For the Jaguars, 2024 will ultimately come down to one key detail: Their final record.
That’s what happens when a favorite to win the division collapses down the back stretch of a season. Jacksonville is no longer operating with house money and good vibes, and they need to prove last year wasn’t a harbinger of things to come.
Trevor Lawrence sounds optimistic. He’s surveyed their cast of weapons — including new arrivals Gabe Davis, Devin Duvernay and first-round pick Brian Thomas Jr. — entering 2024 and sees plenty of potential.
“We have a really dynamic group of pass catchers, I really don’t want to just say receivers because tight ends are another piece to it too,” Lawrence said during Thursday’s edition of NFL Network’s The Insiders. “We have some great tight ends. You talk about Evan (Engram), obviously, had a great year last year. He’s really great with the ball in his hands. He does a lot of things to help us — a good blocker too.
“Brenton (Strange), who’s a young guy that didn’t get as many touches last year but has a lot of talent and a really good player. I think he could take off this year. Then all the receivers, you got Christian (Kirk), Devin (Duvernay), Brian (Thomas Jr.) and Gabe (Davis) who we picked up in the offseason as well and that’s just to mention a few of them. We got a lot of young guys that can really play.
“So, you look at that and just the type of pass catchers we have whether they are big, fast, strong, good after the catch or creating separation. I kind of think we have all of that — as a quarterback it makes me really excited.”
Jacksonville’s pass-catching corps is admittedly built better than it was a year ago, likely a product of the Jaguars watching their offense struggle without Kirk in the lineup for a stretch due to injury. They’ve replaced Calvin Ridley with Thomas, and hope Davis and Duvernay can provide more combined production than the Jaguars were able to muster a year ago.
The onus also falls on Lawrence. He recently signed an extension, satisfying the financial side of his position within the franchise, and now he needs to deliver. After a season of near-misses, the time is now for Lawrence to prove Jacksonville was wise in their investment.
If all goes well, general manager Trent Baalke could come away looking like a genius. Plenty of work is left to be done before then, though, and it starts later this month when the Jaguars open training camp.
