Tag: Jawaan Taylor

Brett Veach discusses Chiefs’ key free agent additions

#Chiefs GM Brett Veach shared what he likes most about each of the team’s key free agent signings during the 2023 NFL offseason.

Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach spoke with media members for the first time this offseason for his pre-draft press conference.

While the focus remains on the 2023 NFL draft, it was the first opportunity that reporters had to ask Veach about the acquisitions he made in free agency. The team added four players on both sides of the ball early in the process, with OT Jawaan Taylor, DE Charles Omenihu, LB Drue Tranquill and S Mike Edwards.

“I think all four of those guys made sense for us and I think they’ll be really key additions,” Veach said of the free agent quartet.

What led to the decision to sign each of these players? Veach explained further in-depth during the course of his presser.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid confident in Jawaan Taylor’s ability to play left tackle

#Chiefs HC Andy Reid is confident that Jawaan Taylor can make the switch to left tackle, but he also stressed his positional versatility in general.

Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid addressed the media at the onset of the offseason workout program on Monday, April 17.

This was the first time that media members had been able to chat with Coach Reid since the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season. Naturally, there were a lot of questions about some of the newest additions to the team.

One of those additions is Jawaan Taylor, who is currently expected to make a switch from right tackle to left tackle after almost exclusively playing on the right side during his NFL career. Reid seems quite excited about what he’s seen from Taylor when he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars and expressed full confidence in his ability to make the switch to left tackle.

“I liked him. I like his tape,” Reid said. “We saw him firsthand a couple of times too. Even though he was on the right side I think he can transfer over to the left side. He’s really a good athlete and I think he’s excited about that.”

Taylor played just 18 snaps last season at the left tackle position, but most of them were on heavy looks where he was aligned outside the team’s true left tackle. He started two games with the Florida Gators at the left tackle position in 2017, but that’s about the extent of his experience at the position.

While Reid expressed confidence in his ability to make the switch, he also expressed confidence in Taylor’s versatility. He seems to believe that he has the ability to play any position on the offensive line.

“Now, that doesn’t mean he can’t play the right side,” Reid said. “If we got another left tackle, he could play the right side. He gives you flexibility. He could probably jump in at guard. He’s smart. He could probably play center.

It appears that Reid and Brett Veach are keeping their options open with the upcoming 2023 NFL draft. The ultimate goal seems to be having as much flexibility as possible along the offensive line. Taylor appears to be a highly coveted piece in that puzzle for the time being.

“He’s a pretty talented kid,” Reid said. “We look forward to getting him in here. I think that was a great pickup by Brett (Veach).”

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WATCH: New Chiefs LT Jawaan Taylor working on footwork in Florida

New #Chiefs LT Jawaan Taylor is training in Florida, working on his footwork prior to the start of the offseason program.

The offseason is in full swing with players for the Kansas City Chiefs off training on their own ahead of the start of the team’s offseason program next week. That includes some of the newest faces on the team, like DE Charles Omenihu and LT Jawaan Taylor. In fact, the team’s expected left tackle is getting some work in down in Florida so that he’s better prepared to play his new position this season.

Coach Marlon Lewis has been working on offensive line technique with Taylor since he was in grade school in Cocoa, Florida. Lewis took to Twitter and Instagram to share a recent clip of Taylor working out at Rise and Grind Training in Orange Park, Florida. You might remember Taylor’s training sizzle reel from this facility ahead of the 2023 NFL free agency period. He’s clearly been working hard out there lately.

Coach Lewis’ caption on Instagram should have fans pretty excited:

“Footwork impeccable,” he wrote. “Mahomes is in good hands.”

In the newest video, you can see Taylor holding a medicine ball and working on his footwork. He’s working specifically on techniques for playing on the left side of the offensive line, something that will be new to him in the NFL. It’s only a brief glimpse of what is to come, but his footwork appears a lot quicker than what Chiefs fans are used to seeing at the left tackle position with Orlando Brown Jr. playing that spot. It’ll be a refreshing stylistic change that could match what the team likes to do on offense a bit more closely.

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Jaguars bring back offensive tackle Josh Wells

The Jaguars are bringing back a familiar face to add offensive line depth.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed free agent offensive tackle Josh Wells, the team announced Tuesday.

Wells, 32, began his career with the Jaguars after signing as an undrafted free agent following the 2014 NFL Draft. In five seasons with the team, Wells made nine starts. While he re-signed with the team ahead of the 2019 season, he was released in final cuts and landed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In four seasons in Tampa Bay, Wells made 15 starts, most recently starting seven games for the Buccaneers in 2022. He was credited with allowing only one sack in 326 offensive snaps last season and received a 66.5 grade from Pro Football Focus.

