Jacksonville Jaguars fire four longtime staff members as part of overhaul by coach Urban Meyer, source says

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jaguars have fired four longtime employees in the scouting and personnel department, including one who has been with the franchise since its inception, a league source confirmed to ESPN.

Andy Dengler (assistant director of player personnel), Chris Driggers (director of pro personnel), Mark Ellenz (director of college scouting) and Paul Roell (assistant director of college scouting) were fired Monday. The group has a combined 66 years of experience with the Jaguars, and Driggers was one of six remaining staff members who joined the franchise in 1994.

These moves, as first reported by The Associated Press, are unsurprising because of coach Urban Meyer's reorganization of the franchise. Meyer has expanded the coaching staff to 27, added a chief of staff in Fernando Lovo, and merged nutrition, strength and conditioning, and training into the sports performance department.

Meyer previously fired director of player health and performance Scott Trulock and strength and conditioning coordinator Tom Myslinski and hired Jeff Ferguson (director of athletic training) and Anthony Schlegel (head strength and conditioning coach).

In addition, Meyer has made it a point to say the franchise's responsibility is to give the players the best of everything, which is why he is pushing for a standalone football facility.

Dengler joined the Jaguars in 1998 and spent the past eight years as the assistant director of player personnel. Ellenz joined the Jaguars in 2013 and had been the director of college scouting since 2016. Roell also joined the Jaguars in 2013; he and Ellenz were hired by then-general manager Dave Caldwell, who was fired in November.

Driggers started in the football operations department and then became the team's salary-cap administrator. He joined the scouting department in 1998 and was promoted to director of pro personnel in 2015.

Alisa Abbott (executive director to the owner and president), Dan Edwards (senior vice president of Jacksonville tradition and alumni), Mike Perkins (senior director of football technology and special projects), Brian Sexton (senior correspondent) and Tim Bishko (director of ticket operations) are the remaining staff members who have been with the franchise since 1994.