3 reasons the Jacksonville Jaguars must be aggressive in 2024's free agency
• They must go all in and address them all next offseason
2. The Jaguars took a conservative approach to address needs in 2023, it had mixed results
As noted previously, the Jaguars have needs on the interior offensive line, the defensive front, and the pass rush. What's puzzling is that they had a chance to address them all in free agency but opted not to. While they had a few sound reasons, it's fair to wonder why they weren't more aggressive in filling in roster holes.
For example, the Jaguars expected left guard Ben Bartch to be 100 percent after dislocating his knee last year and missing 12 games last year. The issue is that they had no contingency plan in case Bartch wasn't at full strength, which is what ended up happening: Bartch was ready for the opener but struggled and was benched by Week 4. The coaching staff then replaced him and Walker Little later moved inside when Cam Robinson returned from a suspension he served to start the 2023 season.
Little is now settling at left guard, and Jacksonville traded for Ezra Cleveland at the deadline. However, they would've had more stability at the position had they brought in someone like Nate Davis or Dalton Risner in free agency.
There's a chance the Jags will move Little back to left tackle in 2024. If that's the case, they'll need to address the left guard position, and they cannot afford to take half-measures this time. The same is true for the pass rush. They tried to bolster their rotation for several months but ultimately didn't make a move.
The Jaguars were at one point linked to Yannick Ngakoue. They later hosted Calais Campbell and Jadeveon Clowney. They even showed strong interest in trading for Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter, who's having a career year. In the end, general manager Trent Baalke opted to stay put.
Next year, the Jaguars need to sign a pass rusher once free agency begins. Josh Allen is proven he's a top pass rusher while Travon Walker is taking steps in the right direction. Still, they need to bring in someone else to bolster their rotation.