The Jacksonville Jaguars crossed one massive item on their to-do list when they hired Liam Coen as their head coach. Next, they'll need to get a replacement for general manager Trent Baalke.
Once the Jags get a new general manager, they'll need to check their finances and look for ways to clear up space to make a couple of big signings in free agency. Jacksonville currently has around $35 million, per cap space, but the team's brass could add a bit more if they release or trade a handful of players.
On the other hand, the Jaguars would have more space if it weren't for a handful of contracts. These four in particular are holding them back.
Gabe Davis, wide receiver
In theory, signing Gabe Davis made sense in 2024. He averaged 16.4 yards per catch during his four-year stint with the Buffalo Bills. Sure, he never had 50 catches in a season and logged only 800 yards once in his career. However, the expectation was that the Fernandina Beach native was going to put up better numbers catching passes from Trevor Lawrence. He didn't, and in fact, had his worst season as a pro.
Before getting hurt, Davis had a catch rate of 46.7 percent, the worst of his career. Similarly, he posted career lows for yards in a season (239) and catches (20). The Jags had better hope he gets better in 2025 because they cannot release him or trade him.
If Jacksonville moved on from Davis, it would accelerate a cap hit of $13.8 million, and leave $20 million in dead money. He's expected to count $6 million against the cap, so the Jags are better off keeping him around for at least one more year.
Davon Hamilton, defensive tackle
Davon Hamilton, a third-round pick in 2020, was seen as an ascending star after his third NFL season, and the top brass rewarded him with a three-year deal worth $34 million in 2023.
By all accounts, Ham was having a dominant offseason in 2023 but suffered a non-football injury that forced him to miss a good chunk of the regular season. Compounding the issue is that he got an infection. The former Ohio State Buckeye eventually returned but wasn't 100 percent. For the sake of the argument, let's say that he deserves a pass. After all, no player willingly gets injured.
But then, 2024 came, and Hamiton had a chance to bounce back. He didn't and was instead underwhelming. The player known as Ham did log a career-best 34 total tackles but didn't register a single sack despite the fact that he suited up for all 17 games.
Hamilton is set to count $10 million against the cap in 2024. The Jaguars could surely use that money to address other needs, but releasing him would accelerate a cap hit of $4 million and leave $14 million in dead money. Unless the front office thinks he's wasting a roster spot, he'll stick around next season.
Brandon Scherff, right guard
Wait a minute, right guard Brandon Scherff is slated to become a free agent. This means that his contract is about to expire, so how is he holding the Jaguars back? That's easy. He had a year left on the deal he signed in 2023 and restructured it last offseason to free up cap space. While the team got a bit of relief, it pushed the money to future years. The bill is due now.
Scheff is slated to count $14 million against the cap in 2025 even though he won't be on the roster. It might've made sense to re-sign him and ease his cap hit next season if he were at his prime, but he isn't. The former Iowa Hawkeye is 33 and isn't nearly as dominant as he was during his Pro Bowl years with the Washington Commanders.
The best course of action for Jacksonville is to eat up the cap hit, let him go, and start over at right guard in the offseason. There will be no shortage of potential replacements for Scherff in either free agency or the draft.