Jaguars Free Agency Preview: Franchise at a Crossroads Faces Critical Personnel Decisions

With free agency set to kick off on March 18, the Jaguars have a number of decisions facing them.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have often been big players in free agency during the tenure of general manager Dave Caldwell. Often considered "offseason champions", the Jaguars have landed big fishes in free agency nearly every season since Caldwell took over in 2013, with Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye, Nick Foles, and Julius Thomas all notable acquisitions.

But this year is set to be different. No longer are the Jaguars expected to be big spenders in free agency, other than maybe spending on one of their own. Instead, the Jaguars are going to have to turn to cheaper veterans on short-term deals due to cap restrictions.

After finishing 6-10 last season and in last place of the AFC South, Caldwell and head coach Doug Marrone were retained by owner Shad Khan in hopes of the duo turning the team around in 2020. The mandate made by Khan was clear: win in 2020, or else.

To put a winning product on the field, Caldwell and Marrone will have to make critical decisions at a number of key roster spots. From a major impending free agent on their own roster to a number of key contracts that may require unloading, Caldwell and Marrone are facing a number of scenarios that will help make or break their 2020 success. 

2020 Unrestricted Free Agents

• DE Yannick Ngakoue
• OL Tyler Shatley
• DT Akeem Spence
• OT Cedric Ogbuehi
• LB Najee Goode
• LB D.J. Alexander
• OT Benjamin Ijalana
• TE Nick O'Leary
• LB Preston Brown
• TE Ben Koyack
• TE Seth DeValve

2020 Restricted Free Agents

• WR Keelan Cole
• DT Carl Davis
• LB Donald Payne
• LB James Onwualu

Salary Cap Space

According to OverTheCap, the Jaguars currently have $32,333,036 in cap space (based on a projected $200 million salary cap in the league). This is a result of some moves the Jaguars have made in recent weeks, such as trading cornerback A.J. Bouye and declining the team options of defensive tackle Marcell Dareus and linebacker Jake Ryan, moves that cleared around $37 million in cap space. 

But while the Jaguars currently have around $32 million in cap space, they are likely going to enter the free agency period with even more cap flexibility. The Jaguars need to have at least $19.3 million available to place the franchise tag on defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, while also needing over $10 million to sign their 2020 draft class.

What are some moves the Jaguars could make to create cap room? Two moves that would make a lot of sense are by releasing tight end Geoff Swaim and wide receiver Marqise Lee.

Cutting Swaim, who caught only 13 passes for 65 yards in 2019, would save the Jaguars about $3.7 million. Swaim was an afterthought in the offense when healthy because he isn't a dynamic pass-catcher, nor is he a consistent blocker. 

As for Lee, the veteran wide receiver who signed a big extension with the Jaguars in 2018 has had injuries end each of his last two seasons. An ACL injury in the 2018 preseason kept him sidelined for all 16 games, while a shoulder injury limited him to six games in 2019. 

Last year, Lee caught just three catches for 18 yards and was the team's No. 4 wide receiver even when healthy. Cutting Lee would save the Jaguars $5.25 million in cap space, giving them over $8 million in cap savings between him and Swaim.

Free Agent Game Plan

Overall, the Jaguars have only a few free agents who will likely require being prioritized. The first one is, of course, Ngakoue. Ngakoue is seeking a big-money deal worth $22 million annually, which would make him the league's highest-paid defensive end. Ngakoue entered into contract negotiations with the Jaguars last summer but talks fell apart between him and the Tom Coughlin led front office.

This year, negotiations haven't gone much better. Caldwell and Marrone have each stated publicly that they want Ngakoue back next season, but the 24-year old pass-rusher announced last week that he has no intention of signing a long-term deal with the team that drafted him in the third round in 2016.

Instead of figuring out a long-term deal with Ngakoue, the Jaguars likely will now be forced to place the franchise or transition tag on him, which could open the door for a trade. But regardless, Ngakoue isn't walking from Jacksonville this offseason without the Jaguars getting something in return.

Aside from Ngakoue, wide receiver Keelan Cole makes sense as a player to bring back. He caught 26 receptions for 361 yards and three touchdowns last season, with most of his best work coming in the red-zone. Cole bounced back from a  rough 2018 last season and even did enough to deserve a larger role in the offense if he is brought back.

Otherwise, most of the Jaguars' free agents are veterans who were on one-year deals in 2019 and will unlikely be brought back. Look for the Jaguars to target linebacker, tight end, or cornerback during the free agency period to replace the depth they are losing. 

Tight end is a weak position group in this year's draft, so it makes sense for the Jaguars to target a cheap veteran to pair with 2019 draft pick Josh Oliver. As for linebacker and cornerback, the Jaguars need veteran options who can play right away due to the lack of depth at the positions. 

Five Free Agent Targets

LB Nick Kwiatkowski

Starting 22 games over the last four seasons for the Chicago Bears, Kwiatkoski has the skill set the Jaguars are missing at the linebacker position. They need an instinctive run-oriented inside linebacker who can play sound football and ensure the defense is lined up right play in and play out, and Kwiatkoski fits this bill. The 26-year old linebacker has 184 career tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, six sacks, eight pass deflections, and one interception. He shouldn't break the bank in free agency, so he makes a lot sense on the field and financially. 

TE Eric Ebron

Eric Ebron had a down year in 2019 due to injuries, catching only 31 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns. This came a year after the best season of his career, a Pro Bowl year in which he caught 66 passes for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns, so the talent he possesses is clearly still there. Jacksonville needs a pass-catching threat who can be utilized across the formation in new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden's offense, and Ebron will likely be able to be brought in on a cheaper contract due to his 2019 regression.

CB Brian Poole

A four-year veteran, Brian Poole is a steady cornerback who can contribute to the passing and running game and has flown under the radar throughout his NFL career. Starting 10 games for the Jets last year, Poole recorded one interception, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and four tackles for loss. With the Jaguars lacking veteran experience at cornerback, Poole could be an ideal stopgap solution who can be brought in on a short-term deal. He is a low-risk, high-reward type of player and is the ideal defensive back the Jaguars should look at. 

LB Christian Kirksey

A six-year veteran with experience at middle and outside linebacker, Christian Kirksey offers experience, leadership, and range on the field when healthy. The versatile linebacker has dealt with injuries the last two seasons (played only nine games from 2018 to 2019), but he has been a starting-caliber linebacker at every other point of his career. He could be another cheap option that could end up paying dividends as long as he is healthy, and he could fill a number of roles for the Jaguars' defense. 

TE Jordan Reed

Jordan Reed has major injury concerns due to his concussion history, and he just sat out the entire 2019 season due to injuries. Despite this, the talented pass-catcher makes sense for the Jaguars because of his relationship with Gruden, who helped Reed become one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL from 2014-2018.