The Jacksonville Jaguars will undergo a rebuild after hiring Liam Coen as the head coach. Fortunately for them, they won't be starting from scratch. They have talent at key positions, such as quarterback, and defensive end. On the other hand, they may need to move from long-time contributors to either pave the way for other players or to free up cap space.
Keep in mind that the Jags aren't necessarily in a cap crunch, but they could use extra space aside from the $37 million they are set to have. Moreover, the team's brass may want to acquire extra picks to revamp the roster. That could lead to the next five players landing on the trade block.
Evan Engram, tight end
The Jaguars went into a spending spree in 2022. Among the players they signed was tight end Evan Engram, who went on to have an immediate impact. A talented player coming out of Ole Miss, the former Rebel never truly hit his stride with the New York Giants but had a career year in his first season in Jacksonville.
Engram originally signed a one-year, prove-it deal and got a new three-year contract after 2022. He went on to break some of the records he had set. Unfortunately, injuries hampered the Georgia native last year. That allowed fellow tight end Brenton Strange to show what he can bring to the table.
Strange hauled in 40 receptions for 410 yards with two touchdowns during Engram's absence and could step into a bigger role in 2025. If the Jaguars want to give the 2023 second-round pick a bigger role, they can trade Engram and free up $6 million in cap space.
On the other hand, Engram is entering a contract year, and Liam Coen may want to take advantage of his presence one more season before he leaves. It will ultimately come down to whether the front office believes the veteran tight end is worth the $6 million he's set to make in 2025.
Christian Kirk, wide receiver
Like Evan Engram, Christian Kirk joined the Jags in 2022 and went on to have a career year. He was putting together another solid campaign in 2023 but suffered a core injury that ended his season prematurely.
Looking to bounce back in 2024, Kirk once again suffered a season injury, this time to his collarbone. But even before he got hurt, he was unremarkable, which might've been a reason why Jacksonville engaged in trade talks to send the former Texas A&M Aggie to the Pittsburgh Steelers. A deal didn't materialize, but it's clear the previous regime was ready to move on from him.
There's a new sheriff in town, one who may want to find a role for Kirk next season. On the other hand, the Jags could trade him for a Day 3 pick and recoup $10 million in space. That may be too good to pass up.
Travis Etienne, running back
Travis Etienne had his rookie campaign cut short before it even started after suffering a Lisfranc injury in the preseason. But once he was healthy, he wasted no time showcasing his value to the offense, registering over 1,400 yards from scrimmage in 2022. The former Clemson Tiger followed his impressive sophomore year with another 1,400-yard season in 2023.
To nobody's surprise, Jacksonville picked up his fifth-year option on his rookie deal. However, Etienne dealt with injuries in 2024 and wasn't that great when he was available. Add the fact that Tank Bigsby was often better than him, and nobody would bat an eye if the Jags decided to trade the Louisiana native.
The Jags won't probably get anything better than a third but they would free up $6 million in space if they move on from Etienne. Given that this figures to be a deep running back class, the front office could turn to the draft to find someone else to pair up with Bigsby.
Devin Lloyd, linebacker
You have probably heard about the sunk cost fallacy. You keep pouring resources into an investment to justify it, even if it doesn't always make sense. That may seem to be the case with the Jaguars giving playing time to Devin Lloyd after making him the 27th overall pick in 2022.
Lloyd experienced several ups and downs as a rookie and eventually was benched in favor of fellow draftee Chad Muma. He eventually got his starting job back and was more consistent in 2023. However, the former Utah Ute still wasn't the game-changer the Jags expected.
The 2024 season came, and Lloyd didn't show much improvement. Sure, he was great against the run, but you need to excel in coverage in today's NFL as well if you're an off-linebacker. Compounding the issue is that Ventrell Miller performed better when he was thrust into action.
The regime that drafted Lloyd is gone, and he'll need to impress the new coaching staff if he wants to stick around. On the other hand, Miller might've played well enough to make the Jaguars decide that his first-round counterpart is expendable.
Luke Fortner, center
Offensive line fixture Brandon Linder retired in 2022, and the Jags drafted Luke Fortner to replace him that year. The former Kentucky Wildcat struggled as a rookie but showed enough promise to make you think that he could be the long-term answer at center. Unfortunately, he regressed in his sophomore campaign, which led to the team's acquisition of veteran Mitch Morse last offseason.
Fortner is entering the 2025 offseason as the backup at center. Teams in need at the position could inquire about him, and the Jags could save around $3 million in space. Even if they got a ham sandwich in return, it would make sense for the Jaguars to revamp the interior offensive line in the upcoming months. Trading Fortner would allow them to do so.