Jaguars could be hinting at surprise swing with Josh Hines-Allen restructure

After trimming down their roster to 53-man players, the Jacksonville Jaguars made a move to free up cap space.

In the aftermath of cutdown day, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap broke the news that the Jags had created $4.56 million in cap space by reworking defensive end Josh Hines-Allen's deal. They previously had $9.69 million before the restructure. The 2019 first-round pick now has a base salary of $1.3 million for 2026, but the move increased his cap in future years.

Jacksonville wasn't in need of cap space, so it's possible that the team's brass could be laying out the groundwork to make a free-agent addition (or maybe a trade).

What position could the Jaguars address with a free-agent signing?

Arguably, the Jaguars' biggest need after the preseason was quarterback, but they took care of it when they traded for Quinn Ewers. Perhaps Jacksonville could bolster the interior defensive line or the linebackers corps.

Ventrell Miller and Branson Combs competed for the starting job next to Foyesade Oluokun, but neither was able to separate himself from the other. On the other hand, the Jags could use a No. 3 defensive tackle behind DaVon Hamilton and Arik Armstead. The coaching staff likes Matt Dickerson a lot, but he's not the kind of player opposing coordinators have to game-plan for.

The issue is that the free-agent market at linebacker and defensive tackle doesn't inspire much confidence. That's why making a trade to bring in external help isn't that far-fetched.

Keep in mind that general manager James Gladstone isn't afraid to make trades to address the larger scale roster. He just acquired Ewers and could use this path to take care of another roster need.

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Could the Jaguars be setting the table to re-sign Parker Washington?

Of course, there's another scenario, and you found out about it when you read the subheading. The Jaguars want to re-sign Parker Washington, but they haven't been able to strike a deal.

Washington is coming off a season in which he hauled in a career-best 58 receptions for 807 yards with five touchdowns. He'll have a bigger role on the Jacksonville offense next season, so it's fair to assume that he would want a salary that reflects his increased importance.

The Jags have already locked up Travon Walker, tight end Brenton Strange, and cornerback Montaric Brown. Washington and Antonio Johnson are their only prominent players who are entering contract years and haven't gotten new deals. Sure, Anton Harrison is also eligible for an extension, but his contract runs through 2027, so he may not be as much a priority as either Washington or Johnson.

Having said that, there's also a chance that the Jaguars may have restructured Josh Hines-Allen just to have cap flexibility in case injuries force them to make an addition down the road. But regardless of the reason, they did, and it will be worth monitoring why they did it.

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