3 reasons Jacksonville Jaguars were smart for not overspending in free agency

2. The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't want to mortgage their future

Make no mistake, the Jaguars aren't being stingy and saving up money for future purchases in the future. If they haven't made any splash signings this offseason, it's because they were over $20 million in the red before free agency started and they needed to release cornerback Shaquill Griffin and restructure a few deals just to get under the cap. This left them with little to no room to ink a big-name player in the open market.

The Jaguars could have signed someone like defensive tackle Javon Hargrave in free agency and structured his contract in a way in which they push a significant portion of the cap hit into future years but the team's brass didn't want to hinder their chances of signing or keeping players next offseason.

Keep in mind that Trevor Lawrence is eligible for an extension next offseason and the longer the Jaguars wait to get a deal done, the more expensive it will get. Thus, they should get one done as soon as possible. Also, outside linebacker Josh Allen is set to become a free agent next offseason and if he's part of the team's long-term plans, they should consider giving him a multi-year deal.

Similarly, many players will enter contract years in 2024 and general manager Trent Baalke will need to decide which ones to keep. While 2015 seems like a distant time in the future, the Jags need to start planning their budget, so when the time comes, they can retain as many players as possible.