NFL clubs take a dive into free agency because they are willing to pay for immediate help. Whereas clubs may need to wait for a rookie to develop and contribute, they can sign a proven veteran who can have an immediate impact right off the bat. Surprisingly, the Jacksonville Jaguars opted to mostly stay away from free agency this offseason and instead focused on keeping their own players and adding depth to the roster.
In the end, the Jags couldn't retain everyone. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and defensive end Arden Key crossed enemy lines to join the Tennessee Titans. That said, Jacksonville wasn't fully inactive in free agency and signed kicker Brandon McManus when he became available.
Looking back, these were the three biggest decisions the Jaguars made in free agency. With the Jaguars currently sitting at 1-2, this is a good time to see how things have played out.
No. 3 offseason decision the Jaguars made: Signing K Brandon McManus. K
Riley Patterson missed three field goals at the midpoint of the 2022 season. However, he went 16-of-16 in the last seven games. He then went on to kick the game-winning field goal against the Los Angeles Chargers in Wild Card Weekend.
Given his strong finish, it was fair to assume Patterson would remain on the roster in 2023. However, he was waived after veteran Brandon McManus was released by the Denver Broncos. This decision made sense on paper. After all, Patterson had been reliable but lacked ideal strength for kickoffs. That wouldn't be an issue for McManus, who routinely nailed attempts of 50+ yards.
However, McManus has been underwhelming during his stint with the Jags. He made all his kicks against the Kansas City Chiefs but he missed one against the Texans and had another one blocked. To add insult to injury, Texans fullback Andrew Beck returned one of his kickoffs 85 yards for a touchdown.
Simply, McManus hasn't been the upgrade at kicker he was expected to be.
Grade: C-
No. 3 offseason decision the Jaguars made: Letting Jawaan Taylor walk in free agency
Right tackle Jawaan Taylor struggled with penalties in his first three NFL seasons. However, he put it all together in 2022. It took him a while but he became one of the team's top offensive linemen. Even before the year finished, there were reports that he was going to be in high demand in free agency, so the Jags braced themselves for the possibility of losing him. They did make him an offer but it wasn't on par with the ones the former Florida Gator received from other clubs.
In the end, Taylor chose to sign a four-year deal worth $80 million with the Chiefs. He was originally projected to move to left tackle but the plan was scrapped when Kansas City signed Donovan Smith, who was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For their part, the Jags drafted Anton Harrison 27th overall to fill the void left at right tackle. So far, the early returns haven't been great. Besides getting acclimated to the NFL, Harrison is getting used to playing on the right side after lining up at left tackle throughout most of his collegiate career.
In the first two games of the season, Harrison gave up three sacks. He's currently day-to-day after suffering an ankle injury during the loss to the Houston Texans in Week 3. Meanwhile, Taylor has been benched in consecutive weeks and is back to committing penalties at a high rate.
Grade: C (but only because Jawaan Taylor is struggling too)
No. 3 offseason decision the Jaguars made: Letting Arden Key sign with the Titans
Arden Key was a non-factor in his three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. Not surprisingly, he was waived after the 2021. He was quickly scooped by the San Francisco 49ers and went on to enjoy a career revival. The former LSU Tiger logged a measly three sacks during his stint with the Silver and Black but had 6.5 in his lone year with the Niners.
Although Key could've signed with the Chiefs last year, he chose to join the Jaguars because if the challenge it presented. He tallied just 4.5 sacks in 2022 but his flexibility to line up at different spots at across the line of scrimmage gave his teammates the chance to make plays.
Following yet another productive season, Key wanted to return to Jacksonville but got what he characterized as a disrespectful offer. This led him to ink a three-year deal worth $21 million with divisional rival Titans. Jacksonville, for their part, didn't do much to address the pass rush in the offseason. They were counting on K'Lavon Chaisson and rookie Yasir Abdullah to step up but neither one has been particualrly impressive. On the other hand, early signs point to Tennessee getting themselves a bargain.
So far, Key has been one of the most dominant pass rushers in the NFL while the Jaguars have struggled to create pressure up front and get after the quarterback. Against the Texans, he didn't register a single sack. Would Key have made the difference? Based on his impact in Tennessee the answer seems to be yes.
Grade: F