The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a chance to reload their roster in free agency. Sure, they probably won't have as much cap space as they would like, but they don't have to go into a spending spree to address their most pressing needs.
On the other hand, the Jags shouldn't hesitate to make a splash signing if it helps them bolster a few positions. For instance, their pass rush could use more juice, and general manager James Gladstone will have no shortage of options to take care of it.
Cincinnati Bengals free agent Trey Hendricks may be the one that likely comes to mind first, but he'll be far from the only one. An NFL writer just offered an intriguing alternative.
The Jaguars are being urged to poach Kwity Paye from the Colts in free agency
Wynston Wilcox of Fansided drew up a list of one free agent each NFL team must pursue and chose Kwity Pawe for the Jaguars, noting that he could be one of the top options in free agency to bolster the pass rush. Here's the skinny.
"Jacksonville needs some EDGE rush pressure," Wilcox wrote. "Travon Walker just isn't having the impact they need, and they have to improve their pass rush if they want to be better in 2026. Paye is one of the top names this free agency period, and if he does become available, the Jags should be aggressive in adding him."
A first-round pick in 2021, Paye has appeared in 75 games with 74 starts for the Indianapolis Colts, registering 30.5 sacks, 209 total tackles, and five forced fumbles the past five seasons. Spotrac has a market valuation of $17.9 million per year for the Michigan Wolverines. That may be a tad too high when you take into account that he's never reached the 10-sack mark in a season. Then again, the demand for pass rushers may be enough to help him get that kind of amount if he's available.
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Why it would make sense for the Jaguars to target Kwity Paye
While Kwity Paye is trending toward hitting the open market, the Colts still have ample time to re-sign him. It's not a given that they will, though, and if he walks, the Jaguars should most definitely keep tabs on him.
You could make the case that Paye hasn't been great, but he's 27. There's a chance he may not have reached his ceiling yet. Either way, the Guinea native would round out the Jacksonville pass rush alongside Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, and giving him a one-year, prove-it deal could make the most sense for both parties.
If Paye breaks out, he'll have another chance to cash in. He would also give the Jags another option in case Travon Walker doesn't take the next step. For context, Walker, the first overall pick in 2022, is coming off a 3.5-sack season and is entering a contract year. The cherry on top is that Jacksonville would be weakening the dreaded division foe Indy.
As former draft bust K'Lavon Chaisson has proven the past two years, sometimes players just need time and a change of scenery to put it all together. If the price is right, the Jaguars could offer both to Kwity Paye. The fact that they could stick it to the Colts would be an added bonus.