What a difference a few months make, right? After finishing 1-15 in 2020, the Jacksonville Jaguars have done a good job of adding both depth and talent to a roster that lacked both last year. It helped that they had the most cap space in the league and entering the 2021 NFL Draft with ten selections surely helped them get most of the players they wanted even if some got away.
While the Jags could’ve done a better job addressing certain position groups, most of their units look in good shape after all the additions they made in free agency and the draft. They finally have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. Also, they have a dynamic running back tandem in James Robinson and Travis Etienne and a crowded wide receiver corps.
On the other side of the ball, Jacksonville’s defense should be able to stop opposing defenses more often and create more turnovers after all the acquisitions the team made this offseason. Last season, the Jags’ three top cornerbacks went down with injuries. After bringing back Sidney Jones, signing Shaquill Griffin in free agency, and drafting Tyson Cambell, their cornerback room is in great shape. Also, trading for defensive tackle Malcom Brown, signing Damien Wilson to round out their linebacker corps and adding safety Rayshawn Jenkins were smart moves.
However, there are three remaining free agents that the Jaguars should still add ahead of training camp. After all, you can never have enough good players, and all three could end up playing a key role for this Jacksonville team in the 2021 season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars could bring competition to the offensive line.
In a sit-down before 2021’s draft took place, head coach Urban Meyer told the local media the team’s brass planned to add competition to the offensive line and that’s precisely what they did in the second round when they used the 45th overall selection to take Stanford offensive tackle Walker Little.
The Jaguars brought back all their starting offensive linemen — they placed the franchise tag on left tackle Cam Robinson and also re-signed reserve interior lineman Tyler Shatley — from last year and expect the group to play better than they did in 2020. However, they should have all of them compete and earn their starting job. As Meyer mentioned in the conference, “competition brings out the best in everyone”, and if they want to push their offensive tackles, they need to sign Mitchell Schwartz.
A second-round selection in 2012, Schwartz has started all 134 games he’s appeared in over his nine-year career. Moreover, he was named First-Team All-Pro in 2018 and was part of the Kansas City Chiefs team that won Super Bowl 54, so why is the right tackle a free agent? He suffered a back injury in 2020 that forced him to miss ten regular-season games.
Schwartz originally expected to be back for the Chiefs’ 2020 playoff run but his injury was worst than he originally thought. Either way, he announced he was getting surgery in February and added that the recovery process shouldn’t be too long, so Jacksonville should target him if he gets a clean bill of health.
Although Kansas City has expressed interest in reuniting with Schwartz (the Broncos have been linked to him too), he could join the offensive line mix and compete with incumbent Jawaan Taylor for the starting right tackle job.
The Jacksonville Jaguars can still upgrade their pass rush.
Martin Fenn of Bleacher Report believes Jacksonville is the best landing spot for former Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Melvin Ingram. However, the 2012 first-round pick isn’t the only EDGE defender still available after the draft. If the Jaguars are interested in adding someone else to their defensive front, Justin Houston would be a solid option.
A third-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011, Houston spent the last two seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and logged 19 sacks, 69 total tackles, 21 total tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles. Although he isn’t the player he was when he amassed 22 sacks and was named First-Team All-Pro in 2014, he still has some juice left.
Josh Allen and K’Lavon Chaisson will likely be the Jaguars’ primary pass rushers in 2021. Also, Adam Gotsis, Dawuane Smoot, Jihad Ward, and rookie Jordan Smith will be part of the defensive line rotation, so at first sight, it looks like there’s no room for Houston. Nevertheless, the four-time Pro Bowl nod can still be an effective pass rusher.
Houston wouldn’t have to be Jacksonville’s primary pass rusher. Instead, he would be part of the defensive line rotation. Also, the Jags plan to experiment with 4-3 and 3-4 looks, and the veteran has experience playing both, so he would be a solid depth addition. The Colts showed they moved on from Houston when they drafted Kwity Paye in 2021’s draft. It’s time for him to do the same and join a new team. There’s no better place to do it than Jacksonville?
When will the Jacksonville Jaguars address the tight end position?
To be honest, there’s not much the Jaguars can do about their tight end room right now. Even though head coach Urban Meyer said revamping the unit would be a priority this offseason, the team refrained from making any major additions.
This Jacksonville team signed Chris Manhertz in free agency but even though he will play an important role in red-zone and short-yardage situations, he’s not the kind of player that can stretch the field, hauling in just six receptions along with one trip to the end zone over his six-year career.
The Jags also brought back James O’Shaughnessy and drafted Luke Farrell but neither is a deep threat either, so who can they sign to bolster the tight end room? Out of all the free-agent options the team currently has, Trey Burton is the best of the bunch.
Although Burton has dealt with injuries in the last two years, he’s shown he can be an effective player when healthy. Back in 2018, he started all16 games and hauled in 54 receptions for 569 yards and six touchdowns. While those aren’t eye-popping numbers, the Jaguars would surely welcome that kind of production considering that there aren’t currently other alternatives, Tim Tebow notwithstanding.
Will Jacksonville pull the trigger on Burton? That depends on how comfortable they feel about their current tight end room. General manager Trent Baalke believes Farrell was underutilized at Ohio State and the team might try to feature him on offense but if he falters, they should have Burton on speed dial.