Jaguars: The Yannick Ngakoue situation is still an issue

Until he signs his franchise tag tender, the situation between Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and the team is unresolved.

I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but nothing has changed between Yannick Ngakoue and the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Yes, the defensive end has parted ways with his agent. Yes, general manager David Caldwell confirmed he has had some discussion with his disgruntled player. But that is where everything stops. There really isn’t anything to see here – yet.

The news of a dialogue between two sides is encouraging, but as I have mentioned before, this is a huge fence that must be mended for there to be some real negotiation. As of now, Ngakoue, who issued a statement in March (it seems years ago) of his wish to move on from the Jaguars, has not gotten his wish and has been cold toward the team since then.

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Caldwell has dug his heels in, not traded a solid pass rusher unless he received compensation to his liking.

"“As far as the Yannick situation goes, you would have to talk to him,” Caldwell said in the first question that was asked of him through the virtual press conference he had on Tuesday in Jacksonville with the media.“I’m very cautious of speaking for him. I know he and I have been in contact the last couple of days, but that is for him to discuss. He’s earned the right to play his contract out, and he’s earned the right to do what’s best for him and his family. So I’m going to defer any of his future questions to him and try to keep our conversations between he and I.”"

While changing agents isn’t unheard of, it is a move that is curious given that there is still $17.8M on the table and no franchise tag has been signed. Teams have been linked to a potential trade with the Jaguars including Philadelphia, Cleveland, Las Vegas, Buffalo, and the New York Jets. There have been no concrete deals discussed in the media.

The Jacksonville Jaguars situation with Yannick Ngakoue is difficult because of the money involved, getting him to sign his tender so a deal could be made and the question of whether he would come around and agree to play one more season here in town?

Ngakoue made just over $2M last season. He has stated he would play on the franchise tender in another city.

Also, take into consideration this situation sets a precedent. The Jaguars must also think about future contracts for players who may have big money coming to them like DJ Chark. If the front office decides to turn around and negotiate a new deal for Leonard Fournette, how would this affect talks with the running back’s agent?

What Caldwell did acknowledge is Yannick Nagkoue outplayed the contract the team signed him to out of college. He also said he believes the player must do what is right for his future.

"“He played his contract out. He played four years, and he’s earned the right to do what’s best for him and his family. Obviously, he’s a guy that we know what he brings to the table. His coaches love him, his teammates love him,” Caldwell continued.“We all love his energy, the fan base loves him. Ideally, we would love to have him here, but I will let him speak on his behalf of what is going on, and I know that he’s making some calculated decisions.”"