5 Free Agents the Jaguars Should Be Cautious About Potentially Signing

Which free agents should raise red flags for the Jaguars when the signing period begins next week?

With free agency still scheduled, for now, to officially open on March 18 and with the legal tampering period beginning two days prior, the Jacksonville Jaguars are joining the rest of the NFL in gearing up for another eventful free agency period. 

The Jaguars are no strangers to being active early on in free agency. They have thrown around big-dollar contracts almost at whim in the last decade, inking players to some of the largest contracts in the NFL. The latest example was in 2019 when they signed quarterback Nick Foles to a four-year, $88 million contract with $45 million guaranteed, which is the most guaranteed money the franchise has ever signed a player to.

Foles' 2019 season, however, was more of a cautionary tale to spending big money in free agency than anything else. He sustained a Week 1 clavicle injury that kept him sidelined for the next eight games, and then only played 10 quarters upon his return before he was benched in favor of rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew II.

Of course, this was just year one in Foles' tenure. He will have a chance to compete with Minshew for the starting quarterback position according to head coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell, and he could prove that his year one struggles were an arbitration. 

But even so, Foles' 2019 was just the latest example in the Jaguars' signing a player with red flags. Foles' red flags were his lack of success as a long-term starter, while past Jaguars' busts in free agency have had red flags around them such as the system they came from (Julius Thomas), fit (Toby Gerhart), and overall talent (Zane Beadles). 

With an eye on the 2020 free agent class, who are a few free agents who may have red flags that the Jaguars should be cautious about before they potentially pursue them? We picked five who make sense, even if not all of them will sign major deals.

TE Austin Hooper 

Atlanta Falcons tight end Austin Hooper is expected to be one of the biggest winners from next week, with many projecting him to be given a contract that will make him the league's highest-paid tight end. The Jaguars have a massive need at tight end so while adding the best available player at the position could make sense, Hooper is simply too risky of a signing for the Jaguars to not at least be mildly cautious about exploring. 

Hooper isn't a game-changer as a pass-catcher, instead being a reliable and steady intermediate and underneath target. He isn't the type of threat that dictates defensive gameplans as other elite tight ends like Travis Kelce or George Kittle are. If the Jaguars added him to their offense and make him go from an offense with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, and Calvin Ridley to the Jaguars' current group of starters, it is reasonable to question if he'd be able to become an offenses' No. 1 threat. Hooper is a good player who deserves a nice deal, but the Jaguars have too many needs and too little cap space to spend on a player who might be a better complimentary threat than anything else.

LT Jason Peters

Likely a future Pro Football Hall of Famer, former Philadelphia Eagles mainstay Jason Peters has established himself as one of the best left tackles of his generation. But while the Jaguars have a need at left tackle, Peters should be one player they should try to shy away from. He is still a solid pass-protector and may have some tread left on his tires, but Peters is 38 and is in the twilight of his career. 

With the Jaguars in prime position to draft an offensive tackle at No. 9 in the 2020 NFL Draft, it makes more sense for the Jaguars to go with a more youthful, long-term option at the position. They could also decide to roll with Cam Robinson for another season, with the fourth-year offensive tackle set to not turn 25 until October. Peters can still play, he just doesn't make much sense for the Jaguars considering their other options at the position. 

DL Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams is a former top-six draft selection who isn't turning 26 until June, but there are plenty of concerns around the defensive lineman who is reportedly seeking a big contract. The Jaguars need more talent on the defensive line due to an overhaul of the unit over the last two seasons, but they would be wise to be cautious about adding Williams.

In his five-year career, Williams has only totaled 17.5 sacks and 34 tackles for loss. Seven of those sacks and 11 of those tackles for loss came in his career year in 2016. Since then, Williams has only recorded 7.5 sacks and 16 tackles for loss in three seasons, including a 2019 where he totaled 0.5 sacks and two tackles for loss. Williams is a solid player, but Jacksonville should be wary about signing another unproductive defensive lineman in hopes of him flipping the switch on, the same strategy they had with Jared Odrick in 2015.

DL David Onyemata

One under the radar free agent who could be in line for a big payday is New Orlean Saints defensive lineman David Onyemata, a burly interior defensive lineman who is a stalwart vs. the run. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reported earlier this week that Onyemata might get a deal that pays him $10 million annually or more, turning the defensive lineman from an underrated target to a top free agent.

From NFL Now on @nflnetwork, talking about @TomPelissero’s story on non-QBs about to get paid in free agency, watch for a big payday for #Saints DL David Onyemata. pic.twitter.com/4wkc1QcrkD

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 11, 2020

While the Jaguars certainly need a run-stuffer in the middle of their defense, this would be a steep price to pay for a player with only 25 starts, 9.5 sacks, and 11 tackles for loss in his career. He is an ascending player who has gotten better each year, but this is too much of a boom-or-bust signing for a cap-strapped team like the Jaguars to consider.

WR Nelson Agholor

The Jaguars could seek out a cheaper veteran option to add to their wide receiver room this offseason due to the youth and lack of depth they currently have at the position. While Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor fits the bill of an experienced, veteran wide receiver who can bring a new element to the Jaguars' offense, there are enough concerns with Agholor's production to warrant caution. 

In 11 games in 2019, Agholor caught only 39 of his 69 targets, resulting in 363 yards and nine touchdowns. Never in a season has Agholor caught more than 64 passes or more than 770 receiving yards, while there has only been one season in which he has caught more than four touchdowns in a season. Jacksonville needs to add to their wideout group, but there can be better values found than Agholor and his inconsistent play.