The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't get rave reviews in free agency for their dearth of aggressiveness. Sure, they went in with a plan and have the draft ammo to address their most pressing needs. Having said that, you cannot truly say that the roster is in better shape than it was after the loss to the Buffalo Bills in the 2025 playoffs.
Having said that, success in free agency doesn't always translate into wins. Moreover, the moves the Jags made lack luster but will certainly have an impact in the regular season, and ESPN's latest ranking confirms that Jacksonville has navigated the offseason well.
James Gladstone and the Jaguars get a high spot in ESPN's Power Rankings
Benjamin Solak of ESPN ranked all NFL teams' approach to free agency and placed the Jaguars at No. 8, arguing that he likes most of the moves they made
"The compensatory pic approach," Solak wrote. "Those three players above are the only ones the Jaguars signed in this free agent period. Brown and Gardeck are internal retentions, which don't count against the comp pick formula; Rodriguez's deal is so small that it also doesn't count against the Jaguars."
The Jaguars will get three compensatory draft picks in 2027 for the departures of running back Travis Etienne, linebacker Devin Lloyd, and cornerback Greg Newsome. General manager James Gladstone made it clear that those selections will allow the team to make trades in the draft or the offseason to address the larger scale roster.
On the other hand, Solak says there wasn't much to dislike about Jacksonville's approach to free agency, arguing that they'll look for ways to improve throughout the offseason
"There's little to complain about when the whole point of the period is to do nothing. The team clearly needs pass-rush help and doesn't have an in-house heir to Devin Lloyd's role at linebacker, but I'd expect the Jags to continue watching for releases and trade opportunities to fill those spots before September," Solak wrote.
Based on Solak's wording, he probably doesn't think that Ventrell Miller could step in Lloyd's place, but he'll probably be the first in line to replace him, unless the team's brass chooses a linebacker early in the draft. But that's not likely when you take into account that the Jags have more pressing needs.
Either way, Solak is praising Gladstone's deliberate approach to free agency, and rightly so. While it would have been great to see Jacksonville make a splash, it was never going to be challenging because they're carrying more than $50 million in dead money. If they wanted to get their books in order, they were going to need to refrain from going into a spending spree, which they did.
What's next for the Jaguars after the initial free agency spending?
After re-signing Montaric Brown, cornerback is no longer one of the Jags' most pressing needs. Similarly, linebacker may not be a priority with Ventrell Miller in the fold. James Gladstone could still add depth at either position but can take care of other needs early in the draft. Specifically, he needs to address the defensive line and the pass rush in Rounds 2 and 3.
But regardless of how the draft plays out, Gladstone proved last year that he won't be afraid to address other needs. Through 2025, he traded signed linebacker Dennis Gardeck, pass rusher Dawuane Smoot, and defensive lineman Emmanuel Ogbah. Similarly, he traded for defensive tackle Khalen Saunders Sr., wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, and wide receiver Tim Patrick.
Nobody will deny the Jaguars have their work cut out for them, but general manager James Gladstone is just getting started.