3 position groups the Jacksonville Jaguars upgraded through free agency

1. Interior offensive line

The Jaguars couldn't protect Trevor Lawrence or open lanes in the running game, so they've made a handful of moves to bolster the offensive line. First, they re-signed left guard Ezra Cleveland, who arrived via trade last year.

Before the front office traded for Cleveland, left guard was a revolving door last year. Cleveland brought was expected to bring stability but injuries prevented him from fully hitting his stride. Having the benefit of a full offseason and back at full strength, Cleveland should become a mainstay of the offensive trenches. Also, the Jags restructured Brandon Scherff's contract to ensure he remains in Jacksonville next season.

Even though Scherff has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, he hasn't missed a single bout, a feat worth recognition when you take into account that he hadn't played a full season since 2016 before he landed in Jacksonville. While Scherff has yet to play at a Pro Bowl level, he's an important piece of their offensive-line puzzled.

But the most important move the Jaguars made in the trenches was signing center Mitch Morse. Center was their weakest link last season, with incumbent Luke Fortner ranking 31st in the league in pass block win rate last year. Morse should fix that. A grizzled veteran, he joins head coach Doug Pederson, his offensive coordinator when he was a rookie with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015.

With Morse in the fold, the Jaguars should have no trouble keeping Lawrence's jersey clean and opening lanes the size of a truck for Travis Etienne.

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