Jaguars Happy Hour: Thursday, January 27

regular season, and really nothing's changed since then. There's been a lot of tweeting and reporting going on, but the Jaguars are still without a head coach at this moment. We'll i get into that coming up. Busy show, of course, on a day like today, the coaching carousels spinning. A couple of teams around the league have secured their new head coach and including a couple of teams that had Jaguar candidates that were hired, the Bears and the Broncos.

Will get to that coming up. The Jaguars search continues. There's not a lot of that. There's a lot of reporting coming out, but you know, who's really close to the situation, There aren't many. We'll say that. CBS Sports senior writer Pete Frisco. We'll hear from Pete get his thoughts on what's going on. I'm sure he has a few. Jaguars dot Com senior writer John Ozier joins us to give us his perspective on what has happened or what is happening for the Jaguars, and we'll hear from NFL

Network analyst Bucky Brooks. He's out in Los Angeles, the Collegiate Bowl coming up. He'll have Shrine Bowl coverage coming up next week as well. He'll be very busy, of course, And that is our show ahead so well. Since we last convened, that was the Monday after the regular season. That was on Jaguars Happy Hour Prisco and Bisselli. We recapped the final win of the season, the the possibility of what could happen in the coaching search at that point.

Since then, according to all the reports that you've read and seen on social media, the Jaguars have gone through the interview process. They have gone through it twice with

a few different candidates. Now and what a few days it's been, of course on social media, some ups and downs, there was some changes, some plot twists, um you know, to to well, a couple of days ago now Byron left, which was apparently gonna be the guy and was the slam dunk and all this, and then that changed in an overnight period to maybe need Hacketts coming for a

second interview. Then the Broncos took action and signed up Nathaniel Hackett, the former Jaguars offensive coordinator, as their head coach. Matt ever Flus is now with the Chicago Bears. He had been in the process with the Jaguars as well. And now it kind of goes back if you follow the tweets and the reports today, it's Byron Left, which back in the fold and reports today out of Arizona that Left which would be the coach, and Aaron Wilson would be GM. Well, the Jags have a GM right now.

Trent Balky is the general manager. That's a report as of earlier today. Vic Fangio's name was thrown in the mix earlier today as well, the former Broncos coach of course, but later believed at least reported to be believed to be for a potential defensive coordinator role. So all this is going on at the same time. All this is happening now the Saints have requested to talk with Left, which so who who really knows how many are really

close to this thing. That's a small group. But I haven't the name we haven't heard in a while either as Jim Caldwell. That was an early name in the process, and after that first go round really haven't heard much out of him. His name was in the hunt, I believe in Chicago, but since the Bears have made that

move for Ebra, Fleus is coldwell back in play. At some point there eber Fleus and Byron left, which everybody that has been a jagg Arsan for a long time of Court, of course, understands and knows his history around here. Forty two years of age. He took some time off after he played and then got into coaching. Left which did as a coaching intern with the Arizona Cardinals and then latched on as an assistant there the quarterbacks coach

one season. The next year he was the QB coach, and then the O C got whacked, so he took over the INTERIMOC duties and then the whole staff got whacked. After that season, he ended up in Tampa Bay with the Arians, of course, and Jamis Winston under his watch as the offensive coordinator through for over five thousand yards also through thirty interceptions that year, but he did throw for over five thousand yards. Then of course the last two seasons with Tom Brady as the quarterback in Tampa Bay.

So it's been as the years have gone along, you've heard his name pop up in some of these discussions as a possible head coach candidate. But it feels like this is really the first off season at least that he has been um, you know, interviewed and maybe a few teams trying to talk to him. So I will see where this one goes. And you know, if you look at Twitter and follow the fan base there on

board with Byron Leftwich so far. Um you know obviously was drafted here two thousand and three and spent four seasons here into the fifth offseason, but then it was cut right at the start of the season in two thousand seven, went on to a couple of different stints with the Steelers, and you know, it didn't have the greatest success in his time here statistically, it was banged up a little bit as well, and moved on to other things in his career as as his career moved on,

and then, as we said, once his career ended. It was a few a few years off, played a lot of golf, he set in an interview not that long ago, and was up in d C and doing all that thing, and then decided to get back in coaching, and it has been a quick run um to the doorstep at

least of a head coaching position in the NFL. What a story it would be, obviously for a guy from inner City Washington, d C. To work his way up from there as a young kid and then get to go to college at Marshall had a fantastic collegiate career there, of course, was a first round pick all that happened as a player, and then work his way up to coaching ranks again. If he somehow does get the Jaguars or another head coaching gig in the NFL, what a

story that would be to complete for Byron Leftwich. So we'll see the conversations apparently continue will We're following Twitter just as you are, just to see if anything pops up, any new reports, But as of right now, there's nothing that knew this afternoon, But we'll see. I mean, I think there's gonna be a lot of talk we'll hear from Pete Prisco coming up, and John Osier and Bucky

and those guys and get their thoughts on this. But the timing so far, there's been a lot made of the Jaguars being really the second team to fire their head coach this year. Of course, the Raiders were the first, but they had the interim coach in there, and they were on a playoff run, so they weren't worried about at least trying to get jump started early in the process. Well, the Jaguars had that two extra weeks to try to talk to candidates who are in the National Football League.

