Jacksonville Jaguars add guard Earl Watford formerly of Arizona Cardinals
By Luke Sims
It took the Jacksonville Jaguars a while to address the guard position, but Earl Watford finally fits the bill.
The vast majority of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ free agency signings have been on defense, presenting a bit of a problem for the team as they struggle to fill holes on the offensive line. With Luke Joeckel heading to the Seattle Seahawks despite the Jags wanting to retain him, the holes became even more apparent.
Now the Jags finally get around to addressing the offensive line by adding Earl Watford. Watford played the last three seasons for the Arizona Cardinals. The Cards spent a fourth round pick on Watford in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Watford’s signing is another reflection of the Jags’ increased focus on versatility. Per First Coast News’ Mike Kaye, Watford is known as the “Swiss Army Knife” of the Cardinals offensive line for his ability to play all five positions. Versatility is valuable in the NFL and the Jags could use it.
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The Jags also need players who can step up and start. With 11 starts last season, Watford is a player that can be relied upon to do so if there are injuries or someone has struggled. Watford’s 13 career starts make up a little less than half of his 32 game appearances.
As reported by Ian Rapoport, the deal will be two years for Watford worth $6 million. That looks like good value for a player that can do pretty much everything for the Jags offensive line. Based on the past history of the O-Line, it may be expected that he will have to play a couple of positions.