The Jacksonville Jaguars failed to make the playoffs in 2023, but unlike other years, they don't have to start from scratch. Many of the players that helped them make the playoffs a couple seasons ago are still on the roster. On top of that, the Jags should get back several key contributors back from injuries. That said, they'll need to make a few changes if they want to have a legitimate shot at challenging the Houston Texans for the AFC South title in 2024.
First, the team's brass will need to find a way to keep outside linebacker Josh Allen and wide receiver Calvin Ridley from leaving in free agency. They'll then need to make upgrades across the roster. However, it won't be nearly as straightforward as it sounds. They currently have around $11 million in cap space, good for 19th in the league. That won't be nearly enough to bring back Allen and Ridley and make upgrades in free agency.
Working on the Jaguars' favor is that they can get relief if they move on from a handful of players and rework a few deals. Then again, it would be much easier if these four contracts weren't holding them back.
4. Cam Robinson, left tackle
Scheduled salary for 2024: $21.1 M
Potential savings if released: $17.2 M
Dead cap: $3.8 M
Left tackle Cam Robinson gets the last spot on the list because he's set to have a massive cap hit of $21.1 million. However, the Jaguars can easily free up $17.2 million with just $ 3.8 million in dead money if they release him or trade him.
While the offensive line played much better when Robinson was in the mix last year, the Jags would benefit from the space they would get if they moved on from him. On top of that, they have a couple options in place to replace him. They can plug in either Walker Little or Anton Harrison at left tackle. An alternative would be to turn to the draft to look for help at the position.
Either way, the benefits of letting Robinson walk outweight any potential drawbacks.
3. Brandon Scherff, right guard
Scheduled salary for 2024: $23.9 M
Potential savings if released: $9.09 M
Dead cap: $14.8 M
Cam Robinson isn't the only hog molly who appeared on this illustrious list. Right guard Brandon Scherff also made the cut but his situation is a bit different. Whereas the Jaguars have a pair of in-house replacements ready to step up if (when?) they move on from Robinson, that's not the case with Scherff.
A first-round pick in 2015, Scherff spent his first seven seasons with the Washington Commanders. Having made the Pro Bowl five times throughout his career, he was in a position to ask for a top-market contract, which he got from Jacksonville. The deal the former Iowa Hawkeye inked in 2022 was worth $49 million for three years.
Two years after signing Scherff, it's fair to say the Jags haven't gotten enough bang for their buck. Even though he hasn't been dreadful, he wasn't been great, and he's getting paid like a great player. In fairness, he hasn't missed a single game but he's been held back by injuries these past two seasons. Then again, the team's brass surely expected more when they brought him aboard in 2021.
Scherff is now entering the last year of his contract. He's set to have a cap hit of $23.9 million but the Jags could free up $9 million in cap space with $14. 8 million (they already paid him that amount in the form of a bonus) in dead money if they move on from him. The issue with that is that they would need to either sign a guard in free agency or draft one.
Also, there's a chance Scherff will regain his Pro Bowl shape. Regardless of the route the front office takes, they at least have a bit of flexibility, which isn't the case with other players who popped up on this list.
2. Christian Kirk, wide receiver
Scheduled salary for 2024: $24.2 M
Potential cap savings; $2.7 M
Dead cap: $21.5 M
Unlike other players on this list, Christian Kirk is guaranteed to remain in Jacksonville in 2024. For starters, he was their leading receiver in 2022 and the offense suffered a noticeable dip when he suffered a season-ending core injury last year. Simply put, the Jaguars are a much better team when the former Texas A&M Aggie is on the field.
But even if the Jaguars wanted to move on from Kirk, they wouldn't probably be able to do it. He's set to count $24.2 million against the cap next season. On the off chance they released him, he would leave a dead cap hit of $21.5 million with only $2.7 million in savings. However you look at it, it's simply not worth it. But just to be clear, the four-year contract worth $72 million Kirk signed in 2022 isn't bad. The trouble is how it's structured.
If the Jags really wanted to free up space, there are other players they should start with before they consider Kirk. Fellow wide receiver Zay Jones may have a higher chance of being a cap casualty. He's set to make a manageable $10.7 million in 2024 but the Jags could get $4.1 million in space with $6.5 million in dead money if they parted ways with him. The team brass could also free up $3.2 million if they released defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi.
This isn't to say that the Jaguars will cut Jones and/or Fatukasi but rather that there are more realistic cap casualty candidates on the roster than Kirk right now.
1. Roy Robertson-Harris, defensive end
Scheduled salary for 2024: $ 4.8 M
Potential savings if released: -6.9 M
Dead Money: $11 M
At first sight, it may be a bit odd to see defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris pop up on a list of contracts that are holding the Jaguars back when you take into account that he's set to have a cap hit of $4.8 million next season. However, a closer look shows that his contract doesn't have much room for maneuvering.
Roberston-Harris signed a three-year deal worth $23.4 million in 2021 and later agreed to an extension that keeps him under contract through 2026. Since joining the Jags, RRH has appeared in 47 games with 48 starts tallying 9.5 sacks and 32 tackles for a loss. All things considered, that's solid production. The trouble would come if the Jaguars wanted to move on from him at some point in the next couple years.
His salary goes up to $8.9 million next year. If they were to release him in 2024, they would accelerate prorated money from future years and would leave $11.7 million in dead money. Simply put, it would cost the Jags more to move on from him than keeping him around. Something similar would happen next year. They would create $1.1 million in space and $7.7 million in dead money if they cut him.
The bottom line is that Robertson-Harris' contract is structured in a way that incentivizes the Jaguars to keep him around for the next two years. That's good for him, but not so great for the front office when it looks for ways to get cap relief this offseason.