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

No. 4 best decision by the Jaguars – Being aggressive in free agency.

Back in 2020, the Jaguars refrain from making any big splash in free agency. Their only meaningful addition that offseason was linebacker Joe Schobert, who signed a five-year, $53 million deal. However, he only played for the Black and Teal for one season and was released in 2021. Similarly, tight end Tyler Eifert signed a modest two-year $15.5 million but the Jags opted not to exercise the team option and moved on from him last year.

Although Jacksonville signed more players last offseason, they refrained from handing out any blockbuster contracts, with cornerback Shaquill Griffin getting the biggest deal, a three-year deal worth $44.5 million. The Jags went 3-14 last season, and knowing they needed to make upgrades to most position groups, they decided to use their surplus of cap space in free agency.

It’s worth noting that the Jags hadn’t been so aggressive in free agency since 2017, when they signed defensive end Calais Campbell, cornerback A.J. Bouye, and safety Barry Church. They had no choice when you take into account that they had one of the best financial situations in the league and that they didn’t have many pressing free agents.

Moving forward, it’s not feasible for the Jaguars to keep spending big. They must start drafting and developing talent. For the time being, this year’s free-agent class will help them in the short term and it will hopefully build the foundation for the future.