Teams are quickly gearing up for the start of free agency, re-signing their own players and cutting ties with others to create cap space. Surprisingly, though, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been relatively quiet.
With the window to use the franchise tag closing, the Jags opted not to use it on either running back Travis Etienne or linebacker Devin Lloyd. Similarly, it doesn't look like they're close to getting a deal done with either one of them or any of their other pending free agents, including cornerback Montaric Brown.
But just because Jacksonville hasn't made any moves yet doesn't mean the team won't soon start to make any moves. In fact, general manager James Gladstone may be paying close attention to how the market is taking shape. He's surely keeping tabs on any players who could become cap casualties before free agency starts, including one the Minnesota Vikings could soon release.
The Jaguars must monitor Jonathan Greenard if the Vikings release him
Adam Schefter of ESPN broke the news that the Vikings are open to trading Jonathan Greenard, pointing out that they would like to keep the veteran pass rusher but may not want to carry his salary for 2026.
Greenard is set to make $21.1 million next season, with a base salary of $19 million, which isn't guaranteed. Releasing him would help Minnesota free up $12.5 million with $9.9 million in dead money.
Couple that with the fact that the Vikings have an ascending talent in Dallas Turner, who racked up eight sacks last year, and it's easy to see why they would want to move on from Greenard.
The issue is that it's hard to envision a team willingly giving up any kind of compensation on top of taking on Greenard's cap charge. If he's still on the Minnesota roster on the fifth year of the new league year, $4 million of his salary will become guaranteed, which is why there's a strong chance he'll end up being a cap casualty.
A third-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2020, Greenard signed a four-year deal worth $70 million with the Vikes in 2024. He posted 12 sacks in his first season with Minnesota, but injuries limited him to just three last year. If he's back at full strength, he could help plenty of teams, including the Jags.
On a related note, the Vikings also informed defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and running back Aaron Jones that they'll get the axe before free agency. Jacksonville could keep tabs on them.
Jonathan Greenard would give the Jaguars yet another option to address the pass rush
The Jaguars will have plenty of paths to bolster the pass rush behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen. While a trade for Maxx Crosby appears to be highly unlikely, Jacksonville could target Trey Hendrickson in free agency.
If Hendrickson exceeds their spending budget, the Jags could then go after either K'Lavon Chaisson or Arnold Ebiketie in free agency. Both of them will be substantially cheaper than Hendrickson, and either one could take on the No. 3 role behind Walker and Hines-Allen.
Of course, the Jaguars could also turn to the draft to find a pass rusher. This year's crop will be stacked, so they could end up with an intriguing talent in the third or fourth round.
The downside of looking for a pass rusher in the draft is that there's no guarantee Jacskonville will find one, so if general manager James Gladstone wants a proven commodity, Jonathan Greenard would be an option to consider if he's available.