I don't know, at least from one perspective, the era Flues perspective, Well, the Jaguars are playing the Colts in one of those weeks two end the season, so uh, he requested to move it back a little further. So you know, there there were nine openings at the end of the day the other day when Sean Payton stepped down in New Orleans. Now with two field there are seven open So yeah, they're not the first team to hire. I'm gonna guess they probably won't be the last team

to hire. I think the timing is what it is. I don't I don't. I just don't think you have to rush this thing, and I certainly don't think shod Khan is worried about rushing and he wants to get it right. I felt like he did before he did and it didn't work out, obviously, So doing the due diligence, doubling up on some interviews, taking the time to do that, I think is what's happening right now. That's why it's

January at the moment and there's no head coach. We're all looking at that chimney though for the white smoke to come out to see if there's a new head coach, and we'll see it's uh, it'll be um, you know, it could be today, it could be uh, any time in the air, next week or two. I mean, there's really not a huge rush in this, but you do want to get it in place in time to go find those assistant coaches, figure out who's on staff. Now.

You want to keep around obviously because they're all still under contract and in the building and working and doing things. But um, the quicker you can figure that thing out, then you can move forward to free agency and and figure out what the building is really gonna feel like and and look like so um. No new news to report, but plenty to discuss. Of course, we are off and running on Jaguars Happy Hour. We will come back in just a moment. And here from CBS Sports Senior writer

Pete Prisco. He's our co host on Monday's during the season. He was on our last show since we've been on air. So we will hear from Pete and get his perspective of what's happened for the Jaguars and all of the news and tweets over the last forty eight hours. A little later, John Ozer, Jaguars dot Com senior writer, and we'll hear from Bucky Brooks, NFL network analysts. We're often rounting as jaguar is Happy Hour on a Thursday afternoon

on the Jaguars Digital Network. Welcome back. It's Jaguars Happy Hour on Thursday afternoon, our first show since the day after the regular season. J. P. Shadrick from the home office. Some close contact issues, nothing bad over here. I hope everybody's doing well. Glad you're back with us. Of course, a lot going on for the Jaguars. Coaching search continues. It's been a busy couple of weeks on social media. It's really heated up over the last couple of days.

It feels like, let's check in with CBS Sports senior writer Pete Prisco, He joins us now over the phone. Pete, good afternoon to you. What's up man? What's up? J p JP. You're like a close contact, like every two day. I thank you day. I don't know what's going on the office. Hey, I don't know, man. The rules are the rules, Pete. That's what it is. I know. I'm a better safe than sorry. I know, I get it. I understand. Yeah, that's what it is. Just can't go

in the building, but I can do everything else. So and feeling okay, So that's a good thing. So, uh, there are not a lot of jazz fans feeling okay right now with everything has happened over the last two days, three days or so. It is. Um, it's a carousel spinning on this tweet deck thing that I'm looking at right now, Pete, And um, what's the latest you? What is this left? Which thing going to happen or what? Here's what I have to say to everybody. Just calm down,

Let's let the whole process play out. I mean it's just, you know, everybody looked. I love Byron Leftwich Is He's one of my favorite guys I've ever been around. Is. It relates to that team. And when he was there, he took a beating from the public. Um. You know, it was never the quarterback. Everybody thought he would be great human being, handled himself with class, always did that, worked his butt off, and I think he'd be a hell of a coach for this the organization. But let's

let it play out. There's a thing called negotiation. I mean, that's what they're doing. They're negotiating. And you know, it's funny Nate Hackett goes to Denver and all of a sudden, everybody in Jacksonville's all up in arms. Oh my god, they let him get away that that what how many of those same people were sitting in those stands ripping Nate Hackett when he was the offensive coordinator back in the day. You know, So just let it play out, let it see what happens, and uh, ultimately they'll get

the guy that they think is the right guy. I don't think any of the guys that they, you know, thought was the right guy. They would have had them already, and that's how I feel. I think they would have locked them up. So let it play out. As far as Trent Fawky in the building, would I have him in the building? No, what I have kept them around for part of the process, absolutely, because you needed somebody to ask the football questions. That made all the sense

in the world. Now, whether he's there for the long run, that's to be determined. I wouldn't keep him there for the long run. Uh, ultimately maybe they won't. But but let the process play out. They have to, you know, they have to go siate with whoever they are bringing in there. Obviously today that the Saints apparently asked to speak with Left, which as well, um, and then so that opens up another thing of negotiation and all that.

