4 Jacksonville Jaguars players that cannot afford to regress in 2023

No. 1 Jaguars player who can't afford to regress in 2023: Evan Engram, TE

Here's another player that got general manager Trent Baalke bad reviews last offseason. It's true that the tight end market wasn't great but it was a bit surprising to see the Jaguars give Evan Engram a one-year, $9 million contract last season.

Engram, a first-round pick by the New York Giants in the 2017 draft, had all the traits teams want in a tight end but he wasn't able to reach his potential in his first five NFL seasons. Although the former Ole Miss Rebel made the Pro Bowl in 2020, drops and mental mistakes marred his stint with Big Blue. On top of that, he had only caught more than three touchdown passes in a season just once in his career, which made him a high-risk signing for the Jags.

In the end, Jacksonville's trust was rewarded with Engram's best season as a pro. Besides reaching the end zone four times, he set new career highs for catches and receiving yards. Similarly, he broke several team records.

Engram made it clear he was open to re-signing with the Jaguars and the team's brass also stated that they would like to have him back. However, they couldn't strike a deal before free agency started, so the Jags used the franchise tag on him to prevent him from leaving in 2023.

There's still time to get a contract done and Engram has been away from offseason workouts for the time being. He's surely training on his own, so his absence shouldn't affect his performance in the regular season. However, on the off chance that he regresses next season, critics could point to his lack of participation in team activities as the reason.

Either way, Engram can't afford to regress in 2023, whether he gets a long-term deal or plays under the tag.