3 Jaguars impending free agents who need to be brought back, 2 who should walk

1. The Jaguars cannot afford to let Josh Allen walk in free agency

Fortunately for the Jaguars, they don't have many prominent players set to hit the open market in 2024 but the ones that do should be kept at all costs. Take Josh Allen for example. A first-round pick in the 2019 draft, Allen was the team's best defensive player last year and it wasn't close. This shouldn't come as a surprise though. He had previously shown the ability to take over games. The only thing that was holding back was that he wasn't as consistent as the Jags would've wanted.

But it all changed last year. After registering a combined 17.0 sacks the previous three seasons, Allen logged 17.5 in 2023. By the end of the year, he had joined the conversation as one of the top edge rushers in the league. Looking back, the prospect of having to deliver on a contract year might've been the reason he finally put it all together.

Understandably, the Jags took a wait-and-see approach, wanting Allen to prove he deserved a contract before they gave him one. He did, and now they must hold their end of the bargain. In theory, getting an extension done should be a walk in the park. Rashan Gary inked a four-year deal worth $107.5 million last year. Allen should get one that pays him at least as much but he could set the bar a bit higher, and ask for an annual average of $28 million.

Regardless of the amount Allen asks for, you would think that the Jaguars would be in a hurry to secure their best defensive player but that hasn't been the case. They haven't started negotiations yet and they could use the franchise tag if they don't strike a deal by the start of free agency. The silver lining is that there's still time to get something done but the team's brass need to work with a sense of urgency.