Jacksonville Jaguars Free Agency: Who's Left on the Market for the Jags?

A torrid pace on Monday led to 21 NFL players being "franchised" by their current teams, which means that they will not be going anywhere once the tender offer is signed by the player.

This included Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee, who was offered a one-year contract of approximately $2.65 million. Scobee stated through his agent, Ken Harris, that he did not want to sign the tender offer and would rather work out a long-term deal with the team.

Players who have been offered the franchise tag have until March 13 to sign the offer, or they will be eligible to sign with other teams.

While the "franchise" tag can be good or bad for some players, it also has a direct effect on the NFL's free-agency period and the upcoming draft. In Jacksonville's case, receivers like Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson, the Patriots' Wes Welker and Kansas City's Dwayne Bowe were all franchised by their current teams, leaving the free-agency pool a little shallow in terms of finding a few key pass-catchers for QB Blaine Gabbert.

The list became shorter when Buffalo's Stevie Johnson signed a contract with the Bills and avoided the franchise tag.

Wide receiver is not the only position of importance for the Jaguars, as they are in need of a pass-rusher and help on the offensive line and in the secondary. Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril, a native of Jacksonville and a player said to be on the Jaguars' radar, was franchised as well.

Now, the Jaguars (and other teams) will reassess their needs and focus on the players that are left, which also means a great deal of emphasis will be placed on the draft, maybe more so than in years past.

Jacksonville has the seventh overall selection, and while Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, the top rated receiver in the class, would be a welcomed addition to the team, it is not believed he will last until the time Jacksonville makes its pick.

Mario Williams, the defensive end from the Houston Texans, may now be the top player on the Jaguars' free-agent list. While the need for a speed rusher on the line is important, Jacksonville still has its own players like Jeremy Mincey (the team's leader in sacks last season) and Matt Roth (who signed a one-year deal in the offseason last year).

Jacksonville has about $38 million in cap space for the upcoming season.

Another player who may be high on the Jaguars' list is Titans defensive back Cortland Finnegan and possibly Indianapolis defensive lineman Robert Mathis. Brandon Carr, a 26-year-old defensive back from the Chiefs, may also make sense.

The Jaguars were sixth overall in defense last season in the NFL but were ravaged by injuries from the middle of the season on.

In terms of receivers still available at the moment, the Jaguars will look to someone like Marques Colston of New Orleans or Vincent Jackson of San Diego, but they also may look at someone like Harry Douglas, who knows new coach Mike Mularkey's system from playing for him in Atlanta.

Two players the team may also consider are Reggie Wayne of the Indianapolis Colts and Hines Ward of the Pittsburgh Steelers.