It's kind of what happened in Denver. Right here, Hey, Hackett is about to go interview for a second time with Jacksonville. We need to get this thing done in Denver, and they got Nate Hackett done. Let's see if the kind of move some things here. If if for some reason, Left which is not in play, where do they go. Well, I would go back to Jim Caldwell. That's where I would go Um, I know Jim Caldwell is not a young man. He's sixty six years old. But he's a

perfect guy to bring me into that building. I think he would have. He is the right demeanor. He's great with quarterbacks. Go back and look at his track record. He's been outstanding with quarterbacks, developing them, coaching them the whole process and any and he's a good man and I think that would be welcomed inside that building. So I would look for him. Um, you know, as far as you know, they the stuff that Fangio, I don't get that unless you're bringing them in as the defensive coordinator.

If you do hire a Byron and I don't know if Byron and Ncanro have much of relationship. And I don't ever want to see a force a coach to hire somebody he doesn't want, So that wouldn't be a good situation unless he wanted them there. But I think they you know, they start, they go back. There's a lot of good coaches out there. You gotta get the right one. And I always go back to the when the Eagles hired hired Syriani. Everybody panned it. Everybody did,

Oh how they waited They got the worst guy. We had a pretty darn good rookie for first year with the with the Eagles, didn't he So get the right guy. And and here's one one other thing, this whole idea that the guy you hire has to be a great play caller, great defensive coordinator. I never have bought into that. You know why, JP this guy who's going to manage the people, manage the coaches, let the coaches coach, and

have a good culture in the building. You don't need to have a guy who's an ex is and those guys, I mean, John Harbaugh isn't, Mike Tomlin isn't. I mean, you can have a guy who's just a darn good coach who lets his coach his coach. And that's I mean, especially for this organization right now. I mean that they're in desperate need of a retooling of of what it is to be a Jaguar, right and and the organization as a whole. So, yeah, you can have some of the dolls up plays and all that, but you need

a bigger picture. Look at this thing. It feels like, yes, you definitely do. And I look, you can go back to um when when the Urban Meyer was a coach who didn't have any acting those but he wasn't a good those guys and that backfired on him, so it didn't work out. But that doesn't mean you can't go get the right guy to lead, to lead the coaches and let them coach again. Um. I think there's people out there. I mean, Jim called we will be one of them. I think Jim called Well would probably hire

a guy to call plays. I don't necessarily know that he would call plays again, but he would be an overseer inside the building and that would work. So if you don't get Byron, I think that's what you have to do. You go back to the drawing board. Find another guy there. There are a lot of good coaches out there who are begging for an opportunity to lead. I think that if you get a guy you can you can make it work. It just has to be the right guy. And oh, by the way, you need

the quarterback. If State Hackett, if Nate Hackett doesn't get Aaron Rodgers or doesn't solve the quarterback position, you're not gonna be around it Denver for very long. But Jacksonville, you know you have the quarterback. You have Trevor Lawrence, and that should be an attraction that should make that job something that most people want. I personally, JP would have hired a four A guy with a forty Niners

you know, uh, Kyle Shanahan background. And the reason I say that, I think that offense would be perfect, perfect for Trevor Lawrence. You run the ball, you get his own read, you get him on the move, you make plays. Uh that way, you sneak out the tight end, just like the forty Niners always doing. They gotta fight a tight end, but you can do that. Dan Arnold can be a good tight end. They need another one. But

I just think there's ways around it. So if you don't get Byron, there are all the coaches out there, go find the right one. Pete Prisco with a CBS Sports senior writer. As for the timing of this, Pete, we mentioned it earlier before you came on. I mean, the Jaguars were the second team to fire their head coach this season. Of course, the Raiders were the first. They had the interim, they were in the playoff race and got in the postseason and then so they weren't

worried about that two week window. The Jaguars had the two week window to work with, and now they are not the first to hire the Bears and the Broncos apparently have. Are you concerned at all at the timing of this? I mean, how quickly do you need to get this wrapt up? Obviously you want the right higher and the right person in the right field and everything that goes around it. Um, But at some point does the clock start ticking to go find some of these

assistant coaches? Well, the clock's ticking now because the senior goals next week. And I think that's important for your staff, Your coach, whoever it is, has to be there, has to be around, has to be able to go see players. I think, you know, that's the that's the marquee All Star game. That's when you start evaluating the guy, really evaluating the guys in the draft up close, getting to see him plactice and play. And so yeah, I think it's important by next week and and I think they'll

do it in the next couple of days. You know. Here's the other thing, and I'm gonna remind people of this. When Tom Coughlin was hired, that wasn't exactly a warm and fuzzy Hiring met by a lot of people in that city or elsewhere. He was a college coach at BC who had had some time in the National Football League. They tried the land a big fish, Jimmy Johnson. They I mean they met with him on a boat down in Fort Lauderdale and tried to get Jimmy Johnson away

from the Cowboys. And the league found out about it and get there was some talk of a tampering charge. They went after Tony Dungee. They had a bunch of other guys. Tom Coughlin was not a guy that was a marquee guy. That worked out pretty well for him, and he's a Hall of Fame coach in my mind. And so you get the right guy, you don't have to rush it. Take your time, get the right guy, but get it before Monday because Senior Bowl stars. Yeah, that's right. Brat Is Are you gonna be in the

