All things considered, the Jacksonville Jaguars had a productive offseason. Although they weren't as active as they were in free agency last year, they still added players that could fill important roles next season. Also, the team's brass fortified nearly every position group in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Having said that, the Jags didn't have a flawless offseason - no team will ever do. There are a few position groups that could have gotten better upgrades and there are a few needs to address before the start of the season. So what things could Jacksonville have done better? Here are their three worst moves of the offseason.
3. The Jaguars didn't prioritize the cornerback position in free agency or the draft
The Jaguars have a pair of excellent boundary cornerbacks in Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams but they needed another to round out their starting unit. While they could have added a nickel in free agency or early in the NFL Draft, they opted to bring back veteran Tre Herndon on a one-year deal.
Herndon can play inside or outside but he might be better suited for a backup role at this stage of his career, which is why the Jaguars should have brought in someone else. Sophomores Montaric Brown and Gregory Junior could end up competing for playing time in the slot but neither one is a proven commodity. The same is true for rookie Christian Braswell, who could turn out to be a solid nickel but he might need time to develop before he can be thrusted into action.
Granted, the cornerback market wasn't enticing but there were a few solid options. Someone like Bryce Callaham or Rock Ya-Sin would have been solid and affordable pickups. Maybe the Jaguars' trust in their young cornerbacks will pay off but the position remains a question mark ahead of the 2023 season either way.
2. The Jaguars weren't able to retain DE Arden Key in free agency
The Jacksonville Jaguars were good at creating pressure last season but they struggled to rack up sacks, ranking 25th in the NFL in that category. You would think that fortifying the pass rush was one of the team's top priorities ahead of the offseason but they didn't do much to improve it and instead focused on adding depth to the defensive line.
That approach would have been justified if they had brought back defensive end Arden Key but that wasn't the case. In fact, letting him walk in free agency was dubbed their biggest offseason, and it's easy to see why. The former LSU Tiger registered only 4.5 sacks in 2022 but made up for it by logging 44 total pressures. Moreover, his ability to play multiple roles in defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell's scheme allowed his teammates to find more favorable matchups.
With Key no longer in place, outside linebacker Travon Walker is expected to make strides in Year 2. Also, outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah and defensive end Tyler Lacy could fill the void Key left down the road but asking them to have an impact right out of the gate might be too much to ask for a pair of rookies.
It's true that Key exaggerated the importance he had in Jacksonville last year but that doesn't diminish his contributions. The silver lining is that the Jaguars still have the chance to sign either Yannick Ngakoue or Frank Clark if they think their young players aren't progressing the way they expected.
1. The Jacksonville Jaguars should've signed a guard in free agency
It's hard to find many weaknesses on the Jaguars roster but one of them is left guard. You could argue that calling it a weakness is a stretch but there are legitimate reasons to be concerned or at least pay close attention. Ben Bartch was the starting left guard in last year's opener but he dislocated his knee in Week 5 and had to be shut down for the remainder of the season.
General manager Trent Baalke told the media before this year's draft that Bartch is progressing well but might not be ready for training camp. If the former St. John Johnny isn't good to go, veteran Tyler Shatley will then step in at left guard.
Shatey is a proven commodity that can line up anywhere on the interior offensive line and can start a couple of games if needed. However, there's a significant dropoff from Bartch to Shatley. Similarly, Cole-Van Lanen hasn't proven he's ready for a feature role while rookie Cooper Hodges is a developmental project at this point of his young career.
This is why it was puzzling to see the Jaguars not add another option at left guard in free agency. Ben Powers, who signed a four-year deal worth $51 million with the Denver Broncos, might have exceeded the team's budget but there were a few more affordable options in the open market. Isaac Seumalo and Will Hernandez signed relatively cheap deals with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals and both of them would have fit the Jaguars' budget.
Dalton Risner is still available in the open market and it would be a good idea to have him on speed dial if Jacksonville begins to feel fidgety about the state of the left guard position in the upcoming months.