The Jacksonville Jaguars are facing an uphill battle to re-sign linebacker Devin Lloyd. Coming off a breakout season, the former Uta Ute is scheduled to become a free agent, and the Jags may not have enough cap space to meet his contract demands.
Couple that with the fact that Lloyd may want to test the market to get the best possible deal, and Jacksonville may have no choice but to let him walk. If he does, an AFC team appears to be an obvious landing spot for the 2022 first-round pick.
The Bengals are a logical landing spot for Devin Lloyd if the Jaguars let him leave
Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus drew up a list of one free agent each NFL team must sign and chose Devin Lloyd for the Cincinnati Bengals, noting that their defense is in dire need of upgrades at all three levels. Here's the skinny.
"The Bengals have no choice but to tweak their defensive personnel this season after finishing 29th in EPA per play and 28th in success rate. Although all three levels could use boosts, Cincinnati ranked dead last in overall grade at linebacker — which Lloyd could fix in one fell swoop."
The Bengals had trouble at linebacker after cutting ties with Logan Wilson and Germiane Pratt. Neither was a top-echelon player, but they were more than serviceable. Lloyd is much better than both of them and would bring immediate stability at the position.
On a related note, Locker also mentions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free-agent destination for Lloyd, especially if Lavonte David leaves. This isn't necessarily shocking when you take into account that teams in need of linebacker help will try to make a bid for his services. Heck, the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants could be other potential suitors.
The Jaguars would love to re-sign Devin Lloyd but may not be able to keep him
The 27th overall pick in 2022, Devin Lloyd flashed as a rookie but was eventually benched in favor of fellow linebacker Chad Muma. He would reclaim his starting job and become more consistent the next two seasons. However, the Kansas City, Missouri native wasn't particularly great in coverage and didn't make enough game-changing plays. That changed with the arrival of Anthony Campanile in 2025.
Under Campanile's tutelage, Lloyd registered a career-best five interceptions and earned a Second-Team All-Pro designation. Because the Jags chose not to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, his contract expired after 2025.
Spotrac has a market value of $20 million for Lloyd. If he gets that annual average, it would put him in the top 3 of the highest-paid linebackers in the NFL. Even if teams don't offer him that kind of amount, signing him won't come cheap.
At worst, Lloyd is looking at an annual average of $15 million, but could earn as much as $17 million. That may not fit in the Jaguars' budget, as they're currently $21.9 million over the cap. Compounding the issue is that cornerback Montaric Brown and running back Travis Etienne are also slated to hit the open market. Jacksonville may not be able to bring all three back.
Make no mistake, the Jaguars would love to bring back Devin Lloyd, especially after the news broke that Anthony Campanile is staying put. Having said that, they might already have braced themselves for his departure. For his part, the veteran linebacker surely can't wait to sign with the highest bidder.