Senior Bowl peat? No, we have a couple other guys going our draft guy goes Ever. I used to go all the time. I enjoyed it. Back in the day. I remember one time when this is a good story called back in the day, used to be able to get right in the middle of the drills on the field of media too, and so Coughlin and the scouting guy Rick Reapers were watching linebacker drills after they had just gotten I think beat by the Titans um and that year and and so al Wilson went on to

be a really good player with the Denver Broncos. Was a linebacker for the from the University of Tennessee. And he thumped the guy in a one on one drill and I walked over when I go seeing that's the way a linebacker is supposed to play. Your con looked at me, threw me off of his day. I love it. So, yeah, we'll miss you there. We're gonna be over there, or at least for planning to unless there's some coaching announcement or something. Next week, we're planning on going to cover

the Senior Bowls. So you ever, do you ever go to the used to have this food jubilie? Did they still have that? I think they still do, but it's so early in the week we're not going to make it to that. Unfortunately. That was always that was always the best thing before the Senor Bowl because all the coaches were there and you had you know, everybody was having a few cocktails and he got a little loosen.

Lips got loose, and I remember me and John Oshan can tell his story too, and they were cough and started like directing the woman on how to put the plates up for the boop a fa or something. So it's crazy. Of course he did. Of course he did well, Pete. Thanks for the insight. We appreciate your time as always, Van And let's see, I mean, we'll see what the next few days holds. Do you think Lax Jax and Bill relax. You'll get a guy and he's gonna probably

be a good coach. I mean, it's just because you don't know who he is. If you don't get Biro. Look, I want Byron there as much as anybody. I love Byron. But if you don't get him, you go find another guy. It's not the end of the world. You get the right guy. It's football, Pete. Like I'd always said, Hey, Brandon Bean was a pr intern in uh in Carolina and he came within a whisker getting his team to the Super Bowl this year, and he picked Josh Allen. So I mean, it's it's just you know, you can

you can make this thing work. Thanks for the time, Pete. We'll talk to you soon. Pete Presco, CBS Sports Senior writer, joining us here on Jaguar's Happy Hour. And yeah, so just patients, calm down. That's that's Pete's message, which is interesting. You know, he's a lot of times a little more kind of, hey, let's get this thing done. And I think he's probably got a little ting of that still.

But be patient. There's time. There's not a huge rush. Yeah, you want to kind of get something going though, as he said, the Senior Bowls coming up next week, that's when you have a chance to see a lot of coaches in person and sit down and do some interviews. If you want to add some people to your staff, that's a good place to do it. And in fact, there are coaches from all level of football show up with this thing for a week and go to the practices and hang out at the bars around the hotel

downtown and all that stuff. And so it is a true the first real big offseason NFL event. There are a couple other games, of course, like the Collegiate Bowls this week in l A. The Shrine Bowl is next week. It used to be in St. Pete. It's now in Las Vegas this year, and those are two that kind of come ahead of it, But the Senior Bowl is the the one that's the that's the big one of the off season. And actually little note some here in Jacksonville might remember this of a certain age range, but

the Senior Bowl actually started in Jacksonville. It was here for a couple of years before it moved to Mobile. It's like fifty years ago at least, and it's been in Mobile ever since. A couple of years ago they opened up a new stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama and that's where the game and the practices are held. Now, more on that coming up. We'll here from John Osier in just a moment, Jaguars

dot Com senior writer. We'll get his thoughts on what's happening with the Jags over the last few days and the coaching search and what the next steps could be for the Jacksonville Jaguars. A little later, Bucky Brooks, NFL network analysts joining us. This is Jaguars Happy Hour on the Jaguars Digital Network. Welcome back, It's Jaguars Happy Hour and if you're watching on Jaguars dot Com or Jack's social media channels. You are looking at the footprint of

the Football Performance Center. They have started taking things down. The process has started. The bleachers are gone, part of the gate of the players parking lot is now gone. That's how wide this thing is going to be when it's done. The Football Performance Center footprint. The They have started to disassemble some things and it's apparently going to be open for business. The team will move in for it,

so right before training camps. That's the ideal time summer of not of course this season, so they'll need this season and they'll have to make some some plans to do some of the offseason workouts in other areas. My guests would be that indoor um on the south end of the stadium at Daily's Place, and maybe even on the on the t i A Bank Field surface and then training camp. Who knows, well, that's a little for far down the road, but they'll have to make some

