Tag: Jaguars

Mel Kiper, Daniel Jeremiah predict same prospect to Jaguars

Two of the leading NFL draft experts think the Jaguars will add to their defense in the first round.

After a flurry of moves in free agency, wide receiver and cornerback look like the two areas that the Jacksonville Jaguars will likely address early in the 2024 NFL draft.

While replacing the production lost when Calvin Ridley joined the Tennessee Titans will be a challenge, both ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah think the Jaguars will use the No. 17 overall pick on the other side of the ball. And both draft experts have the same player in mind for Jacksonville.

In Kiper’s latest mock draft, he says Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold would help the Jaguars at a position that “could still require reinforcements.”

The Jaguars have been busy in free agency, adding defensive tackle Arik Armstead, center Mitch Morse, safety Darnell Savage and wideout Gabe Davis, among others. The position they haven’t addressed enough? Cornerback, where they added veteran Ronald Darby but could still require reinforcements to play on the other side of Tyson Campbell. I like the fit of Arnold in Jacksonville, as he took a major step forward in 2023, developing into a shutdown corner. He picked off five passes and allowed only four receptions of 20-plus yards as the nearest defender in coverage.

In Kiper’s mock, Arnold is the second cornerback off the board after the Indianapolis Colts took Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell at No. 15 overall.

Jeremiah agrees with both of those predictions. After sending Mitchell to the Colts with the No. 15 pick, he also forecasted Arnold to the Jaguars.

Arnold plays much faster than he timed at the NFL Scouting Combine (4.50 40-yard dash). He can line up inside and outside for Jacksonville.

Both Kiper and Jeremiah had three wide receivers — Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze — off the board in the top 10.

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Arik Armstead looking to help the Jaguars get ‘over the hump’ in 2024

Arik Armstead says he can provide his Jaguars teammates advice on how to handle the Super Bowl stage “when we get there.”

After nine seasons with the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft, Arik Armstead hit free agency for the first time in his career last week when he was released by the San Francisco 49ers.

So what did the 30-year-old defensive lineman with two career Super Bowl appearances hope to find in his hunt for a new team?

“My goal was to find the next stage of my career in some place that I feel comfortable, that valued me as a player as well too, and a place I can take the next step and grow in,” Armstead said Monday. “A place that’s competitive and that I feel I can come in and help get them over the hump.

“The Jags were a good team before me and whenever I enter a situation, not just in football but in life in general when I’m meeting people and when I’m entering situations working with people, I want to make the place better than when I found it. I want to a positive impact in. I think this team was already a phenomenal team and I think I can help get them to the next level.”

Jacksonville finished each of the last two seasons with 9-8 records. That was enough for an AFC South title in the 2022 season, but it left the Jaguars on the outside this January.

The Jaguars hope that their new additions, headlined by the 6’7 defensive lineman, will be enough to turn the team into a legitimate Super Bowl contender. And Armstead is mincing no words: he envisions being on that stage with the Jaguars.

“This team has Super Bowl aspirations and when we get there, I’ve already been through that, and I know what it’s going to look like and what to expect,” Armstead said.

The Jaguars have been to the AFC Championship three times (1996, 1999, 2017) in the franchise’s three-decade history, but have never reached the Super Bowl.

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Jaguars sign former Bears, Titans OLB Trevis Gipson

Trevis Gipson, who was once a fast rising star in the Bears defense, will look to get his career back on track with the Jaguars.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed former Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Trevis Gipson, the team announced Monday.

Gipson, 26, was a fifth-round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 2020 NFL draft and played the first three seasons of his career with the team. While he recorded seven sacks and five forced fumbles in a breakout second season in 2021, Gipson struggled to make the transition to the Bears’ new defensive scheme under Matt Eberflus in 2022.

After recording only three sacks in 2022, Gipson was granted permission to search for a trade ahead of the 2023 season and was eventually released by the team in final cuts. He signed with the Titans in August, but was a healthy scratch in nine games and finished with only one sack.

