4 key moves Jaguars GM Trent Baalke still needs to make this offseason

3. The Jaguars must give Josh Allen a long-term deal

It should've happened already but the Jaguars still have time to get a deal done with Josh Allen. A first-round pick in 2019, Allen got off to a strong start to his NFL career, logging 10.5 sacks and making the Pro Bowl as a rookie. However, he wasn't able to build off of his early success due to injuries and other circumstances.

The former Kentucky Wildcat enter the 2023 season needing to prove himself. He did and then some. After registering a combined 14.5 sacks the previous two seasons, he had 17.5 last year. Having done his part, he wanted the front office to do theirs. However, they hadn't begun negotiations by late January, and couldn't strike a deal before the start of free agency, so Jacksonville used the franchise tag to prevent Allen from leaving.

The silver lining is that contract talks have been positive, and it may be a matter of time before they reach an agreement. That said, the Jaguars could've used the tag on Calvin Ridley and kept him in 2024 if they had given Allen a multi-year extension.

Also, the Jaguars may need to fork out more money to strike a deal. Edge rusher Brian Burns just inked a five-year, $141 million contract after being traded to the New York Giants. Allen may not want to get as much as Burns but he could still look for more money than what he originally asked for.

All this could've been avoided if the team's brass had given Josh Allen a multi-year extension last year. Fortunately for them, this won't be an issue for much longer.