Shad Khan needs to do some soul searching on where Jaguars are headed

By: Hays Carlyon

Shad Khan is headed towards another losing season.

Trading Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to Minnesota on Sunday for a second and fifth-round pick, as reported by ESPN, only reinforces that belief.

Khan is 40-91 (counting the playoffs) since buying the Jaguars. That’s 51 games under .500.

New England owner Robert Kraft is 324-140 (counting playoffs) with the Patriots. He’s 184 games above .500. The Patriots could lose every game for the next 14 seasons and Kraft still would not be as many games under .500 as Khan is currently.

Khan is bound to hit loss No. 100 before reaching his 50th victory.

That’s pathetic — and it shouldn’t be this way. Khan is too brilliant to be the owner of an endeavor this inept.

The Jaguars complete failure to field a consistent team doesn’t mean Khan isn’t capable. It means he’s too disconnected. He’s too willing to let others steer the ship.

I’m not expecting Khan to be the general manager, but he should have a sense when a relationship with a star player is starting to deteriorate. He should have a better idea of what is going on in the building.

The Jaguars drafted Allen Robinson, Jalen Ramsey and Ngakoue and didn’t sign one of them to a second contract. Again, while losing in all but one of Khan’s eight seasons as owner.

Robinson is 27. Ramsey and Ngakoue are both 25.

Khan tried to step in to repair the relationship but it was too late. All three players were determined to leave the Jaguars.

Khan needs to be more involved. He knows how to build a winner. The self-made billionaire has done it in the business world.

He needs to get more serious about the on-field fortunes of his football team.

I can’t blame Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell anymore. He’s shown you what he is. If you continue to trust him to make the right decisions the failure is on you as an owner.

The Jaguars have to move beyond the “Well, he’s my buddy” defense of why people in high-ranking positions continue to hold them while struggling.

The Jaguars now have no elite, veteran talent. No one on this roster has made multiple Pro Bowls. There is a complete void of stars ages 25-29 in their prime. That’s the heart of any contender.

The Jaguars do have some promising young players. Defensive end Josh Allen made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. Receiver DJ Chark made the Pro Bowl last season in his second year.

Khan needs to embrace these men. He needs to assure them that if they continue to progress they will be rewarded here.

The Jaguars can’t be a franchise that never keeps its best draft picks. There is no path to winning that way.

It’s an embarrassing, incompetent existence.

This is the perfect time for Khan to start getting more involved with the Jaguars. There are intriguing young players here and more will be on the way with all the draft capital the Jaguars have in 2021.

Khan needs to find out for himself. Do I have the right people here to make this work?

Khan doesn’t micromanage like some NFL owners and that’s good. However, you have to be involved in the day to day operation. The train easily derails when the owner is too preoccupied with other interests and is disconnected.

This train has derailed.

This franchise needs Khan to take a more active role. He, above all else, is the key to turning around the Jaguars.

Please, Shad. Care more about the Jaguars.

(You can email Hays at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @HaysCarlyon)