous Alabama OC Steve Sarkisian left the Crimson Tide to become the head coach at Texas, O'Brien was brought in as his replacement, and he has enjoyed a great deal of success in the offensive coordinator role.

The Tide are the No. 1 team in the nation at 13-1, and on Tuesday they will look to become back-to-back national champs when they face Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Alabama is third in the nation in scoring this season, and quarterback Bryce Young won the Heisman Trophy with 4,503 yards, 46 touchdowns and just five interceptions through the air.

After posting an NFL-worst 1-15 record last season, the Jags hired former Florida and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer for the same role.

Meyer was fired after a 2-11 start due to a combination of poor performance and other issues, including an allegation from former Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo that Meyer kicked him before a game.

Since Meyer's firing, interim head coach Darrell Bevel has gone 0-3, and at 2-14 overall, the Jags once again have the league's worst record.

One potential draw for O'Brien and other coaching candidates is the presence of quarterback Trevor Lawrence. While the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick has struggled as a rookie, he is considered an elite talent at the position.

In addition to O'Brien, the Jaguars have already interviewed former Philadelphia Eagles head coach Doug Pederson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, per the Associated Press.

They also have an interview lined up with Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and have asked for permission to speak to Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Bucs offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.