The Mike Mularkey era in Jacksonville was brief and unmemorable. An early holdout by star running back Maurice Jones-Drew set the table, another spate of injuries followed, culminating in season ending situations for both Jones-Drew and Gabbert just past the mid point of the schedule. Tempers frayed and eventually imploded with the club finishing a dismal 2-14, tied for last in the league. The offense continued to struggle, with some players having difficulty picking up the complexities of the new system, then the injuries to MJD and Gabbert, just as the team was getting comfortable with it. Free agent signings Robinson and Evans failed spectacularly, with just a handful of catches from Robinson to show for the money spent. Both have been released. Mike Thomas never showed up to earn the fat contract he signed the previous season, and was dealt away midway through the year. Top draft pick Blackmon started predictably slowly, and by the time he hit his stride the team was out of the race. Cecil Shorts grabbed the other spot, and was the one bright spot on the roster.
Gabbert showed appreciable statistical improvement up to the time he was hurt, but that was overshadowed by the awful performance of the team as a whole. Unfortunately he was unable to reap the benefits of an easier second half of the season, and better mastery of the new system. Playing with a seperated shoulder for the bulk of the year, he eventually was knocked out of the lineup for good with a freak forearm injury which affected his ability to grip the football. Mularkey cracked under the pressure and tried to use Blaine's struggles as a crutch, loudly proclaiming that Chad Henne was now the quarterback after the five year vet had a strong start in the game he replaced Blaine due to the injury. That didn't hold up, and the team won only one game in the second half, with Henne's passer rating eventually dropping below Gabbert's.
It was the final straw for Gene Smith, the general manager, and he was sacked promptly after the season. Young first year G.M., David Caldwell was hired in his place, following a very successful front office career with the Colts and Falcons. Given the right to choose his coachs, Caldwell opted to clear the decks and fired Mularkey and the majority of the assistant coaching staff. He brought in highly regarded assistant Gus Bradley from Seattle as the head coach, then he and Bradley added Bob Babich from Chicago, and Judd Fisch from the college ranks as the defensive and offensive co-ordinators respectively.
The message from Caldwell and Bradley has been that it's a new start, a rebuilding phase, and that all positions are open for cometition. Numerous vets whose contracts had expired were not re signed, and several others were cut. The two are of the opinion that the entire culture of the organization needs to be reset.
Tough start to Blaine's career, but it may turn out for the best in the long run. Although he has owned the team for over a year, it took some time for Shad Khan to really establish his style and put his own people in the key positions. Now that that seems to be affected, there should be some degree of stability within the organization. A lot of the pressure that was dropped on Gabbert's shoulders early on has been lifted, and the new managment group seem much more in tune with his personality. They are young, vibrant, and intelligent.
