Jaguars extending Foyesade Oluokun makes the Chad Muma pick look bad in hindsight

Linebacker Foyesade Oluokon has been a playmaker for the Jacksonville Jaguars the past two seasons. He was entering the last year of the deal he signed in 2022 but the team's brass ensured that he doesn't go anywhere in the foreseeable future by giving him an extension. This is great news for Oluokun but one collateral effect is that it makes the decision to draft Chad Muma bad in retrospect.

Tom Pelisser of NFL Media broke the news that Oluokun got a four-year, $45 million contract with $22.5 million guaranteed. Not long after, the team announced the signing. Before getting the new deal, he was set to have a massive cap hit of $21 million.

Releasing him would have created $6.2 million in cap space but because he's had a huge impact on and off the field, he wasn't seen as a potential cap casualty. The front office might have still wanted to reduce his cap figure, and they accomplished it by giving him an extension.

A sixth-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons, Oluokun inked a three-year deal worth $45 million with the Jaguars in 2022. He was the tackling leader in his first season in Jacksonville and finished four last year. Off the field, he's been a huge veteran presence. Last offseason, the Jags excused all veterans from mandatory workouts but he stuck around to mentor his younger teammates.

On the other hand, tackling and blown assignments became an issue for the Jaguars last year. Oluokun, for his part, led the team with 17 missed tackles. This led to the dismissal of defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell and the subsequent hiring of Ryan Nielsen.

The defense is expected to bounce back under Nielsen, who will stress fundamentals. That should help Oluokun and the rest of the defense. For their part, the Jaguars are sparing no expenses to ensure Nielsen has as many playmakers as possible. Extending Oluokun is proof of that but they also brought in players such as defensive end Arik Armstead and nickel Darnell Savage in free agency.

What will the Jaguars do with Chad Muma after re-signing Foyesade Oluokun?

Back in 2022, linebacker was among the Jaguars' biggest needs. After signing Foyesade Oluokun, they drafted Devin Lloyd in the first round. After selecting Lloyd, it looked like they were done addressing the position. However, they raised eyebrows when they took Chad Muma in the third. At the time, the decision made sense because Muma had slid and was seen as a value pick. After two years, it's fair to say that Jacksonville hasn't gotten a return on their investment.

The Jaguars were going to give Devin Lloyd every chance they could to win the starting job next to Olukon in 2022, but it was believed that Muma was going to keep things interesting. That wasn't the case, and Muma started the regular season on the sidelines despite the fact that Lloyd missed a good chunk of training camp with a hamstring injury.

Muma eventually made his way onto the football field when Lloyd struggled but he returned to the bench once he suffered an ankle injury. Heading into Year 2, the coaching staff made it clear there was no competition and named Lloyd the starter before the season. Muma still managed to get a chance to show what he had. This time, it was because Lloyd missed a couple games. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to take advantage of his chances.

Now, Muma enters his third season and it's hard to see him getting a bigger role after Oluokun signed an extension. If the Jaguars believed he could eventually start, they wouldn't have given Oluokun a new deal. Heckm Muma will need to fend off sophomore Ventrell Miller if he doesn't want to tumble down the depth chart. Simply put, the Jags haven't probably seen enough to make them think he'll turn the corner any time soon, which is discouraging for him and the team.

Back in 2022, they had the chance to address other needs but general manager Trent Baalke chose to double-dip at linebacker. That's the route he chose because he surely believed Muma could become a playmaker for the Jaguars. So far, that hasn't been the case.

In the end, it's great to see the Jacksonville Jaguars reward Foyesade Oluokun. After all, he's been a mainstay of the defense the past two years. On the other hand, the extension casts doubt on Chad Muma's long-term future with the team.

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