Jaguars have to build around Nick Foles and more

The Jacksonville Jaguars finally have a competent quarterback. After searching for years following the exodus of Mark Brunell, general manager Dave Caldwell settled on Nick Foles. Foles is a former Super Bowl MVP and a polished veteran, one that signed up for four years and $88 million at the onset of free agency.

With Foles in the mix, there’s clarity for Caldwell as he heads towards the draft. The Jaguars are armed with a full cache of draft choices, including the No. 7 overall pick. With the defense still featuring names such as Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, Marcell Dareus, Calais Campbell, Telvin Smith and Myles Jack, there’s no reason that unit should fall out of the top 10.

Unfortunately, the offense isn’t so lucky. While Foles represents a massive upgrade Blake Bortles and his parade of turnovers, he can’t do it alone. Foles is the kind of player who needs support to survive, much as he had in Philadelphia with the Eagles. Currently, it’s Marqise Lee and little else on the outside, with Dede Westbrook being asked to shoulder a large burden. In the backfield, T.J. Yeldon and Carlos Hyde are gone, leaving only Leonard Fournette. The tight end position and parts of the offensive line are also barren, giving Caldwell plenty to worry about over the next few weeks.

It’s hard to see Jacksonville not going heavy on offensive talent in the draft. A perfect first two days might include something like University of Florida left tackle Jawaan Taylor making the trip from Gainesville to Duval, followed by a receiver in the second round (think Hollywood Brown, D.K. Metcalf, Kelvin Harmon, N’Keal Harry or someone of that ilk) and then a tight end/running back in the third.

If Jacksonville can come away with two immediate contributors on the offense, it’ll be a huge step in the right direction for a team that was mere moments away from the Super Bowl only 15 months ago.

Cardinals coming up on decision time

If the Arizona Cardinals are going to take Kyler Murray, they may want to trade Josh Rosen first. Right now, general manager Steve Keim has the leverage in some respects. The Cardinals don’t have to take Murray, and so Rosen doesn’t have to be dealt. If Keim waits until after the draft, and Murray does prove to be the choice, the other 31 teams around the league know Rosen needs to be traded. At that point, Arizona loses all power in the deal, and Rosen will be dealt for pennies on the dollar.