After years of roster mismanagement by Gene Smith, the Jacksonville Jaguars turned to Dave Caldwell as a fresh, first-time general manager to blow everything up and start from scratch in 2013.
Paired with first-time head coach Gus Bradley, Caldwell jettisoned underperforming veterans in favor of starting rookies. Those rookies, led by a first-time coach and overseen by a first-time general manager also faced the typical uphill battle of becoming a professional football player.
It’s a daunting task in even the most stable situations.
And, naturally, the Jaguars struggled. Bradley’s tenure ended with two games left in 2016.