Gene Frenette: Baalke standing pat with Jaguars' pass rush was right move under circumstances

Contrary to what seems like a consensus among Jacksonville Jaguars fans and other team observers, letting the trade deadline go by Tuesday without adding a pass-rusher wasn’t an egregious oversight some make it out to be.

People and media often see a glaring need, or what they perceive as one, and automatically think the solution is go get one of the top available players at that position in exchange for a future draft pick, thus solving a roster void.

Frankly, this is why fans are armchair GMs instead of being in the big chair like the Jaguars’ Trent Baalke. They simply don’t take into consideration all the ramifications of executing a trade, which include compensation, salary cap, a player’s future beyond 2023 and their fit into a team’s scheme.

A major reason why the only deal the Jaguars executed at the trade deadline was for Minnesota Vikings guard Ezra Cleveland is he met the criteria.

The Jaguars only had to surrender a 2024 sixth-round pick to acquire a needed insurance policy at left guard. Maybe it’s an upgrade from Tyler Shatley or a Plan B if Walker Little can’t physically return to being their best offensive lineman, which he was before injuring his knee in the Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills.

And with right guard Brandon Scherff almost certainly being a cap casualty after this season, Cleveland might well be an option to replace him if Baalke can reach an agreement on a new deal for the impending free agent.

Plus, who knows what the Jaguars will do at left tackle in 2024, where Little remains a possibility if he gets healthy and the team moves on from Cam Robinson. Lots of moving parts with the O-line, so adding quality depth at the right price was a prudent move.

As for why the Jaguars, tied for 23rd in team sacks with 16, didn’t acquire at least a situational pass-rusher, nothing surfaced that was anything close to an ideal transaction like the Cleveland trade.

NFL sack leader Danielle Hunter (10.0 sacks) of the Minnesota Vikings wasn’t available and the two prominent pass-rushers that were traded — the Washington Commanders’ Montez Sweat and Chase Young — fetched a 2024 second-round pick from the Chicago Bears and a third-round compensatory pick from the San Francisco 49ers, respectively.

Well, the Jaguars didn’t have that draft capital available to give because those picks are still in limbo as part of the Calvin Ridley trade (looking quite good in hindsight) last year to the Atlanta Falcons.

No way were the Jaguars going to give up a first-round pick for any of those players, and a fourth-round choice wasn’t going to satisfy any trade partner.

Another speculative target was the New England Patriots’ Josh Uche, who had a breakout season in 2022 with 11.5 sacks. But he’s got only two sacks this year and is too light of a player (6-foot-3, 240 pounds) to be an edge rusher on early downs. He’s a third-down, situational rusher, but there’s no compelling evidence to think he’d be an upgrade from Dawuane Smoot.

The Jaguars were looking for a backup rusher like Arden Key, who left to go to the Tennessee Titans last year because he wanted a chance to be the starter. He's been a part-time starter and playing a lot more snaps with the Titans. The bottom line is the Jaguars didn't feel they had an ideal pass-rushing fit at the desired price, so they stood pat with what they have behind Josh Allen and Travon Walker.

Cleveland was a fit for the Jaguars, maybe beyond this season. It was a different story with the pass-rush options. The apples on that tree were either overpriced or not sufficiently better than what was on the roster to warrant giving up valuable draft capital.

Time will be the truth teller on Baalke’s transactions, both for the deals he made and the ones that never materialized. Given the Jaguars' circumstances at the deadline, Trader Trent did the right thing.

Titans not comfortable dealing Henry

While it looked like the Tennessee Titans were jump-starting a rebuild when they traded away safety Kevin Byard to the Philadelphia Eagles, the speculation that they might deal franchise back and Yulee High product Derrick Henry didn’t come to fruition.

At 29, Henry probably has only one or two stellar years left on a body that has averaged 312 carries over the past four years, which would be higher without missing half the 2021 season with a foot injury and losing out on a third consecutive league rushing title.

The NFL’s active rushing leader (8,861 yards, 39th all-time) will probably hit the 10,000-yard plateau next season and is certainly a strong Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate, especially if he reaches the magical 100-touchdown mark (he has 85) that only 25 players have attained.

Henry is signed through 2025, but he’s also at a crossroad age for many NFL backs as he turns 30 in two months.

It would feel odd to not see Henry in a Titans uniform because the 2015 Heisman Trophy winner is among the most popular legacy players in franchise history.

