The Jacksonville Jaguars will have their hands full this offseason. They're currently looking for a new head coach following the ousting of Doug Pederson. Once they fill the vacancy, they'll have to turn their attention to the roster. Working in the Jags' favor is that they began to put in the work last year.
The team's brass locked several cornerstone players throughout 2024, including Trevor Lawrence, defensive end Josh Hines-Allen, and cornerback Tyson Campbell. That said, there's still plenty of work left, and Jacksonville will need to make a handful of difficult decisions in the upcoming months. The following five are among the biggest ones.
Re-signing pending free agent safety Andre Cisco
Andre Cisco earned a reputation as a ballhawk in college but injuries made him slide to Round 3 of the 2021 draft. Having spent most of his rookie season on the sidelines, the former Syracuse Orangeman became a staple of the Jacksonville secondary once he became a full-time starter in his second NFL season.
After registering seven interceptions and 15 passes defensed in 2022-2023, Cisco was expected to have a breakout season last year. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to make the leap and was inconsistent throughout most of 2024.
Looking back, the New York, Queens native wasn't bad per se but wasn't able to raise his stock in a contract year. In his defense, inadequate coaching might've hampered his performance.
Now, Cisco is slated to become a free agent. It's uncertain if the Jaguars will want him back. Maybe he can bounce back with better coaching. Perhaps he'll want a fresh start somewhere else. Either way, it will be interesting to see how things play out.
How the Jaguars will address the backup QB position behind Trevor Lawrence
After an up-and-down tenure with the New England Patriots, Mac Jones was in dire need of a fresh start. He got it when he was shipped to his native Jacksonville. Having grown up rooting for the Jaguars fan, it was a dream come true. Unfortunately, the former Alabama product wasn't able to get the most out of his second chance.
Jones was inconsistent throughout his time with the Jags. He plays better toward the end of the season, but not nearly enough to put himself in a position to charge premium compensation for his services in free agency. Nevertheless, teams in need of help at quarterback could still pursue him in the open market.
The Jaguars may want to re-sign Jones, but he might also want to see what's out there. If he leaves, they could kick the tires on pending free agents Drew Lock, Zach Wilson, or Jacoby Brissett. The truth is that they're not really appealing options, so Jacksonville may turn to the draft to find a backup for Trevor Lawrence.
The only downside is that regardless of the prospect the Jags pick, they'll need to wait for him to develop. That's why bringing back Jones must be given serious thought.
Releasing or trading Evan Engram
After suffering season-ending injuries two years in a row, wide receiver Christian Kirk is expected to either be cut or traded. Another Jaguars veteran who's also been the subject of trade talks is tight end Evan Engram.
Like Kirk, Engram has been a staple of the Jacksonville offense the past three years. He's been healthier in that span, though, but could still get the boot due to the emergence of fellow tight end Brenton Strange.
The sophomore tight end filled in for Engram several times throughout 2024 and came through, finishing the season with a respectable 40 catches for 411 yards with two touchdowns. What makes Strange's success even more impressive is that he was underwhelming as a rookie one year prior.
Strange is now slated for a bigger role on offense. If he does get more playing time, it will come at the expense of his veteran counterpart. Add the fact that the top brass can create $6 million in space if they move on from Engram, and his return may hinge on how much the coaching staff values him.
Trading Travis Etienne or keeping him around is good for the Jaguars
Running back Travis Etienne is entering a contract year. He's coming off a somewhat down season but tallied over 1,400 yards from scrimmage in both 2023 and 2022. That said, Tank Bigsby was better last year, which made him kind of expendable. Still, the Jaguars would benefit from a backfield tandem. Moreover, they will surely want to have insurance in case they suffer injuries at the position.
On the other hand, Jacksonville could trade Etienne for a fourth or fifth-round pick and look for a potential replacement in the draft. This may be a realistic course of action if the front office doesn't plan to re-sign him.
The bottom line is that keeping Etienne or trading him makes sense. Both scenarios come with their own set of pros and cons, but either one would benefit the Jags.
Addressing the cornerback position in free agency or the draft
One of the biggest holes the Jaguars will need to fix in the offseason is the cornerback spot opposite Tyson Campbell. Last offseason, they signed Ronald Darby thinking he could replace Darious Williams, who was released in a cap-saving move. It turned out to be a big mistake.
Darby was benched the last four games of the season, and his replacement, Montaric Brown, is better suited for a reserve kind of role. Now, the Jaguars will need to decide how to address the issue.
If they go the free-agency route, Jacksonville can go after proven starters such as Paulson Adebo, D.J. Reed, and Byron Murphy. It won't be cheap, though. On the other hand, the Jaguars have other needs, so they might want to turn to the draft to bolster the cornerback position.
In the first round, Travis Hunter and Will Johnson will be the top options, but there will still be several intriguing prospects on Day 2 of the draft. It will be up to the front office to decide what the best course of action is.