The Jacksonville Jaguars had several tough decisions in free agency and not enough cap space to re.-sign everyone. In the end, they chose to keep linebacker Dennis Gardeck and cornerback Montaric Brown over linebacker Devin Lloyd, running back Travis Etienne, and cornerback Greg Newsome.
While you could argue that Etienne and Lloyd had a bigger impact than Brown in 2025, they were also more expensive. Moreover, good boundary corners are hard to find, so you cannot blame the Jags for rolling with Brown, who got a three-year deal worth $33 million (later revealed to be $31.8 million) to return to Duval.
Granted, the former Arkansas Razorback will never be an All-Pro nod, but it's fair to say that Jacksonville got plenty of bang for its buck. Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus seems to agree based on his review.
Re-signing Montaric Brown was the Jaguars' best move in free agency
Zoltan Buday drew up a list of every team's best and worst moves in free agency. For the Jags, he didn't choose a least favorite move since they only signed running back Chris Rodriguez.
On the other hand, Buday praised Jacksonville for locking up Montaric Brown, pointing out that he's coming off a productive 2025 and his new deal only makes him the 30th highest-paid cornerback. Here's the skinny:
"Brown took a big step forward in his fourth season," Buday wrote. "Towards the end of the 2025 campaign, he was practically Jacksonville's best cornerback in coverage. He allowed a 69.3 passer rating, and his 74.0 coverage grade ranked 21st among 109 qualifying cornerbacks. The Jaguars were able to sign him to a three-year contract worth $33 million, making him just the 30th-highest-paid cornerback."
Had Brown hit the open market, he would've garnered plenty of interest and might've gotten an even better deal. The Philadelphia Eagles were one of many teams that might set their sights on him.
A seventh-round pick in 2022, Brown mostly saw playing time as a reserve early in his NFL career. However, he joined the starting lineup when fellow cornerback Ronald Darby was benched in 2024. Having said that, the Ashdown, Arkansas native didn't put it all together until defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile took over last year.
Under Campanile, Brown gave up a completion rate of 54.4 percent and recorded a career-best two interceptions. Rightly, the Jags prioritized bringing him back in free agency.
Why the Jaguars made the right call when they re-signed Montaric Brown
Had the Jaguars let Montaric Brown leave, cornerback would've turned into one of their biggest needs. But with him back in the mix, the team's brass can fully focus on addressing the interior defensive line and the pass rush. Sure, Jacksonville could still add depth at the position, but the top of the depth chart is set with him starting opposite Travis Hunter, who'll play defense full-time in 2026, and Jourdan Lewis and Jarrian Jones lining up in the slot.
It's also worth noting that the cornerback pool in the open market wasn't particularly enticing, with Jaylen Watson, Jamel Dean, and Alontae Taylor arguably being the top options. All three signed bigger deals than Brown, but you can't truly say that any of them are truly elite.
The truth is that Montaric Brown has become a mainstay of the defense, and the Jaguars managed to keep him around without having to break the bank. Now, he'll get a chance to pick up where he left off last year.