Is HC Urban Meyer’s criticism justified?

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As successful as Urban Meyer was at the college level, he surely knew that turning the Jacksonville Jaguars into a perennial wouldn’t be an easy task. Then again, that could prove to be more difficult than expected as the Jags lost their last two preseason games.

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco recently appeared on The DA Show and told host Damon Amendolara that there was a group of Jaguars players who “aren’t thrilled” with how Meyer is leading the team. Prisco believes the former Ohio State head coach needs to make some adjustments and adds that there are several things he imported from college that may not work in the NFL. So what exactly are these things gamers aren’t excited about? Here are some of the criticisms Meyer’s methods received, via CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo:

One of his assistants in the field during practice with an arrow mic telling everyone to hydrate, to scramble and move on to the next set. Obviously, it is a work in progress. He has been a good football coach everywhere he went. It’s a lot different when you recruit guys into your school and you have a bunch of players, the five stars, then that’s when you’re trying to build something.

Wait a minute, are you saying the Jaguars players aren’t happy because someone reminds them to hydrate? Prisco doesn’t say anything about Meyer not caring or playing favorites. If anything, Jaguars players have spoken enthusiastically about their head coach, and the beat writers have said the workouts have been faster and more intense, so Prisco’s comments seem to be nit-picking. Just recently, NBC Sports’ Peter King shared an anecdote regarding EDGE rusher Josh Allen and how Meyer helped him solve a problem he and his family were having.

The Jacksonville Jaguars believe Meyer is the right man to lead the team.

This is not the first time Meyer has received criticism. Not too long ago, Jason La Canfora reported that the former Florida head coach was getting “sidelong glances” from cap gurus, executives and league scouts. In their article, La Canfora flagged Joe Schobert’s trade, Tim Tebow’s experience, and handling of quarterback competition in training camp as questionable moves from Meyer.

One thing all of these criticisms of the Jaguars head coach have in common is that they come from anonymous sources. Meyer certainly deserves close scrutiny for some of the moves he made during his short stay in Jacksonville. He should never have hired Chis Doyle as director of athletic performance. Perhaps the team’s brass should have invested more resources in both the offensive line and the close room. Still, it’s too early to question his tenure as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

It is true that the Jags have struggled in the last two preseason games, but the organization still has time to work on the issues they have faced in the past two weeks. Keep in mind that the Jaguars just had one of the worst seasons in franchise history, so the path to becoming a contender wasn’t going to be seamless. Also, preseason matches don’t count towards the leaderboard and if Meyer starts winning early, any reviews he receives will be forgotten.

If the Jaguars are in the middle of a mid-season losing streak, Meyer will deserve all the criticism he is currently receiving. For now, he should have the benefit of the doubt.

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