In Jacksonville, Gipson will try to rediscover the momentum he had early in his career when he was seen as a fast rising and promising young pass rusher. The Jaguars could certainly use the edge rushing depth after getting very little out of K’Lavon Chaisson and Dawuane Smoot in 2023 and allowing both to reach the free agency market.

Terms of Gipson’s contract with the Jaguars haven’t yet been revealed.

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Jaguars sign Commanders K Joey Slye to 1-year deal

After Brandon McManus joined the Commanders last week, the Jaguars are signing the kicker he replaced.

After losing their kicker to the Washington Commanders in free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars are picking up the player he replaced. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Jaguars have signed former Commanders kicker Joey Slye to a one-year deal.

Slye, who turns 28 next month, began his career as an undrafted signee with the New York Giants and made stops with the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, and San Francisco 49ers before joining Washington in 2021.

In two seasons and change with the Commanders, Slye made 56 of his 66 field goals and 65 of his 73 extra point tries. During the 2023 season, Slye was 19 of 24 on field goals and 32 of 35 on extra points. Slye made three of his five attempts from 50-plus yards, including a 61-yarder he made in October.

Shortly after the tampering period of free agency began last week, the Jaguars struck a deal with Denver Broncos kicker Wil Lutz on a three-year deal. But before the end of the day, Lutz changed his mind and opted to stay in Denver.

Following the departure of McManus, the only kicker on the Jaguars’ roster was Riley Patterson, the team’s 2022 kicker who returned in February on a reserve/futures deal.

Terms of Slye’s contract haven’t yet been revealed, but it would factor into the NFL’s compensatory formula if it reaches a certain pay threshold — likely upwards of $3 million next year.

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Arik Armstead is wasting no time learning Jaguars’ defense, rivalries

Arik Armstead has only been a member of the Jaguars for two days, but he already knows the Titans are public enemy No. 1.

New Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead has only been a member of the team for a couple days, but the former San Francisco 49ers lineman is getting caught up quickly.

His first order of business after signing a three-year, $51 million deal with the team was to ask fans what he needs to know about Duval. One Jaguars fan made sure he knew the really important thing: the Tennessee Titans are not well-liked in Jacksonville.

Armstead, 30, also got straight to work on preparing himself for the next season.

The Jaguars are hoping the former first-round pick and four-time team captain of the 49ers will provide their defensive line with a much needed boost. While the duo of Josh Allen and Travon Walker teamed up for 27.5 sacks, every other player on the Jacksonville defense combined for just 12.5.

Jacksonville’s run defense was also lacking down the stretch, allowing three of its last six opponents to rack up more than 150 rushing yards.

If Armstead hits the ground running with the Jaguars, it could be exactly the upgrade the team needs to get back to the postseason. And it looks like Armstead is getting straight to business learning how to be a fan favorite in Duval.

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Calvin Ridley: ‘I really wanted to, honestly, be with the Jags’

Calvin Ridley was hopeful things would’ve worked out to keep him in Jacksonville.

Calvin Ridley is officially a member of the Tennessee Titans after signing a four-year, $92 million contract Friday. But in his first press conference as a member of his new team, the receiver couldn’t help but admit he would’ve loved to stay with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

“I really wanted to, honestly, be with the Jags,” Ridley said. “But there was a lot of things that wasn’t working out for me. I think the Titans had the other side for me, so I chose the Titans. And obviously the money was pretty good so I went with that.”

Ridley, 29, joined the Jaguars via a 2022 trade, but only played one season with the team. While he struggled with consistency and miscues, Ridley still managed to eclipse 1,000 yards on the year and hauled in eight touchdowns. Everyone in the building seemed optimistic that bigger things were on the way for the receiver in Jacksonville.

“I love these guys,” Ridley told reporters after the season ended in January, via Juston Lewis of the Florida Times-Union. I’ve built relationships with them, I don’t really care to learn other people and plays and all that other stuff right now, but God is gonna find out where I belong. If the money is right — I do need some of that — we’re gonna figure it out.”

