The Jacksonville Jaguars are off to a strong start to the tampering period, giving new deals to linebacker Dennis Gardeck and cornerback Montaric Brown. However, general manager James Gladstone is probably just getting warmed up.
The one move you shouldn't expect Gladstone to make, especially after extending Gardeck, is re-signing Devin Lloyd.
The Jaguars chose Dennis Gardeck over Devin Lloyd
You would probably get a blank stare if someone were to compare Dennis Gardeck to Devin Lloyd. After all, the talent-gap between those two is huge. Having said that, it's easy to see why the Jags rolled with Gardeck even though Lloyd is the better of the two by a wide margin.
A first-round pick in 2022, Lloyd was good but not great in his first three seasons in Duval. Not surprisingly, he had his fifth-year option declined. That, along with the arrival of defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile, might've given him the fuel he needed to put it all together.
Under Campanile, Lloyd registered a career-best five interceptions and showed notable improvement in coverage, the weakest part of his game. For his part, Gardeck played 39 percent of the team's defensive snaps and played all 17 games. This is especially notable when you take into account that he successfully bounced back after tearing his ACL the year prior.
Following his breakout, he's now scheduled to break the bank in free agency. In fact, the Kansas City, Missouri native is ranked 10th in Fansided's list of the top 110 free agents, and is projected to make anything from $15 million per year to $20 million.
The Jags were going to have trouble matching whatever offer Lloyd got from other teams, especially when you take into account that they're dealing with cap constraints. Not surprisingly, they chose to roll with Gardeck, who offers more value.
Dennis Gardeck gives the Jaguars more bang for their buck than Devin Lloyd
As talented as Devin Lloyd is, Dennis Gardeck is no slouch, providing ample value as a pass rusher and a core contributor on special teams. With Devin Lloyd gone, Gardeck will most likely see an uptick in playing time. In fact, don't be surprised if the Jags try to replace Lloyd with a combination of Gardeck and 2023 fourth-round pick Ventrell Miller, who's flashed whenever he's been thrust to action.
And precisely because the Jags have Gardeck and Miller in the fold, they may choose not to make any upgrades to the linebacker corps this offseason and will instead turn their attention to other roster needs.
Jacob Rodriguez and Anthony Hill Jr. have been brougth up as potential replacements for Lloyd with the 56th overall pick, but the Jags could easily use it to bolster the defensive tackle position or the pass rush.
Either way, re-signing Dennis Gardeck over Devin Lloyd gives the Jaguars plenty of flexibility to address other needs in free agency. Let's see what move they make next.