Four Down Territory: Free agents the Jaguars should sign

By David Levin | Feb 18, 2019

ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 31: Justin Hardy #14 of the Atlanta Falcons with a reception against Mike Adams #29 and Colin Jones #42 of the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 31, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

As the Jacksonville Jaguars zero in on NFL free agency, we look at four players the organizations should sign this offseason.

It would be a near miracle if the Jacksonville Jaguars were able to equal or exceed the talent the team signed during NFL free agency. Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye and Barry Church were as good as advertised when they put pen to paper, walked into TIAA Bank Field and helped the Jaguars win the AFC South title the same year.

Last year, the team added guard Andrew Norwell and wide receiver Donte Moncrief while re-signing both quarterback Blake Bortles and Marqise Lee. It’s safe to say the franchise got little return on their investments.

Because of cap restraints, this year’s free agent haul may be slim, with the Jaguars hoping to add veteran players at a reasonable cost. Plenty will happen in the next 25 days as the front office must decide which veterans stay and which ones seek employment elsewhere.

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If general manager David Caldwell can somehow pull a rabbit out of his cap once again and find success like he did two seasons ago, there is no doubt the Jaguars should challenge for a playoff berth in 2019.

Regardless of hoping that will happen, that is a pretty big “if” concerning this organization.

The Jaguars need help almost everywhere on offense and should seek veterans who can come in and stabilize what has been fractured. Caldwell and the front office must determine if a veteran quarterback is worth the cost.

There is a need for playmakers, speed on the outside and beef upfront on the right side of the line.

In order to make all that happen, there may be a few surprises with veterans being shown the door to reduce cap figures that now have the franchise in the red when it needs to be in the black heading toward March 13.

We here at Black and Teal take a look at four free agents the Jaguars should look to sign this offseason.

First Down: Mike Iupati, Guard – Mike Iupati took a pay cut in 2018 as a member of the Arizona Cardinals and while he is 31 years old, he still has some value as a right guard on this roster.

A.J. Cann figures to test free agency and creates a hole on the right side. Iupati could be a bridge player if the Jaguars draft interior line help in April. At 6-foot-5 and 331 pounds, he is a lot bigger than Cann and is a road grader, someone who can open holes for the Jaguars running game.

Second Down: Jared Cook, Tight End – Another older veteran who could give the team better numbers than what the tight ends on the roster last season produced.

Of couse, injuries played a big role in the lack of production from the tight end position, but Jared Cook is a player who could come and add some much needed scoring ability on third down and in the red zone.

Right now, the only tight end that is not a free agent in Ben Koyack. The Jaguars cannot win with a lack of depth from this unit.

Even at 32-years-old, I think this is a move the team should make.

Third Down: Justin Hardy, Wide Receiver – When Justin Hardy went in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft, I thought he was a player the Jaguars should have taken. I am not a decision maker in the selection process and Hardy has anything but an out of this world career in the NFL so far.

But the 6-foot, 188-pound wide out could be a player worth signing to a moderate deal and see if he progresses. This is very much a low risk, high reward player. While the Jaguars over spent on a one-year, $9.6 million deal for Moncrief, Hardy may be worth a three-year deal at around the same amount of money.

Fourth Down: Case Keenum, Quarterback – OK, here comes the fastball. Case Keenum is the biggest loser in the trade that sends Joe Flacco to Denver. And because of the trade that has not been finalized yet, Keenum could become an attractive piece to the puzzle in Jacksonville if he is released by the Broncos.

Next. Five Jaguars the fans should be excited about in 2019. dark

I’d be interested to see how Keenum works in offensive coordinator John DiFilippo’s system. He won’t cost as much as Nick Foles on the free agent market and could be a solution to the Jaguars quarterback issues for the next two seasons.

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