Tag: 2022 offseason

Jags set to have among most cap space in NFL once again

The Jaguars are currently projected to have the third-most cash to spend in the NFL this offseason.

This time last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars sat with the most available cap space in the entire NFL. General Manager Trent Baalke went for a value strategy instead of using that space to spend big on top-tier free agents, but that tactic looks questionable in hindsight, to say the least. The team didn’t improve much from its 1-15 finish in 2020, going 3-14 and picking first overall once again.

However, the team may have a chance to rectify that mistake this offseason. Once again, the team has among the most available cap space in the league. Though the official number isn’t yet known, Over the Cap predicts that Jacksonville will have about $61.2 million to spend this offseason.

That would rank third in the NFL behind only the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers. The overall cap number for each NFL team hasn’t been determined, but it’s expected to be boosted to around $208 million after it was reduced due to COVID-19.

The Jaguars don’t have a lot of big contracts on the books, but the players with the biggest cap hits (and the only ones in eight figures) will be cornerback Shaquill Griffin ($16.5 million) and linebacker Myles Jack ($13.2 million).

However, they do have several decisions to make with impending free agents, namely receiver DJ Chark Jr. and offensive tackle Cam Robinson. Chark has been productive throughout his career despite poor quarterback play, but he missed almost the entire 2021 season with an ankle fracture. He could be a franchise tag candidate, but regardless of how the Jags do it, they need to keep him around. The receiving corps this year struggled mightily without him, and Jacksonville can’t afford to move on from a promising young receiver.

Robinson, meanwhile, played under the franchise tag in 2021. He was solid if not overly impressive, but he did make a decent case for sticking around. The Jaguars could tag him again, but that would make his 2022 deal even more lucrative than it was this season. If they choose to offer him a long-term contract, he will likely want a big deal in line with the other top tackles in the league.

Still, even if the Jags offer both Chark and Robinson multi-year extensions, they should have plenty of cap space to work with. After last year’s offseason proved to be disappointing, it seems likely the team will be a bit more aggressive in pursuing talented players in free agency this time around.

NFL free agency unlikely to solve Browns WR problem

Andrew Berry is always aggressive but he might find it hard to fill the WR need in free agency for a variety of reasons:

The Cleveland Browns have a need at wide receiver, that much is clear. While we wrote about the first two games of the playoffs, the wild card weekend truly showed the need for an explosive offense that was lacking in Cleveland.

The success of the 2020 Browns without much speed or explosion on the outside was a rarity in the NFL these days. Even a team like the Tennesse Titans, who are built similar to Cleveland, have A.J. Brown and Julio Jones on the outside.

At this moment, the Browns have a developing Donovan Peoples-Jones, speedy but inconsistent Anthony Schwartz and free-agent-to-be David Njoku as their most explosive players. Jarvis Landry bemoaned not playing on wild card weekend but could be on his way out of town based on the cap hit on the last year of his contract.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, NFL free agency seems unlikely to solve their problem at wide receiver. A quick look at the top receivers that could become free agents shows some talent:

  • Davante Adams
  • Chris Godwin
  • Allen Robinson
  • Michael Gallup
  • Will Fuller
  • JuJu Smith-Schuster

Adams seems unlikely to make it out of Green Bay, Godwin and Gallup both tore their ACLs late in the season, Robinson just had the worst season of his career, Fuller is hit or miss and Smith-Schuster is more name than explosive game at this point.

While there may be limitations to each player, the Browns would be thankful to acquire any of them at a reasonable price.

Price is the first obstacle. While Cleveland is expected to have a good amount of cap space, they have a variety of needs to fill this offseason. With Jadeveon Clowney either signing for big money or going elsewhere, a defensive end addition may be necessary in free agency. Interior defensive line and more defensive backs may also be high on their list.

The bigger obstacle is the performance of the team’s offense in 2021 and the history of Kevin Stefanski’s offense. Baker Mayfield and company were less than stellar last year. The Browns have made it clear that they expect Mayfield to “bounce back” but will a free agent trust that to happen if they have similar or better options elsewhere?

Stefanski’s scheme also puts a lot of emphasis on getting the ball to tight ends and spreading the ball around. If a receiver is looking to build his resume, Stefanski’s system is not set up to prioritize one player in that way. Frustrations from Stephon Diggs in Minnesota and Odell Beckham Jr. in Cleveland are two examples of receivers who wanted to be showcased more.

For the Browns to find answers at receiver, trades and the NFL draft are the more likely route in 2022. It may be hard for Andrew Berry to move draft assets for a receiver but the team needs a reliable, explosive player outside to meet their goals next year. A big-time free agent addition seems unlikely. Perhaps double-dipping with a trade and an early draft pick at the position will do the trick.

Jacksonville signs 8 players to Reserve/Futures contracts

Four of the eight players signed saw playing time during the 2021 season.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars’ season in the books, the team will now focus on a crucial offseason in which it clearly needs to improve a lot after finishing with the league’s worst record for the second year in a row. While the focus from a roster management perspective will mostly be on adding new players through the draft and free agency, the team will also be keeping around a few developmental players from the practice squad.

On Monday, the Jaguars signed eight players to Reserve/Futures contracts heading into the 2022 season. Several of those players got to see action in the final weeks of the season as the team battled injuries and COVID-19 cases. Here are the eight players.

  • WR Jeff Cotton Jr.
  • RB Nathan Cottrell
  • OL Coy Cronk
  • WR Josh Hammond
  • OL Jared Hocker
  • WR Tim Jones
  • DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
  • OL Badara Traore

Cotton, Cottrell, Hammond and Traore all saw some playing time this season despite spending most of the year on the practice squad, and they will look to make the final roster next preseason.

For a refresher on how Reserve/Futures contracts work, teams are permitted to sign players to futures contracts if they were not a part of the team’s active roster following the season. These deals don’t count against the salary cap or toward the 53-man roster, rather counting against the 90-man roster allowed during camp.

These players can no longer be signed by another team like they could if they remained on the practice squad, and they will have a chance to earn their spots during camp this offseason.