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How Jaguars plan to replace Devin Lloyd's production
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- How Jaguars plan to replace Devin Lloyd's production
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been heavily criticized for their offseason strategy, with a lot of the criticism centered around the losses of Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne to free agency.
Both players were emerging stars at their respective positions, and while the Jaguars did sign another running back, they have seemingly made no effort to directly replace Lloyd, which has frequently earned the team the label of offseason loser .
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However, Jacksonville staff has remained insistent that their strategy has been intentional, even if analysts can't understand it right now. And in a recent press conference, linebackers coach Tem Lukabu gave a little insight into what that strategy is.
"It's one of the great challenges that we have, because once again, whether it's fair or not, do I think people gave Devin enough credit before the season started? I don't know. That's up to him," he began. "He obviously felt a certain type of way about it, and he put the tape out there, and that's all we're asking our guys to do, because every year is the same. Unless you're just one of those perennial guys, every year is its own year. Forget what you did last year, we have to prove it now."
Lloyd had an incredible season in 2025, earning second-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl nod.
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"Trying to think that we're going to replace his production? No, we'll make up for that production in different ways," he explained. "And at the end of the day, it's really up to each individual guy of how we're going to do that, because as coaches, we have a plan. We're going to have a plan for how we're going to fill the so-called void, whether it's by committee or this guy. We're going to do what it takes every week to win the game. It's our job to find a solution. To me, that's what it comes down to. It's what I expect. Every week's a different puzzle."
Lukabu's comments are insinuating that, rather than looking for one player to be a direct replacement for Lloyd, it will be an overall team effort. That could consist of using multiple linebackers, personnel packages, safety usage, pass-rush improvements, and more -- the options are virtually endless, and in a subtle way, hits back at the idea that the Jaguars defense will not be able to perform without Lloyd.
After all, a defense is made up of more than just one player, and while Lloyd was an integral part of the Jaguars defense, he wasn't the only part, either.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars coach details plan at linebacker without Devin Lloyd