Earlier this offseason, the Jaguars lost starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor in free agency to the Kansas City Chiefs. While the team has 2021 second-round pick Walker Little set to fill the void left by Taylor’s departure, the team is in desperate need of depth along the offensive line.

Wells has experience on both sides of the line and will provide the team with some valuable depth at the offensive tackle position. The addition of Wells comes a day after the team hosted free agent tackle Cameron Fleming on a visit.

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Jaguars hosted free agent OT Cam Fleming on visit

The Jaguars reportedly hosted free agent offensive tackle Cam Fleming on a visit.

The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted former Denver Broncos offensive tackle Cam Fleming on a visit, according to a league memo.

Fleming, 30, was a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2014 and later spent time with the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants before signing with the Broncos in 2021.

In nine NFL seasons, Fleming has made 61 starts including 15 during the 2022 season.

Fleming split time at both left and right tackle with Denver last season, and was credited with allowing seven sacks on 976 offensive snaps. His 72.6 grade on Pro Football Focus was the highest of his career.

Earlier this offseason, the Jaguars lost starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor to the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency. The team’s 2021 second-round pick, Walker Little, is expected to step into the void left by Taylor’s departure.

Behind Little and starting left tackle Cam Robinson is very little depth. The addition of Fleming and/or an offensive tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft could provide the team with a much-needed swing tackle and a contingency plan if one of the starters gets injured.

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Shad Khan: Losing players in free agency is a ‘measure of success’

The Jaguars lost Jawaan Taylor and Arden Key in free agency, but owner Shad Khan is looking on the bright side.

It’s been more than a decade since the Jacksonville Jaguars received a compensatory draft pick, but that’s finally set to change after the team lost Jawaan Taylor and Arden Key in free agency.

The Jaguars now face the challenge of shoring up their offensive line depth and bolstering their pass rush, but owner Shad Khan is looking on the bright side. Losing free agents rather than adding them is a change of pace that he says is a sign that the franchise is in a much different place.

“You know, I hated to see [Taylor] leave, but that’s really a measure of success that you can’t hang on to all your players,” Khan told John Oehser of Jaguars.com during an interview at the NFL owners meetings this week. “Obviously, the skill, the trick is to replace them, hopefully, with better players. We’ve got the draft, primarily, to develop players for the future and a system that is sustainable.”

A year ago, the Jaguars spent a record-breaking amount of money to acquire several players in free agency, including Christian Kirk, Foye Oluokun, Brandon Scherff, and Evan Engram.

This year, the team has mostly tried to keep its own players, re-signing C.J. Beathard, JaMycal Hasty, Andrew Wingard, Adam Gotsis, and Tre Herndon. The only outside players added were a trio of cheap additions: D’Ernest Johnson, Michael Dogbe, and Henry Mondeaux.

Khan is correct that it’s usually the NFL’s more successful teams that lose talented players in free agency. Now it’s up to the Jaguars to continue to add talent by drafting well.

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Trent Baalke: ‘We’re working hard’ to keep Dawuane Smoot

The Jaguars want to keep Dawuane Smoot, but his Achilles tear makes negotiations a little tricky.

The Jacksonville Jaguars already lost pass rusher Arden Key in free agency and general manager Trent Baalke says he doesn’t want Dawuane Smoot to do the same.

Smoot, 28, has spent his entire career with the Jaguars after he was picked in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Earlier this month, he became a free agent for the first time in his career.

Complicating his pursuit of a new contract is an Achilles tear he suffered late in the 2022 season. On Monday, Baalke told Demetrius Harvey of the Florida Times-Union that the injury has thrown a wrench in the negotiations, but said he’s optimistic that a deal can get done.

“Dawuane’s been an important part of this franchise since he got drafted here in the third round six years ago. We’re working hard with his agent,” Baalke explained, noting that talks will pick up after the team gets back from the meetings later this week. That’s when the team will see what they can get done.

Baalke told Harvey that Achilles tear “does create some issues” as Smoot is pursuing a long-term contract and not just a one-year deal.

The Jaguars have hesitated to spend much this offseason, as the team doesn’t have much salary cap space following a 2022 spending spree. While the team previously said it hoped to keep Key as well as offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, both players signed elsewhere. The Jaguars also made an effort to sign free agent Calais Campbell, who instead picked the Atlanta Falcons.

