5 players definitely entering their final season with the Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) sits in the end zone after scoring.
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram (17) sits in the end zone after scoring. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA
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No. 1 player definitely entering his last season with the Jaguars: Evan Engram, TE

Tight end Evan Engram proved in 2022 that players can benefit from a change of scenery. Similarly, he showed that it can sometimes take a while to put it all together. Even though the former Ole Miss Rebel made the Pro Bowl in 2020, the New York Giants didn't think he was part of their long-term plans, so they let him hit the open market last year. The Jags promptly swooped in and gave him a one-year deal.

Engram made the most of his chances in Jacksonville and went on to set career highs for receiving yards and catches. On top of that, he broke several team records and finished the season as one of the top 5 tight ends in the league.

Rightfully, he wanted to get a contract extension that reflected his status as one of the best players at his position and there was mutual interest in getting a deal done. However, the Jags ended up using the franchise tag on him, and he won't be able to sign a contract extension if they don't reach an agreement by July 17.

While there's still a bit of time left to strike a deal, there's a good chance the 2023 season might be Engram's last with the Jags. After all, there are other players, general manager Trent Baalke might prioritize signing and other teams might be willing to give him the kind of contract he wants. On top of that, Jacksonville used a second-round pick in this year's draft on Brenton Strange and if he shows flashes early on, he could end up making Engram expendable in 2024.

Simply, Engram is one of the top 10 tight ends in the NFL right now and deserves to be paid as such but he may not get the contract he wants from the Jaguars, so he'll hit the open market next year.

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