The Jacksonville Jaguars might’ve taken a break from rebuilding the team to watch Super Bowl 55. Besides taking note of the things both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs did to get there, they likely took a look at a few of their potential free agents.
Although it might not have been pleasant for the Jaguars to watch another Florida team raise the Lombardi trophy, they should take solace in the fact a few key Buccaneers are scheduled to hit the open market this offseason and they may not be able to keep many of them.
The ‘Bucs simply don’t have enough cap room to bring back all their 26 pending free agents and there are a few they will prioritize over others. Tight end Rob Gronkowski, whose contract will expire this offseason, will be one of them.
Gronkowski said after the game returning is a possibility and he might only want to play with quarterback Tom Brady. Signing him will take a big chunk of the Buccaneers’ cap room, which means other players will be shown the door. Here are three the Jaguars should target in this year’s free agency period.
Lavonte David could round out the Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker unit.
Although the Buccaneers’ offense got plenty of attention throughout the 2020 season due to its superstar cast, their defense played a big role in helping them win their second Super Bowl in team history.
Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’ unit ranked eighth in total points allowed and sixth in total yards during the regular season. However, its captain, linebacker Lavonte David is set to hit the open market and will likely change teams this offseason.
A second-round selection in 2012’s draft, David has become a key cog in Tampa Bay’s defense. In his nine-year career, he’s only missed seven games and has logged 1,125 total tackles (128 for a loss), 24 sacks, 12 interceptions, and 24 forced fumbles and 12 interceptions. Moreover, he’s earned a Pro Bowl nod and an All-Pro designation.
David is an asset against the run but also excels against the pass. He’s earned a Pro Football Focus grade above 83.0 four times in his career and has never graded below 64.6. In Super Bowl 55, he did a great job of keeping Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in check. The Jaguars should be interested in adding him to a linebacker corps that already includes Joe Schobert and Myles Jack.
Chris Godwin would give the Jacksonville Jaguars another receiving weapon.
One downside of having so many talented players is that it’s difficult to keep them all because of a finite amount of cap space NFL teams have. You could argue that not being able to retain all your free agents is a good problem to have, but it’s a problem nonetheless.
Chris Godwin often got lost behind Rob Gronkowski and fellow wide receivers Mike Evans in 2020. However, the former third-round pick was a key cog in the Buccaneers’ offense, hauling in 65 receptions for 840 yards and seven touchdowns.
Even though Godwin started just two games in his rookie season, he steadily saw his role on offense increase and has started 26 in the last two years. In 2019, he showed he can thrive when he’s given the chance and caught a career-high 86 receptions for 1,333 yards for nine touchdowns.
The Penn State product, along with Allen Robinson, will be one of the most coveted free agents this offseason and it will take a heavy investment to secure his services. Although the Jaguars already have DJ Chark Jr. and Laviska Shenault Jr on the roster, Godwin could turn their wide receiver corps from good to one of the best ones in the league.
Shaquil Barrett can help the Jacksonville Jaguars bolster their pass rush.
Lavonte David was one of many Buccaneers players that held the Chiefs’ high-powered offense to a paltry nine points in Super Bowl 55. Fellow linebackers Devin White and Shaquil Barrett also played at a high level. The latter had a tackle for a loss and a sack, and just like David, is scheduled to become a free agent.
An undrafted free agent in 2014, it took Barrett a few years to get in a groove. During his five-year stint with the Denver Broncos, he logged 151 total tackles (25 for a loss), 14 sacks, and seven forced fumbles.
However, the Colorado State product signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers in 2019 and had a breakout year, registering 58 total tackles (19 for a loss), 19.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and once interceptions. This prompted Tampa Bay to use the franchise tag on him last season. Although he amassed just eight sacks in 2020, he still had 57 total tackles and two forced fumbles.
The ‘Bucs’ will have a hard time bringing Barrett back this offseason due to their salary cap constraints. If he hits the open market, the Jaguars shouldn’t pass up the chance to sign him. Defensive end Josh Allen should be fully healthy after dealing with a knee injury in 2020 and K’Lavon Chaisson should keep taking strides in his development.
Nevertheless, this Jacksonville team needs help in the pass rush department and Barrett could help. The fact he was part of the Super Bowl-winning team will probably increase his value in the open market, but this shouldn’t deter the ‘Jags’ from pursuing him.