Jermey Parnell, Jags OT Solution?

Jermey Parnell is going to be a free agent this year and that makes him a possible candidate for helping the offensive line of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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The Jags are going to be

searching for a free agent right tackle to shore up the void currently there

, so they will likely be looking at any and all options. The Jags recently signed Brennan Williams, but

with him looking like nothing more than a “guy”

moving into the offseason, expect them to make a play for a better offensive tackle.

For many of us, Parnell isn’t a name we’re familiar with. He doesn’t seem like a guy who could be that veteran presence – that big free agent “splash” – that the team needs.

But we shouldn’t discount him for not being a household name.

Parnell, a four year veteran, would be an instant upgrade at right tackle. Undrafted, Parnell has spent his four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys but didn’t see significant playing time until this past season, paving the way for DeMarco Murray and protecting Tony Romo for seven games. That’s quality playing time for a quality team with quality talent.

What I like most about Parnell, however, is that he has shown that he can step up and play when called upon. Doug Free was tops on the depth chart and played great for Cowboys, but when he went down it was up to Parnell to make sure the Cowboys didn’t skip a beat. To put it simply: he did his job. Better, he did it rather well.

With Doug Free also set to become a free agent, Todd Archer at ESPN thinks Parnell could step in and be the permanent starter for the Cowboys.

Hopefully, the Jaguars would be able to get Parnell for relatively little. What they don’t want is to get into a bidding war (though a relatively modest one in comparison to some monster contracts that will be signed this year) over a right tackle that isn’t a premier player at his position. They do not want to overpay for Parnell.

Yet they should certainly take a look. This is a guy with more experience and time on the field than a lot of contributors and starters for the Jags.