The problem is, once the Titans and GM Ran Carthon go into full rebuild mode, they’ll probably be more inclined to let him finish his career somewhere else.

Stay tuned. That’ll be an interesting call.

Napier must change things up

Let’s clarify one thing about Florida coach Billy Napier’s failed fourth-and-a-foot call against Georgia last week that permanently flipped the momentum in UF’s 43-20 loss: it wasn’t as idiotic as Doug Dickey’s infamous “Fourth-and-Dumb" decision in a 1976 loss to the Bulldogs.

Forty-seven years ago, Dickey’s team held a 27-20 lead when he gambled on fourth-and-less-than-1 in the third quarter. A pitch out to Earl Carr was blown up by Georgia’s Johnny Henderson. Three plays later, the game was tied and the ‘Dogs went on to a 41-27 victory and the SEC Championship.

That year, the Gators and Georgia were both top-10 teams entering the game, as opposed to UF being a heavy underdog now. Napier faced a different situation, knowing he needed points and to keep Georgia off the field to have a chance.

So with Florida trailing 10-7 and needing just 12 inches to move the chains, it was a reasonable gamble to go for a first down from the UF 34. The problem was the play-call being just plain weird.

Instead of having Graham Mertz try a quarterback sneak, as UF successfully did later in the game on the Georgia 1, center Kingsley Eguakun snapped it through Mertz’s legs to running back Trevor Etienne, who lined up five yards in the backfield for a run-pass option.

In a different situation, that play might have worked, but this was not the time to attempt trickery. Etienne never had a chance to do a thing as linebacker Smael Mondon smothered him.

On the ensuing possession, Georgia scored on a 20-yard Daijun Edwards touchdown run and extended the lead to 26-7 by halftime. The Gators were fourth and done.

Napier’s call didn’t lose the game, but it was further evidence the second-year UF coach seems to lack the play-calling instincts needed to elevate the Gators into a national contender.

When the 2023 season is over, Napier knows he must make more changes to close the gap on Georgia. One of them should be hiring a play-caller to take that responsibility off his plate.

Part of being a successful Power 5 football program is having a leader who recognizes shortcomings and fixes them. Napier has shown terrific instincts on the recruiting trail, but he doesn’t have that same strength as a play-caller.

The Georgia game exposed that in a crucial moment. He should see the light and make the necessary change. 

Quick-hitting nuggets

The Jaguars and head coach Doug Pederson will be happy to stay away from referee Tra Blake and his officiating crew. Last year, Blake’s crew flagged the Jaguars 13 times for 90 yards in a season-opening loss at Washington, then another 13 penalties for 81 yards in a home defeat against the New York Giants. Those were the only games in the Pederson era that the Jaguars hit double-digits in penalties. Blake has yet to be assigned a Jaguars game this season.

Here’s a statistical oddity: Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who just won his fourth World Series and became only the third manager in MLB history besides Sparky Anderson and Tony LaRussa to win it all in two different leagues, has a losing record in the regular season. Over his 26-year career with three different teams, he’s 1,052-1,054 in the regular season. But in the postseason, Bochy’s teams are money. The Melbourne High School product has a 57-37 playoff record (.606 win percentage), which includes a combined 36-18 mark in World Series and league championship play.

While Bob Knight will deservedly be remembered as one of the greatest college basketball coaches and teachers of all-time, he also leaves behind a complicated legacy after his passing Wednesday at age 83. Knight’s demanding standards produced three national titles at Indiana, but his fiery temper and boorish behavior also produced too many negative headlines, which compelled Indiana to fire him. Knight was a hoops genius. Unfortunately, the General sullied his reputation in his last decade of coaching by an inability to control his emotions.     

Pigskin forecast

Miami Dolphins over Kansas City Chiefs by 4 (Deutsche marks); Cincinnati Bengals over Buffalo Bills by 1 (recurring Joe Burrow nightmare); Philadelphia Eagles over Dallas Cowboys by 3 (Tush Pushes); Florida over Arkansas by 7 (bowl reservations); Florida State over Pittsburgh by 24 (cupcake recipes); Miami over North Carolina State by 3 (FSU postgame taunts); Notre Dame over Clemson by 7 (Dabo Swinney fan lectures). Last week: 4 right, 3 Las Vegas Raiders workplace stability recommendations.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com; (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trent Baalke stabilizing Jaguars' O-line, passing on pass-rusher good call