Shahid Khan needs more than ambition to make Jacksonville Jaguars consistent winners - NFL Feature
Running back Maurice Jones-Drew spent 38 days out on the fence demanding a better payout from the Jacksonville Jaguars during off-and-preseason this year (2012).
General Manager Gene Smith had only one reply to the running back’s demand that they will not pay him more. He told Maurice to play on terms of previous contract which had two years left on it.
The GM’s response was in due approval from new owner Shahid Khan. The new owner, too, while referring to Jones’ holdout a couple of times, refused to pay him more. This was his first and final stance.
At the end, Jones returned to the side unconditionally, and without a pay raise. The player still cannot believe he has been refused bluntly, and he often makes mention of it, but his regretful remarks have not moved Shahid at all. They are unlikely to do
so, for a year at least.
Khan took over the Jaguars in first week of January this year, when his $770 million deal got through the regulatory challenges successfully. It was feared then he would make some rash changes in the side and might let go almost all officials and players
in a clean-sweep.
It did not happen, and is unlikely to happen until the end of this season, at least.
At the time he had formally accepted the reign of the Jaguars, he mentioned of two targets in front of him: To make his franchise a consistent winner on the field, and to make it a role model off the field.
Making the team consistent winners on the field certainly warrants investment in quality of talent. Will the owner do so?
Khan’s first-year intentions reflect that he might not be willing to open his wallet, but this is first year, which he probably wants to utilise to know more about his franchise and understand the professional football thoroughly.
This point is justified by the reason that the owner has not disturbed staff and players at all positions, except for minor changes here and there. In fact, he has hired a new coach and some of his junior staff.
So, he has made some need-based expense. He has not been willing to do dole out money to immediately improve quality of talent at certain positions. This has to be done if the Jaguars are to improve from an Okay performance to a title-winning performance.
The team has not won a title quite since long. They have been the same story of approximately five wins of the season each year. Apparently, former owner Wayne Weaver was content with it. He did not have an ambition beyond that. He might have been weighing
selling option all along while hoping the Jaguars show some respectable performance.
Shahid, on other hand, has shown willingness to see his franchise making consistent progress in the league. He has backed the managers and coaches to go with changes at their will but has not so far so as to make financial commitments.
Again, the case of Maurice’s holdout and refusal by the team to increase his salary package is evident to it. The situation leaves a question mark: whether new owner will make investment in future of the team, in bringing quality talent to Jacksonville,
because if he does not do it, the Jaguars will not become a title-winning team.
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