3 Jaguars players with the murkiest futures this offseason

The Jacksonville Jaguars are no longer the No. 1 team in the AFC South. The Houston Texans own that distinction after making the playoffs and getting to the divisional round. Now, the Jags find themselves having to restock the roster if they want to have a legitimate shot to compete with Houston for the division title in 2024.

Working against Jacksonville is that they aren't in great cap shape. They have $11.75 million in space, per Over the Cap, and that's before they sign outside linebacker Josh Allen. Simply put, they'll need to release a handful of players and let others walk in free agency if they want to retool the roster in the offseason.

This begs the question, which Jaguars players have the murkiest future? Here are three that come to mind.

3. Rayshawn Jenkins, safety

Safety Rayshawn Jenkins' stint in Jacksonville has been a mixed bag. A fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017, he signed a four-year deal worth $35 million in 2021. His first season with the Jags didn't go particularly well. Although he was named team captain, he didn't show great leadership skills. At one point, he got ejected from a game for punching San Francisco 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings.

To Jenkins' credit, he bounced back in 2022 and was a big reason the defense experienced a surge. He was pivotal in wins over the Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans. However, the veteran safety was somewhat underwhelming last season and didn't have nearly the same impact he had the year prior.

Jenkins is now entering the last year of his contract, but it's uncertain if the Jaguars will honor it. He's set to have a cap hit of $12.5 million but the team's brass could release him and create $5.4 million in cap space with $7.136 million in dead money. Following the rise of Antonio Johnson, who lined up at nickel but is listed as a safety, Jacksonville could easily afford to move on from Jenkins in the upcoming months.