The Jacksonville Jaguars spent huge money in the offseason to add several new faces to the starting lineup, including wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, tight end Evan Engram, offensive lineman Brandon Scherff, and linebacker Foye Oluokun, among others.
But it was one of the more under-the-radar additions that earned a spot on Over The Cap’s list of worst free agent signings.
At No. 5 on Jason Fitzgerald’s list at OTC was defensive end Folorunso Fatukasi, who signed a three-year, $30 million deal with Jacksonville in the offseason:
Fatukasi left the Jets to join the Jaguars in free agency, but it has been a rough change so far for the defensive lineman. Fatukasi is grading under 60 on the year by Pro Football Focus. He has been credited with 15 tackles, none for loss, a big drop from last year where he had 46 tackles, 5 for loss with the Jets. You would expect these numbers from a sub $3 million player. He has provided similar pass rush numbers to last season but the Jaguars are looking for more overall consistency. He has a $12.8M cap figure next season and his salary is guaranteed.
While Fatukasi hasn’t made many plays in the opposing backfield to necessarily justify his salary, his impact against the run can get lost in the box score.
The Jaguars started the year with one of the NFL’s most stout run defenses, but they struggled to slow the Philadelphia Eagles after Fatukasi went down with a quad injury.
His $10 million per year salary means Jacksonville should expect some plays made on the other side of the line of scrimmage, but calling him one of the worst signings of the offseason is a stretch.