Why Signing Greg Hardy Wouldn't Make Any Sense for the Jacksonville Jaguars

Greg Hardy needs the Jacksonville Jaguars; the Jaguars don't need Hardy.

As such, there isn't any reason why the organization should entertain the idea of signing Hardy. Yet it is.

"Per a source with knowledge of the situation, free-agent defensive end Greg Hardy spent the last two days visiting with and working out for the Jaguars," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported Thursday.

Florio later added "the Jaguars wanted to learn more about Hardy so that they'll know more about him if at some point down the road they need him."

Unless Jacksonville suffers a glut of injuries, there is no reason for it to even consider signing Hardy. His off-field issues are well-documented, and he remained a malcontent during his most recent stop with the Dallas Cowboys.

Franchises are always searching for pass-rushers, but the Jaguars have reached the point where their roster is filled with young and exciting talent. Bringing in Hardy could destroy the balance of what the team has been building toward since general manager David Caldwell and head coach Gus Bradley took control over three years ago.

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The team's owner, Shahid Khan, even displayed a rare virtue in today's NFL when he exercised patience in implementing his vision. An ill-advised move would put that hard-earned progress at risk.

The Hardy dalliance can be described as a potential low-risk, high-reward proposition. That argument, however, doesn't take into account multiple factors that could stunt the team's overall growth.

The Jaguars are one of the NFL's up-and-coming teams and a chic choice to make some noise this season.

Quarterback Blake Bortles displayed tremendous growth last year. His 35 touchdown passes tied the Arizona Cardinals' Carson Palmer, New York Giants' Eli Manning and reigning league MVP Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers for the second-most in the league.

Bortles benefited from the talent around him. Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns make up the NFL's most electrifying young duo at wide receiver, and leading rusher T.J. Yeldon is just 22 years old.

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Prior to free agency and the draft, the Jaguars owned the league's second-youngest roster, according to snap-weighted numbers compiled by SB Nation's Rich Hill.

Hardy, on the other hand, can be an overwhelming negative presence. That was never more evident than last year. Even after the Cowboys gave the troubled defender a second chance despite alarming details in regard to a 2014 assault case, his attitude and approach didn't reflect an appreciative person.

As the cliche goes, actions speak louder than words.

Hardy and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have done everything in their power to change the public perception of Hardy, but what matters most is how he acted in Dallas. He was a distraction during the season—whether he argued with coaches on the field or didn't take his daily preparation seriously, as the Dallas Morning News' Brandon George reported:

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Along the way, Hardy became a constant headache for Jason Garrett. The Cowboys [head] coach met with him at least four times to address his conduct.

Hardy became such a worry over the last month of the season that the club increased its involvement, providing a more active support staff to check in on him, a source said.

A few teammates who had supported Hardy early began to sour on him late in the season, in part because his perpetual tardiness for team meetings never resulted in a reduction of playing time.

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Hardy isn't a misguided or misunderstood talent; he's a locker room cancer. Some will argue he deserves another chance. Well, he already received a second chance, and his former Dallas teammates aren't eager to reunite.

Jeremy Mincey, a respected veteran, spent plenty of time with his fellow defensive end last season. Even he felt Hardy and the Cowboys needed to part ways.

"It was tough," Mincey said in an interview with KDFW Fox 4 (h/t the Morning News). "You know, you got this guy who you want to be a leader, and then you got that guy. It was just too much."

The eight-year pro intimated Hardy's presence played a part in a growing divide among the players.

"Regardless of how great this athlete is and regardless of this and that, if they're not mentally on the same page, you're not going to get the same results," Mincey said.

That is not the type of person any team should want in its locker room—especially a burgeoning program still trying to establish its identity through a core of young players. Those men need room to grow.

Last season, Hardy played 75.9 percent of Dallas' defensive snaps after he returned from a four-game suspension, per Pro-Football-Reference.com. Based on ability, he should be an every-down performer. But his inclusion would affect the Jaguars' ability to develop players by taking reps away from those in need of time on the field.

Jacksonville is loaded with talent along the defensive front seven after a productive free-agency period and intriguing draft.

A year ago, the organization splurged when it signed Jared Odrick to a five-year, $42.5 million contract. The 305-pound defender started every game at base end. But his signing only served as a warm-up to this year's spending.

Gary McCullough/Associated Press

Malik Jackson struck one of the league's richest free-agent deals when he agreed to a six-year, $85.5 million pact. What's interesting about Jackson is he can play defensive end or tackle depending on the situation. With the Denver Broncos, the Tennessee product started at end in their three-man base front but slid inside in obvious pass-rush situations.

The Jaguars' quarterback chasers also feature Ryan Davis, who re-signed for one year at $2.6 million. Despite playing only 245 defensive snaps in his fourth season, per Pro-Football-Reference.com, the situational pass-rusher finished fifth on the team with 14 quarterback hurries and 3.5 sacks.

Plus, Jacksonville added a trio of premium edge defenders in the draft: UCLA linebacker Myles Jack, Maryland pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue and Montana defensive end Tyrone Holmes.

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And last year's third overall pick, Dante Fowler Jr., is healthy after tearing his ACL during his first professional practice. The franchise thought highly enough of Fowler to warrant that lofty draft pick, and he should be on the field as much as possible if he remains healthy.

Usually, a team can't have too many pass-rushers, but those players must feed off one another instead of eating into each other's space and opportunities. Right now, the Jaguars have multiple talented edge defenders, and they will allow defensive coordinator Todd Wash to show different looks.

There's no guarantee Hardy would be a productive player at this point. He's three years removed from his last double-digit sack campaign. Last season, he registered six sacks and 19 quarterback hurries. Four of those sacks came in his first four games before his production tailed off. Meanwhile, those 19 hurries were nowhere near the levels he reached from 2011-13.

In the NFL, talent almost always trumps trepidation. At some point, though, organizations must realize when moves aren't worth it. Just because something seems like a good idea doesn't mean it is. In this case, Jacksonville's interest shouldn't extend beyond the preliminary raised eyebrow the franchise already showed.

"My goal is to be on the field next year because every year is a gift," Hardy said in January, per ESPN.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor. "My preference is to be on some team—not at home on the couch."

Teams don't like opening their yearly gifts and getting coal, though. For the Jaguars, Hardy would be just that.

Advanced statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted. Salary information via Spotrac. Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.