3 unsung free agents the Jacksonville Jaguars should re-sign in 2024

The Jacksonville Jaguars cannot afford to lose wide receiver Calvin Ridley and outside linebacker Josh Allen in free agency. However, they're not the only players they should prevent from hitting the open market. After all, it's unrealistic to build a roster with just All-Pros and Pro Bowlers. You need backups who can step up when called upon and players who can contribute on special teams.

In the Jaguars' case, they have 22 pending free agents. They won't be able to bring all of them back but they should at least consider re-signing a few who filled key roles last season. In particular, they should make an effort to lock these three up.

3. Daniel Thomas, safety

Safety Daniel Thomas doesn't come up often when discussing the best players on the Jaguars roster but that doesn't make him any less important. A fifth-round pick in 2020, Thomas started a couple games as a rookie. He showed promise but an arm injury cut his season short. With the arrival of Rayshawn Jenkins and Andre Cisco, Thomas took a backseat in 2021, getting mostly relegated to special teams.

But Thomas put his head down and got to work. Even though he has not started a game the past two years, he's carved a niche on special teams. His prowess as a gunner was even recognized around the league when Jacksonville faced off against the Baltimore Ravens last year.

Unfortunately, a forearm injury sidelined Thomas late in the 2023 season. He's now set to become a free agent, but bringing him back shouldn't be cost-prohibitive. It would also give the Jaguars insurance in case Rayshawn Jenkins becomes a cap casualty.