After failing to make the playoffs in 2023, the Jacksonville Jaguars went on a spending spree to fix immediate needs last year. Unfortunately, most of the signings they made didn't pan out. Wide receiver Gabe Davis was arguably the worst of the bunch. Heck, you could even make the case that he was representative of the team's struggles. Having said that, he was far from their only free-agency bust in 2024.
The Jags went 4-13 in 2024 for a myriad of reasons. One of them was that they didn't get enough bang for the buck from the free agents they brought in. Davis signed a three-year deal worth $24 million, and all he had to show for it was 20 catches for 239 yards with two touchdowns. Just recently, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports pointed out that the veteran wideout was hurt and looked sluggish in Jacksonville. If that was the case, the past regime deserves blame for not doing due diligence.
As noted before, though, Davis was one of many flops. Jacksonville released Darious Williams in a cap-saving move. That wasn't an inherently bad move. The issue is that to replace him, former general manager Trent Baalke brought in aging veteran Ronald Darby.
There's no doubt that Darby had been a dependable cornerback throughout most of his NFL career, but he had lost a step by the time he signed a two-year deal worth $10 million with the Jags. To nobody's surprise, he was benched near the end of 2024 and eventually cut earlier in the offseason. Aside from Darby, the Jaguars signed the ineffective Devin Duvernay.
Expected to give the return game a spark and moonlight as a receiver, the former two-time Pro Bowl nod dealt with injuries and was underwhelming when he was healthy. Like Darby and Davis, he got the boot just one season after landing in Duval. But wait, there's more. He hasn't been released, but the jury is still out on defensive lineman Arik Armstead.
In a surprising turn of events, Armstead mostly lined up at defensive end despite the fact that he's at his best when he plays inside. That wouldn't have been an issue if he hadn't signed a top-market contract, but he inked a three-year, $43.5 million deal to basically be the No. 3 pass rusher behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.
The good news is that Armstead is still around and will be switching back to defensive tackle. The expectation is that he'll play like the top 10 interior defender he's been throughout his career.
James Gladstone is fixing the mess Trent Baalke left with the Jaguars
Trent Baalke got the boot because he was making it difficult for the Jacksonville Jaguars to find a new head coach after dismissing Doug Pederson. However, that was far from his only transgression during his stint as the general manager.
Back in 2021, Baalke failed to get Trevor Lawrence enough weapons. He then tried to overcorrect that and made several splash signings the following year. Unfortunately, he overpaid for good players, and most of the free agents he signed weren't as productive as expected. 2023 came, and Baalke leaned on the draft to replenish the roster. The issue is that most of the draft picks haven't become difference-makers.
After minimal results, Baalke once again resorted to free agency in 2024 to fix roster holes. It has been just one year, and most of his signings look bad in retrospect. The silver lining is that his predecessor, James Gladsone, has quickly gotten to work and is doing his best to steer the ship in the right direction.
Has James Gladstone been too aggressive in his effort to revamp the roster? Perhaps, but he wouldn't have had to make so many drastic moves if Trent Baalke hadn't dropped the ball so many times. Gabe Davis' release is a reminder of that.