Josh Allen sends clear message to key Jaguars offseason signing

Defensive tackle Arik Armstead played with Nick Bosa during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers. He'll now be joining forces with Josh Allen and Travon Walker after signing a three-year deal worth $43.5 million with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency. Allen wants his new teammate to know that he's not Bosa but is equally talented.

Allen told the media that he recognizes that Armstead has played with talented players throughout his career. However, he wants him to know that he's as good as his former teammates.

"He's played with guys that played at a very high level," Allen told the media on the first day of mandatory minicamp. "For me, I want to show him that I know Nick, but I'm Josh. This is a bad boy right here and I play the game my way. I want to see that and I want to know that. When you get to the Super Bowl, we're going to win it.

For context, Bosa has been one of the top edge rushers in the NFL since being drafted second overall in 2019. He's made the Pro Bowl four times and earned First-Team All-Pro honors once. On top of that, the former Ohio State Buckeye was the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2022.

Meanwhile, Allen is coming off a career year, and the Jags want him to repeat the feat. To ensure he pulls it off, they signed defensive end Arik Armstead in free agency.

A first-round pick by the Niners in 2015, Armstead has routinely been one of the top defensive linemen in the NFL throughout his career. Even though he played through injuries, he registered five sacks and three forced fumbles in 12 games last year. The former Oregon Duck underwent meniscus surgery in the offseason and expects to be at full strength in training camp.

Like Allen, Armstead is one of the few veterans who are in attendance in mandatory minicamp. Here are Allen's comments toward his teammate, via Juston W. Lewis of the Florida Times-Union.

Jaguars teammates Josh Allen and Arik Armstead will make each other better

Having Arik Armstead create havoc inside will help Josh Allen and Travon Walker be more productive on the edges, as defenses will need to contain the veteran defensive lineman. Head coach Doug Pederson, for one, believes that having the California native around will be huge for everyone.

"The experience that he's had, I think being the team, San Francisco, and the success that they've had. Bringing that experience to us and to some of our young players and what that looks like," Pederson said. "That leadership is going to be vital to the success that we have. Having more of those guys on the roster only helps."

Pederson continued, "Once we get him out there on the grass, working with the guys, you're going to see an ultimate pro, and the way he approaches everything. That's just something, you cannot get enough of those guys."

There were some injury concerns when the Jags signed Armstead because he sat out a combined 13 games the past two seasons. However, it's worth noting that he didn't miss a single contest from 2018-2021.

Ultimately, the Jaguars have a long way to go to prove they're legitimate contenders. That said, having Arik Armstead playing alongside Josh Allen should increase their odds of pulling it off.

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