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.

2. Tre Herndon, cornerback

Veteran Tre Herndon deserves praise for making it as far as he has since joining the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2018. Throughout his stint in Jacksonville, the Vanderbilt product has appeared in 83 games with 34 starts and filled a variety of roles.

After making 24 starts in his first three seasons, Herndon got a one-year tender in 2021. He was expected to man the slot that year, but an MCL injury forced him to miss the start of the season. He wasn't 100 percent when he returned, so he saw his playing time decrease considerably. Still, the front office thought highly enough of him to give him a one-year extension.

With a new coaching staff in place, Herndon lined up to the boundaries in 2022. However, he would eventually return to the slot when Darious Williams moved to the perimeter. All things considered, Herndon was dependable. Not great, but solid enough to hold the fort, which is why he got yet another one-year deal.

Now, Herndon is slated to hit the open market again but the Jaguars should consider bringing him back. The Jags have a trio of young cornerbacks in Christian Braswell, Gregory Junior, and Montaric Brown. They all flashed potential last year and could eventually earn a bigger role in 2024. That said, Herndon would provide insurance in case his younger counterparts fail to develop.

Teams in need of depth at cornerback could target Herndon in free agency. However, he may be better off sticking around with the Jaguars. After all, there's value in having a certain degree of continuity for both teams and players.

1. Ezra Cleveland, left guard

The way the Jaguars handled the left guard spot in 2023 was less than ideal. You could argue that it's easy to say that with the benefit of hindsight but the truth is that there were questions about their approach throughout most of the year.

For starters, the team's brass bet on Ben Bartch to return in time for the opener. The former St. John Johnny dislocated his knee in 2022 and spent the offseason recovering. The Jags could've easily added depth at the position but opted not to. Actually, they did use a seventh-round pick on Cooper Hodges but it still wasn't enough. To nobody's surprise, things didn't work out the way they expected, and Jacksonville didn't have a contingency plan in place.

Without any viable options in the roster, the Jaguars bumped offensive tackle Walker Little inside. He was overwhelmed in his transition but eventually got a hold of the position. Then, the front office traded for Ezra Cleveland at the deadline, something they should've done before the regular season began.

Cleveland, a fourth-round pick in 2020, made 49 straight starts before a foot sprain forced him to miss a few games. When he was traded to the Jags, he was still dealing with the injury, so it took him a couple weeks to contribute. He then dealt with more ailments and didn't fully hit his stride. That said, he was a pretty good player during his stint with the Minnesota Vikings, and it makes sense to bring him back.

It's fair to assume that Cleveland can put it all together if he spent a full offseason in Jacksonville. He could take a short-term deal and rebuild his stock in 2024. From the Jaguars' side of things, they wouldn't have to worry about the left guard position for at least a year and could focus on addressing other needs this offseason.

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