4 best decisions the Jaguars have made in the Doug Pederson era

No. 3 best decision by the Jaguars – Having a plan at center.

Brandon Linder was a mainstay of the Jaguars’ offensive line since being drafted in 2014. Even though he never earned any Pro Bowl or First-Team All-Pro designations, he was often ranked as one of the best centers in the NFL. However, he had trouble staying healthy over the last few seasons, missing 22 games over the last two years.

With a projected cap hit of $10 million and no more money guaranteed in 2022, Linder was a potential candidate to be released in the offseason. However, he was given time to decide what he wanted to do and chose to step away from football. Planning ahead, the Jags brought back Tyler Shatley on a two-year deal.

Although there’s a noticeable dropoff from Linder to Shatley, they both have made 18 starts each over the last two seasons and the latter hasn’t missed a game since 2015. In a league where availability is the best ability, Shatley’s healthy is quite valuable. Having said that, he’s not the long-term answer at center, that’s why the front office invested a third-round pick in Kentucky’s Luke Fortner.

Fortner played guard for most of his collegiate career but he made 13 starts at center in 2021 and played well. He should only get better with more experience and could get into a heated training camp battle with Shatley. It’s hard to tell who will get the starting job but there’s no doubt the center position is in good shape after Linder’s retirement.