Jaguars S Andre Cisco should be ecstatic to watch Kyle Dugger get a new deal

The Jaguars have a playmaker in safety Andre Cisco. Ever since he joined the starting lineup in 2022, Cisco has been a mainstay of the secondary. He's now entering a contract year, and it would be a good idea to give him a new deal before the market goes up. In fact, fellow safety Kyle Dugger just got a new deal from the New England Patriots that could be used as the baseline for negotiations between the Jags and Cisco.

Weeks before the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pats gave Dugger a four-year, $58 million extension that can be worth up to $66 million with $32.5 guaranteed. Originally, they had used the transition tag on Dugger, allowing teams to make an offer for him. New England could've then matched but if they had declined, the safety would've left and they wouldn't have gotten any compensation.

Had Dugger played the 2024 season under the tag, he would've gotten a salary of $13.8 million. The transition tag is worth the top ten salaries for the position. Dugger's new deal will replace the tag.

Dugger, a second-round pick in 2020, has appeared in 61 games for New England and posted 343 tackles, 2.5 sacks, nine interceptions and two forced fumbles. On top of that, two of his picks went for touchdowns.

Jaguars S Andre Cisco may want to get a better deal than Kyle Dugger's

The Jacksonville Jaguars need to start getting their 2021 draft class under contract. Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne were first-round picks, so the front office will most likely pick their fifth-year option to buy themselves a bit more time. On the other hand, cornerback Tyson Campbell, safety Andre Cisco, and offensive tackle Walker Little will become free agents in 2025. Of the bunch, Cisco should be the priority.

Cisco was a ballhawk at Syracuse, registering 13 interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 24 games. However, he slid to the third round in 2021 because of injury concerns. Back in 2019, he suffered a lower-body injury, and an ACL injury wiped out most of his junior season. In Jacksonville, though, he's managed to stay healthy.

Even though Cisco spent most of his rookie campaign on the sidelines, he flashed as soon as he got a chance late in 2021. He joined the starting lineup the following year and hasn't looked back. The past two seasons, he's appeared in 30 games and registered seven interceptions, 15 passes defensed, and one forced fumble.

Having said that, Cisco has yet to reach his ceiling. Fortunately for him, Kris Richard will be the Jaguars defensive backs coach in 2024. Under his tutelage, the New York, Queens native should shine. And if he has the breakout season the team's brass expected from him in 2023, giving him a top-market contract will be inevitable.

The only potential roadblock to Cisco getting a new deal is that general manager Trent Baalke seems to make negotiations tougher than they should be. But if the safety makes a strong case, Baalke will have no option but to

The bottom line is that Andre Cisco should be thrilled about fellow safety Kyle Dugger getting a new deal. He now needs to go out there and prove he deserves an even better one.

Here are more stories from Black & Teal: