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The New Orleans Saints will be looking high and low for upgrades when NFL free agency begins in March, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have as much to offer as any other team around the league. We’re continuing our daily survey of each team’s pending free agents with a look at who could help the Saints from Jacksonville. Here’s every Jaguars player whose contract will expire next month:
- DE Yannick Ngakoue
- DT Akeem Spence
- LB D.J. Alexander
- LB Najee Goode
- LB Preston Brown
- RB Alfred Blue
- OG Tyler Shatley
- OT Benjamin Ijalana
- OT Cedric Ogbuehi
- TE Ben Koyack
- TE Seth Devalve
- TE Nick O’Leary
- DT Marcell Dareus (Club Option)
- G Brandon Thomas (ERFA)
- LB Austin Calitro (ERFA)
- RB Devante Mays (ERFA)
- DT Carl Davis (RFA)
- LB Donald Payne (RFA)
- LB James Onwualu (RFA)
- WR Keelan Cole (RFA)
The biggest name on this list is Ngakoue, and he’d be one of the biggest additions the Saints could hope to make on the open market. He’d also draw one of the largest contracts thanks to his well-padded resume (with 37.5 sacks and 85 quarterback hits in 63 career games). It would take some crafty contract structuring to make it work, but Ngakoue wouldn’t be the first blue-chip free agent the Saints have signed unexpectedly. He’d provide a huge boost to the defensive line as a quick-twitch athlete out on the edge, which they don’t really have right now.
Ogbuehi is another player to watch, as a potential backup for Saints left tackle Terron Armstead. Ogbuehi never lived up to his draft billing as a first-round pick, but he could still fill in here or there without embarrassing himself. The Saints can’t rely on Armstead to play 16 full games in a year, so it’s vital that they have a better backup plan than sliding Andrus Peat, also often injured, out of the left guard spot and into Armstead’s role. Maybe Ogbuehi could compete for that job.
Also, watch out for the Jaguars linebackers and tight ends who will be available. The Saints are running thin at both positions and could always use more bodies there. Brown at linebacker and O’Leary at tight end are two candidates with experience in the roles the Saints ask out of their backups.
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