Free agency will begin next week, and unlike last offseason, the Jacksonville Jaguars need to be a bit more aggressive in the process. They went for value signings over splash ones, and as a result, the team didn’t improve all that much and ended up with the worst record in the league a second consecutive time.
Hopefully, with the team ranking sixth in cap space with around $38.7 million to spend this offseason, they will end up with the A-tier names they need to make a drastic leap. Specifically, the top priorities should be to upgrade the line around quarterback Trevor Lawrence and add more skill weapons.
For the most part, that’s what The Athletic’s Sheil Kapadia has the Jags doing in his recent offseason predictions where he assigned each team three pending free agents who he viewed as needed additions for each respective organization. In the Jags’ case, they ended up with tight end Zach Ertz and guard Brandon Scherff on offense. Then on defense, Kapadia slotted them edge-rusher Emmanuel Ogbah.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Edge Emmanuel Ogbah
- OG Brandon Scherff
- TE Zach Ertz
They could go in a number of different directions, but the priority should be to protect Trevor Lawrence and give him pass-catching options. Scherff has had some durability concerns but is still a quality guard. Ertz had 74 catches for 763 yards last season. He can be a nice security blanket for Lawrence and of course knows Doug Pederson well from their time together in Philly. Ogbah has been a highly productive player with 18 sacks, 46 hits and 15 batted passes over the past two seasons.
This prediction is in the same ballpark of what most fans have predicted when looking at the Jags’ needs.
The team recently franchise-tagged offensive tackle Cam Robinson and have Walker Little available to play right tackle if they think he’s a fit there. That said, the team is now in position to get help for the interior of the offensive line more so than on the edge, so signing Brandon Scherff makes sense.
However, Kapadia pointed out the veteran’s durability as we did in our preview for Scherff, too. With that being the case, a younger and more durable option like Alex Cappa (who would likely cost more) feels like a better move, but adding Scherff isn’t exactly wrong either.
As for Ertz, there may not be a more perfect fit for the Jags when looking at his connection with Pederson. He had his two most productive seasons under Pederson with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2018-19 by racking up 2,079 receiving yards and could be looking for a reunion as a result.
Like Scherff, though, Ertz is over 30, and one thing that will be working against him is the fact that the tight end class is strong in the draft. Still, with how rookie tight ends struggle to produce immediately, Ertz would be a good addition for the offense and as a leader.
Lastly, Ogbah, who is the youngest of the trio (28), is a player the Jags could use to bolster their pass-rush. He’s garnered nine sacks in his last two seasons, but most importantly, he’s garnered 81 hurries in the process. It seems he’d be a welcomed addition for the Jags’ defense after they ranked 23rd last season, but he’s a player they might want to get at a reasonable price.
It’s unclear who the Jags will try and sign next week, but the rumors should start heating up sooner rather than later. If the team can land at least one of the aforementioned names on Day 1, it would mark a better start than last season.
