Jaguars’ free-agency frenzy continues with addition of Evan Engram

Free agency hasn’t officially started yet but the Jacksonville Jaguars keep making additions to the roster. Right when it looked like they were slowing down in what’s been a hectic first day of the legal tampering period, they agreed to terms with former New York Giants tight end Evan Engram.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports the Jaguars and Engram have agreed to a one-year, $9 million deal that can be worth up to $10 million with incentives. With Dalton Schultz (Dallas Cowboys), Mike Gesicki (Miami Dolphins), David Njoku (Cleveland Browns), and Zach Ertz (Arizona Cardinals) staying with their respective teams, Engram was the top tight end available in the market and the Jags made an aggressive effort to land him.

A first-round pick by the Giants in 2018, the Mississippi product has appeared in 65 games with 51 starts and amassed 262 receptions for 2,828 yards with 16 over the last four seasons. Engram was No. 65 in Pro Football Focus’ top 200 list of free agents, and his presence will give the Jaguars’ tight end room a boost. Although his signing won’t be official until Wednesday when free agency begins, he’s already looking forward to playing for the Jaguars.

In case you haven’t been able to keep track of all the moves the Jaguars have made so far, here’s a quick recap. First, they applied the original round tender on safety Andrew Wingard. They then agreed to terms with offensive guard Brandon Scherff. Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun was next, and they later landed former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence and Evan Engram can help each other improve.

Although Engram’s numbers aren’t on par with those of the top players at the position, you could argue that he hasn’t had a good quarterback throwing passes to him. Early in his career, he played with an aging Eli Manning and in recent years, he’s caught passes from an inconsistent Daniel Jones. In Jacksonville, the tight end will be working with Trevor Lawrence, who is poised to make a significant leap in Year 2.

All things considered, this is a good signing, especially when you take into account that the tight end class was bare, and the Jags didn’t have to overpay to acquire Engram, who could a formidable duo alongside Dan Arnold.

Late in his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson had a pair of talented tight ends in Dallas Goedert and Zach Ertz. He tried to get them both on the football team as often as possible, and it’s possible that he will do the same with Engram and Arnold in Jacksonville.

The Jags are showing they are committed to getting Trevor Lawrence as many weapons as possible and building around him. While they won’t probably be as active on Day 2 of the legal tampering period as they were on the first day, there’s a good chance they will continue making additions to their roster in the upcoming days. After all, free agency hasn’t even officially started.