Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown may be the odd man out when it comes to the team's top free agents this offseason. Linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne are both bound to be re-signed before Brown.
That's not to suggest Brown isn't worthy of another contract in Jacksonville. Far from it. He allowed a 73.5 passer rating last season, and was a key part of the defense's success. It's just that he may be too good for the Jags to afford.
So where could Brown land if he doesn't remain a Jaguar? A few teams pop out. Two have proactive front offices, and one is a rival with plenty of cash to burn.
Two NFC contenders & AFC South enemy comprise Montaric Brown's most logical free-agent destinations
Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman will always err on the side of aggression in pursuit of a Super Bowl. That often involves kicking the can down the road on the salary cap, and those maneuvers are finally catching up to Philly in 2026.
Just because the Eagles are somewhat cash-strapped, though, doesn't mean Roseman can't make some magic to open up room for Montaric Brown. He's precisely the type of boundary CB2 Philadelphia needs to complement Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.
Brown would be a great fit in Vic Fangio's scheme. He'd also be elevated by Mitchell locking down one side and DeJean being elite in the slot. Never mind how good the Eagles are across the front seven.
Another NFC team accustomed to going all-in for the Lombardi Trophy: The Los Angeles Rams.
LA's close NFC Championship Game loss to the Seahawks should only embolden the Rams to go all-in. They don't have many reliable cornerbacks under contract. Brown would fix that in a hurry.
The fact that the Rams have two first-round picks means they could double-dip at the position, pairing Brown with a dynamic blue-chip rookie like LSU's Mansoor Delane or Tennessee's Jermod McCoy. Day 2 of the draft, where Jacksonville should also be shopping for a boundary cornerback opposite Travis Hunter, could also net LA a future starter at the position.
Finally, the Tennessee Titans have the second-most cap space in the NFL. They can easily outbid the Jags for Brown's services. Tennessee has a full-blown bust of a CB1 in L'Jarius Sneed and not much else to speak of in that group.
Brown may want to take a hometown discount to stay in Jacksonville, rather than roll the dice on whatever the Titans will be in two years' time. That said, he'd be a great fit in Robert Saleh's zone-heavy scheme.
As much as Hunter's transition to full-time cornerback should help the Jags' secondary, they really could another starter on the perimeter. Just feels like the draft is the more superior big-picture pathway to pursue that need.