At last, the Jacksonville Jaguars are getting into the free-agency fun. After watching several teams re-sign their own players, the Jags at last brought back tight end Quintin Morris on a one-year deal that can be worth as much as $3 million.
Granted, Jacksonville had already re-signed running back DeeJay Dallas and defensive tackle Matt Dickerson. However, there's a chance that neither is on the roster come Week 1. Granted, Morris could also get the axe, but he became an integral piece on offense as the 2025 season passed, so he may have better chances of sticking around.
Anyway, the Jaguars still have their work cut out before free agency starts. And following the Morris extension, their next signing is abundantly clear.
The Jaguars next need to re-sign Montaric Brown after locking up Quintin Morris
After securing Quintin Morris, the Jaguars now have 13 pending free agents. Linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne are the two most notable ones of the bunch, but cornerback Montaric Brown is a close third.
Unlike Lloyd or Etienne, though, Brown may have a realistic chance of returning to Duval in 2026. While Lloyd and Etienne will be among the top players at their respective positions, Brown is somewhat flying under the radar, and understandably so.
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Brown was a reserve early in his career, but injuries pressed him into action. By 2024, he had supplanted Ronald Darby in the starting lineup. However, the former Arkansas Razorback struggled with consistency throughout his first three seasons in Duval. It wasn't Anthony Campanile becoming the defensive coordinator in 2025 that he put it all together, registering a career-best two interceptions, while giving up a completion rate of 54.4.
Following his breakout season, it would make sense for the Jaguars to ensure Brown is a fixture of the secondary for years to come. Working in their favor is that he's projected to get an annual average of $9 million in free agency. All things considered, that's a manageable amount that can fit in the Jaguars' budget if they can free up a bit of space.
The Jaguars need to hurry to sign Montaric Brown before free agency starts
The Jaguars are currently $15.9 million over the cap, so they'll need to create space if they want to lock up Montaric Brown. If they can't re-sign him before free agency, they run the risk of watching him cross enemy lines. Right now, the Tennessee Titans are seen as a potential destination for the veteran corner.
But even if Brown doesn't bolt for Tennessee, he should garner plenty of interest if he reaches the open market. Greg Augman of Fox Sports ranked the Ashmon, Arkansas native 81st on his list of the top 100 free agents. Thus, nobody would bat an eye if teams in need of help at cornerback make a bid for his services.
And precisely because Montaric Brown may have a robust market in free agency, the Jaguars shouldn't think twice about re-signing him as soon as possible.