2012 NFL Free Agency: The Time to Act Is Now for the Jacksonville Jaguars

Looking at the landscape of the NFL now that Daniel Snyder has proven winning means more than anything to him and the Washington Redskins, the other 31 teams are digging themselves a trench and waiting for NFL free agency to begin Tuesday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are no exception to this plan.

With two key free agents already taken care of (Rashean Mathis and Josh Scobee), the team needs to determine if they are going to allow "impact" defensive players Jeremy Mincey, the team's leader in sacks the past two seasons, and Dwight Lowery, a defensive back the team traded for last offseason, to walk and seek riches in another NFL town.

Because contract negotiations have been slow and there does not appear to be a contract offer on the table for either player, the Jaguars could lose two key components to their defensive unit.

This cannot happen if the team is to succeed in 2012.

New team owner Shahid Khan has preached since buying the team, he wants a winner in Jacksonville and, with $45 million available in cap space, there needs to be a sense of urgency amongst Jaguars brass. The signing of a few free agents could help ease some of the tension associated with high expectations for a team that had little return with its offense last season.

Khan stated in a Florida Times-Union story the emphasis is not on money, rather the quality of the player and the availability of the person the team is targeting. Gene Smith, general manager of the franchise, has been given the reins to bring in more free agents. Whether those numbers will meet or exceed last year's "early Christmas" overhaul on defense remains to be seen.

With many of the targeted wide receivers off the market and the appearance by Washington to make a major push toward Vincent Jackson, the numbers continue to dwindle for Jacksonville.

Marques Colston, Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Harry Douglas could all be in the mix to come to North Florida. Colston will be the big fish everyone will try to reel in while Wayne and Garcon could be waiting to see where Peyton Manning "takes his talents."

Does Khan open his checkbook and overspend for Colston? Does Douglas make more sense coming from Atlanta, where new head coach Mike Mularkey was an offensive coordinator? What happens to other free agents the team may want to keep like defensive end Matt Roth, punter Nick Harris and linebacker Will Allen?

These questions are ones Khan and his staff will answer shortly. But tipping their hat before Tuesday may be as hard as getting a poker player to crack a smile.

In the meantime, fans and the NFL wait, wonder and most of all worry if they will find the player they hoped for or will be left out of the fervor of the free agent party.