arrangements there with the construction underway. So that's good news. Welcome back is Jaguars Happy our j P. Shadwick with you from the home office today. Due to close contact tracing, all's well though, John Osher joining us over the phone now, Jaguars dot Com senior writer and a good afternoon, John. What's up man? Yeah, I'm not close contact JP, but yeah, we talked today, so maybe i'll will be who knows in this crazy world? Right? Wh Yeah, things happened in

an instant, so, um, who knows. You know. Hey, we're feeling okay over here, so that's fine. Um, I'll let you know if it goes the other way though. Um So all right, there's a lot going on, John, Obviously most of it's in behind closed doors. I think that this is there where social media and things have changed the whole reporting structure of the league and everything that goes on in this time period. This is stuff you never really heard or thought about, um really because you

it never really came out behind closed doors. All the negotiating and back and forth and posturing and go and interview other places and all that. That's I would think, at least a relatively new phenomena in the NFL. I'm gonna guess in nineteen seventy eight, you didn't follow this kind of coaching search like you do now. Yeah. Well, fortunately I was not covering the league yet. Yeah, I was still a couple of decades away. I can tell

you people who don't know. I covered the Jags for US six seven years for the newspaper, and then I went to the Colts for ten years inside and now I've been with the Jaguars sort of inside, you know, so two decades inside seven in the newspaper games h certainly in the nineties and up until ten years ago, everything like this. You would hear things like this, like what you hear on Twitter, but it would be written in the next day's newspaper story every day, so there

was time to sort through it. There was time too if you heard something, maybe make two calls, which used to be the old thing. If you had two storess you probably would run it. If you had three, definitely, so there was more time at that point for making sure you were right. It would still be nice to make sure you're right in this day and age, but it's harder because you know, everything's out there, everything is

getting retweeted. Everything looks the same in terms of legitimacy, so it's it's hard things get reported, and it's hard to know what's real, what's fact, what speculation? What I heard this and it's really close. Uh awording comes into play, how something's worded, and then it gets picked apart. So all the internet flues. Um, it's a wild wild West. And I don't know that's going to change because social media.

Is it better or worse, I don't know, but it's it's it's so much different as to be unrecognizable as part of the news cycle. Now. I mean, we know that the day after the season, it's Black Monday and they're gonna fire a bunch of people, and there's this. You know, this offseason there have been nine openings to have been filled and that's it seems like a higher number than normal, but that's just kind of part of

the flow of the NFL offseason. Now is the first month figuring out who's coaching where in the new places. Unfortunately that Jaguars have had to do that a little bit too much as of late. Um, you know, all the fans John, or most of them, at least the ones, the vocal ones on social media are all about Byron Leftwitch. So, um,

where are you with Byron Leftwitch? You know, I said since this process started, I've fortunate enough, and I stay fortunate because I like both men I'm fortunate enough to know Nate Hackett fairly well and no Jim called well very very well. So when their names were mentioned, I talked very positive to them because I know what they're about. Your natural tendency is too U get to do that. A lot of people are on the Jaguars new buyron, A lot of people in Jaguars media knew him, and

fans had a connection to him. I've covered him maybe eight times, uh in games, watching him play with the Colt or watching play against the Colt. Uh. And I have talked in a few weeks to some players. Uh. You know, I talked to Jimmy, Fred h Brad Meester, guys who knew him very well, and some other people in the building knew him very well, and they say

nothing but incredibly positive things about it. JP. Unfortunately for you, you have to read me every day in the O zone, so you know that the things I value in a head coach, I don't care that much about x as and ohs. But give me a guy who's a leader, who players will believe in, who can set a tone, who is a smart guy who can handle the day

to day of the NFL job. Uh. That's what I've been asking people about with Byron, and it's it's to check every box, absolutely above average, fantastic fit for those things. Uh So I think it would be exciting. The fans seem to want it. So all those things are in place, Now does it work out the shot event really say this is the right fit for a myriad of reasons, I don't know, but you know, I don't think there's many bad choices that certainly seems like Byron left, which

would be an absolutely great choice that people want. So let's see. I mean, I don't know how much more to say than that, because we don't know what's gonna happen. Yeah, And obviously a couple of the other names that were um I had already interviewed with the Jaguar as a time or two. He Refluce had done it twice already. The report that Hackett was coming back was enough to send the Broncos back into the table and they made

that deal done with Hackett. So with those those are really the two other big names as of late that were reported with the Jags that you had seen that first wave of interviews. Haven't heard Caldwell's name in a little while. Though John, I'm curious because his name was reported with Chicago, but now that one's filled. Yeah, and again, I I knew Jim well for ten years. I see him a different thing that I don't. I don't talk to Jim on any sort of regular basis for a

long long time, So I don't know. I have no insight into into what happened. It's it does seem generally like uh in this cycle and right now, teams aren't really going for the X head coach. Uh. There there's sort of a new blood trend so far. Uh hack it faber Flus that follows what's in the championship games

right now. There's Andy Reid, of course, but you also had La Fleurid Green Bay, You've got ed uh McVeigh, You've got Taylor, you got Cincinnati situation Shanahan, all young guys who have taken over and who are sort of setting their tones the new blood things. Uh. So perhaps that's why Peterson called well, some of the ex head coaches names I didn't really take off. It's it's probably dangerous on my part to try to say, Okay, two

positions have been hired, so that's a trend. But perhaps that's why some of the X head coaches UH haven't gotten a look. Pendulums and trends in this league UH tend to sway back and forth every couple of years. That's what just one feels like right now. John Ozer, Jaguars dot Com senior writer with us, Who do you like in the games this weekend? John? Good? You know it. Let's just hope they're as good as last week's, right. I mean, I'm not sure you can expect the Buffalo

