After a slow start to free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars held no punches and took advantage of the vast amount of cap space they had at their disposal in 2021. While they passed up the chance to make a few splash signings, they still were able to land a handful of playmakers throughout the process and were even named one of the most improved teams after free agency.
Heading into free agency, head coach Urban Meyer said that the Jags would prioritize solidifying the defensive front and revamping the secondary. It’s fair to say they achieved their goal and they did so without having to break the bank, something general manager Trent Baalke put an emphasis on.
Even though Jacksonville didn’t sign big-name free agents such as defensive tackle Delvin Tomilson or defensive ends Trey Hendrickson or Romeo Okwara, they still were able to bolster their defensive line.
Players such as defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris, defensive end Jahid Ward, and Tyson Alualu, who is back with the team, should give the Jaguars’ defensive line an immediate boost. Their secondary looks in better shape too after signing cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Rayshawn Jenkins.
On the other hand, the Jaguars must keep adding talent in this year’s draft. As important as their free-additions are, it will take plenty of work to upgrade a unit that ranked 31st in points allowed and total yards last season. They could use another pass rusher, someone to round out their linebacker corps, and another safety. In the meantime, here are the grades for all their free-agent additions to the defensive side of the ball.
The Jacksonville Jaguars found a starting safety in free agency.
The Jaguars have one starting safety in Jarrod Wilson. However, they needed to add talent to the position this offseason. Although Daniel Thomas showed promise as a rookie, an arm injury forced him to miss the second half of the 2020 season and it would short-sighted for Jacksonville to expect him to become an All-Pro in 2021.
Thomas could ultimately become a fine player down the road but the Jaguars’ brass did the right thing when they signed former Chargers safety Rayshaw Jenkins. The Miami product said in a recent sit-down with the local media that joining the Jags was an “easy decision in his books” and cited head coach Urban Meyer’s vision and the presence of defensive coordinator Joe Cullen as two of the reasons why he opted for Jacksonville.
Jenkins is versatile enough to line up in the box or drop back in coverage. In fact, he says that as a rookie, he was surprised to find out others didn’t play many positions because he had to play everywhere where he came from.
Over the last two years, Jenkins started 31 games for the Bolts and logged 174 tackles (nine for a loss), eight passes defensed, and five interceptions. He’s the players the Jaguars wanted to line up next to Wilson in the back end. Cullen should be able to make the most out of his versatility and deploy him everywhere all over the field.
Grade: B
The Jacksonville Jaguars added two playmakers to their secondary.
CornerbackC.J. Henderson struggled at times last season, especially against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6 and the Houston Texans in Week 7. On the other hand, he also showed flashes of the talent that made him the ninth overall selection in 2020’s draft.
However, the Jaguars needed to find someone to play opposite of him and they found their man in Shaquill Griffin, who signed a three-year $40 million deal in free agency and is excited to be part of what the Jaguars are building.
A 2017 third-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2017, Griffin has appeared in 57 games with 53 starts and has logged 48 passes and six interceptions over his four-year career. Barring injuries, the Central Florida product should start for the Jaguars in Week 1 of the 2021 season. In his introductory press conference, he said he was ecstatic to be part of something new, something special, and the Jaguars surely feel the same way about him.
Grade: A
Not every signing the Jaguars made in free agency will garner national headlines. Even though they brought in a couple of marquee players, they also needed to add depth to their roster and that’s precisely what they did when they signed safety Rody Ford to a $4.2 million deal this offseason.
A 2017 sixth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals, Ford spent the last two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles. Although he’s just started just two games in his four-year career, he’s appeared in 41. The Auburn product brings depth and experience to a Jaguars’ secondary that didn’t have much of either in 2020. Moreover, he has special teams value, having appeared in 37 percent of the Eagles’ special teams snaps in 2020 and 47 percent the season before.
Grade: C
The Jacksonville Jaguars beefed up their defensive line in free agency.
The Jaguars didn’t target a premier defensive tackle in free agency but ended up trading a seventh-round selection for Malcom Brown. As recently as last week, the New Orleans Saints intended to release the former first-round selection after being unable to find a trade partner. However, Jacksonville came calling.
Brown, the 32nd overall selection in 2015’s draft, signed a three-year $19 million contract with the Saints in 2019. Over his two-year stint in New Orleans, he started 29 games and registered 61 total tackles (nine for a loss), and three sacks. Keep in mind that the Saints moved on from him because they needed cap relief and would’ve kept him if they had had enough space.
In the end, the Jags benefited from New Orlean’s cap woes. Brown should have a big role in their defensive line rotation and may even be part of the starting lineup in the season opener.
Grade: B
Malcom Brown wasn’t the only addition the Jaguars made to their defensive front. Before trading for the Texas standout, they signed former Chicago Bears defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris. DaVon Hamilton and Doug Costin showed promise during the 2020 season but the Jaguars’ front four was often pushed around last season. The pair should continue to be part of the defensive line rotation but Robertson-Harris will most likely get a prominent role.
In a recent sit-down with the local media, Robertson-Harris says he will do everything he can to help the Jaguars win after everything they did to bring him in. While expecting the defensive end to register ten sacks may be unreasonable, his presence will definitely bolster a unit that struggled to get to opposing quarterbacks last season.
Grade: B
Defensive tackle Tyson Alualu is back with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Not every first-round draft pick will turn into a Pro Bowler, and that’s a fact. It’s possible that the coaching staff doesn’t put the player in a position to succeed or maybe he is simply not talented enough. Other times, it takes time for him to figure things out, which is Tyson Alualu’s case.
Although Alualu wasn’t the difference-maker the Jaguars thought he would be when they made him the tenth overall pick in 2010’s draft, he’s carved a niche as a solid role player. The defensive tackle left Jacksonville in 2017 and joined the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Over his four-year stint in Steel City, Alualu never played more than 44 percent of their total snaps on defense but was a key cog in their defensive line rotation. Back in Jacksonville again, the California product should help solidify a unit that had a hard time stopping the run and the pass last season.
Grade: C
Most coordinators on both sides of the ball and head coaches try to bring players they’re familiar with to their new team and Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen is no different, having vouched for defensive end Jihad Ward, whom he knows from his time as the Baltimore Ravens defensive line coach.
In fact, head coach Urban Meyer says he hadn’t seen a coach pound the table for a player as hard as Cullen did for Ward, via Michael DiRocco of ESPN. Over his five-year career, the Illinois product has spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Ravens. He’s played 51 games with 14 starts and has registered 59 total tackles (nine for a loss), eight sacks, and three passes defensed.
It’s unlikely Ward will play a big role in the Jaguars’ defense in 2020. Instead, he will be part of their rotation. Jacksonville’s lack of depth was exposed when defensive end Josh Allen missed time with injuries in 2020. They will be better equipped now with Ward and Dawuane Smoot, who re-signed with the team, on the roster.
Grade: B