Jacksonville Jaguars must spend carefully in 2021’s free agency

The Jacksonville Jaguars has plenty of cap space but must use it correctly.

The 1-12 Jacksonville Jaguars have plenty of roster needs, so it would make sense for them to be active in 2021’s free-agency period since they are projected to have $71.61 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. On the other hand, they need to make sure they don’t overpay for players.

Bad teams normally have to overspend on big-name free agents to lure them into signing with them, but as tempting as that could be, the ‘Jags’ have to set a budget and do go over it. Free agency will offer some appealing options such as safety Anthony Harris and linebacker Lavante David, but they will surely demand premium compensation for their services.

Instead of overpaying on free agency, the Jaguars need to find bang for the buck. Let’s say they want to sign a safety in free agency, instead of targeting Harris or Justin Simmons, they could ink New Orleans safety Marcus Williams of Los Angeles Rams’ John Johnson III, who could come cheaper and still provide plenty of value.

Linebacker Joe Schobert was the only impact free agent the Jaguars signed in 2020 and they didn’t have to pay retail for his services. That’s the kind of additions the team’s brass needs to make this year.

The Jacksonville Jaguars must avoid overpaying their pending free agents.

Left tackle Cam Robinson, wide receiver Keelan Cole, cornerback Sidney Jones and defensive end Dawuane Smoot are all set to become free agents in 2021. All of them are solid contributors, but none of them are worth blockbuster contract extensions. The ‘Jags’ should offer them fair market value without going out of their way to retain them. They have to find the right balance between lowballing and overpaying them.

Also, this Jacksonville team doesn’t need to rely on free agency, just use it to fortify certain position groups and add depth. After all, they will have 11 picks in next year’s draft, and four of them will be in the first two rounds, so will have more than one way to acquire impact players.

There are many reasons why the Jaguars are not currently very good and not using free agency as a means to reinforce their roster is one of them. That has to change in 2021 if they want to get out of the NFL’s cellar and start winning games.