Kansas City. Uh yeah, you know me. The old school guy in me was screaming for some defense in that game, but nobody else seemed to want it, so I was just kinda I was the old man yelling at the moon on that one but fantastic game. I think I like uh, I like the forty Niners over the Rams because they seem to be able to handle that team. I don't think it's a coincidence they've won so many a New Row against them. They seem to match up and their physical and compound at him, and the Rams

haven't handled that that well. So maybe that's the way that one goes. I I typically believe when a team has been there that often as Kansas City. With a quarterback like that, Kansas City is starting to feel a little bit like the Brady Air of Patriots, where you better bring a lot if you're going to knock them off. And for a young team to knock them off, this may be a situation where Cincinnati needs to be there one, get the experience and come back and go after him again.

The Chiefs at home are gonna be tough to beat that one. Yeah, Chiefs, but it's a fourth straight conference championship game and that's an amazing stat by the way. I mean, it is uh all at home too. I know they didn't learn the home in the home field this year, but you know, I'm sure it will happen again someday. But ain't gonna be a lot. Yeah, that's a It's a heck of a run for sure. John. We're going to the Senior Bowl next week maybe if if breaking news doesn't stop us from going. But hey,

another Senior Bowl run. It's been a little bit since I've been to one. I haven't been to the new stadium yet. Looking forward to that. And it's really as we were talking to Pete a moment ago, Pete Prisco, you've heard of him. Um, it's really the first big offseason coaching convention of sorts, and a lot of business

can be done in that week next week. Yeah, Pete and I used to call it the Garb set because you would walk around and all the newly hired coaches were supporting their new Back in the day used to

be starter Garb. I think. So it's always interesting to people watch there, but it is it's not the extent of the combine where everybody's there, and the Senior Bowl has has fallen off a little bit in terms of the number of head coaches you see, because I think so do with so many changes uh staff that change typically can't get over to the Senior Bowl. But it it is certainly a it's the convention where you start

to hear things. It's not as much of a job fair as I think it was back when I started covering the nineties and early two thousands, but it certainly where you started hearing gossips been for us DP obviously. UM, I know we were talking about it in our planning meeting today. We're thinking so much about the head coach and everything going on right now that it's easy to forget that dat Wards has the number one pick. It's it's uh, that hasn't really been much of a topic.

But for me personally, I'm looking forward to getting out there. That's always where I start really thinking about the draft and trying to figure out how things will play out. So I'm looking forward to go ahead and talking to people about these top guys, about the depth of the draft. Uh, that's what the Senior Bowl is really all about. Uh, although this year we'll see if we're going. I know

JP from experience. Once somebody tells you you're going to Mobile, it's hard to get you off that sent I've spent many of nights in that town. Um many a long, long night in that. Don't tell you you're going to Mobile and then turn that around, yeah, because I might just still go anyway. You never know, John, thanks to the time, Buddy, appreciate it. We'll talk to you all right, but anytime we'll talk John Os. You're Jaguars dot Com senior writer joining us. A lot going on, obviously, It's

it's easy to forget that. Yes, the Jaguars have the number one overall pick again, second year a row. I mean, I don't think you wanted three years in a row. In fact, I know you don't, but hey, you got it, so make sure you do all the due diligence, get the right guy. That that's we're gonna start that offseason content strategy plan, of course, in the next little bit here on Jaguars dot Com, so stay tuned for that as we move forward. We're back in a moment Bucky

Brooks joining us NFL Network analyst. He's out in l A. We'll get his thoughts on the Jaguars search. He's got the Collegiate Bowl coming up, the Shrine game, all that right around the corner for Bucky. And this is Jaguars Happy Hour on the Jaguars Digital Network. Welcome back. It's Jaguars Happy Hour. J P. Shadrick with you from the home studio today. Close Contact ball as well, though it's our first show since the end of the regular season. The day after, we had a Monday edition of Jaguars

Happy Hour. The Jaguars still have a coaching vacancy, but there are many names that have been thrown around with it, most recently of course, Byron Leftwich. No new news yet, but we'll see. We hear Pete Prisco earlier say Hey, you know, maybe the next couple of days. They you'd like to have somebody in place before the Senior Bowl and all that going on. But then in the grand scheme of things, there's really not a huge rush because you just want to get it right. We get it

right anytime. Bucky Brooks is on with US NFL Network analyst joining us from Los Angeles. Good afternoon, Bucky, what's up? What m JP? What's up? My guy? I haven't talked to you forever. It's been a minute. It's been a minute. Yeah, it's good to talk to you. Thanks for the time. We appreciate it. I know. Um. You know. So the social media thing is is nuts, right. I mean, everybody is has a report, everybody has an angle. Fans are all about getting this thing done as fast as possible.

