Jacksonville Jaguars: Latest Free-Agency News and Rumors
With free agency less than two weeks away, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the rest of the NFL are getting ready for the chaos that comes with it. The Jaguars have the most cap space in the NFL, according to Spotrac.com, and they'll be looking to spend once March 10 hits.
The past week has been an active one for the NFL, with teams around the league dropping well-known contributors and signing important players going forward.
The Jaguars have rolled with the punches and are doing everything they can to find the guys who can make an impact. There are a lot of big-name, talented guys in the market, and if the Jaguars can sign a few, it may be the difference between an abysmal season and a competitive one.
This is where NFL teams start to take their shape for the upcoming season, and the Jaguars are no different. The starting roster for Week 1 of the 2015 season might be quite different than the one in Week 1 of 2014. And given last year's performance, this is probably a good thing.
With the excitement of free agency upon us, let's look at the latest free-agency news and rumors for the Jaguars.
Jaguars Release Will Blackmon
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The Jaguars released Will Blackmon on Thursday. He signed with the Jaguars in 2013 and played cornerback for the past two years.
First reported by Alfie Crow of BigCatCountry.com, Blackmon's release was a bit surprising. He seemed to be well-liked by the staff and players, and his interactions with fans, especially on Twitter, were always nice to see.
Blackmon had been a consistent performer for the Jaguars in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. In two years and 23 games, he had 70 tackles, two sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception.
With his release, a lot of eyes are turning to young corners Aaron Colvin, Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray. Colvin and McCray improved as last season progressed, and Gratz (24) is still a young talent with a lot to offer the Jaguars.
There is also the case of veteran Alan Ball, who is a free agent. As Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union points out, Jacksonville may re-sign Ball to fill Blackmon's role: "It’s also possible the Jaguars are nearing a new contract with Alan Ball to serve the veteran presence/reserve cornerback role that Blackmon filled."
Blackmon was a fun player to watch. For the most part of two years, he was the best player in the secondary for the Jaguars. It's sad to see him go, and hopefully he finds a comfortable place to play and succeed.
Jaguars Expected to Go After Julius Thomas
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Julius Thomas has been one of the most dominant tight ends in the NFL since his first game in 2013 where he had two touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens. He has become a favorite target for Peyton Manning, but he may be switching teams come free agency.
Thomas has had 24 touchdowns in the past two seasons and would be a useful option for quarterback Blake Bortles in his sophomore year.
According to Mike Klis of The Denver Post, the Jaguars seemed to be the most aggressive team when it comes to Thomas' future. Klis write that Thomas is "probably gone. Jacksonville will be among the most aggressive pursuers."
This would be a fantastic signing for the Jaguars and would bring a lot of options to the passing game. Current tight end Marcedes Lewis hasn't been the player he was earlier in his career, and Thomas would be an upgrade.
He is 6'5" and 250 pounds, and few defenders in the NFL can match up with Thomas in terms of size and speed. While he's not much of a blocker, he can quickly come off ends and find space, and he offers options for short gains and large pickups.
Thomas is dangerous on every play, and if he were to come to Duval County, it's exciting to think of the possibilities.
Randall Cobb's Future in the Balance
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Randall Cobb is considered one of the best receivers in the NFL, and he may be bringing his talents to Jacksonville. Conflicting reports, however, have raised a lot of questions about his future.
On February 25, CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reported that the Green Bay Packers were focusing on players like Bryan Bulaga rather than Cobb, and that the Jaguars would be major players for his talents: "The Jags will be looking for a high-end pass catcher as well. If they ended up with either Randall Cobb or Julius Thomas I would not be surprised in the least."
Cobb had 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014, and his addition to the Jaguars receiving corps would be a huge upgrade. He could easily be considered the best receiving talent the Jaguars have had on the field in the past few years.
However, Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com reported on February 27 that the Packers are still doing their best to retain Cobb: "According to two NFL sources familiar with the Packers plans, the team hasn’t in any way given up on its efforts to re-sign Cobb, who caught 91 passes for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014, his fourth NFL season. Set to turn 25 in August, Cobb is viewed as a core player that the Packers definitely want to keep."
Cobb would be a huge pickup for the Jaguars if he can make it to March 10 without re-signing with the Packers. Like Thomas, Cobb is one of the most dominant pass-catchers in the NFL and would be a lethal weapon for Bortles.
