After weeks of speculation building up, the Jacksonville Jaguars will showcase his plan to upgrade the roster. Already, they've moved on from several players who were no longer part of the team's plans. That was the easy part. They'll next need to replace them. On top of that, the Jags will need to bolster several position groups. Working in their favor is that they'll have ample cap space to make a few splash signings in free agency.
It's worth noting that this year's free-agent class lacks star power, but Jacksonville should still be able to come out with a handful of players. This begs the question, what should Jaguars fans expect new general manager James Gladstone and the front office to do? With that in mind, here are four bold predictions.
The Jaguars will reunite Jevon Holland with DC Anthony Campanile
With Andre Cisco expected to leave, the Jags will need to find his replacement. Free agency will feature a handful of intriguing options such as Tre'von Moehrig, Justin Reid, Cam Bynum, and Talanoa Hufanga. However, the team's brass will get defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile one of his guys.
Back when Campanile was the linebacker coach for the Miami Dolphins, he got to work with safety Jevon Holland. It looks like the two have a strong bond or at least respect each other based on the fact that Holland congratulated Campanile when he got the defensive coordinator job with the Jags.
The Jaguars will make a strong push for Holland and will reunite him with Campanile.
The Jaguars will sign one of the top cornerbacks in free agency
The interior offensive line notwithstanding, cornerback is the Jaguars' top need this offseason. The good news is that it's the one position that will have no shortage of options. Whether it's D.J. Reed, Byron Murphy, Charvarious Ward, Carlton Davis, Asante Samuel, or even Paulson Adebo, Jacksonville should be able to find a starter opposite Tyson Campbell.
Heck, former Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin will be available in the open market, and he's two years removed from the back injury that held him back throughout most of the 2022 season. That said, the front office will spare no expense and will sign one of the top cornerbacks in free agency. Who will that be? That remains to be seen.
The Jaguars will either sign a big-name offensive guard or a center but not both
The Jaguars were routinely pushed around at the line of scrimmage last year. The new regime will make it a top priority to fix that issue by reinforcing both the offensive and defensive lines. In free agency, they'll look for a right guard to replace Brandon Scherff and someone to step in at center following the news that Mitch Morse is calling it quits.
The trouble for the Jaguars is that they won't be the only team looking to upgrade the offensive trenches, so they'll face competition to land their target. In the end, they'll manage to sign center Drew Dalman or a right guard such as Mekhi Becton or Will Fries. Unfortunately, they'll lose out on the other.
The silver lining is that the front office will be able to finish beefing up the offensive line in the draft.
The Jaguars will trade for a wide receiver: Cooper Kupp, or Tee Higgins?
The Jaguars need to bolster their wide receiver corps after trading Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans. But even if they had kept him around, they would still have needed to look for reinforcements. After all, opposing teams routinely double-teamed Brian Thomas Jr. in 2024. That must change next season.
That's why the Jaguars will get a deal done to acquire help at wide receiver. Cooper Kupp would be an interesting choice to replace Kirk in the slot. However, what Jacksonville really needs is someone opposite Thomas who can draw coverage away. That leaves Tee Higgins as the best option when you take into account that DK Metcalf is no longer in the market after being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Cincinnati Bengals aren't probably inclined to pay Higgins, so they'll trade him for whatever compensation they can get. Because he caught passes from Trevor Lawrence at Clemson, don't be surprised if the Jags make a strong effort to pair up the two again.
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