When free agency begins, you usually want your team to make a splash signing with the idea that it will help them get over the top. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars aggressively pushed back against this line of thought. They barely made any moves, but that was by design.
Instead of going on a spending spree, the Jags re-signed their own players and signed just one external free agent. That approach stemmed from their dearth of cap space, but it also allowed them to collect three compensatory draft picks.
Sure, Jacksonville lost running back Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd. But even without them, the team is in good shape. Granted, both were playmakers who played a role in the turnaround last year, but general manager James Gladstone is confident that the Jags can overcome their loss, either with an in-house replacement or via the draft.
If Gladstone does want to find potential replacements for Etienne and Lloyd, he'll need to work his magic in the draft, and whether he pulls it off remains to be seen. For the time being, here are three winners and two losers from the first wave of free agency.
Jaguars winners No. 1: James Gladstone, general manager
You may not like what James Gladstone is doing, but he entered free agency with a deliberate strategy, and he isn't deviating from it. Sure, it would've been great if Jacksonville had pursued pass rusher Trey Hendrickson or defensive tackle John Franklin-Meyers, but the team's brass wouldn't have been able to get it done without compromising its future cap.
On the other hand, there are still several free agents available, so if Gladstone wanted to, he could make a move at any time. Moreover, he's now amassed 11 draft picks for 2026 and 10 next year. Do you think he'll use all of them? He will, but not to select players; rather, he will do what he likes the most: make trades.
Gladstone has the ammo to either engineer draft trades or acquire players, just like he did with Jakobi Meyers at the trade deadline. Either way, the sophomore general manager has a vision, and he's implementing it.
Jaguars loser No. 1: DeeJay Dallas, running back
The Jags signed DeeJay Dallas late in 2025 to add depth at running back when Bhayshul Tuten. He made such a good impression that he ended up re-signing with the Jags in February. However, he could have an uphill battle to make the initial 53-man roster.
After Travis Etienne left, Jacksonville locked up Chris Rodriguez to a two-year deal. He should have a prominent role alongside Tuten, while sophomore LeQuint Allen Jr. continues to be a passing-down specialist.
Unless the Jags want to keep four running backs for the regular season, it's hard to see Dallas making the cut. That said, he would be a great addition to the practice squad.
Jaguars winners No. 2: Chad Morton, RBs coach
Last year, Chad Morton got to work with LeQuint Allen, Tank Bigsby, Travis Etienne, and Bhayshul Tuten. Both Bigsby and Etienne are gone, but he was given Chris Rodriguez, so he'll still have ample talent to work with.
The Jags only added reinforcements to one position in free agency, and it's the one Chad Morton happens to coach.
Jaguars loser No. 2: Grant Udinski, offensive coach
Last year, the Jaguars gave Grant Udinski several players in free agency. This time, he got none. Do you think he would've liked to get a receiver or a tight end he could build a game plan around?
The silver lining is that Udinski will probably get four or five players to develop in the draft. The downside is that he'll need to wait.
Jaguars winners No. 3: Mathieu Araujo, defensive pass game coordinator
Mathieu Araujo just joined the Jags earlier this year, and he should be hyped up about all the talent he'll be coaching. First, James Gladstone said that Travis Hunter will play defense full-time in 2026, so Araujo will be able to get the most out of him. More recently, Jacksonville re-signed cornerback Montaric Brown.
Araujo will also get the chance to coach sophomore Caleb Ransaw and Antonio Johnson. With those two in the mix, safety could turn out to be a strength for the Jaguars next season.