The Jacksonville Jaguars may not have the most cap space to spend in the league this offseason, but they will still be in the top three of the NFL in terms of available cash to spend. After a 2021 offseason that featured mostly value signings, this team could look to make a bigger splash this time around.
While this team needs more help on offense than defense, it has holes across the board. It could plug a major one if it was able to add outside linebacker Chandler Jones from the Arizona Cardinals.
Jones is primarily an edge rusher can play off-ball occasionally (has received 42 targets in coverage), and that versatility would be welcome for a Jaguars defense that is lacking playmakers. Josh Allen has that potential, but pairing him up with a player like Jones would prove to be a major boost for this defense.
Second-year player K’Lavon Chaisson didn’t take much of a step forward after a bad rookie season, and while Dawuane Smoot had a breakout year, he may not be a starting-caliber player.
The Jaguars hired Brentson Buckner away from Arizona to serve as the new defensive line coach under Doug Pederson, and that has spurred speculation that the Jaguars could target Jones this offseason.
To sign away Arizona’s all-time sacks leader, it won’t be cheap. According to Spotrac, Jones is expected to have a market value of $14.5 million/year over three years for a deal that would have a total value somewhere in the neighborhood of $43 million. That’s certainly not pennies for a 31-year-old.
Should the Jaguars pursue Jones this offseason?
Age and price tag aside, going after Jones would still make a lot of sense for the Jags. Coming off a torn bicep and some offseason drama in which he made a trade request that wasn’t granted by the Cardinals, a down year would have been expected.
Though it was his lowest sack total since 2014, it’s hard to call Jones’ production in 2021 “down” in any way. He finished with 10.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles. He’s also not too far removed from a 19-sack season in 2019 that represented his career-high.
While his best play may be behind him, he should have a lot of good seasons left if he can maintain his health, and with a player like Allen already on the roster, Jones could be a very helpful piece for this team up front defensively.
The Jaguars need to use some of that money to make splashy additions this offseason, and Jones, while expensive, would be an immediate upgrade on defense.