Jacksonville Jaguars' Bargain Guide to the 2015 Offseason

The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a promising season despite finishing 3-13. This optimism comes from an excellent draft class from a year ago. General manager David Caldwell found an impact player with nearly every draft pick from last season. This was a welcome change from the draft ineptitude of previous regimes and gave fans serious hope for a better future. 

Yet, for as much success as Caldwell had in the draft last year, his free-agent class is still up in the air. The major acquisition was running back Toby Gerhart, who was expected to be the starter yet only started seven games due to injury, and the emergence of Denard Robinson.

Most of the rest of the class, which included players such as Zane Beadles and Dekoda Watson, was equally as unimpressive. The only real exceptions were Chris Clemons and Red Bryant. 

This lack of success in free agency must change this offseason so this optimism can turn into results. Given the fact that the Jaguars are projected to have over $60 million in cap space, according to Over the Cap, they can chase after some of the big names on the market such as Ndamukong Suh, Julius Thomas and Devin McCourty.

However, just because they have the money to spend doesn't mean they should blow it all on just a few players. There are a number of players on the market who would offer an upgrade but come at a more affordable price. The Jags still have a number of holes they need to address, so stretching the money across a number of players may be the best strategy.

With this in mind, let's take a look at some of the best bang-for-your-buck players.

Jermaine Gresham, Tight End

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The Jaguars revamped their offense at the skill positions last year in both free agency and in the draft. Along with Toby Gerhart, they found their quarterback of the future in Blake Bortles in the draft. They also added receivers Allen Robinson and Marqise Lee in the second round and Allen Hurns as an undrafted free agent.

The only skill position to not be addressed was the tight end position, something that will likely change this year. 

There is a decent crop of tight ends hitting free agency this year, headlined by Julius Thomas and Jordan Cameron. Given the amount of cap space the Jaguars have, they will definitely be contenders for the services of these two players if they aren't re-signed by their respective teams. However, it is a very real possibility both will be re-signed, especially Cameron after the Josh Gordon drama.

With this in mind, the best value player may just be Jermaine Gresham. Gresham likely won't be re-signed by Cincinnati, despite putting up decent numbers, due the presence of Tyler Eifert. Gresham has been a solid target for Andy Dalton, averaging 57 receptions, 562 yards and five touchdowns over the past four seasons. 

Gresham's numbers have dipped over the past two seasons, but this likely can be attributed to Cincinnati's heavy reliance on their wide receivers, specifically All-Pro receiver A.J. Green. A change of scenery may just be what Gresham needs to tap his potential. He would provide Blake Bortles with an experienced, big-bodied, athletic target over the middle. 

Contract Expectations

Gresham's production over his first five years (280 REC, 2722 YDS, 24 TDs) is nearly identical to that of Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew's first five years (294 REC, 2828 YDS, 16 TDs). Pettigrew was given a four-year, $16 million deal last year. Expect the Jaguars to be able to sign Gresham to a very similar deal. 

Stevie Brown, Free Safety

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The Jaguars have one of the youngest secondaries in the NFL, with most of the key members having two or less years of experience in the league. They have the building blocks in place with both Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray at corner, although the former struggled at times last season, and Johnathan Cyprien at strong safety.

As promising as this group is, they would still benefit from a veteran presence along side them. 

Stevie Brown has had an up-and-down career thus far. In 2012, his first year with the New York Giants, Brown was second in the league with eight interceptions. Unfortunately, when he seemed to be on the brink of stardom, he tore his ACL during the 2013 preseason. He bounced back last year to split time with Quintin Demps, but there are no guarantees he will be re-signed. 

Brown has showed the capability to be an opportunistic ball hawk, something the Jaguars desperately need. They managed only six interceptions last season, tied with Kansas City and the New York Jets for last in the league. If Brown can find his 2012 form, it would be a significant boost to this defense. 

Contract Expectations

Since Brown is coming off a year where he wasn't a full-time starter, expect the Jaguars to offer a one-year "prove it" contract to him, much like what the Giants gave him last year (one-year, $2.75 million).

