OP Jaguars Vice President Tom Coughlin
OP Jaguars Vice President Tom Coughlin
Last week, Jaguars vice president Tom Coughlin, a man known for not shying away from delivering his opinion, told the media that he was rather upset that not everyone on Jacksonville’s roster showed up for offseason voluntary workouts. "We're very close to 100 percent attendance, and quite frankly, our players should be here building the concept of team, working hard side by side, constructing our bond of togetherness, formulating our collective priorities and goals, ” Coughlin told John Oehser of jaguars.com.
Coughlin directed his criticism at two of Jacksonville’s star defensive weapons; cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Linebacker Telvin Smith. Both Smith & Ramsey were absent from the start of the Jaguars’ voluntary offseason workout last Monday. Despite the team having already known that both players weren’t going to show up (citing their own work out plans), Coughlin was having none of it.
“Success in the NFL demands struggle,” Coughlin told Oehser. “Those who have everything given to them become lazy, selfish and insensitive to the real values of the team. The hard work that many try to avoid is the major building block for the development of an outstanding football team."
To his credit, Coughlin built two championship-winning teams as a head coach with the New York Giants in 2007 and 2011 with this stern, military-like approach. While effective in winning, it’s also effective in alienating players, sometimes making them outright hate you, as Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan told “The Herds’” Colin Cowherd.
“But Coughlin, we hated him. And it was real. It was no public persona. We hated the man,” Strahan said.
The Hall of Fame sack master also pointed out that when this approach didn’t lead to wins, Coughlin became much more patient and understanding of his players, seeing them as people instead of just players.
If Coughlin could grasp this concept as a head coach, why can’t he do so as an executive? Is it because he’s physically separated from the field and activities that he’s forgotten?
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter, for two reasons.
Tom Coughlin is not the head coach. Doug Marrone is. And his approach to the situation seems much in line to the understandable nature Coughlin had during his Giants tenure. Marrone told Oehser, “It’s a voluntary period; it’s an option. I don’t try to concern myself with things that are out of my control. I’m sure they’re both working hard.” So unless Coughlin outright fires Marrone and takes his place, there’s nothing he can do.
These workouts are VOLUNTARY. That means players don’t have to attend if they don’t want to. The NFLPA put out a statement the day after Coughlin’s comments, saying “Our CBA definition of voluntary is the same as the actual definition of voluntary and prohibits anyone from threatening players to participate in voluntary workouts. This is precisely the reason players negotiated strict work rules and bright lines when it comes to offseason activities. We know, from experience, that not all coaches and executives will adhere to them and we always pursue any violations to protect our rules. “
-By: Juan Pablo Guarin-Camargo