With the Jacksonville Jaguars doing their media run today at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, the big question on the minds of fans was the latest on Yannick Ngakoue getting an extension.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of an update on how talks are going from neither general manager Dave Caldwell or coach Doug Marrone, which is probably for the better. Last season, there were some leaks on the brief negotiations between the two sides and it didn’t exactly look good on the Jags’ part.
Caldwell did, however, reiterate that he wants Ngakoue to be apart of the roster and was going to put forth the effort to retain him one or another.
“The best thing we can do as an organization is when we have news for you on that is to let you know,” Caldwell said Tuesday at the Combine. “There is a process that needs to be played. I think you guys know how we feel about him. We want him here. We’re going to try to get him here and keep him here, one way or another. I’ll leave it at that.”
For those who can recall, a report surfaced that the Jags offered Ngakoue a short-term extension that would pay Ngakoue $19 million annually, but obviously, he declined it. Some fans insist that he should’ve pounced on it but the Jags didn’t come away from the situation looking like saints either from a business standpoint.
As for Ngakoue, a report surfaced that he may be looking for $22 million annually. While that is a huge price to pay and would make him the league’s highest-paid defensive end, it’s one the Jags could swing if structured right — and that’s despite the concerns for their salary cap.
Regardless of if the Jags feel like they can pay Ngakoue as the reports have indicated, it feels like the franchise tag (worth approximately $19 million) will be the first option before ironing out a deal. The Jags will have from February 27 to March 12 to use it on Ngakoue. Afterward, the team would have several months to get something done and prevent what could be a messy holdout that carries on into the future.