After hiring James Gladstone as their general manager, the Jacksonville Jaguars did a good job of elevating the roster's floor. With the regular season nearly coming to an end, they're now ensuring that the core that made it to the playoffs in Year 1 of the Liam Coen era stays as intact as possible.
Less than a month after giving wide receiver Jakobi Meyers a three-year deal worth $60 million, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Jags are rewarding surging offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen with a three-year, $51 million contract with $32.5 million in guarantees. As of this writing, the team hasn't announced the signing, but it will be a matter of time before it does.
Having taken care of Van Lanen and Meyers, Gladstone can turn his attention to other pending free agents. The next one on his to-do list is abundantly clear.
After extending Cole Van Lanen, the Jaguars must re-sign Montaric Brown
The Jaguars have their work cut out ahead of the offseason. Linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne are among their most prominent players slated to hit the open market. Jacksonville would surely love to bring both of them back. However, there's another player who may be a bigger priority on their to-do list: Cornerback Montaric Brown.
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Brown got minimal time as a rookie but was pressed into action in his sophomore campaign once injuries struck the Jacksonville secondary. The former Arkansas Razorback also saw extended playing time the following season. However, he wasn't particularly consistent either year.
It wasn't until 2024 that Brown hit his stride. Back in training camp, he made a strong impression and even earned consideration for a starting job. However, a leg injury brought his bid to a halt. The fourth-year cornerback missed a couple of games to start the season, but once he was back, he replaced Jarrian Jones in the starting lineup.
Once Brown was healthy, he picked up where he left off. He's appeared in 14 games with 11 starts, registering a career-best two interceptions and 12 passes defensed. Moreover, he's giving up a completion rate of 59.6 percent. Simply put, he's been everything Jacksonville expects from the cornerback position.
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Re-signing Montaric Brown is a no-brainer for the Jaguars
Montaric Brown's banner season couldn't have come at a better time. He's slated to become a free agent in March. But based on how aggressive the front office has been when retaining its homegrown talent, the Ashdown, Arkansas native may not go anywhere.
Last offseason, the top five cornerbacks available in free agency (Paulson Adebo, Carlton Davis, Charvarius Ward, D.J. Reed, and Byron Murphy) signed deals that range from an average of $16 million per year to $18 million. Brown may not get a contract in that range, but re-signing him won't come cheap either.
Something like $13 million to $15 million could be enough to sign him to an extension. Working in the Jaguars' favor is that they've already locked up Cole Van Lanen and Jakobi Meyers, so they can turn their full attention to keeping their ascending corner.
Of course, there's also a chance the Jaguars will decide that they're better off letting Montaric Brown walk. That said, he's done enough to earn a new deal, and if they don't give it to him, another team will if he hits the open market.