Von Miller receivers franchise tag, leaves Malik Jackson and other Denver Broncos available in free agency

The Jacksonville Jaguars already saw one of the top targets in free agency receive a tag (Olivier Vernon with the “transition tag”), and another potential target, albeit a longshot, just effectively came off the market. The Denver Broncos have placed the franchise tag on pass rushing phenom Von Miller.

Nobody was naive enough to think Von Miller was actually getting to the market and becoming a free agent, but his status as a franchise player is going to play a huge part in free agency. With the franchise tag tied up on Von Miller, the Broncos now have to work fast and put together some extremely enticing deals to retain other key free agents.

Of their impending free agents, the one most pertinent to the Jaguars are defensive lineman Malik Jackson and linebacker Danny Trevathan.

Some analysts considered Jackson to be the second best player on the field behind Von Miller in the Super Bowl, and the 26 year old free agent is set to command a huge contract as he enters the prime of his career. Some will question Jackson’s production, especially considering the amount of talent he played with along the defensive line in Denver, but he is an ideal fit as a 3-technique in Jacksonville’s defense and would be an upgrade over what the Jaguars have now.

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Trevathan is a speedy linebacker who can cover and the Jaguars need exactly that in the middle of the field. The same questions about Trevathan exist considering just how much talent was around him, but he’d be the fastest linebacker on the Jaguars outside of Telvin Smith.

Jackson is going to be looking for a monstrous contract, one that will likely make him one of the highest paid defensive players in the league. The Jaguars can certainly afford it, but it’s a question of whether or not they value him in such a high regard. Trevathan will be more reasonable in terms of a cap hit, but his fit is somewhat of a question – the Jaguars won’t replace Paul Posluszny right now and Trevathan doesn’t fit the mold of an OTTO.

Regardless of whether the Jaguars pursue these two, the more good players who hit the open market the better.