The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't made any flashy signings in free agency but have certainly looked for ways to get better. For instance, they just signed Robert Hainsey to fill the void at center left by the retirement of Mitch Morse.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media broke the news that the Jags reached an agreement with Hainsey on a three-year deal worth $21 million.
In Jacksonville, Hainsey will be reunited with head coach Liam Coen, who was his offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year.
A third-round pick in 2021, Hainsey was a two-year starter at center for the Bucs but moved into a reserve role last season due to the emergence of Graham Barton. That said, he was still a dependable player when called upon.
Hainsey has appeared in 60 games with 35 throughout his career. He's given up just four sacks and all of them came in 2023.
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What does the Robert Hainsey mean for the Jaguars?
By signing Robert Hainsey, the Jacksonville Jaguars are checking off a massive box. Just days ahead of free agency, Mitch Morse announced his retirement. while the news might've cut outsiders by surprise, the organization surely knew about the decision ahead of time and planned accordingly.
Originall, Morse signed a two-year deal, but given that he's 33, the Jags would've had to replace him sooner or later. While going after Drew Dalman would've made sense, he would've been considerable more expensive.
While Hainsey is getting an annual average of $7 million, Dalman got a three-year deal worth $42 million from the Atlanta Falcons. Sure, the latter is the better player of the two, but it looks like the team's brass didn't want to go into a spending spree. All things considered, that's a sound approach to free agency.
After all, the best teams build through the draft, and while Hainsey will come in and start at center from Day 1, the Jaguars will surely continue to add reinforcements to the offensive line in the draft. In fact, the team's brass has done a good job of beefing up the trenches thus far.
Aside from Hainsey, the Jags also signed Patrick Mekari to replace Brandon Scherff and Chuma Edoga to add depth and competition up front.
The truth is that the Jacksonville Jaguars have been far from flashy in free agency: However, they deserve praise for making a series of moves that won't generate many headlines but will still help them get better. Signing Robert Hainsey falls in that category.
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