5 Jaguars free agents who are giving GM Trent Baalke tough decisions

No. 4 Jaguars tough decision in free agency – DJ Chark, WR.

This one could end up being one of the Jaguars’ most complicated negotiations this offseason. On one hand, DJ Chark Jr. has arguably been their best receiver over the last three seasons. However, he’s coming off an ankle fracture and has only posted one 1,000-yard season throughout his four-year career.

A second-round selection in 2018, Chark hauled in 73 receptions for 1,008 yards with eight touchdowns in his sophomore campaign and also made the Pro Bowl. But he wasn’t nearly as effective the following season and just caught 53 receptions for 706 yards with eight touchdowns. While not bad, that’s not the kind of production you expect from your number one receiver. Then again, his performance has been affected by Jacksonville’s instability at quarterback, as he’s never had a top signal-caller throwing passes to him.

Last season, Chark was averaging 22 yards per grab and was the Jaguars’ lone deep threat. As soon as he went down, the Jags’ offensive lost its groove. Using the franchise tag on the wide receiver might not make much sense, as he would get paid $18 million. On the other hand, the front office can’t just let him walk in free agency. The Jaguars could either give him a one-year, prove-it deal or give him a short-term deal that pays him around $11/13 million per season.

Chark isn’t an All-Pro at this point of his career but with more consistency and barring serious injuries, he could become a solid weapon in the Jaguars’ arsenal. He showed he can play at a high level in 2019. The question is whether he can do it again, and that’s something the Jaguars need to ponder in the upcoming days.