The Jacksonville Jaguars currently have 17 players who are scheduled to become free agents on March 10. The final number could change as the date comes closer, but a few of them may have already played their last down with the team.
Cornerback Montaric Brown, linebacker Devin Lloyd, and running back Travis Etienne are among the most prominent players the Jags could see bolt for another team in free agency. That said, there's another familiar face who would also leave and isn't discussed nearly as much.
Dawuane Smoot is a pending free agent after signing with the Jaguars in 2025
The Jaguars needed to bolster their pass rotation last offseason, but they didn't make any meaningful moves until after the NFL Draft. Sure, they signed undrafted free agents Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II, but the team's brass probably didn't expect either one to make the initial 53-man roster.
Anyway, the Jags locked up Emmanuel Ogbah and Dawuane Smoot after the draft. On paper, the signings made sense, as both were veteran pass rushers who could contribute right off the bat. Moreover, Jacksonville didn't have to break the bank for either one.
Signing Smoot, in particular, made sense because he had spent nearly all his career with the Jaguars before he joined the Buffalo Bills in 2024. A third-round pick in 2016, the former Illinois Fighting Illini was part of the rotation on the Jacksonville defensive line early in his career but was pressed into a featured role in 2019. That year, he appeared in all 16 games and logged six sacks.
By 2020, Smooth had become a staple of the Jaguars defensive front. While his numbers didn't pop off the stat sheet, he made enough of an impact that they signed him to a two-year extension worth $14 million in 2021.
Smoot was having a banner season in 2022 before he tore his Achilles late in the season. Nevertheless, Jacksonville gave him a one-year deal in 2023. However, he was never truly back at full strength, so he didn't have nearly as much of an impact and left for the Bills in 2024.
As noted before, the Jaguars brougth him back last year, and he went on to suit up in all 17 games and finish with 2.0 sacks.
Why the Jaguars won't probably re-sign Dawuane Smoot in free agency
There's no doubt that Dawuane Smoot was a valuable contributor late in the Doug Marrone era and later in the Urban Meyer debacle. That said, his time in Duval is probably over. While he still tallied plenty of defensive snaps late in 2025, the team's brass may want to give more playing time to sophomore Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II.
Moreover, the pass rush needs upgrades. As good as Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen are, they need a No. 3 who can spell them from time to time and wreak havoc at the line of scrimmage. Smoot, who is better suited for a rotational role, probably isn't that player.
This doesn't mean that Dawuane Smoot is a slouch, or that the Jaguars don't appreciate his contributions. Simply, it's time to move on.