Jaguars Owner Shahid Khan “completed his nine-day search for a new general manager Tuesday by hiring Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Dave Caldwell,” according to Ryan O’Halloran of the FLORIDA TIMES-UNION. Caldwell has “17 years of pro football experience” and has worked for the Panthers, Colts and Falcons. He said, “There are no bad GM opportunities in the NFL, but to work on behalf of a dynamic owner in a rabid football city like Jacksonville is truly special. This is where I wanted to be, and I could not be happier.” Caldwell’s first “big decision” will be the future of coach Mike Mularkey, who has been with the team for one season. The two worked together with the Falcons from '08-11, but a source said that their history together "won’t be a major factor in Caldwell’s call.” A source said that Falcons scout Chris Polian "would likely join the Jaguars as director of pro personnel" (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 1/9). In N.Y., Brian Costello cites a source as saying that it was “known Caldwell preferred the Jaguars," and that he used an interview with the Jets "for leverage” (N.Y. POST, 1/9). In Jacksonville, Gene Frenette writes of Caldwell, “The things you need to do to bring relevancy to this franchise might be the biggest plate of any NFL executive. ... Nobody is expecting the Jaguars to be a playoff team in 2013, so there’s a grace period.” The Jaguars have “nowhere to go but up.” Frenette: “If you make them a consistent playoff team with shrewd personnel moves, nobody is going to care which quarterback led the way. But they’ll fondly remember who the architect was” (FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 1/9). The AP’s Mark Long wrote, "Coming off the worst season in franchise history, it won't take much to show improvement” (AP, 1/8).
