Bucking the trend of harsh criticism, Seth Walder rewards Jacksonville’s calculated decision-making with a surprising grade while highlighting a potential steal on the offensive line.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have had their offseason criticized for months.
Whether it was the lack of signing big names in free agency or a draft class many thought was full of "reaches," most experts have been critical of the moves the Jags have (or haven't) made.
Now Seth Walder of ESPN has gotten in on the fun, giving every NFL team's offseason an overall letter grade. Walder singled out each team's biggest move, as well as one move he liked and one he didn't.
He also makes it a point to say that his grades are not based on whether a team simply got better or worse, but on an evaluation of "the actual decisions each team has made during the offseason."
Walder uses the Las Vegas Raiders as his example, saying they obviously got better than they were last year (not that hard), but doubts the decisions they made were the right ones, and gave them a "C" for their offseason.
So, how does Walder think the Jaguars fared during the offseason?
Solid But Unspectacular Grade
Walder gives the Jaguars a "B" for their offseason. While that is a solid but unspectacular grade, it is a much higher mark than the team has been getting for months. CBS Sports recently called Jacksonville the league's "biggest offseason loser."
It's obvious that Walder does not agree with that assessment.
For Jacksonville's "biggest move," Walder chose the team signing Travon Walker to an extension. Walker, the top overall pick in 2022, was given a new four-year deal worth $110 million, including $77 million guaranteed.
The move Walder singled out that he liked was the re-signing of left tackle Cole Van Lanen. He believes Van Lanen could wind up being a steal.
"Van Lanen's deal has a chance to be excellent for Jacksonville. He had been a bench player entering last season but started at left tackle when Walker Little was out with a concussion and then kept the job. Van Lanen's numbers backed up the decision to switch starters. He recorded a 91.9% pass block win rate and 78.1% run block win rate at tackle, respectively, both above average for a starter at the position. If he keeps up that pace going forward, he'll be a steal at $17 million per year."
Like most analysts, Walder did not like the drafting of tight end Nate Boerkircher. He also believes Boerkircher was a reach in the second round, and believes the Jaguars made a mistake by not trading down before selecting him.
"Where Jacksonville probably erred was the draft. Without a first-round pick, the Jaguars spent their first selection -- pick No. 56 -- on Boerkircher. The pick was a reach, part of an unexpected train of blocking tight ends that went earlier than expected, which indicates bad drafting process. If the rest of the league thought he wasn't worthy of a selection at that spot, he's less likely to be worth it -- and the Jaguars could have traded down with a decent chance of landing him later."
Final Thoughts
It's surprising to see the Jaguars receive a positive grade for their offseason. Up until now, they have been bashed over and over for the decisions they made over the last several months. Most "experts" are expecting Jacksonville to take a step back this season, largely because they haven't agreed with the team's approach in free agency or the draft.
However, Walder is a fan of the moves the Jaguars made in-house. Not every great signing comes from another team in free agency. It is equally, if not more, important to retain your own players when the time comes. The Jaguars did a good job of that with Walker and Van Lanen.
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