Jacksonville Jaguars keep getting positive free-agency grades

The Jacksonville Jaguars took advantage of the vast amount of cap space they had this offseason and were one of the most active teams in free agency. So far, their signings have gotten either good or very good grades.

Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently took it upon himself to grade every NFL team’s free agency moves and gave the Jaguars a ‘B-‘. He praises them for not being afraid to spend but wonders whether they invested their money wisely. He likes the signing of wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. but believes this Jacksonville team overpaid on cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Rayshawn Jenkins.

Davenport also questions the decision to place the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson but adds that the ‘one-year commitment is hard to find too much fault with’. Later, he concedes that the Jags might’ve needed to overpay to lure free agents into signing with them. What he doesn’t take into account is that Jacksonville actually refrained from making even more splash signings even though they had the chance to do so.

Instead of pursuing Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams or trading for Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr., the Jags are betting Robinson will improve in 2021. Also, they opted not to target a premier pass rusher even though there were many in the open market and could easily afford any of them.

The Jacksonville Jaguars focused on adding depth to the roster. 

There’s another thing everyone needs to consider when evaluating the Jaguars’ free agency moves. They focused on adding depth, not big names, so even though the signings of players such as defensive end Jihad Ward or running back Carlos Hyde won’t generate many national headlines, they will be key to the team’s success in 2021.

The Jags lacked playmakers last season, and the roster was also devoid of talent, so it made sense for them to add as many players as they could in free agency. While most of them won’t have a prominent role, all of them will contribute in one way or another. If anything, the only questionable decision Jacksonville made in free agency was not to address the tight end position and even that is debatable as there weren’t any premier players available.

Putting aside grades, the Jaguars knew they needed to fortify the roster in free agency and that’s precisely what they did. They will have a chance to continue adding talent and address their remaining needs in the 2021 NFL Draft.