Jaguars Win Big in Free Agency

It's no secret that the Jacksonville Jaguars don't win much. Besides a pool in the stadium, most events occurring on or around Everbank field are losses. However, over the last few years, the Jaguars have certainly seemed to "win" the off season. Their free agency crops all seem good on the surface, and the last few drafts have been received well by fans and draft gurus alike. Yet, despite the warm and fuzzy of each March/April, the product remains lackluster on the field. This year, under the wing of Tom Coughlin, the Jaguars are looking to finally shake off the losing mentality and stigma that has plagued the franchise for years. 

The Jaguars headed into the off-season this year as they have the last few years: armed with a top 5 draft pick and dump trucks full of money to spend. Franchise tags cut down some of the blockbuster targets the Jaguars had in mind, such as Jason Pierre-Paul and Melvin Ingram. However, the Jaguars were able to still zero in on a few guys and land 3 major acquisitions. 

Calais Campbell, DT: Campbell inked a 4 year deal worth around 60 million dollars, with 30 million guaranteed. The former Arizona Cardinal has been a mainstay of their pass rush since 2008. A quick look at Campbell's career stats shows a steady production, averaging around 8 sacks per season. Campbell is a big guy (6'8 300 lbs) that can simply get after the quarterback and stop the run. The Jaguars defensive line, after losing Jared Odrick and Sen'Derrick Marks, desperately needs talent and depth. Campbell is a guy that can step right in and provide veteran leadership to that corps, and plug into any defensive scheme Todd Wash and company decide to employ. 

Campbell's new look


A.J. Bouye, DB: Bouye is coming off a career season with the Houston Texans, recording 63 tackles to complement 16 passes deflected. Bouye only had one interception on the year, but he played smothering coverage through the season. PFF ranked Bouye #7 on their list of top corners in 2016, and #2 on their overall free agency tracker. The Jaguars were in desperate need of another true cover corner to start across from rookie standout Jalen Ramsey. The other corners on the roster (Aaron Colvin, Josh Johnson, and Doran Grant) are all slot guys. With the addition of Bouye, the Jaguars now have two lock down outside corners, and arguably one of the top tandems in the NFL period. This should allow them to use their safeties more freely than in years past, possibly generating turnovers that the defense has lacked for years. 

Barry Church, SS: Speaking of safety's, the Jaguars managed to land Barry Church from the Dallas secondary to replace the since departed Jonathan Cyprien. Church is a veteran of the Cowboy's secondary, playing a very true strong safety role. With Tashaun Gipson roaming back at the free safety position, the Jags needed a more traditional strong safety. Church is more versatile than Cyprien is. Often the Jaguars would have Cyprien just play like an extra linebacker, since he was very weak in coverage. The addition of Church will allow them to scheme in a more traditional sense, instead of just living in a single high look. This is an overall upgrade, and the contract is team friendly to boot. 

Those 3 players are all expected to be immediate starters at their positions. The Jaguars didn't stop there, picking up 4 additional players for depth and special teams duties on days 2 and 3. 

Lerentee McCray, DE/LB: McCray inked a one year deal worth 3.5 million dollars. McCray is a versatile player, capable of playing the strong-side linebacker position, or possibly rotating on the edge of the defensive line. He saw limited snaps last season with Buffalo due to injuries, but could bounce back for the Jaguars. 

Audie Cole, LB: Another linebacker was added to the mix when the Jags signed Cole from Minnesota. The sixth year man played in 57 games in 5 seasons with the Vikings. Cole was in and out of the lineup as a starter, and mostly was a rotational player. The Jaguars only have Hayes Pullard III, whom didn't impress much in his bit of play this season, behind aging veteran Paul Posluszny at MLB. Cole will provide some solid depth to an otherwise thin line-backing corps, while also likely contributing on special teams. 

Earl Watford, G: The former Cardinal offensive lineman signed a 2 year deal with the Jaguars. Watford saw limited playing time in Arizona, and many local writers advised staying away from the 27 year old lineman. Watford apparently never really broke out and established himself in the lineup out west. The Jaguars likely are picking him up as a depth and competition guy. Sometimes players respond well to a fresh start with a new team. If he doesn't, then it's not much lost on the Jag's end. 

A second chance for Watford in the other sunshine state.

Stefan Charles, DT: Charles has bounced around the league since being picked up by the Titans as a UFA in 2013. He was plucked off their practice squad by the Bills, where he did accumulate 48 tackles and 5 sacks in 37 games. He saw limited action in Detroit last year. Charles is likely for depth since the Jaguars have lost a few guys at the DT position this off-season. 

Overall, this free agency class is a win for the Jaguars for three reasons. The obvious reason is that it fills several key gaps in the roster. Despite a much improved defense infused with young talent, the Jaguars still had holes in a few spots. They locked down their other starting corner, upgraded the safety position, and now have more depth along the front 7. While the defense isn't done, especially the pass rush, it does give the Jaguars more flexibility. A first round pass rusher is no longer an absolute must. You never want to head into the draft with a proverbial "gun to the head" at a position. This will free up Caldwell and Coughlin to draft by talent, not necessarily by position. 

Many of these signings will also help put a better special teams product on the field. The Jaguars have been hamstrung by awful special teams play. In 2016, the Jaguars were ranked 28th after combining all 10 special teams rankings. Jason Meyers and Brad Nortman did their jobs as kicker and punter, but simple things like coverage and fielding kicks were disastrous for the Jaguars. This is partially because of the lack of talent through the roster. Many of the signings today can contribute readily to the special teams effort. This should help to improve that struggling unit. 

The biggest win is the veteran leadership this brings to the team. The Jaguars have had an incredibly young team for years, with many draft picks becoming immediate full-time starters. While talented, the team often suffered from mental mistakes and the inability to close games. They just seemed to not know how to win. Many of the players acquired, such as Church and Campbell, were former team captains. Tom Coughlin is sending the message that he is looking for professionals to mentor this young team. This infusion of veteran experience should help a young locker room do the little things that winning teams do. 

Either way, only time will tell if this is the free agency haul that can finally push the Jaguars back to the winning side of the league,  or if it will be another instance of free agents coming to the Jags to get paid and relax.