After a disappointing end to the 2024 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars dismissed head coach Doug Pederson and hired Liam Coen to take his place. They also ousted general manager Trent Baalke and are currently looking for his replacement. But as much as the Jags have changed, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN suggests more moves on both sides of the ball are coming in the offseason.
Fowler recently ranked all 32 teams by tiers and placed Jacksonville on "New Coach, New Direction," the ninth-worst out of 11. He argues that the Jags took too long to dismiss Baalke but Coen should be able to get the most out of Trevor Lawrence.
On the other hand, Fowler says that wide receiver Christian Kirk and tight end Evan Engram could be on their way out, which is why he expects the Jaguars to look for a speed receiver. Moreover, he sees right guard, cornerback, and safety as the team's biggest needs ahead of free agency.
"Jacksonville has weapons around Lawrence, but if it wants to start over, releasing wideout Christian Kirk saves $10.4 million against the cap, while moving on from tight end Evan Engram saves $6 million. Expect Jacksonville to look for a speed receiver. Free agent guard Brandon Scherff is one step closer to retirement. Many inside the Jaguars' building were perplexed at the defensive struggles a year ago. New coordinator Anthony Campanile will bring toughness, but just about everyone in that lineup should be questioned. Bringing back safety Andre Cisco seems unlikely. Watch for a free agent cornerback add here too."
Barring anything unexpected, the Jags will move on from Kirk in the offseason. They were in talks to trade him to the Pittsburgh Steelers last year before he suffered a season-ending collarbone injury. Releasing him or trading him would free up $10.4 million in space, and he would have no shortage of suitors.
Engram, on the other hand, may give the Jaguars a tough decision. Like Kirk, he's been a staple of the offense the past few years, but Brenton Strange played well in his absence last year. Then again, keeping the veteran tight end around isn't cost-prohibitive and provides veteran leadership, so Jacksonville may be incentivized to keep him around.
Regarding the guard position, Trey Smith and Mekhi Becton would be Jacksonville's top options to replace Brandon Scherff. Both of them are coming from a Super Bowl appearance, though, so they could be in a position to ask for top-market compensation.
On defense, cornerback appears to be the Jaguars' biggest need. If they look for one in free agency like Fowler suggests, they may go after Byron Murphy, Paulson Adebo, Carlton Davis, or D.J. Reed. Then, there's Andre Cisco.
After locking up some of their key players, the Jaguars don't have many pressing needs ahead of free agency aside from Cisco. A third-round pick in 2021, he's coming off a somewhat down season but was a playmaker in 2021-2022. The front office may want to bring him back, but he might want to test the market.
The Jaguars will have different paths in free agency but must build through the draft
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been linked to Tee Higgins throughout the offseason, and it's easy to see why. They need a receiver opposite Brian Thomas Jr., and his familiarity with Trevor Lawrence could incentivize him to sign with the Jags. They could also explore the possibility of trading for Deebo Samuel. Having said that, acquiring either Samuel or Higgins won't come cheap, and could hinder the team's ability to keep its homegrown talent the next few years.
That's why the Jags need to be fiscally responsible in free agency and build to the draft. Sure, they could free up cap space by making a few moves. That would allow them to make a splash signing in the offseason but they must take advantage of their 10 draft selections to fortify the roster. At No. 5, they'll be in a position to take one of the top cornerbacks or wide receivers in the class. With their later picks, they can reinforce the offensive and defensive trenches.
The bottom line is that the Jacksonville Jaguars have a talented core in place, but need to reinforce it in the offseason if they want head coach Liam Coen to have success right off the bat.