Whether it was out of loyalty or his own unwritten front office code, Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell took a bullet in his season-ending news conference for Gus Bradley, saying the head coach deserved no blame for the first two years of a rebuild that produced only seven wins.
But there was no such absolution from the organization for Bob Babich, whose three-year tenure as the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator came to a merciful end Tuesday when Bradley relieved him of his duties.
It had to be done. As much as fans have Bradley fatigue and question the decision from owner Shad Khan to retain him for the 2016 season, at least Bradley contributed to the team’s substantial improvement on offense by hiring coordinator Greg Olson, even if the overall product still underachieved at 5-11 this season.