4 Observations On What Brandon Linder's Retirement Means For the Jaguars
One of the most important pieces of the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise and locker room is now out of the picture, with eight-year center Brandon Linder retiring from the NFL on Monday and leaving an expected but still significant hole on the roster.
Linder sustained a number of injuries throughout his career in Jacksonville, including a 2021 season that saw him battle injuries at various points and play in just nine games. Still, Linder was the first-ever five-time captain in franchise history, was an extremely important resource for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and one of the NFL's most underrated centers when at his best.
So, what does Linder's retirement mean for the Jaguars moving forward? How could it impact the draft and Week 1 depth chart? We explore a few different scenarios below.
Re-signing of Tyler Shatley has become one of the offseason's most important moves
The re-signing of long-time interior backup Tyler Shatley earlier this offseason wasn't seen by many as a significant move at the time, but it has quickly become one of the team's most important actions. Considering it was up in the air whether Linder would have been on the roster even if he didn't retire, Shatley was always set for a potential starting role in Week 1. With Linder's retirement now official, the retainment of an experienced option at center has ensured the Jaguars' hole on the offensive line is much less impactful than it would have been otherwise.
Shatley, who has drawn praise repeatedly from head coach Doug Pederson this offseason, should be considered the favorite to start at center in Week 1. A move that was seen by some as your run-of-the-mill offseason depth re-signing has now become a key decision made by Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke.
Linder's retirement frees up considerable cap space for a team that needed it
The Jaguars spent big money this offseason, inking seven free agents to considerable deals while also franchise-tagging left tackle Cam Robinson. As a result, the Jaguars had less than $2 million in available cap space before Linder's retirement, which is a big reason why Linder was rumored to not be in the Jaguars' plans for the 2022 season to begin with.
Linder was set to count for $9,529,412 against the Jaguars' 2022 cap. With him retiring, the Jaguars will save all of that money and take on zero dead money. In short, the Jaguars didn't have to unceremoniously release a long-time player like Linder but still saved nearly $10 million dollars with zero financial downsides. According to OverTheCap, the Jaguars' cap number now sits at $10,054,964. If the Jaguars can agree to terms with Cam Robinson on a long-term deal before July 15, the 2022 cap number will be in even better shape.
How Linder's retirement could impact the Jaguars' draft
It isn't a surprise that Linder's retirement has led to many to suggest Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum could be a natural replacement. And while Linderbaum would be an enticing option at No. 33 if the expected first-rounder surprisingly slipped, it may be too much of a snap judgment to assume center will now climb to the top of the Jaguars' needs.
The Jaguars already have needs for starters at wide receiver, left guard, edge rusher and linebacker, so it is hard to envision center leaping any of those. The re-signing of Shatley makes it to where the Jaguars could look for center options -- Shatley has experience at left guard -- but they aren't exactly forced to. The Jaguars have a logical replacement for Linder on the roster and already needed to draft one interior lineman anyways, so it isn't like their draft plans have been impacted considerably.
With that said, it would make sense to see the Jaguars use one of their 12 draft picks on a center. Eight of those picks come on Day 3, which makes more sense for the Jaguars to look in for center depth than with one of their four top-70 picks.
What Linder's Jaguars legacy should be
There aren't many players in the Jaguars' locker room who were more respected than Brandon Linder, and there aren't many players who loved the Jaguars like Linder did. He firmly saw himself as a Jaguar for life and it is only right that he ends his NFL career with the Jaguars being the only franchise he has ever played for.
While some may look at Linder's career as one that was often hampered by injuries, his legacy should instead be the fact that he was a consistent highlight for a team without many. While the Jaguars dealt with drama and losing during all but one of Linder's season, Linder was still a consistent face and fixture. And that is what his Jaguars legacy should be.