And when they hear the name Byron left, which now it's okay, let's go get Byron. And then Nate Hacketts gets fired, it gets hired by the Broncos, one of the names that was in the hunt. There goes Zebra flues to Chicago. All in the last day. I think that's ramped people's eagerness up again. Everybody's trying to get this thing done quickly, at least the for the fan base. Now, from a team perspective, you just gotta go get the

right guy and not worry about the timing. Right, you do have to get the right guy, But timing does matter now that coaches have been put in seats, because what happens is if you don't get your head coach in the building right away, he now has to wait to hire coaches and then you kind of left with the picked over selection. And so the sooner that you're able to get the head coach in, the better he's able to assemble his staff, he's able to get top

quality coaches as opposed to settling. Now. I'm not saying that there's a huge disparity between some of the coaches, but you would like him to have his ideal pick. So you want to kind of secure the bag when it comes to that, get the head coach in, and then build it out from there. There's a lot of work to do, and so I think Jaguars fans are right to be anxious to see how they're gonna get

the work done. That's how these things go, right. I mean, there's teams that come in and ask for interviews there, you know, and then you might have a guy in mind or maybe maybe negotiating, and here comes the Saints. They want to talk to Byron too. They still have an opening, they have a relatively new opening. So how much of that is posturing, how much of it is negotiation, how much of it is real, all of it, all

of it is. In these situations when you're trying to figure out, um, who's going to be the coach, how much money you're willing to pay the coach, it all comes down to leverage, and sometimes you get what you negotiate. And so if you do have another team come in at the eleventh hour, that kind of raises the stakes a little bit, and then you have guys go, guys that you knew were really in play at the job. Leverage swings and it shifts, and so you have to

be careful playing the game. But it certainly is a part of the conversation. And what you would hope is in the next few days that something is wrapped up, you get the coach, you have everything lined up. There's a level of i would say unison or uniformity when it comes to the way the head coach and the general manager and everybody is on board. And then the way we go about the Vic Fangio bomb that came in yesterday that the Jags are sent to play that

out not for hack It, but for Vic Fangio. And then later report was maybe it was because of the defensive coordinator possibilities. That's that's a name that was kind of thrown out of nowhere. Yeah, I mean, look, I think this business is a relationship business. And when you go back and you look at general manager Trent Balky's relationship with Big Fangio. Fangio was the defensive coordinator at the time he was there at the Sannaessisco Forts, So

there's a natural um connectivity between them. They've seen each other's work. There's probably a level of respect and appreciation. Maybe Balky respects and appreciates what Fanjo was able to do maybe in Denver and some uh difficult circumstances, particularly a quarterback, and so you know they're gonna kick the tires and kind of do those things. And it's also a situation where um sometimes as the leader of the organization and will say that right now, Balky is the

leader of the organization. Some time you're trying to figure out how can I have the best alignment with the coach as opposed to what others on the outside might be the best coach in candidate Bucky Brooks with this NFL Network analyst, of course, the Jaguars coaching gigs still open. One of the reports earlier today from Arizona was that, yeah, Byron Left, which was going to be the Jaguars head coach, but a member of the Cardinals front office would be GM.

All that combined. Of course, as you just said, there is a GM here in Jacksonville. Trent Balky is the general manager. What do you know about Wilson and what he's done with the Cardinals. Yeah, Adrian Wilson is a was an now standing player in this league, big time playing in this league as a safety transition from being a player to me in a very well respected front office executive, worked his way up the ladder in Arizona after his playing days. Uh, comes well equipped with the

team building strategies that you certainly would like. Um, Look, I understand Byron Left, which has spent time in Arizona. And so if you're the head coach and you have an opportunity to pick hand pick your personnel. Man, you're on someone that you trust, someone that might see the game the same way that you see the game, so that you're in lockstep when it comes to building up the Jaguars. I'm not necessarily surprised by the names and the connections and how they're kind of joined at the hip.