Still, the Jaguars did manage to retain several of their own free agents, re-signing C.J. Beathard, JaMycal Hasty, Tre Herndon, Andrew Wingard, Tevaughn Campbell, and Adam Gotsis.

In six seasons with the Jaguars, Smoot has 22.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. He has finished each of the last four seasons with at least five sacks. At the time of his injury in the 2022 season, Smoot was tied for the team lead in sacks.

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Why the Jaguars should wait until May to sign a pass rusher

It makes sense for the Jaguars to wait until after the 2023 NFL Draft to sign a pass rusher.

The Jacksonville Jaguars almost made a splash in free agency, tossing their hat in the ring for Calais Campbell. That reunion didn’t come to fruition, though, as the 36-year-old defensive lineman instead chose to sign with the Atlanta Falcons.

Where that leaves the Jaguars is still in need of help when it comes to the task of applying pressure to opposing quarterbacks.

Only six teams recorded fewer sacks than Jacksonville last season, and losing Arden Key in free agency will only exacerbate the issue.

Adding a veteran pass rusher on a short-term deal to give the team a boost seems like a no-brainer given the lack of depth behind Travon Walker and Josh Allen. Current options on the market that’d instantly upgrade the Jacksonville defensive front include Melvin Ingram, Kyle Van Noy, and Yannick Ngakoue.

So why haven’t the Jaguars snatched one up yet? Compensatory draft picks may be part of the reason.

For the first time in over a decade, the Jaguars are likely to get additional draft picks for lost free agents. Jawaan Taylor’s massive contract with the Kansas City Chiefs will probably net the Jaguars a third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and Key’s deal with the Titans is projected to yield a sixth-rounder.

The only way those picks don’t land in Jacksonville is if the team made a big addition that cancelled out one of its losses. While the third-rounder for Taylor is probably safe, a deal with a veteran pass rusher would likely erase the sixth-round compensation for losing Key.

Unless … the Jaguars wait another month.

As of the Monday after the 2023 NFL Draft (May 1), free agent signings no longer factor into the compensatory formula. No matter how much money the Jaguars spend in May, June, July, and August, their compensation for Taylor and Key will be locked in.

While there are more than a few veteran edge rushers on the market who could help the Jaguars right away, those aging players aren’t exactly flying off the shelf. There isn’t much sense for Jacksonville to toss away a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft when it can simply wait a month to get its cake and eat it too.

A long story short: don’t mistake the Jaguars’ current inactivity for disinterest. There’s little incentive for the team to pursue a player unless there’s going to be active competition like there was for Campbell, or if that player was previously released and doesn’t count toward the compensatory formula.

It makes perfect sense to wait another month or so to put the finishing touches on the 2023 roster.

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Doug Pederson on Jawaan Taylor: ‘You hate to see him go, but I get it’

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson says there are some good offensive linemen in the draft who could replace Jawaan Taylor.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will have a new starter on the right side of their offensive line in 2023 after losing Jawaan Taylor in free agency.

A couple weeks after Taylor agreed to a four-year, $80 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said he has no hard feelings about the offensive tackle taking big money elsewhere.

“You hated to see him go, but I get it,” Pederson said Monday at a league meeting in Phoenix. “That’s part of our business and that’s what’s gonna happen. I wish him all the best and success in Kansas City.

“But now for us, it’s about moving forward. Walker Little, it’s a great opportunity for him to step up, and I do believe there are some good offensive linemen in this draft if the right guy is there, obviously. We’ll see how it all plays out.”

Little battled Taylor for the starting right tackle job during training camp last year, but lost out on the role. Late in the season, the 2021 second-round pick was called into action to replace Cam Robinson at left tackle after the latter suffered a season-ending meniscus tear.

While the Jaguars have needs defensively — namely at cornerback and outside linebacker — drafting an offensive tackle early would also make sense. In the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Todd McShay, the Jaguars are projected to take Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the 24th overall selection.

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Jaguars 7-round mock draft: 9 potential targets after free agency

What position should the Jaguars target early in the 2023 NFL Draft?

The first two weeks of NFL free agency were more about subtraction than addition for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While the team reportedly aimed to keep offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor and pass rusher Arden Key, both players signed elsewhere last week. Taylor signed a massive deal with the Kansas City Chiefs and Key joined the Jaguars’ division rival, the Tennessee Titans.

Jacksonville signed running back D’Ernest Johnson and reportedly agreed to terms with a couple defensive lineman, but none of those additions will change the team’s draft plans much.

With the 2023 NFL Draft now less than a month away, here are nine prospects who could make sense for the Jaguars: