The Jacksonville Jaguars are starting to fix their salary cap ahead of free agency. While they’ve done a good job of keeping their own players, they’ll need to release a few others to get out of the red. But the Jags aren’t the only NFL team that will need to make some tough decisions in the upcoming days.
Other clubs will also shed the contracts of players that are either coming back from injuries or whose production in 2022 didn’t match their salaries. Although Jacksonville won’t go on a shopping spree like they did last year, they shouldn’t hesitate to pursue these five players if they become available.
No. 5 cap casualty the Jacksonville Jaguars should target: Gus Edwards
The Jaguars have a pretty good running back in Travis Etienne and a solid backup in JaMycal Hasty, who just signed a contract extension. Moreover, Snoop Conner increasingly got more playing time as his rookie season went on. However, that shouldn’t deter the Jaguars from adding another running back this offseason.
Even though it might seem unnecessary, Jacksonville needs to look for ways to get more production from their running game and Gus Edwards would be a terrific addition to their backfield.
Edwards signed with the Baltimore Ravens after going undrafted in 2018 and immediately became a mainstay of their rushing attack.
Even though Edwards missed nine games with a knee injury last season, he still managed to tally 433 yards with three touchdowns on 87 runs. He’s averaged over 5.2 yards per carry throughout his career but he’s set to count $5.6 million against the cap and releasing him would free up $4.3 million in cap space with $1.25 million in dead money. With J.K. Dobbins returning from a season-ending injury, the Ravens could afford to move on from Edwards.
No. 4 cap casualty the Jacksonville Jaguars should target: Shaq Mason
One year after winning Super Bowl 56, the Tampa Bay Buccanneers will undergo significant turnover in 2023. For starters, it looks like Tom Brady will at last retire. Even if he changes his mind, the Bucs seem to be ready to move on. But the quarterback position won’t be the only position that will look different next season.
Tampa Bay is set to be an astonishing $56 million over the cap and will need to part ways with several players to get out of the red and keep costs low in 2023. Offensive tackle Donovan Smith, who is set to count $17.9 against the cap, is a prime candidate to get released but he isn’t the only Buccaneers offensive lineman that could get a pink slip this offseason. Shaq Mason might not return to Tampa next season either.
A fourth-round pick by the New England Patriots in 2015, Mason was traded to the Bucs last year and went on to start all 17 games. But due to the cap crunch Tampa Bay is currently experiencing, they could release him to free up $5.27 million in cap space with $4.3 million in dead money.
The Buccaneers’ offensive line allowed a league-low 22 sacks last year and Mason gave up just one sack and 25 total pressures on 834 pass-blocking snaps.
The Jacksonville Jaguars gave Brandon Scherff a three-year deal worth $49.5 million last offseason to play right guard, Mason’s position. However, they could switch Mason to the right side and have him compete with incumbent Ben Bartch, who is coming off a knee injury that wiped out his 2022 season.
No. 3 cap casualty the Jacksonville Jaguars should target: William Jackson
By now, you have probably heard more than several times that cornerback is the Jacksonville Jaguars’ biggest need and it’s hard to disagree. What is hard to agree with is the solutions that have been suggested. Los Angeles Rams are ready to move on from Jalen Ramsey and the Jags have been mentioned as a likely destination.
However, Ramsey’s potential price stage and the Rams’ asking price might not make him a feasible option. On the other hand, James Bradberry would certainly look great in Black and Teal but he’s made it clear he wants to get top-market money, which makes Jacksonville a long shot. The Jaguars could and will probably wait until the draft to bolster their cornerback room but they could also kick the tires on William Jackson III, who wasn’t much of a factor after being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers and might be looking for an opportunity to compete.
Jackson was a first-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017. He signed a three-year contract worth $40.5 million with the Washington Commanders in 2021 and joined the Steelers after last year’s trade deadline.
However, Jackson ended up not playing a single snap in Pittsburgh even though he’s been solid throughout most of his NFL career. He’s set to count $12.187 against the cap but it doesn’t make sense to carry the salary of a player that won’t contribute, which is why the former Houston Cougar might be a candidate to walk the plank this offseason.
No. 2 cap casualty the Jacksonville Jaguars should target: Tyler Boyd
The Cincinnati Bengals had one of the best wide receiver corps in the NFL last year. Opposing defenses couldn’t double Ja’Marr Chase because they ran the risk of getting burned by Tee Higgins. Moreover, teams couldn’t overlook Tyler Boyd, who wasn’t nearly as productive but still managed to haul in 58 receptions for 762 yards with five touchdowns behind Chase and Higgins.
Although the Jacksonville Jaguars have been brought up as a potential trade destination for Higgins, who was teammates with Trevor Lawrence at Clemson, it’s hard to see him landing in Jacksonville. Besides the draft picks needed to trade for him, he’ll want a new contract, which will make it difficult for the Jaguars to make a bid for his services.
Make no mistake, Higgins is a great player who can start for half the NFL. However, the Jaguars should set their sights on another Bengals receiver, and in case the headline didn’t give it away, it should be Tyler Boyd.
Before Cincy drafted Higgins in 2020 and Chase the following year, Boyd was their No. 1 receiver, posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2018 and 2019. Even after Higgins and Chase arrived, Boyd has still managed to haul in 146 receptions for 1,669 yards with nine touchdowns over the last three seasons.
The Jags made a heavy investment into their wide receiver corps last year when they signed Christian Kirk and Zay Jones in free agency, so it doesn’t make sense to pursue some of the big names that may be available this offseason. Having said that, Jacksonville wouldn’t need to give up draft picks to sign Boyd if he’s released, and he might turn out to be an affordable option in the open market.
No. 1 cap casualty the Jacksonville Jaguars should target: Khalil Mack
Pass rusher isn’t mentioned nearly as often as cornerback but it’s without a doubt one position the Jaguars must address this offseason. Even though outside linebacker Travon Walker got better as the 2022 season went on, the team’s brass can’t solely depend on him and bookend edge rusher Josh Allen.
Despite the fact that sacks aren’t the only way to measure a pass rusher’s effectiveness, the Jaguars must improve in that area after registering 35 last year, tied for 25th in the league. Walker and Allen ended up accounting for 10.5 of those sacks and Dawuane Smoot, who tallied six, is set to become a free agent.
Even if the Jags bring Smoot back, they should add another pass rusher this offseason, and if Khalil Mack is available, they should pursue him. Despite the fact that Mack hasn’t registered 10 or more sacks since 2018, he’s still a pretty productive player, posting 23 sacks and five forced fumbles over the last three seasons.
After struggling with injuries in recent years, Mack was traded to Los Angeles Chargers last year and managed to appear in all 17 games. However, he could be one and done with the Bolts, as he’s set to have a cap hit of $27.4 million in 2023. The fact that the Chargers can save up $18.4 million — or $23 million if they design him as a post-June 1 cut — makes a potential cap casualty.
If Los Angeles does move on from Mack, the Jaguars should make an aggressive effort to sign him as he would give their pass rush a huge boost.