The Jacksonville Jaguars need to replenish their cornerback group this offseason. Early in the 2020 season, cornerback C.J. Henderson showed flashes as a rookie and Sidney Jones was having a career revival. However, injuries struck the Jaguars’ cornerback group and their secondary struggled to stop opposing offenses from scoring. Fortunately for the Jags, this year’s cornerback market will be a robust one.
Head coach Urban Meyer recently said on a sit-down with the local media that the secondary will be revamped at a few spots. Although he didn’t go into specifics about which positions would get a boost, it’s not really too hard to tell. Jones, D.J. Hayden, and Greg Mabin are all set to become free agents, and the team hasn’t shown any indication is planning on bringing any of them back.
Jones was solid before suffering an Achilles injury, so the Jags could offer him a one-year, prove-it, deal to see if he can pick up where he left off. However, trusting the Washington product to stay healthy for a full season (something he’s never managed to do in his five-year career) is a risky proposition.
Even if they keep Jones and he stays healthy, Jacksonville’s brass is better off bringing in help this offseason. They will have around $67.5 million in cap space after slapping left tackle Cam Robinson with the franchise tag and there will be plenty of cornerbacks available in the open market. Here are the best three.
Griffin would be a solid addition to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary.
Cornerback Shaquill Griffin is set to become a free agent after the Seattle Seahawks opted not to apply the franchise tag on him. The Hawks are projected to have around $17 million in cap space, so keeping the UCF product would’ve hindered their ability to make other significant moves in free agency.
A third-round selection in 2017’s draft, Griffin is one of two Seahawks cornerbacks that will hit the open market. While Quentin Dunbar should garner some interest, Griffin is the better of the two, having appeared in 57 games(with 53 starts) and logging 249 total tackles (nine for a loss), 48 passes defended, and six interceptions over his four-year career.
Last season, Giffin had a 64.5 Pro Football Focus grade, which wasn’t a good as the 77.0 mark he posted in 2019 but still solid nonetheless. He’s not a top-tier cornerback, but other than having missed six games with injuries in the last two years, he doesn’t carry any major red flags.
PFF predicts that Griffin will get a three-year $28.5 million contract while Over the Cap projects his deal will average around $5 million per year. Either figure falls within the Jaguars’ 2021 budget and seems like a fair contract for the cornerback.
Should the Jacksonville Jaguars kick the tires on this former All-Pro?
Patrick Peterson is one of those players that will benefit from name recognition in the open market. Even though he isn’t the All-Pro in his prime, he’s still efficient. However, teams, including the Jaguars, will need to discuss whether it will be a good idea to invest a heavy amount of money in the veteran cornerback.
Peterson, the fifth overall pick in 2011’s draft, has appeared in 154 games over his ten-year career and has logged 499 tackles (ten for a loss), two forced fumbles, 91 passes defensed, and 28 interceptions. Although he posted an 82.5 Pro Football Focus grade as recently as 2018, he had a paltry 55.2 mark last season. Was his dip in performance an outlier or is it the start of his decline?
One thing that may benefit Peterson in the free-agent market is the fact he’s never missed a game with injuries. He missed six games in 2019 because he violated the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug policy but other than that, he’s dressed up for every single game in his career.
PFF thinks he will get a two-year $25 million deal, which may be more than the Jags should spend on a cornerback past his prime. However, if the team’s brass thinks he can play as well as he did a few years ago, they should go ahead and sign him.
William Jackson may be the best corner the Jacksonville Jaguars can sign.
William Jackson III may lack the star power, and the accolades Richard Sherman or Patrick Peterson have. Nevertheless, he will still be one of the best cornerbacks available in this year’s free agency, as he’s been pretty consistent over his four-year career.
Since being taken in the first round of 2016’s draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson has registered 150 tackles (five for a loss), 41 passes defensed, and three interceptions. Last season, he posted a 71.4 Pro Football Focus grade and hasn’t graded lower than just once in his career. You could argue the Trinity Valley CC standout doesn’t create many turnovers, but the fact he has defensed at least ten passes three times during his tenure in Cincy should make up for it.
PFF predicts Jackson will get a three-year $40 million deal, which is a bit more than what they think Peterson will get while Spotrac projects the deal will have the same length but it will be worth just $18 million. The Jaguars would surely love to pay Jackson the later figure, but even if they had to offer him $10 million per year, he would still be a solid acquisition.
Signing Jackson in the open market is not the kind of move that gets plenty of headlines but the Jaguars’ brass won’t probably mind it if he becomes an impact player in their secondary.