Jaguars and Titans Battle it out for A.J. Bouye
By Max Baker
With the tampering period coming to a close and 2017 NFL free agency about to start, there are many reports about where players are going to end up.
One name many Jacksonville Jaguars fans are probably familiar with by now is A.J. Bouye. Through the first seven weeks, Bouye was the highest graded cornerback in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and surprisingly, the Texans are not likely to retain their star 25 year old cornerback.
Texans are not expected to retain CB AJ Bouye in Free Agency. Jags, Colts and Titans are some of teams showing interest.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 9, 2017
With the Texans out of the running for Bouye, it is now between AFC South division rivals, The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans.
Both these franchises are intriguing options for the star corner, but a couple things stand out as to why the Jaguars may be the frontrunners. First, Bouye is from Georgia, less than 200 miles from the city of Jacksonville. If A.J. is looking to play closer to home, this is truly the better option as Tennessee is over 350 miles away.
Another thing going for the Jaguars is where A.J. Bouye attended college. Bouye played for the University of Central Florida, same as Blake Bortles, where he got playing time in all four years and recorded over 100 tackles and 6 interceptions. Sunny beaches, golf courses, and nice weather are all things provided in Florida and Bouye should be familiar with that.
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One thing that goes for both teams is the state income tax. Florida and Tennessee are both NFL teams that are based in a state with no state income tax. This is why most likely, whoever offers more money should get their guy. The Jaguars are a young defense on the rise with loads of cap space. They can offer Bouye a huge deal without worrying about their future. Jalen Ramsey will not be able to negotiate a contract for another 3 years, which means they really don’t have a lot of money going in to their cornerbacks.
With Stephon Gilmore reportedly signing with the New England Patriots and Logan Ryan receiving interest from numerous teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jacksonville Jaguars need to act quick and make sure they get their guy. A secondary consisting of Jalen Ramsey, A.J. Bouye, Tashaun Gibson, and newly signed Barry church, along with possible new addition, Calais Campbell (assuming that deal goes through) on the defensive line sounds more than good to me.
UPDATE:
The #Jaguars are closing in on a deal for former #Texans CB AJ Bouye, per @JamesPalmerTV and me. They are bringing it.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2017
With all of the news about shifting deals that come undone, it’s important to note that nothing is official yet. Still, it’s nice to see the Jags pulling ahead here.