Yet, it wasn’t all great for Ridley either. During his press conference Friday, he hinted at some parts of his time in Jacksonville causing frustration.

“I’m a grown man,” Ridley said. “Let me explain to you why I dropped that pass, why it looks like this, why I didn’t play good here. It’s not an excuse. I work hard and put myself in position to do good every time. It was a little uncomfortable at times, but [the Titans] showed me they want me here for a while and they told me already that they’re going to treat me like a grown man.”

Ultimately, though, it was the money that wasn’t right for Ridley and Jacksonville. While the Jaguars reportedly made a strong offer to Ridley, the Titans’ $23 million per year deal with $50 million guaranteed couldn’t be matched. And now the Jaguars will face Ridley twice a year.

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Panthers signing former Jaguars first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson

K’Lavon Chaisson, the No. 20 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, is joining the Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers are signing former Jacksonville Jaguars pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson to one-year deal worth as much as $5 million, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Chaisson, 24, was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft joining cornerback C.J. Henderson as one of two first-round picks for the Jaguars. The pick that was used to select Chaisson was acquired in a trade that sent Jalen Ramsey to the Los Angeles Rams. Henderson, the No. 9 pick in the draft, was traded to the Panthers during the 2021 season.

In four seasons with the Jaguars, Chaisson notched only five career sacks. While coaches complimented his work ethic and called him a valuable contributor on special teams, the lack of contributions on defense led the team to decline his fifth-year option last year and allow him to walk into free agency this offseason.

While the base value of the contract hasn’t yet been revealed, it may be enough to factor into the formula for compensatory selections. For now, the Jaguars are not projected to get a compensatory pick in 2025.

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Former Jaguars S Rayshawn Jenkins signing with Seahawks

Rayshawn Jenkins is headed west to join the Seahawks.

Former Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayshawn Jenkins agreed to terms on a contract with the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Jenkins, 30, was released by the Jaguars earlier in March to clear $5,148,000 in salary cap space. Much of that additional cap room was used to sign him replacement, former Green Bay Packers safety Darnell Savage Jr., who is due to count $3,460,784 against the Jaguars’ cap in 2024 and then more than $8.6 million in both 2025 and 2026.

In three seasons with the Jaguars, Jenkins recorded five interceptions, 24 passes defended, and 11 tackles for loss. During the 2022 season, he provided two of the biggest plays of the year.

First, he recorded a pick-six in overtime to give the Jaguars a win against the Dallas Cowboys:

Then, he sacked Tennessee Titans quarterback Joshua Dobbs in Week 18, forcing a fumble that was returned by Josh Allen for a go-ahead touchdown in the de facto AFC South championship game.

The Jaguars are ineligible to receive a compensatory draft pick for the loss of Jenkins, as he was a player who was released and didn’t leave on an expired contract.

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Titans signing Calvin Ridley to 4-year, $92 million deal

The Titans swooped in to snag Calvin Ridley away from the Jaguars with a massive deal.

The Tennessee Titans are signing wide receiver Calvin Ridley to a four-year, $92 million deal, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The massive $23 million per year contract with $50 million guaranteed for Ridley comes out of left field as most expected the receiver’s decision to be between the Jaguars and the New England Patriots, although there were late rumors that another AFC South team had jumped into the mix.

While the Jaguars are eligible to receive a compensatory draft selection for the departure of Ridley, the team’s additions of Ronald Darby, Gabe Davis, Devin Duvernay, and Darnell Savage make it unlikely that they’ll suffer net losses.

Ridley, 29, was acquired by the Jaguars in a 2022 trade with the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick and what will be a 2024 third-round selection.

In January, Ridley told reporters he hoped he’d return to the Jaguars and reports this week said he still preferred to stay in Jacksonville. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence also said on multiple occasions that he was hoping the team would find a way to keep Ridley.

