Jacksonville Jaguars free agent spotlight: DE Trey Hendrickson

The Jacksonville Jaguars have plenty of cap space to work with as the NFL free agency period rapidly approaches. This gives them room to properly address their major positional needs. This will be an intricate process for the Jaguar’s front office and they have to be sure to focus the majority of their resources on the defensive line.

Defensive end Trey Hendrickson is an upcoming free agent who has only started to be acknowledged by the media. He was drafted in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Florida Atlantic by the New Orleans Saints. Hendrickson didn’t see a ton of action in his first three years in New Orleans, but in 2020, he ended up starting in 15 games, racking up 25 tackles, 13.5 sacks (tied for second-best in the league), and 25 quarterback hits.

2020 was certainly a critical year to step up in terms of production considering his contract is up at the end of the season. Hendrickson is due to be a free agent on March 17th, 2021 and unquestionably proved he’s ready for an upgraded contract. He may not get that with Saints considering they are running exceptionally low in cap space.

The Jaguars have to pounce on this opportunity to sign Hendrickson. Of course, it all depends on how much he’s worth. If the contract talks become too steep, then you have to back off. But don’t waste this opportunity on getting a potentially impactful player for your defense.

Hendrickson has all of the tools to help the Jaguar’s defense. Jake Burns from Orange and Brown Report wrote an incredibly detailed report on Hendrickson and his skill set. He noted that while Hendrickson is primarily a power rusher, he has improved his technique, getting his hands more involved to win over blocks. The Jaguars are bringing in an entirely new group of coaches and it would be the perfect opportunity for Hendrickson to continue and progress his career.