4 reasons why Jacksonville Jaguars could struggle in 2021

2. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ offseason additions on defense underperform.

Even though the Jaguars took a conservative approach in free agency, they still made a few splash signings, including cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Rayshawn Jenkins. The team gave the former a three-year, $40 million deal and the latter a four-year contract worth $35 million. It’s fair to say they sign the duo to sit on the bench and expect both of them to make an impact right away, but what if they don’t?

Griffin has been good but not great throughout his four-year career. The Jags are aware he’s not a shutdown corner but they surely envision him playing at a Pro Bowl level and increasing his interception totals in 2021. Similarly, Jenkin wasn’t the top safety in the market but was still paid a significant amount of money to become a playmaker.

Both Griffin and Jenkins are grinders, so effort isn’t an issue. They both have had a solid offseason but it remains to be seen if they are a good fit in Jacksonville. The Jags won’t know until the real action starts in Week 1.

Then, there’s safety Andre Cisco. The Syracuse product was a ballhawk at the collegiate level but he’s dealt with injuries. It may be too early to call him injury prone but he needs to show he can stay healthy, something he hasn’t been able to do over the last two seasons. Cornerback Sidney Jones is facing a similar conundrum. The team’s brass re-signed him earlier this year but he’s dealt with injuries over his four-year career.

The Jags’ secondary has plenty of upside but it also has the potential to flop if their offseason additions don’t pan out.