Gene Frenette: Shaq Griffin hopes for 'I told you so' moment if Jaguars finish as Top 5 defense
Defensive line coach Brentson Buckner still remembers Jaguars first-year coordinator Mike Caldwell addressing his unit alone for the first time before the start of May OTAs.
Caldwell immediately posed these two questions to his group: “Do you all want to be great? Do you want to be the best defense in the NFL?”
While the unanimous player response was yes, everyone knows becoming anything akin to the 2000 Baltimore Ravens or the 1985 Chicago Bears isn’t that simple.
Talking that talk means nothing. It takes a cohesive, talented roster that knows how to communicate properly, is disciplined enough to minimize mistakes and has a ferocious appetite to physically maul its opponents.
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With the exception of the 2017 season, the Jaguars defense has never come close to being that in recent memory. The past two years have been especially painful, with an NFL-low 26 combined takeaways and allowing 28.4 points per game, second-worst to the New York Jets during that span.
At the risk of assuming facts not in evidence, my belief is Caldwell’s defense has a chance to be significantly better in 2022. How much improved, it’s too early to know.
But the idea of this newly minted 3-4 defense being top-10 NFL good isn’t a pipe dream. A lot will depend on how fast the makeover in terms of personnel and transitioning from a 4-3 scheme takes hold.
"It's like a new toy, they're excited playing with it," said Buckner. "Coach Mike [Caldwell] tells them, 'it's your defense, take ownership of it.' "
Judging by snippets of training camp, the first-team defense has been dominant in red-zone and goal-line situations, though how that translates into the regular season remains to be seen.
Naturally, always-glass-half-full cornerback Shaquille Griffin suggested I might be underestimating the Jaguars, saying: “When we become a top-5 defense, at the end of the season, I’m going to tell you, ‘I told you so.' And then I need you to write an awesome-a—story [about the defense].”
That’s more than a fair request, considering only six NFL defenses in the last decade have risen from a ranking of 20 or lower in total yards allowed to top-5 the following year. Maybe the Times-Union will even give the story a bold “I TOLD YOU SO” headline with Griffin’s name attached.
But for now, it doesn’t change the fact that, other than Trevor Lawrence’s development, one of the most fascinating story lines to watch this season will be how much Caldwell’s revamped defense can ascend.
A huge transformation
When the Jaguars’ defense became a league bully in 2017 — forcing 33 takeaways, scoring seven touchdowns and taking the burden off quarterback Blake Bortles to win games with his arm — it was a perfect roster blend coming together.
Young players like Telvin Smith, Jalen Ramsey, Yannick Ngakoue and Myles Jack were emerging, fortified by free-agent acquisitions Calais Campbell, Malik Jackson, A.J. Bouye and Tashaun Gipson, with an ideal leader in linebacker Paul Posluszny to galvanize the unit.
That defense was a force like nothing else in Jacksonville since the previous Jaguars AFC Championship runner-up team in 1999. In both instances, those units needed reinforcements and more than one season of adjusting to each other to evolve into a stout unit.
Whatever becomes of this defense, in 2022 and beyond, it’s going to take time to unearth its potential. But there’s no question head coach Doug Pederson and GM Trent Baalke have brought in some intriguing talent to complement what was already in the building.
Remember, except for the lack of takeaways, this wasn’t a completely inept defense last year. It had some good moments, like keeping the Buffalo Bills out of the end zone, putting a vise grip on quarterback Carson Wentz to keep the Indianapolis Colts from making the playoffs, shutting out the Super Bowl runner-up Cincinnati Bengals on the road for one half.
This defense can, and should be, a lot better. It’s not only energized by the arrival of Caldwell — a Todd Bowles disciple who was part of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff the last three years that helped build the NFL’s best run-stopping defense and also won a Super Bowl — but the Jaguars investing in five or six likely starters on that side of the ball.
How can Josh Allen not be a more effective pass-rusher with No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker occupying the other side? The sneaky-good acquisition of Arden Key, along with reliable backup Dawuane Smoot, should allow the Jaguars to make life more miserable for opposing quarterbacks.
