The Jacksonville Jaguars checked off a huge box when they gave Trevor Lawrence a five-deal extension worth $275 million with $200 million. Besides not having to worry about the quarterback position until 2030, they can also continue locking up their core players.
Earlier this year, the team's brass re-signed linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and edge rusher Josh Allen. This begs the question, who could be next after Lawrence? These five players come to mind.
The Jaguars could extend Tyson Campbell after Trevor Lawrence
The Jaguars didn't have many things going for them in 2021. Then rookie cornerback Tyson Campbell was one of their bright spots that year. Although he struggled early on, he showed a noticeable improvement once he moved from the slot to the boundaries. He progressively got better and finished the season with a team-best two interceptions.
Campbell was much better in his sophomore campaign, registering 15 passes defensed and three interceptions. On top of that, he surrendered less than 10.0 yards per reception. By the end of 2023, he joined the conversation regarding the best cornerbacks in the league.
Unfortunately, injuries derailed Campbell's 2023 campaign. He wasn't dreadful but wasn't as dominant as he had been the year prior. The former Georgia Bulldog is now healthy, and he'll be tasked with making the switch to defensive coordinator Ryan Campbell's press-heavy scheme.
Campbell has excelled in zone coverage, but it's possible that the team's brass is confident he can adjust to Nielsen's system. If they think they've already seen enough, the Jags may want to take their checkbook out and give him a new deal.
After all, Campbell is entering a contract year. If he has a breakout season and the Jaguars wait until 2025 to give him a new deal, they'll have to fork out more money. Conversely, they could give him an extension now while his stock is relatively low and save themselves a few million dollars.
The Jaguars could give Andre Cisco a new deal after Trevor Lawrence
Cornerback Tyson Campbell isn't the only non-Trevor Lawrence member of the Jaguars' 2021 draft class that could cash sooner rather than later. Safety Andre Cisco became a mainstay of the defense the past two seasons and is entering a contract year as well.
Cisco was a ballhawk at Syracuse, logging 13 interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 24 games. However, he suffered injuries in 2019-2020 that made him slide to Round 3 in 2021. The silver lining is that he showed he was a full-go as soon as he joined the Jags. On the other hand, the coaching staff kept him on the sidelines for most of his rookie year.
Once the Queens, New York native got playing time toward the end of 2021, he showed what he was capable of doing. To nobody's surprise, he joined the starting lineup the following campaign and had an immediate impact. Last year was more of the same. In total, Cisco has amassed seven interceptions and 15 batted passes the past two seasons.
The Jaguars expect him to make a leap in 2024, and if he does, he'll be in a position to command a top-market contract next year. That's why the best course of action may be to lock him up before the start of this upcoming season.
The Jaguars could next give Cam Robinson an extension
The Jaguars seem to feel great about Cam Robinson heading into 2024. Even though they could've freed up $17 million in space if they released him in the offseason, they chose to keep him around. As a matter of fact, head coach Doug Pederson expects him to be on the roster next season because he's still under contract. General manager Trent Baalke echoes that sentiment.
Maybe they were talking points but if the Jags are serious about keeping Robinson around next season, nothing is stopping them from giving him a new deal that ensures he stays beyond 2024. While the former Alabama product has never made the Pro Bowl, he's been one of the most consistent players in the trenches the past few years.
Add the fact that Robinson has become a leader on the offensive line, and there's a reason to believe the Jaguars would consider bringing him back.
The Jaguars could give Christian Kirk a new deal after Trevor Lawrence
The Jaguars have shown that they're not afraid to extend core players before their deal is over. Last year, the front office gave defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris a new deal even though he still had time left in the prior one. Something similar happened this year when the Jags rewarded outside linebacker Foyesade Oluokun with a new extension that ensures he stays in Jacksonville past 2024. Wide receiver Christian Kirk could be next.
The Jags raised eyebrows when they signed Christian Kirk in 2022. At the time, he hadn't posted a 1,000-yard season and had tallied more than 900 yards just once during his first four NFL seasons. Some analysts went as far as suggesting that giving the former Texas A&M Aggie a four-year contract worth $72 million would destabilize the receiver market. That ended up being just hyperbole.
Furthermore, Kirk quickly lived up to his contract, posting career highs for catches and receiving yards in a season in his first year donning the Black & Teal. The Arizona native was on pace to have another banner year in 2023 but he suffered a core injury with four games left. He's back at full strength and is motivated to pick up where he left off.
The Jaguars already know what kind of player they have in Kirk, so it wouldn't hurt to give him a pay bump and add a couple years to his current deal.
The Jagaurs could soon give Evan Engram a new contract
Here's a similar example. Evan Engram signed a one-year, prove-it deal with the Jaguars in 2022 and he rewarded them with his best season ever. After months of negotiations, they struck a deal that made him the sixth highest-paid tight end in the league (at the time). The issue with that deal is that it was only three years long, meaning that he'll once again be a free agent after 2025.
The Jags could get ahead of the curve and give Engram an extension that adds a couple years to his current contract. This makes sense when you take into account that the former Ole Miss Rebel has become an integral part of the offseason. He followed his breakout season with an even better 2023, as he broke most of the records he set the year prior.
It's also worth noting that Jacksonville has around $28 million in cap space even after Lawrence's extension. They could use some of it to reward some of their franchise building blocks.