Paul Posluszny contract one of the worst among linebackers in the NFL

Paul Posluszny has been a steady player at middle linebacker for the Jaguars over the last several years, but he’s paid a lot at an undervalued position.

For the first time in a while, the Jacksonville Jaguars saw some players emerge as legitimate stars in 2015. After Maurice Jones-Drew left in 2013, the Jaguars didn’t really have anyone to hail as a playmaker on either side of the ball. Consequently, the team didn’t have many representatives at the Pro Bowl and few players were recognized nationally.

There was one player who made the Pro Bowl after a solid 2013 campaign – middle linebacker Paul Posluszny. Since coming over as a free agent from the Buffalo Bills in 2011, Poz has been a solid and consistent presence on the defense. His coverage skills were never above-average, but Poz was a great run defender with good instincts from the moment he put on a Jaguar uniform. His play has tailed off over the last two years but he still provides value on first and second down.

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In a running piece this summer, Nathan Jahnke over at Pro Football Focus recently went over the worst contracts among linebackers in the NFL and

Paul Posluszny came it at 5

"5. Paul Posluszny, Jacksonville JaguarsYears remaining: TwoAverage remaining cap hit (per year): $5.2 millionYear he can realistically be cut: 2017For the sixth straight year, Posluszny earned a below-average grade against the run, and for the third straight year, had a below-average grade in coverage. Over the last few seasons, Posluszny has been among the most overpaid linebackers, but his 2016 cap number is significantly lower than it has been over the past four years, and it doesn’t go up in 2017. Because Jacksonville has often had a lot of cap room, they’ve been able to live with Posluszny’s cap hit in the past, and at least can continue to do so this year.After drafting Myles Jack (UCLA), it wouldn’t be surprising to see Posluszny’s playing time decrease this season, and Jacksonville won’t carry much dead money if they release him in 2017. After all the money the Jags spent in free agency the past two years, they might need to do so in order to help their cap situation."

Posluszny will almost certainly see his playing time go down with the addition of Myles Jack, but he likely would’ve started to see his role diminish regardless of whether or not the Jaguars took the UCLA product. Poz is just too slow to be roaming the middle of the field in coverage at this point and needs to be deployed exclusively as a run defender.

In terms of money, Poz has always had a big cap hit, probably too big, but as Jahnke notes, the Jaguars could afford to overpay. Whether or not Posluszny will be on the team after the 2016 season is an interesting question and will be revisited next offseason.

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