I just think it's a little odd when you have a GM in place who reportedly is running the coaching search. Look at a bowl move, however, it's a move that, depending on the leverage that you have, it's one that you can make interesting for sure. Bucky Brooks with us NFL network analysts, So all right, you're let's let's change gears here. You're this is the pre draft season is underway, Collegiate bowls this week, the Shrine Game is coming up,

the Senior Bowl is next week. I mean we're here now, Bucky, here it is. Yeah, we're here right now. I mean we're in full mock draft season. Everyone is speculating who's going where, even though we don't even have coaches and we were still waiting to see on general manager. Doesn't stop us from trying to connect the dots and see

where it's gonna go. I think it's an exciting time in the league because obviously everyone is able to kind of turn the page because as these teams get eliminated from the tournament, everyone cast their eyes to next year

and how their team can get better. I think for the Jaguars, I think it's a huge year because you have the number one pick for the second year and row uh, that pick needs to be an impact player, a difference maker, a franchise pillar, and so I think the curiosity for me and for others sense from the fact on how are the Jaguars going to do this rebuild? Are they going to initially rebuild around Trevor Lawrence? So it's going to be offensive centric, much like we saw

the Cincinnati Bengals be able to do. And in two years the Cincinnati Bengals are aware. Everyone would aspire to be one game away from the super Bowl. Or is this going to be a situation where you're looking at the defense and saying, hey, let's get a pass for us, Sure, let's add to the defense. Maybe we can bring the defense up the snuff. A lot of fascinating debates that take place over the next three or four months. You gotta score points. I mean, look at the playoff games,

but you gotta score points. So I just said here and saw San Francisco in Green Bay Cincinnati Bengals nineteen sixteen. What are we talking about, JP. It wasn't until we were forced in the last two minutes of the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs that we had to score points. That was the only game where we had to really do it. The rest of the games, like, they scored more points in those two minutes in the

Jags scored all season. You kidn't mean they did. They did, but it took the pressure of a two minute drill and about to go home before they decided to ramp it up. And it also depends on the level of quarterback. I do know now though, JP. I think now more than ever the importance of having um and elite franchise quarterback in the fall UM. I think, by all accounts,

we feel hopefully and optimistics about Trevor Lawrence. But you now see like, Okay, you get the quarterback one year, you get the weapons the next year, and the way we go and I think the Joe Burrow model what we saw those high flowered playmakers, JA mar Chase Tyler boyd um Tee, Higgins, Joe Mixing, whatever. That offensive line looks like they do put points on the board, and then they did they committed a lot of free agent

resources to the defense. But I do believe that that as a model that if I was sniffing around the building in Jacksonville, I might just kind of drop some who they posts around. Maybe just look at how those guys did it, because they're right there. So you know, how about the trend of these mobile quarterbacks because the homes can move around. Of course, johsnh Allen, we saw what he can do with that size and mobility and all that. I don't know if Burrows exactly a runner,

but Trevor has the ability to do that? Is that the future? You everybody's gonna kind of want these guys that can move around more than just stand there like a statue. Yeah, you can't be a statue. I don't know if you necessarily um one of the guy that's a runner. Even though man Josh Allen is such an outlier, like big physical running over guys, I mean, superhero with the ball in his hands. And keep in mind that guy came to jackson and got thwarted got stimy nine six.

You know all the points that we saw in that game, so um it is fascinated. But JP, I think you cannot look at the tournament and not come away knowing that you have to have a guy to do it, and that you can get so far with the guy who is fine and the team around him is great. But if you're going to be one of the last team standing, you better have a dude. Now. The only outlier of the group is Jimmy Garoppolo, because I think we all are like, Jimmy's all right, He's okay, you know,

he's B B B minus. But the team is so good and it's so physical. I just wonder about the marsin Rivera. That's it. They could wind it. They wind up in the super Bowl because they're so good, they physical or whatever the other thing. I think Now, the formula is quarterback, a level, pass rush, a level playmakers. That other stuff you can work around, but you have to have the pass rushing to go with the quarterback

to be able to do it. Bucky, we've got about a minute left with you here, so quickly, who do you like in the games on on Sunday? Oh, this is so much fun. I'm gonna go to KNCY the Chiefs because I think the KNC the Chiefs have the recipe for getting it done. I mean, you go to three straight title games, you can do street super Bowls like that is a remarkable councer. I think that experience

gives them a little bit. And the thing the San Francisco fort nine is and l a Rams is so interesting because the forty nine is absolutely on the Rams, much like the Jacksonville jack Wards owned the coach where it doesn't matter, they just owned them. It doesn't matter where you roll the ball out, how bad the team is when they play that team, they do it. But man, the star power of the Rams is fascinating. I'm gonna go with the Rams in this one because I feel

like they find the way to get it done. The man, I wouldn't be surprised if he goes. We'll see see how many Rams fans sell their tickets to Sam trying to block them out. But the faith of the faith was gooding out. They can't let it can't be all rid on Championship Sunday. It just can't be all read. Bucky, enjoy it. Thanks for the time. We appreciate it as always. Man, Hey Man, call me any time. Bucky Brooks, NFL Network

analyst here. Thanks also to Pete Prisco, CBS Sports Senior Writer, John Osher, Jaguars dot Com senior writer Joe Fortunato on the audio side. Brent, we were on the video side, and thank you for watching and listening. It's Jaguars Happy Hour on the Jaguars Digital Network.