Nobody can deny stopping the run has been an eyesore for the past three years, so fortifying the front seven with newcomers like defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi and free-agent linebacker Foye Oluokun — the NFL’s leading tackler last season — was a massive investment. Plus, the Jaguars added speed in drafting linebackers Devin Lloyd and Chad Muma, who have the perfect mentor in Oluokun.
Caldwell, who has been cautious in lavishing praise on anybody, is sold on the leadership component Oluokun and Fatukasi can provide.
“Those two guys, they’ve played in the league, been successful in the league, and they’ve kind of instilled in us what we try to stress,” said Caldwell. “They’re going to be physical in the run game and communicate out there, and just be good for the whole defense.
“[Oluokun] is able to communicate and get all 11 on the same page and let the defense run smoothly because of him standing back there. You need a guy back there to be able to erase mistakes, and he’s doing that for us and we’re happy for it. Foley’s just a big run stopper with pass rush ability, so that’s really a plus for him.”
From a secondary standpoint, this has to be a growth year. Cornerbacks Griffin and Tyson Campbell are in their second season together, with Campbell advancing to the point where he might be traveling with the opposition’s best receiver. Griffin just has to start catching balls when he gets his hands on them. Andre Cisco, a ball-hawking safety, seems ready to emerge because he’s no longer dealing with physical limitations like in his rookie season.
Expect adjustment period
It’s no coincidence that when Pederson took the Philadelphia Eagles to the playoffs in his second (Super Bowl win), third and fourth seasons, his defense under veteran coordinator Jim Schwartz was among the best run-stopping units in the league.
But in Schwartz’s first season, the Eagles were only 15th in that department, then were first, seventh and third when they advanced to the postseason. Getting takeaways and being stout against the run — especially with backs Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans) and Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts) in the AFC South — are two of the biggest factors in getting opponents off the field and that’s where the Jaguars have struggled mightily since their last playoff run.
The buzzword many players and coaches like to use to improve those areas is communication. Just remember, this is a unit with minimal time together. Not only are there likely six new starters, but Caldwell is coordinating a defense for the first time.
So there’s bound to be some communication issues, particularly early in the season, that could impact the defense’s effectiveness. Pederson acknowledges it’s an adjustment period, which means fans might well see a better unit in November and December than the first two months.
“It’s a matter of continuing to work together, getting more reps on the field with the starters and I think we’ll begin to see improvement in that area,” said Pederson.
“I think it’s a good group of seven or eight guys that comprise the front. Then you start adding the safeties in there, I do believe that we can ascend. It’ll take a lot of work, though.”
Oluokun is bullish on the defense’s potential, and loves the hunger aspect of teammates wanting to get to the football. But can the Jaguars, who face the Pittsburgh Steelers in a Saturday preseason game at TIAA Bank Field, be disciplined enough about their responsibilities to ensure big plays against them are minimal?
“You can have all the talent, but it don’t matter if you’re not communicating and on the same page,” said Oluokun. “I want to see it clicking and being where we’re supposed to be. I won’t say I’m happy or satisfied with the defense, but I’m excited about what we can become.”
Nobody is more sold than Griffin, whose belief is rooted in seeing how this defense has bonded and held each other accountable.
“I know for a fact it’s going to be a better defense,” said Griffin. “The closeness in everything has been phenomenal so far. We’re definitely closer now. You talk about last year, you can count on your finger how many guys on the team who were trying to relay the same message of keeping the faith, keeping hope and togetherness. It wasn’t too many.
“But now, everybody’s bringing in the same message and buying in on the same thing. That’s a different a team, that’s a different defense.”
Growing pains, first-year coordinator, different scheme and adapting to new teammates aside, the personnel upgrade across the board on defense is more than any AFC South team, though the Colts are right there as well.
In due time, the Jaguars’ results on the field should start reflecting that.
Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540
Gene Frenette Sports columnist at Florida Times-Union, follow him on Twitter @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Makeover for Jaguars defense could pay dividends under Mike Caldwell