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Ndamukong Suh Could Be an Expensive Target for the Jaguars
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As of late, Ndamukong Suh has been a popular player to link to the Jaguars. Suh, who has spent all five season of his NFL career with the Detroit Lions, will probably hit free agency before the Lions try to re-sign him.
He has been one of the best and most controversial defensive tackles in the NFL, and while he would be quite the signing for the Jaguars, he won't come at a cheap price.
If he was to sign with the Jaguars or another team besides the Detroit Lions, he would receive a huge deal—and possibly the largest deal for a defensive tackle in the history of the NFL, somewhere around $100 million or more, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: "Suh told people in the Lions' organization last year that he wanted to be the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL."
While this points to a team with a lot of cap space like the Jaguars, Birkett also points out that there is another outcome for Suh and the Lions:
"If not Detroit, there's a good chance another team will pay Suh more than McCoy and J.J. Watt (six years, $100 million, $51.9 million guaranteed). That's what Suh is banking on at least, assuming the Lions don't slap the franchise tag on him for one year and $26.9 million next week, and that's what many feel he deserves.
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If Suh makes it to March 10, he'll likely sign with another team; however, the time before then will be a hard-fought battle.
For the Jaguars, it's probably not the best time to sign Suh. He is an excellent player, but his attitude and price, as well as the fact that the Jaguars are probably still a year away from playoff contention, mean that it may be best to spend money elsewhere.
Running Backs Are Filling the Market...
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The past week has seen a flood of running backs fill the free-agent market. Steven Jackson, Reggie Bush, DeAngelo Williams, Chris Johnson and Peyton Hillis were released by their respective teams according to ESPN.com's transaction tracker. So what does this mean for the Jaguars?
The Jaguars had four running backs receive carries in 2014: Denard Robinson, Toby Gerhart, Storm Johnson and Jordan Todman. It is unsure whether the Jaguars are going to release any of these four backs, but it is possible.
Todman would be the most likely to go, but Johnson could potentially be leaving Duval County as well, given the circumstances.
While a lot of people expect the Jaguars to take a running back in the draft, a better option may be to sign a player like Williams or Jackson. Both Jackson and Williams have had solid careers and are proven backs in the NFL.
However, they have a history of injuries and wouldn't be the most cost-effective options, especially considering how much cheaper rookie contracts are.
Either way, the Jaguars running back corps will probably lose a member or two and see a new face.
...And so Are Wide Receivers
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Brian Hartline, Harry Douglas and Greg Little were all released by their respective teams Friday according to ESPN.com. These three are just some of the receivers who will flood the market in the coming days.
What this means for the Jaguars is that they have options. If they are unable to sign a high-profile receiver like Cobb or Thomas, they can sign veteran talent like Douglas or Hartline.
Hartline and Douglas have both had solid NFL careers with their respective teams and would be solid additions to the Jaguars. Little, who hasn't been quite as successful, is also an option going forward.
While they aren't the preferred options for the Jaguars, Jacksonville needs to consider the value of a veteran presence and reliability for a young quarterback like Bortles.
Will Cecil Shorts Return to Jacksonville Next Year?
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Cecil Shorts III may not be a Jaguar much longer. Likely to enter free agency or be released by the Jaguars before March 10, he would end his run as a Jaguar after four years
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com has linked Shorts to the Cleveland Browns.
Shorts, who is from Cleveland, has been mediocre with the Jaguars, and as the team continues to change at various positions, it may be time for Shorts to leave.
However, the absence of Shorts means that there would be no veteran presence at wide receiver for the Jaguars, and that the top two receivers, Allen Robinson and Marquis Lee, would have to take on that role in their sophomore years.
The potential release of Shorts makes the move for a player like Cobb or a veteran like Hartline or Douglas much more sensible. In fact, the Jaguars could sign two players at this point, which would make for an attractive stable of wide receivers.
The Jaguars have a lot of options and decisions to make with free agency right around the corner, and if they decide to go after marquee players like Suh, Cobb and Thomas, it could be an exciting offseason.
However, at this point in time, the Jaguars need to make sure that the moves they make are financially sensible as well as productive on the field. Improving at multiple positions may be more important at the moment than signing a big name like Suh.
The changing face of this team is exciting, and like last offseason, the hope and excitement are starting to peak for fans and the organization alike. The possibilities that free agency offers mean that the Jaguars could become AFC South contenders in a matter of months.
We can only hope.
All stats were found at ESPN.com unless otherwise stated.
Evan Reier is a first-year journalism major at the University of Alabama and a member of Bleacher Report's APSM program. Follow Evan on Twitter at @evanreier.
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