Ridley, who missed most of the 2021 season and all of 2022, finished his first season in Jacksonville with 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. However, he struggled at times with consistency, drops, and miscues.

Lawrence and Jaguars coaches were optimistic that more time for the receiver in the offense would allow room for growth. The team will not have that chance.

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Updated list of Jaguars set to become 2024 free agents

The Jaguars have re-signed a handful of their impending free agents, but there are still several players set to hit the open market.

In addition to the six new Jacksonville Jaguars set to be added to the roster, the team has been working to bring back a few of their own free agents.

Ezra Cleveland, Jeremiah Ledbetter, and Daniel Thomas all signed new contracts with the Jaguars and both Blake Hance and D’Ernest Johnson will reportedly soon follow. Jacksonville also used the franchise tag to keep Josh Allen from hitting the market.

While the Jaguars hope they can add Calvin Ridley to that list, for now he and several of his 2023 teammates are set to hit the market when free agency officially begins Wednesday. Here’s every Jaguars player with an expiring contract who is still set to become a free agent:

With the Ravens’ Devin Duvernay set to join the Jaguars’ roster, Agnew’s time with the franchise is clearly over. He even said his goodbyes on social media Tuesday. In three seasons with the team, he earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, scored two return touchdowns, caught five touchdown passes, and recorded a rushing touchdown.

It was a quick hi and bye for Barkley, who signed with the Jaguars a day after Christmas in 2023 amid a string of injuries for Trevor Lawrence. He was active for Jacksonville’s Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers and took six snaps in garbage time.

Blackson signed with the Jaguars just before the start of the 2023 season and had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Despite being on the field for just 30 percent of the Jaguars’ defensive snaps, he managed to fall on three fumbles.

The Jaguars seemed to remain optimistic about the 2020 first-round pick all the way to the bitter end. But after four seasons, Chaisson has just five career sacks.

Claybrooks missed the entire 2023 season due to a domestic battery court case that’s still ongoing. While there was some confusion about whether his contract would toll over due to the lost year, Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union reports that Claybrooks will be an unrestricted free agent as of Wednesday.

After signing a three-year contract with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie in 2018, Herndon re-signed with the team on one-year deals in 2021, 2022, and 2023. For the fourth straight offseason, he entered this March as an impending free agent. In six seasons with Jacksonville, Herndon has appeared in 83 career games and has three interceptions, nine tackles for loss, and 32 passes defended.

The Jaguars reportedly decided not to tender Johnson, who was set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. That’ll allow the special teams ace to hit the market after spending two seasons in Jacksonville.

McManus spent one season with the Jaguars and is reportedly headed elsewhere. The veteran kicker agreed to a one-year deal with the Commanders on Monday night.

Moore joined the Jaguars in 2022 and spent the entire year on the practice squad, then he spent all of 2023 on the team’s injured reserve. As an exclusive rights free agent, it’d cost next to nothing for Jacksonville to keep him, but there’s been no indication yet that they’ve extended a qualifying offer.

Quarterman, a fourth-round pick in 2020, played out the final year of his rookie contract in 2023. In four seasons with the Jaguars, he 54 career tackles, one tackle for loss, and one very consequential forced fumble.

Ridley is easily the biggest name on this list and the top receiver on the free agent market. In his first season with the Jaguars following a 2022 trade from the Falcons, Ridley recorded 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns. Jacksonville is reportedly working to bring back the receiver and he “currently prefers to return” to the Jaguars, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

No player in Jaguars history has played more consecutive games with the team than Shatley. After signing with the team as a free agent in 2014, he signed new contracts with the Jaguars in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Shatley started six games for the Jaguars in 2023.

The Jaguars picked up Van Lanen in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2022, but he’s appeared in just 71 snaps over two years with the team. As a restricted free agent, the Jaguars could tender the lineman, but there hasn’t been an indication that they’ve decided to do so.