Veteran Pass-Rusher Market Begins to Dry Up on Jaguars

Two veteran pass-rushers have come off the free-agent board this week.

For the second time this week, a veteran pass-rusher has signed a minimal, one-year deal with a hopeful playoff contender. 

And for the second time this week, the Jacksonville Jaguars are on the outside looking in, this time due to Frank Clark signing a one-year deal with the Denver Broncos.

The Jaguars are set to enter the final stretch of the 2023 offseason with questions about their pass-rush depth. After the Jaguars generated among the most pressures but also the fewest sacks in the NFL a year ago, the Jaguars' depth has taken a hit due to the departures of productive veterans Arden Key and Dawuane Smoot. 

Clark follows former Los Angeles Rams and current Buffalo Bills EDGE Leonard Floyd as pass-rushers who signed one-year deals this week. But while the Jaguars seemingly have all of their eggs in the basket of Josh Allen and Travon Walker, it doesn't appear the Jaguars are looking to rush into a deal.

"Yeah, I mean obviously he's a good player and guys are going to get scooped up. But listen, you also can't just jump at the first thing that's there and obviously somebody has to fit your roster and fit your structure financially and all of that," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said this week when asked about Floyd. 

"But there's going to be guys probably going into training camp, there's going to be guys coming out of training camp that we'll take a look at. But those are all things for conversations for down the road and we've been pleased with the guys that are here and been working and we just got to get them better and ready to go."

Floyd and Clark were deemed as two of the most attractive pass-rush options on the post-draft free agency market, along with others such as Pittsburgh Steelers pass-rusher Markus Golden and unsigned veterans like Melvin Ingram, Yannick Ngakoue, Justin Houston, and Jadeveon Clowney. 

So the pass-rusher market isn't completely evaporated, but movement has begun and options are dwindling by the way as of recent weeks. And while some veterans such as potentially Houston may not need training camp to prepare for the season, the Jaguars run the risk of entering camp with K'Lavon Chaisson, Jordan Smith, and rookie pass-rusher Yasir Abdullah as their top options behind Allen and Walker.

But for the Jaguars, that risk may not be as exaggerated as some outside of the building think. Considering the recent movement on the pass-rusher market, the Jaguars will need to be right. 

"There's good youth. You got a couple of veteran guys like like Josh and K'Lavon. So it's I think it's a good balance," outside linebackers coach Bill Shuey said on Wednesday.

"I do think everybody needs to take a step forward. And right now I'm pleased with the work ethic that's been shown, and the progress has made through the spring, but the spring is the spring. And you know, guys got to gotta take the next month, and still take a step forward to come back in August ready to go."