After a year in which the Jaguars struggled mightily in every aspect of football — noth on and off the field — the team’s commitment to getting better has led Jacksonville to having a “historic” offseason so far.
As of right now, the team has spent more money in free agency than any other team in NFL history. The record — set the offseason prior by the New England Patriots — now stands at over $175 million in guaranteed money.
While the Jaguars focused on fixing the talent or lack thereof around Trevor Lawrence, there are concerns that they didn’t exactly get a whole lot of bang for their back. As of right now, Jacksnoville has brought in two wide receivers in Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, while also resigning Laquon Treadwell.
Both Kirk and Jones signed big money deals this offseason, but neither of them are exactly projected as a true No. 1 for Lawrence going forward. The team also brought in Evan Engram, formerly of the New York Giants, who has never quite lived up to his potential.
Engram, a former first-round pick, has plenty of physical gifts, but struggled with drops during his time with the Giants. Not to mention, the Jaguars also inked Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, who will certainly provide protection for Lawrence upfront.
On the defensive side of the football, the Jaguars signed linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi and defensive end Arden Key, each of whom was brought in to help bolster the team up front. They also signed cornerbacks Xavier Crawford and Darius Williams.
While most of Jacksonville’s offseason moves can be looked at as plugging holes, they don’t really move the needle, nor do they inspire a lot of confidence. Though, given the team’s struggles, particularly on offense, it is most certainly an upgrade. Adding more weapons for the second-year passer out of Clemson is never a bad thing.
It remains to be seen if Jacksonville’s historic spending spree will translate into wins. However, for Clemson fans, it should be nice seeing the team willing to spend the money to add weapons and talent around Lawrence.
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