Jaguars add Nine Free Agents to team, with Five potential starters in tow.
Skill Positions
The Jacksonville Jaguars were major players in the legal tampering period during the first week of NFL Free Agency. They walked away with nine free agent acquisitions after having strictly nine targets walking into the period with a clear goal in mind. Raise the floor of this football team and organization. Pictured above are two of your newest Jaguars, Jourdan Lewis (CB) and Dyami Brown (WR) respectively. Who walks into the building wearing that #2 will be an interesting conversation. Another interesting conversation surrounding both players, are they both solutions at their respective positions? Or are they simply stopgaps to alleviate a need and allow them to get the best player available in April? I would find a common ground and say yes to both of those questions respectively. They are both capable starters at positions of need for the Jaguars, have playoff experience, and are making $10 million per year (Brown’s being a prove-it deal). They allow you the comfortability to take the top player at 5, 36, and 70 respectively, but are not making large enough contracts to justify passing up on players at their positions. If say Travis Hunter is available at #5 overall (an increasing possibility post free agency), you run to the podium and allow him to play as a starting outside corner and create packages for him as a wideout. Lewis and Brown also can play inside and out on their ends of the field, but excel inside in the slot (creating dynamic splash play potential in practice). Both rooms were upgraded and I expect for them both to be starters, Lewis at Nickelback, and Brown as the Y (slot) receiver. Only question is, who will play outside opposite of BTJ and Tyson Campbell?
Line Of Scrimmage
Next, the Jaguars addressed the interior offensive line with two potential starters in Robert Hainsey (C) and Patrick Mekari (RG). Mekari can play all 5 offensive line positions, no exaggeration, he did last season. But Mekari was brought in to bring a punch to the interior at the right guard position and slot in next to Anton Harrison. Mekari grades out as an upgrade in the run game at the position. Hainsey has experience as a starter in Tampa Bay and helped guide them to the playoffs as the line caller but was benched last season as the team drafted Graham Barton in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Mekari’s contract seems as if it guarantees him a starting job at $12 million per year, but once again he and Hainsey upgrade the team’s floor. They could look to address the interior of both sides of the line of scrimmage still per James Gladstone. Hainsey brings Jacksonville an experienced player in Coen’s system that understands the language and can help not only the other linemen but also Trevor Lawrence gets a comprehension on the verbiage and adjustments needed at the line as a signal caller. Both are penciled in starters, but they do not stop you from taking the best player available in the second and third round. Hainsey also has experience playing guard, you could be looking at a complete turnaround on the interior if draft selections are made, this could go from a bottom 10 unit to a top 15 unit based on top level play, depth, and versatility. Last season the Jaguars struggled in short yardage and 3rd/4th down, they are plugging in two OL players that come from systems that excel in situational football (Hainesy having experience in Coen’s elite Offense last season and having a start against New Orleans under his belt).
While you’re here check out a video discussing the moves on Youtube below.
Potential Secondary Starter?
Finally, the fifth potential starter out of the nine-man group is Eric Murray (S). He has versatility to play both safety positions but excels in strong safety play in my opinion. He has experience blitzing, playing slot, free and strong safety, and brings an experienced vet to this safety core. A 10-year vet who understands being a playmaker as a starter and in the third phase, special teams. Last season in 15 starts, he secured 75 tackles and an interception while breaking up a career-high 10 passes. He’s an older guy like Lewis but provides stability alongside him in a secondary that desperately needs it. He’s durable, reliable, is a great run stuffer, and is a constant when guarding tight ends and slot receivers. Excellent DB to have on third downs as well. He struggles against explosive deep ball athletes, giving up three plays of 50 or more yards this past season when asked to play free safety, making him primarily a strong safety suiting to his strengths, but still provides you wiggle room in a vacuum. Murray is the fifth signing I see as a penciled in starter pre-draft, but again he raises your floor at the position, and if you draft two guys into that room, he can teach them how to be a pro.
In Conclusion
Overall, the Jacksonville Jaguars walked out of free agency with NINE players they targeted: WR Dyami Brown, T/G Chuma Edoga, C Robert Hainsey, CB Jourdan Lewis, TE Hunter Long, RG Patrick Mekari, QB Nick Mullens, TE Johnny Mundt, and S Eric Murray respectively. They improved their interior offensive line, acquired a swing tackle that has guard versatility, added a starting CB, plugged in a starting wide receiver who opens up Brian Thomas Jr., infused talent in the tight end room that allows you to run more 21 or 12 personnel, brought in a reliable veteran backup quarterback that has familiarity with the coaching staff and scheme, and injected the porous safety room with a proven veteran who brings versatility to the table. All-in-all, the Jaguars may not have come home from shopping with the biggest stars, but they got necessary acquisitions to bring a complete roster to Duval in the fall and elevate through the draft. I would give this free agency class a grade of a B-.
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