After finishing 3-14 in 2024, the Jacksonville Jaguars won 13 games and made the playoffs in Year 1 of the Liam Coen era. Now, they'll be looking to prove that their success last season wasn't an outlier but rather a sign of things to come. To make it happen, general manager James Gladstone will need to replenish the roster and replace several players in free agency.
While Gladstone isn't afraid to make a bold move, the Jaguars are dealing with cap constraints, so they may have trouble going on a spending spree. Having said that, nobody would bat an eye if the Jags end up making a splash signing. With this in mind, here's everything you need to know for free agency.
Jaguars cap space for free agency
Less than two weeks before free agency, the Jaguars were $15.9 million over the cap. However, they managed to get out of the red after restructuring the deals of cornerback Jourdan Lewis, safety Eric Murray, and offensive guard Patrick Mekari.
Following those restructures, the Jags have around $100,000 in cap available, so they'll need to keep creating space.
What's the tampering period?
The league year will officially begin on March 10. That's when teams can officially sign players. However, you will see that they begin to agree to deals and hold negotiations one day before. That's called the tampering period, which starts at 12:00 p.m. ET on March 9.
Because contracts aren't official yet during the tampering window, players can walk away. That happened to the Jaguars in 2024 when kicker Wil Lutz reneged on a three-year agreement he had in place.
Jaguars contract restructures
As noted before, Jacksonville reworked the deals of Patrick Mekari, Eric Murray, and Jourdan Lewis. More restructures should come soon.
- Jourdan Lewis
- Patrick Mekari
- Eric Murray
This list will be updated, as more restructures happen.
Jaguars potential cap casualties
Aside from reworking deals, the Jaguars could release players to create further cap space. Arik Armstead is among the top candidates to get the axe, but he could also have his contract restructured. Walker Little is coming off an unremarkable season, so he could also get the axe, but there's a higher chance he'll get traded.
Apart from Armstead and Little, tight end Hunter Long or offensive lineman Chuma Edoga could also be cap casualties.
Jaguars re-signed free agents
Before free agency started, the Jaguars re-signed tight end Quintin Morris, defensive tackle Matt Dickerson, and running back DeeJay Dallas. All three took on key roles last year, and signing them wasn't cost-prohibitive.
Morris became an integral piece on offense because of his pass-blocking chops. On the other hand, Dickerson became a key cog on the interior defensive line after being signed to the active roster. For his part, Dallas offered valuable depth at running back while Bhayshul Tuten dealt with a finger injury late in the season.
Jaguars list of free agents
In total, the Jaguars have 13 free agents (11 unrestricted, 2 exclusive rights). This list will be updated as soon as news surfaces.
- Devin Lloyd, linebacker
- Montaric Brown, cornerback (3-year deal worth $33 million with the Jaguars)
- Andrew Wingard, safety
- Travis Etienne, running back
- Emmanuel Ogbah, defensive end
- Austin Johnson, defensive tackle
- Dawuane Smoot, defensive end
- Tim Jones, wide receiver
- Dyami Brown, wide receiver
- Greg Newsome, cornerback
- Dennis Gardeck, linebacker (new deal with the Jaguars, terms of the deal unknown)
- Joshua Cephus, wide receiver (exclusive rights)
- Christian Braswell, cornerback (exclusive rights)