AFC South Notes: Jaguars, Texans, Titans

Jaguars

The Jaguars decided to make a bet that excising EVP Tom Coughlin from their leadership trio and keeping HC Doug Marrone and GM Dave Caldwell would fix the problems that have ailed the team the past few seasons. It’s not as drastic a step as many would have liked and Jaguars team president Mark Lamping acknowledged they were aware of the perception. 

“I would be surprised if the fan wasn’t frustrated. I’m frustrated but I go to the games for free,” Lamping said via John Reid of the Florida Times-Union. “We’re in the business that your record is who you are. Shad made a decision not to terminate Dave Caldwell, not to terminate Doug Marrone. I think if you had a vote of our fans they would say both of those gentlemen should have been terminated. This is a business where people get fired all the time.”

Lamping also acknowledged the team understands it has to do more to regain fan trust besides just make the AFC championship game one year. 

“We have done a crappy job of winning,” Lamping continued. “Hopefully we will get better. But just to sit back and say winning is going to cure everything, not in this market.”

Texans

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes that while the Texans can’t go 4-12 in 2020, HC Bill O’Brien‘s coaching seat likely isn’t very warm despite Houston’s playoff collapse to the Chiefs. 
• Breer adds he could still see Patriots executive Nick Caserio landing with the Texans when his contract expires following the draft. 

Titans

Titans QB Ryan Tannehill took over for previous starter Marcus Mariota in Week 6. But Tannehill took his time taking over for Mariota as the leader of the team, waiting to assert himself more in the locker room until he’d proven himself on the field. 

“It’s a little bit of a slow process,” Tannehill said, via Pro Football Talk. “You don’t want to come in guns blazing and shake the boat too much. It’s just a matter of being myself, leading in my own way, encouraging guys, trying to press this offense, press each and every person, build relationships and try to get the most out of every guy. Every guy is a little different, how you talk to him, how you handle him and hold him accountable, every guy is a little different. So it’s a matter of building those relationships, learning each and every guy, and then trying to push and get the best out of our guys.”

• ESPN’s Turron Davenport looks at two trades Titans GM Jon Robinson made that have fueled the team’s run to the AFC Championship Game.
• The first was trading down from No. 1 overall in 2016 with the Rams, who took QB Jared Goff. Tennessee ended up with OT Jack Conklin, RB Derrick Henry, DT Austin Johnson, WR Corey Davis and TE Jonnu Smith with the picks acquired in that deal. 
• The second was dealing a seventh-round pick in 2019 and a fourth-round pick in 2020 to the Dolphins for Tannehill — as well as a sixth-round pick used on LB David Long.