NFL Free Agency: Jaguars Staying Quiet
By Luke Sims
Jan 18, 2013; Jacksonville FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars new general manager Dave Caldwell speaks at a press conference at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
NFL Free Agency begins at 4:00 on Tuesday. Teams will be vying for the services of players they may have never had the opportunity to utilize before. Whether it’s the Vikings potentially offering wide receiver Mike Wallace $13 million a year or the trading of premium talents like Anquan Boldin and Percy Harvin, some teams are looking to make a splash. Trades are not a part of free agency, generally, but they do set some teams up in free agency and the draft. The San Francisco 49ers secured a much better replacement for veteran receiver Randy Moss (with different talents, though) and the Seattle Seahawks were willing to let some draft picks get away in favor of the versatile Harvin.
But what about the Jacksonville Jaguars?
The team is talking with cornerback Derek Cox, set to hit free agency in a matter of hours, but other than that it has been a relatively quiet period for the team. They cut cornerback Aaron Ross and strong safety Dawan Landry, both poor and mediocre free agent pickups from the previous regime, but they have kept true to their word, kept their cards close to the vest, and continue the mystery and rhetoric that they will build through the draft. But what will they be doing?
The Jaguars need a defensive secondary overhaul, they need a left guard, a right tackle, a linebacker or two, and they need a competitive player at quarterback (or do they?). The Jags chose not to tender any of their restricted free agents, they have not re-signed a single player who is going to hit free agency, and the rumors swirling around who they may target are not nearly as defined as rumors swirling around other teams.
Free agency is practically one big smokescreen for the Jags. So far, we really don’t know who they are going to go after. We don’t know if the team will aggressively bid for a player they want in free agency or if they are willing to let him walk if another team starts putting their money where their mouth is.
The rebuild for the Jaguars begins now. Like a soft opening for a new club, free agency is relatively quiet for the Jags thus far.
– Luke N. Sims
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