Jaguars Get Interesting Nod From Former Star

The Jacksonville Jaguars had arguably the busiest and most jam-packed offseason of any team in the entire NFL.

From parting ways with head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke, to the hirings of new head coach Liam Coen and new general manager James Gladstone, to the blockbuster trade for Travis Hunter, the Jaguars have not slowed down.

But have all of those moves actually pushed the needle for the Jaguars? That much remains to be seen until Coen's squad actually hits the field in Week 1 and beyond, but the work the Jaguars put in this offseason certainly has its fair share of supporters.

Amongst those supporters is former star Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who tabbed the Jaguars as the non-playoff team that has made the largest leap in a piece for NFL.com.

"Trevor Lawrence has acknowledged he needs to "turn it on" this fall after an injury-marred season that saw him go 2-8 as a starter. He knows it. The Jags know it. Hell, the whole (football) world knows it. That's why the franchise spent the offseason building around its franchise quarterback," Jones-Drew said.

"Jacksonville hired proven play-caller Liam Coen to help jump-start the offense, retooled the offensive line and brought in more playmakers, including two-way star Travis Hunter, who could make a legitimate case to win both rookie of the year awards in 2025. If the defense improves at all -- it should -- there's a good chance the Jags double their 2024 win total (four). And let's face it, winning the division isn't out of the question because, well, the AFC South isn't exactly brimming with elite quarterbacks right now."

Considering the sorry state the Jaguars were in just a season ago, it would be far from a shock to see the Jaguars get closer to being a near-.500 team this season.

Most of their success will rest on the shoulders of Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, and the duo has quickly gotten off to a fast start to immerse the fifth-year quarterback in his new scheme.

But on paper, it is hard to argue with Jones-Drew. The Jaguars did their best to quickly turn things around this offseason, and the hope seems genuine.