Baalke and Pederson Detail Why the Jaguars Signed Evan Engram

Why did the Jaguars add Evan Engram to the offense during the first wave of free agency? We break it down below.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made seven major additions this past week; with the start of free agency, the Jaguars spent more than any other franchise as they threw money to starters on both sides of the ball.

But why did the Jaguars make these specific additions? What stood out to them about each player added? Thanks to comments from general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson on Wednesday, we can answer those questions.

Next up: tight end Evan Engram, who the Jaguars signed to a one-year, $9 million deal with $8.25 in guaranteed money, the only free agent the Jaguars signed to a one-year deal. 

Engram, who will turn 28 years old in September, has long been known as an athletic marvel at the tight end position. The No. 23 overall pick out of Ole Miss in 2017, Engram battled inconsistency and injuries during his tenure with the Giants but also flashed the talent that made him a first-rounder.

It is clear why the Jaguars added Engram when listening to Baalke and Pederson detail what they think he will bring to the offense. The Jaguars wanted to put a premium on pass-catchers this offseason and they believe they did so with Engram, who fits as a potential jumbo slot tight end who can win downfield.

Engram isn't a tight end who is ever going to line up in-line, but he is a big-bodied target who Pederson sees as a movable chess piece.

"He's a runner, you know, he's got great speed, he's smart, he can separate, he does well against safeties, obviously against linebacker matchups, even third quarters and things that you see on tape that he can do and have success with," Pederson said on Wednesday. 

In short, Engram meshes with the kind of tight ends Pederson has coached previously in his career in Dallas Goedert, Trey Burton and even Zach Ertz to some extent. He isn't a balanced tight end who is going to impact the running game, but he is a speedy pass-catcher who Pederson envisions fitting with Dan Arnold.

"And I think it just makes that room just a little bit better. You know, and you throw in Dan Arnold, and now you've got a couple of guys that can really stretch the field along with Manhertz and Luke (Farrell). You just looking at that room as a whole, which has been one of the better rooms on the team, and now we've just made it a little bit better. So, I'm excited to get him in here, see how he fits into our system."

The biggest question with the Engram addition likely isn't how he factors into the offense, but instead why the Jaguars made him the only player they signed to a one-year deal. 

Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Brandon Scherff, Darious Williams, Foyesade Oluokun, and Foley Fatukasi all signed multi-year deals that have locked them onto the roster for at least the next two seasons. Engram is different, however, being the only player the Jaguars signed to a deal that runs through just 2022. 

"Well, if you look at all the acquisitions, with the exception of Scherff age was a factor, right. The receivers ... 25, to 26 years old, three to four-year contracts. Only one guy did we had on a one year deal. And that was Evan," Baalke said. 

"And we tried to get that on a longer-term deal, it didn't work. We went with a one year deal for various reasons. But we're trying to fix this thing long term and have a vision for the future as we build this thing out. And, you know, right now, it's a combination of free agency and the draft, we hope to get this organization to a point where it's, we're not relying on free agency as much and we're relying on our drafts in second contracts and those guys."

This makes sense when you hear Engram's side, however. Engram himself didn't want a long-term contract with the Jaguars, instead stating on Thursday that he preferred to bet on himself after not being able to show off the full extent of his talents with the Giants' struggling offense during his contract year in 2021.

“It was definitely a personal decision, and the Jags were able to work out a good deal for me. There were some things over the past season that I just felt like I didn’t get to showcase my true abilities and have a great opportunity to do that," Engram said. 

"I felt coming here with Doug [Pederson] and Trevor [Lawrence] and the direction this franchise is going to [it was best] to take a one-year deal to work hard and make big plays and hopefully down the line be a long-term thing.”