Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell didn't need to wait until the end of the season to equal parts analyze and lament where his team's major opportunities were squandered.

"Those three games we were ahead in the fourth quarter," he said in a Dec. 23 interview with the Times-Union.

At Indianapolis in Week 4: The Jaguars led 13-10 but lost 16-13 in overtime. Against Houston in Week 6: The Jaguars led 14-10 but lost 31-20. And at Tennessee in Week 13: The Jaguars led 32-28, but lost 42-39.

Win those three and the Jaguars would likely be playing an AFC South title game Sunday at Houston. Heck, win only the first Texans game and the re-match could be for the division crown.

But the Jaguars' eighth straight non-playoff year will in part be defined by an inability to start (35 first-quarter points) or finish (120 fourth-quarter points allowed).

"The Tampa Bay and Tennessee games were fumbles [returned for] touchdowns, but it's also where we look at our defense and say, 'How do we close these games out?' " Caldwell said.

Defense.

That will be the main focus of the Jaguars' offseason efforts. They need help at defensive end, free safety and cornerback and depth issues to address at defensive tackle and linebacker.

And before he uses his eight draft picks, Caldwell has money available … again.

Per several industry data, the Jaguars have $105,805,753 on their 2016 salary cap and that figure will decrease once veterans such as running back Toby Gerhart ($3.5 million) and defensive end Chris Clemons ($4 million) are released. The cap is projected to be in the $147-155 million range. The Jaguars have space, but so do a lot of other teams.

"I think it's going to be tough," Caldwell said of the market. "But for us, we can really start to narrow down our needs. In the past, we were just trying to get guys come in and plug holes. Now, we can focus on what our 4-5 areas of needs are and be aggressive instead of saying, 'Shoot, we have 16 or 18 needs so let's see who we can get.'"

Caldwell said the Jaguars "would probably have 1-2 targets the first day," of free agency in early March.

Year 4 of the Caldwell/Gus Bradley administration will have to be season of great strides - owner Shad Khan made that clear Tuesday in his statement announcing Bradley's return.

Ryan O'Halloran: (904) 359-4401