Every new NFL season offers a clean slate, a chance for a club to wipe away whatever issues plagued the previous campaign and start anew with a chance to hoist a Lombardi Trophy.
The ultimate goal hovering above for every team is the same: Super Bowl.
In Jacksonville, the Jaguars are attempting to bury a 2023 season in which they collapsed down the stretch, going 9-8, allowing the AFC South title to slip from their fingertips and missing the postseason.
Third-year linebacker Devin Lloyd said at his football camp on Monday that last season’s dismal ending doesn’t change where the club sets its sights.
“Expectations never change. It’s the Super Bowl every year,” Lloyd said, via Jamal St. Cyr of WJXT4. “I think, obviously, last year, everyone talked about starting off 8-3 and finishing 1-5. For us, that’s always going to be in the back of our minds, but we have nothing but the highest expectations. We’ve been working a little bit differently as far as not following the philosophy of expecting different results, doing the same thing. So, I would expect different results this year. We’ve changed things up a little bit for the better. I’m really just excited. We’ve got all the right pieces in place. OTAs went well. So really, you find out in training camp what type of team you are, and I look forward to getting out there and competing, competing with the guys, having a lot of fun, and really just getting better.”
The Jaguars replaced defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell with Ryan Nielsen this offseason, a big change that the club hopes will result in a more consistent defense in 2024. Lloyd is coming off a season in which he made 127 tackles. The linebacker, along with Josh Allen, Arik Armstead and Travon Walker, will key the defense as the club figures out the back end during camp.
On offense, the Jags lost receiver Calvin Ridley but added Gabe Davis and first-round rookie Brian Thomas Jr.. The club upgraded the offensive line, signing center Mitch Morse, and expects a big year out of former first-round right tackle Anton Harrison. Jacksonville also gave quarterback Trevor Lawrence a big-money contract, ending any scant speculation about his future with the franchise.
On paper, there is talent, providing optimism heading into camp that the Jags can take a step forward in Doug Pederson’s third season in Jacksonville after back-to-back 9-8 campaigns and compete for that Super Bowl Lloyd mentioned.
