Jacksonville Jaguars: Why hasn’t JJ Watt signed with a team yet?
After ten seasons together, defensive end J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans mutually agreed to part ways not too long ago. Any team that is interested in upgrading their defensive line, including the Jacksonville Jaguars, should be looking for a way to get him. However, the Wisconsin standout hasn’t signed with anybody yet even though he’s free to do so at any time, and it’s fair to wonder what’s taking so long.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk believes there are two reasons why Watt hasn’t landed with a team yet. The first one is rather obvious; the salary cap will decrease this year and teams will have a limited budget to work with. On the other hand, Florio believes that teams are waiting to see which players are available in the open market.
There are currently no reports about any potential landing spots or offers for Watt. If money is really the biggest factor holding teams back from signing the All-Pro defensive end, he will probably have a small market for his services as there are currently three teams with $10 million or less in cap space and 13 others in the red.
The Jacksonville Jaguars may have an edge in the J.J. Watt sweepstakes.
The Jaguars have the most cap space in the NFL and should have no trouble making Watt an offer he couldn’t resist. Even though he is not the same player he was in his prime, he’s still performing at a high level in spite of all the injuries he’s sustained throughout his career. In fact, his 88.7 Pro Football Focus grade was the seventh-best for an EDGE defender in 2020. Also, PFF noted the former All-Pro was one of only two interior linemen to play more than 1,000 last season.
Keep in mind that whoever signs Watt will do it not only because of what can do as a player but also because of his impact off the field. His leadership and positive influence in the Jaguars locker room would be priceless, especially because they’re just starting the process of rebuilding the team under new head coach Urban Meyer and are going to need as many hands as they can. There’s no doubt Watt’s veteran presence would be an asset in Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen’s unit.
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As much as the Jaguars would benefit from signing Watt, the ball is on his court, as he will have many suitors vying for his services this offseason. On the bright side, Jacksonville should be an attractive destination for free agents and could make a strong push for him.