Jacksonville Jaguars gear up for free agency and lock up 3 key players

Tre Herndon adds depth to the Jacksonville Jaguars secondary.

Tre Herndon was a restricted free agent, which means that his contract expired after just three accrued seasons. If other teams had wanted to, they could have negotiated a deal with the cornerback and if they had agreed to terms, the Jags would have had the right to match the offer.

This wasn’t the case with the Vanderbilt product and the Jaguars announced that he has signed a one-year deal to stay in Jacksonville. An undrafted free agent in 2018, he’s played 43 games, with 26 starts, and has logged 144 total tackles (five for a loss), 28 passes defensed, and three interceptions over his three-year career.

Herndon was solid at times last season but also gave up a 68.8 percent completion rate and four touchdowns. He appeared in 91 percent of the team’s total snaps on defense but if C.J. Henderson and Sidney Jones hadn’t missed time with injuries, his playing time might not have been as high.

Heading into 2021, Herndon should compete for a spot in the starting lineup. He could play opposite of Herndon or handle slot duties and that kind of flexibility may’ve played a factor in the Jaguars’ decision to bring him back one more year. Even if he doesn’t seize a starting spot, he would provide depth to a group that lacked it last season.