While the Jacksonville Jaguars prepare to take on the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card of the playoffs, other teams are already in full offseason mode, and a few others have begun the process of filling their coaching vacancies. Already, there are a handful of candidates that are garnering interest, and Jags defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile is one of them.
Campanile has been linked to the Miami Dolphins' opening because of his relationship with recently hired general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan. Granted, the Phins haven't requested an interview with the Jacksonville defensive coordinator, but it may be a matter of time before they do.
Moreover, Miami probably won't be the only team that inquires about Campanile, and if he ultimately gets a head-coaching gig, he could take some of his players with him. With this in mind, here are four pending free agents that could follow Campanile if he leaves in this coaching cycle.
Dennis Gardeck, Jaguars linebacker
The Jaguars had put together one of the best linebacker corps in the NFL, but that didn't stop them from signing Dennis Gardeck after the Draft. Although he had been a productive pass rusher during his seven-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals, it took him a bit to find a new team because he was coming off a season-ending ACL injury.
In fact, the Jags brought Gardeck slowly once they signed him, and it wasn't until the regular season that he began to increase his workload. The decision paid off, as the Sioux Falls product went on to become a key cog on defense. He ended up logging 39 percent of the team's snaps on defense and logging 2.5 sacks in 2025.
Gardeck may want an increased role, and he could get it with another team if Anthony Campanile leaves.
Andrew Wingard, Jaguars safety
From the moment Andrew Wingard signed as an undrafted free agent with Jacksonville in 2019, he's overachieved. He made the initial 53-man roster as a rookie and progressively saw an uptick in playing time. By 2021, Dewey had become a full-time starter, although he was phased out in favor of Andre Cisco the following year.
But despite his demotion, Wingard put his head down and became a staple of special teams. He got back his starting job in 2025 and has become a key contributor in Anthony Campanile's unit. However, fellow safety Antonio Johnson had a breakthrough season and is poised to have an even bigger role in 2026.
That could push Wingard to a reserve role if he stays in Duval, but he could start for Campanile if he follows him.
Montaric Brown, Jaguars cornerback
One huge reason Anthony Campanile is getting head-coaching consideration is that he connects with his players at a personal level. That has allowed him, in turn, to get the most out of them. Like Antonio Johnson, cornerback Montaric Brown is having a career season under his tutelage.
Brown has been the Jags' best cornerback throughout the year, giving up a completion rate of 54.0 percent and 10.6 yards per reception. Furthermore, he had two interceptions.
The Jaguars would surely love to keep the 2022 seventh-round pick but may have a hard time pulling it off because they're going to be dealing with a cap crunch in the offseason. Already, they're $7 million over the cap. If they can't re-sign him, following Campanile wherever he goes could be the best course of action.
Devin Lloyd, Jaguars linebacker
After three fine but not great seasons, Devin Lloyd finally put it all together in 2025. Aside from logging five interceptions, he showed notable improvement in coverage the weakest part of his game in past years. Now, the former Utah Ute is slated to become a free agent, and he'll be looking to cash in.
Despite his banner season, Lloyd may not get a top-tier contract, but he won't get spare change either. He could get a deal that pays him around $15 million per year but may get a bit more if he hits the upper market. But even if he wants to stick around in Jacksonville, the Jaguars — as noted before — may not have enough space to re-sign him.
If Lloyd does leave, he would become a hot commodity in free agency, and you can bet that Anthony Campanile wouldn't waste any time recruiting him.