4 biggest mistakes the Jaguars made this offseason

No. 2 offseason mistake the Jaguars made – Signing WR Zay Jones.

After ranking 32nd in points scored last year, it was clear the Jaguars needed to revamp their wide receiver corps. They did it in free agency, signing Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. The former got a four-year deal worth $72 million while the latter got a three-year, $24 million contract.

The Jags have been under scrutiny for paying a premium for Kirk’s services but you could make the case that Jones’ deal was the worse of the two. See, Kirk is an ascending player and even though he hasn’t crossed the 1,000-yard receiving mark in his career, he came darn close in 2021 and should be able to do it in Jacksonville. On the other hand, it’s hard to justify giving Jones such a big contract, as he hasn’t amassed more than 600 yards in a season just once over the last five years.

A second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2017, Jones is already on his third team. He was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2019 and went on to play 43 games with 17 starts for them. During his stint with the Silver and Black, he averaged 10.5 yards per reception and reached the end zone just twice. Last year, he got a bigger role after wide receiver Henry Ruggs III got involved in a serious car accident but failed to seize the opportunity.

The Jaguars didn’t pay Jones to ride the bench in 2022 but it’s hard to envision him getting more playing time that either veteran Marvin Jones Jr. or Laviska Shenault Jr.