Jaguars' biggest free-agent acquisition in 2024 already paying dividends

After getting manhandled at the line of scrimmage last year, reinforcing the defensive trenches became one of the biggest priorities for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason. They checked off that box when they signed Arik Armstead in free agency. The decision is already paying dividends.

Armstead had his first sack in Jaguars uniform in the season opener, bringing down Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter.

A first-round pick in the 2015 draft, Armstead spent his nine NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. While he's never made the Pro Bowl or earned an All-Pro designation, he's routinely been one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL. In 116 games with 97 starts, he logged 33.5 sacks.

But as important as he was for the 49ers, Armstead was asked to take a pay cut and refused, calling it disrespectful. He was then released and wasted no time joining the Jags. At the time, he cited his relationship with general manager Trent Baalke, who held the same position with the Niners, as one of the main reasons.

More recently, the veteran defensive end says the Jags give him a realistic chance to win his first Super Bowl. He played in two of them for the 49ers.

In Jacksonville, Armstead is filling a massive hole the Jaguars had last year. While Jacksonville had a pair of dominant pass rushers in Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen, opposing defenses could devote extra attention to them and contain them because they didn't have anyone on the interior.

Speaking of Walker, he's already logged two sacks against the Miami Dolphins. So far, the former Georgia Bulldog is picking up where he left off last year. On the other hand, the Jaguars' defense gave in after a promising start to Week 1. They had limited Miami to seven points in the first half but gave up an 80-yard touchdown reception to wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Granted, Travis Etienne deserves blame for turning the ball over one yard away from the Miami end zone one drive before, but the Jaguars should've done a better job of containing Hill, who had been relatively quiet up until that point.

Arik Armstead is quickly becoming a key cog on the Jaguars defense

In retrospect, it's easy to see why the 49ers felt compelled to ask Arik Armstead to take a pay cut. He had missed 13 games due to injuries the past two years, and they thought he could have trouble staying healthy. That hasn't been the case in Jacksonville, where he's proven to be the player the Jaguars expected.

Armstead spent the offseason recovering from a surgery he underwent to repair a meniscus injury he suffered last year. However, he's at full strength. The Sacramento, California native popped up on the injury report against the Miami Dolphins but that was because he didn't practice. In the season opener, he had no restrictions or was on a snap count.

After a great start and a 10-point led, the Jaguars are at risk of letting the game get out of their grasp. It's still close and they have time to regain control, but if they end up losing, it won't be because of Arik Armstead.

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