NFC Championship: 5 players Jaguars would love to sign in free agency

The Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers will play in the NFC Championship. Even though the Jacksonville Jaguars reside in the AFC, they will surely tune in to scout players that will most likely become free agents in the offseason.

The Jags have a few building blocks in place but they’ll need to reload their roster if they want to get over the hump next season. Here are five potential free agents that could help them pick up where they left off in 2022.

No. 5 NFC Championship free agent target: Taylor Kroft, TE

The Jaguars want to re-sign Evan Engram and their interest is reciprocated, so there’s a good chance they’ll get a deal done. But Engram isn’t their only tight end slated to become a free agent. Chris Mahertz and Dan Arnold are also scheduled to walk in the offseason.

Bringing back Manhertz would make sense, as he’s become an important part of the Jacksonville offense. Moreover, it wouldn’t be cost-prohibitive but if the team’s brass can re-sign him, one potential alternative would be 49ers tight end Tyler Kroft.

An eight-year veteran, Kroft had a career year for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, registering 42 receptions for 404 yards with seven touchdowns. However, that was an outlier, having caught as many passes for 465 yards over the last four years.

Kroft wouldn’t be a TE1 in Jacksonville. Then again, he doesn’t have to be. He would take on a reserve role. His pass-blocking isn’t as good as Manhertz’s but he’s a better receiver and could get a few targets his way. Also, he would come cheap, having signed a one-year deal worth $1.2 million last year.