Kareem Jackson, Cornerback

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As stated in the previous slide, the Jaguars have a very young secondary. Flushing it out with a veteran presence should be a priority this offseason. Fortunately, they may be able to take care of this situation while also weakening a division rival in the form of signing Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson. 

Kareem Jackson is a relatively unknown name in the NFL, something that could bode well for the Jaguars if they decide to pursue him. It took Jackson, a former first-round pick by the Texans, a little while to start living up to his draft status. However, he quietly had a very good year last year, ranking seventh in the league in pass-coverage rating, per Pro Football Focus. 

Normally a former first-round pick just hitting his prime would be a hot commodity, but Jackson just isn't getting the attention. NFL.com's Marc Sessler considers Ryan Mallett to be more of a priority for the Texans to re-sign than Jackson, and Bleacher Report's Jeffrey Roy considers Jackson to be expendable.

Given the bevy of high-profile corners hitting the market, Jackson may just get lost in the shuffle, leaving him as a good value signing for the Jaguars. 

Contract Expectations

Roy hit on this in his article, comparing Jackson to Tampa Bay's Alterraun Verner, and I agree with him. Verner managed to get a four-year, $26.5 million deal. Expect Jackson to be signed to a similar contract. 

Derrick Morgan, Defensive End

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The Jaguars' sixth-ranked pass rush was the highlight of their season after coming out of nowhere to post 45 sacks, their most since the 2005 season. Their pass rush was spear-headed by defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and defensive end Chris Clemons, who combined for 16.5 sacks.

Despite the Jags success', Marks led the team with only 8.5 sacks, 22nd-best in the NFL. The Jags are still missing that true pass-rush threat off the edge.

This is where Derrick Morgan comes into play. Morgan is a former first-round draft pick by Tennessee who has yet to fully live up to his potential after suffering an ACL injury in his rookie year. Still, he has averaged about 6.5 sacks over the past three seasons despite moving from 4-3 defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker. 

This versatility is something head coach Gus Bradley will like, as Morgan can either play the "Leo" end position or the "Otto" linebacker position. Morgan's upside will be his main attraction for the Jaguars. Despite his relatively low sack numbers, he has led the Titans in sacks over the past three seasons. With some stability, a good defensive-minded coach and a strong supporting cast, Morgan may finally make the leap to stardom. 

Contract Expectations

Morgan's potential contract will likely be based on the player he would be replacing: Dekoda Watson. Technically Watson was cut during the season after being the biggest bust of last year's class. He was injured throughout most of training camp and the preseason. Per PFF, he managed only 103 snaps and one start in nine appearances.

Watson was a relative unknown last year, having logged just six starts in four season with Tampa Bay previously. Yet, the Jaguars gave him a three-year, $6.25 million contract. Given the fact that Morgan is more experienced, more versatile and has been more successful, expect the Jaguars to offer him a contract in the neighborhood of three years, $12 million. 

Nick Fairley, Defensive Tackle

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Going off the previous slide, if the Jaguars can't find someone they like as an edge-rusher or simply want to keep beefing up the defensive line, hitting the defensive tackle position is a definite possibility. They already have Sen'Derrick Marks, whose 8.5 sacks was third-best for defensive tackles in the league, and recently re-signed Roy Miller to a four-year deal.

But its never a bad thing to have as much depth as possible on the defensive line. 

One player who would offer quite an upgrade would be Nick Fairley. Fairley helped turn Detroit's defensive line into one of the fiercest in the league over the past few seasons. He played very well before suffering a season-ending injury halfway through the season, ranking 18th out of 81 eligible defensive tackles according to PFF. 

After the Lions passed on picking up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, Fairley was on his way to one of his best seasons so far, excelling against both the run and the pass. This kind of versatility on the line will be a welcome trait for a Jaguars defense that was the sixth-worst unit against the run last year. Pairing Fairley with Marks would also give the Jaguars one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the league. 

Contract Expectations

Fairley would be the most expensive addition of all the players mentioned on this list. Still, the Jaguars could probably get him at a cheaper cost given the fact he is coming off injury. A player he compares to favorably is Minnesota's Linval Joseph, who received a five-year, $31.5 million contract.

If the Jaguars can get Fairley with a contract similar to Joseph's, it could be quite a steal for a player who is just hitting his prime.