The Jacksonville Jaguars failed to make the postseason in 2023. While there are many reasons their season finished on a sour note, their inability to fortify the roster last year was a reason why. Instead of loading up on talent in free agency, they took a conservative approach with the hope that their core from 2022 would be even better. Unfortunately, that's not how things ultimately played out.
The Jags' weaknesses were exposed throughout the season. Their offensive line, in particular, had a hard time keeping Trevor Lawrence upright. They also struggled in the running game, failing to open holes for Travis Etienne. On defense, a third-pass rusher behind Travon Walker and Josh Allen would've come in handy and their depth at cornerback left a bit to be desired.
Having said that, not everything was gloom and doom. The Jaguars got a few things right last offseason. The trade for Calvin Ridley doesn't count since they made it in 2022. But even if you leave aside the Calvin Ridley trade, they had a few things going for them, including the next three.
3. Bringing in K Brandon McManus on a bargain one-year deal
It wasn't perfect, especially in the second half of the season but Brandon McManus gave the Jags' kicking game a boost in 2024. After a nine-year stint with the Denver Broncos, McManus was released just after last year's draft took place. Jacksonville swooped in and signed him, trading Riley Patterson to the Detroit Lions in the process.
One of the reasons the Jaguars swapped Patterson for McManus is that the former lacked the leg strength for kickoffs and long field goals. That wasn't an issue with the latter, who routinely nailed attempts of 50+ yards or more throughout his career. Last season alone, he made five such field goals.
You could argue that McManus also missed seven attempts, but context is necessary. Five of those failed attempts came from Weeks 12-16 when most of the team wasn't doing particularly great. Furthermore, five of his misses were of 50+ yards or more. And if you think Riley Patterson would've done a better job, that wouldn't be accurate, as the Lions waived him during the regular season.
The bottom line is that at $2 million for one year, the Jaguars got bang for their buck with McManus handling kicking duties.
2. The Jaguars found a RB2 at a bargain price in free agency
The Jags focus on making depth signings in free agency. Most of the moves ended up not moving the needle but there's one that stood out: Inking D'Ernest Johnson to a one-year deal worth $1.2 million. At the time of the signing, Travis Etienne was firmly entrenched at the top of the depth chart, and JaMycal Hasty showed in 2022 that he could be a solid RB2.
Johnson wasn't a lock to make the roster, and if he wanted to seize a roster spot, he would have to earn it. Working in his favor is that he could contribute on special teams. The former South Florida Bull worked his way up the depth chart and beat Hasty for the No. 3 job behind rookie Tank Bigsby.
But Johnson wasn't done. With Bigsby struggling early in the season, Johnson got ahead of him on the depth chart and became the top backup behind Etienne. While his number didn't pop off the stat sheet, that was mostly due to the offensive line's struggles to create holes to run through. Still, he managed to tally 108 yards on 41 carries. It's fair to assume that he and Etienne would've ended with better numbers if the Jaguars' run blocking had been much better in 2023.
Even though Bigsby is coming off an underwhelming rookie campaign, it doesn't look like the team's brass is ready to give up. They'll probably try to give him another chance to be the top backup in 2024 but it wouldn't hurt to bring Johnson back, especially when you take into account that they won't have to break the bank.
1. The Jaguars made the right call when they drafted Anton Harrison 27th overall
There's no doubt the Jags dropped the ball when they failed to address the interior offensive line last year. Looking back, expecting Luke Fortner to improve without bringing in competition and not adding insurance to the left guard position with Ben Bartch rehabbing a knee injury turned out to be costly. On the other hand, they made the right decision when they let Jawaan Taylor walk in free agency and later found his replacement in Anton Harrison.
While tight end guard and nickel were among the top needs in the draft, the Jags set their sights on Harrison at No. 27. Not long after his selection, the team's brass announced that he would play right tackle for them despite the fact that had mostly lined up on the left side in college. The transition wasn't flawless. In particular, he struggled when he went against defensive tackle Chris Jones in Week 2. But by the end of the season, the Washington DC native had a hold of the position.
In 17 starts, Harrison gave up five sacks and 27 total pressures. While not great, it's fair to think that he'll continue to make strides in 2024. Meanwhile, Taylor was benched twice early in the season and was routinely flagged. The fact that the Chiefs gave him a four-year deal worth $80 million while Harrison is in his rookie contract validates the decision to let Taylor walk.
The offensive line could undergo several changes in 2024 but the Jaguars won't have to worry about the right tackle position with Anton Harrison in the fold.