Calais Campbell Signs Contract with Jacksonville Jaguars

On Friday, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced they signed defensive lineman standout Calais Campbell.

ESPN's Dianna Russini initially reported the move would happen Wednesday.

Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported Campbell's deal will pay him an average of $14 million a year. ESPN's Adam Schefter added the four-year deal was worth a total of $60 million, with $30 million guaranteed, and noted the Jags weathered a late push from the Denver Broncos to sign the veteran lineman. 

Campbell, 30, had another excellent season for the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, registering 53 tackles, eight sacks, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus named him the No. 2 interior defensive lineman this season:

And Matt Harmon of NFL.com ranked him as the No. 5 interior pass-rusher:

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Since establishing himself as a starter with the Cardinals in his second season back in 2009, Calais Campbell has been one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL. He's averaged seven sacks per season since then. With 345 pass rush attempts this year, Campbell posted a 4.15 pressure score, checking in at the 95th percentile. The Cardinals led the NFL with 48 sacks this year, and two of their edge rushers in Chandler Jones and Markus Golden finished with double-digit sacks. The monstrous 6-foot-8 presence of Campbell helps free up a lot of action for everyone else in addition to the pressure he brings on his own.

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Few interior presences have been more consistent over the past decade than Campbell, who has 56.5 career sacks since becoming the No. 50 pick of the Cardinals in the 2008 NFL draft. For the Cardinals, he'll be difficult to replace, though the team may look to internal candidates—including Josh Mauro, Corey Peters, Rodney Gunter and Robert Nkemdiche—to pick up the slack.

Or they could also look to add a replacement via free agency or the draft.

As for Jacksonville, they're getting a true difference-maker on the line who's never missed more than three games in a season. Campbell doesn't receive the accolades of some bigger names or edge-rushers or accumulate larger sack numbers, but his ability to be a factor against the run and pass makes him one of the most valuable defensive lineman in the NFL.

In Campbell, the Jaguars checked a number of boxes. They improved the defensive line. They added a veteran presence to a pretty young defense. Their mediocre run defense will get a boost.

The Jaguars have the young building blocks to become a playoff contender in the coming years. Adding Campbell may have helped expedite that process.