The Jacksonville Jaguars can be active players in this year’s free agency.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are getting closer to fully revamping their coaching staff and their front office. After moving on from Doug Marrone, the organization has hired Urban Mayer as their new head coach. Also, Trent Baalke became the general manager after holding the job on an interim basis last season.
Now that the team is taking shape, they can start planning for the offseason. They currently have 11 draft selections and are projected to have $73 million in cap space, per Over the Cap. Once they decide which of their own free agents they will re-sign, they will have to come up with a plan for the free agency period.
Based on their abundance of cap space, the ‘Jags’ will be able to target whichever player they want. However, they need to take a cautious approach and make sure they get the most bang for the buck, whether it’s a splash signing or a bargain.
The Seattle Seahawks have $2.7 million in cap space and may have a hard time bringing back some of their free agents. Some of them are veterans past their 30s but there are a few contributors that should garner some demand this offseason. Here are the best three the Jaguars should target in free agency.
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to add depth in their secondary.
While Jarrod Wilson will take over one safety spot in the Jaguars’ secondary, it’s uncertain who will start next to him in 2021. Daniel Thomas showed flashes in his rookie year and even started two games before he missed the second half of the season with an arm injury. This Jacksonville team also has Josh Jones, but he isn’t the long-term answer at the position.
If the ‘Jags’ want to bolster their safety room, they could take a young prospect early in 2021’s draft, such as TCU’s Javon Moehrig. If that’s the route they opt to take, they could also sign a veteran in free agency to add depth to their secondary.
Safety Damarious Randall joined the Seahawks early in the 2020 regular season after spending the Summer with the Las Vegas Raiders. The veteran ended up suiting up for ten games last season and has started 56 games in his six-year career. The former first-round pick will not be confused with an All-Pro anytime soon, but he’s been solid throughout his career and could provide depth to this Jacksonville team at an affordable rate.
The Jacksonville Jaguars need to bring in a few cornerbacks.
The Jaguars had a shortage of healthy cornerbacks in 2020. Rookie C.J. Henderson held one starting spot before a growing injury ended his season. Meanwhile, Sidney Jones was having a career revival until he suffered an Achilles injury. Things didn’t weren’t much better for D.J. Hayden and he ended up missing 11 games.
Henderson should get his starting job back, but it’s uncertain what the ‘Jags’ will do with Jones and Hayden, as both of them, along with Greg Mabin, are set to become free agents. The team’s brass could end up bringing one or even two of them back. However, they should use the opportunity to give their cornerback room a boost.
If the ‘Jags’ want to sign an up-and-coming cornerback this offseason, they should target Shaquille Griffin, who has been one of the most consistent Seahawks defenders since they made him a third-round selection in 2017.
The Central Florida product has amassed just six interceptions in his four-year career but has a whopping 48 passes defensed. Griffin has started 53 games since 2017 and Jacksonville could immediately plug him opposite of Henderson.
The Jacksonville Jaguars can round out their linebacker corps.
The Jaguars have devoted plenty of resources to their linebacker unit. After using a second-round selection to take Myles Jack in 2016’s draft, the team gave him a four-year $57 million contract extension in 2019. Last season, this Jacksonville team signed Joe Schobert to a five-year $53.7 million contract, so you may be wondering why they should bring in yet another linebacker.
The answer is easy, the ‘Jags’ have the resources to bolster every position group they want and they should make good use of the cap space and draft picks they will have this offseason. They could choose someone such as Dylan Moses of Alabama or Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah of Notre Dame early in 2021’s draft.
On the other hand, free agency will offer a few enticing choices, such as Cardinals linebacker Haason Reddick and K.J. Wright of the Seattle Seahawks, who is still playing at a high level even though he’s coming off his tenth year in the NFL. Last season, he registered 82 total tackles, ten batted passes, two sacks, and one interception.
The Jaguars were rather passive in last year’s free agency period. This year, they have enough money to be active and make a couple of impact signings, Wright could contribute right out of the gate and help them fix their defensive woes.