Tag: Jawaan Taylor

One thing to love about each of the Chiefs’ free agent signings

Here’s one thing to love about each of the #Chiefs’ newest free agent signings:

The Kansas City Chiefs have been fairly active in free agency, making four new additions since the legal tampering period first opened up a week ago.

They’ve added key players on both sides of the ball such as OT Jawaan Taylor, DE Charles Omenihu, LB Drue Tranquill and S Mike Edwards. Each player brings something fresh and exciting to the table for Kansas City that will help shape their time with the team.

Here’s a quick look at one of the things to love about each of the team’s newest additions:

Trent Baalke is putting a lot of pressure on his drafting skills

By sitting on the sidelines during free agency, Trent Baalke has a lot of self-imposed pressure to get the 2023 NFL Draft right.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made a few key moves in the first weeks of March, retaining Evan Engram, Dewey Wingard, and JaMycal Hasty, among others. It feels like they haven’t done much of anything, though.

A year after dumping a record-breaking amount of money into the free agency market, the Jaguars are now one of only two squads (along with the Baltimore Ravens) that hasn’t added a single player from another team since the market opened last week. Instead, Jacksonville turned its efforts toward keeping its roster together, but failed to keep offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor and pass rusher Arden Key from cashing in elsewhere.

There’s plenty of time left for the Jaguars to add a veteran who could be a significant contributor in 2023, but they’ve made their long-term strategy clear: the NFL Draft will be the way general manager Trent Baalke puts together the team’s roster.

It’s not hard to see the logic.

The Jaguars have the building blocks to be successful for a long time with quarterback Trevor Lawrence leading the way. But what they currently lack is superstar-level talent. While it’s a roster full of solid contributors, there’s a reason only Lawrence and cornerback Tyson Campbell made Pro Football Focus’ list of the top 101 players of the 2022 season. And even those two were at the tail-end of those rankings.

While Jacksonville had tons of success delving into the free agency market a year ago, it rarely works out so well. And even when it does, there’s only so much a team can find picking through the castoffs from other rosters.

So now it’s up to Baalke to supplement the Jaguars roster with top talent through the draft.

Losing Key won’t matter too much if Travon Walker proves to be worth the No. 1 pick in 2022 and he’s paired with another young pass rusher who develops into a productive player. The Jaguars will be fine without Taylor if Walker Little steps up in his absence and the Jaguars find another young, reliable offensive tackle.

Baalke has a chance to fill a playoff-ready roster with the talent it needs to win a Super Bowl. But by sitting on the sideline during free agency, Baalke also runs the risk of spoiling the team’s wide-open window by failing to find contributors.

There’s a lot of self-imposed pressure on the Jaguars general manager to get the 2023 NFL Draft right, otherwise the offseason will look like quite a waste.

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4 things to know about new Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor

Get to know a few things about new #Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor:

The Kansas City Chiefs have officially signed OT Jawaan Taylor after agreeing to terms during the NFL’s legal tampering period. A former second-round draft pick in 2019, Taylor spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now that Taylor is officially in the fold, we’re going to get to know this player a little bit better.

Here’s a quick look at four things the Chiefs Kingdom should know about their newest offensive tackle:

New Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor wearing his high school jersey number in Kansas City

#Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor has chosen his jersey number with his new team.

One of the newest members of the Kansas City Chiefs is set to wear his high school jersey number with his new team.

Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor officially inked his four-year deal on Thursday, tweeting out his excitement, but also revealing his jersey number with his new team.

“It’s Official,” he wrote. “Just Put The Pen To Paper! I’m Truly Grateful To Be Here & Have This Opportunity!”

Check it out:

Taylor is set to wear the No. 74 jersey in Kansas City, which he last wore as a standout high school football player for Cocoa High School in Cocoa, Florida. That uniform number was last worn by Chiefs OT Geron Christian last season, but the most recent notable player to wear this number in Kansas City was Geoff Schwartz back in 2013.

At the University of Florida, Taylor wore the No. 65 jersey, which is worn by Chiefs RG Trey Smith. The No. 75 uniform that he’s worn his entire NFL career with the Jaguars is worn by second-year OL Darian Kinnard. A return to high school days should be a good change for Taylor, as he’s set to start a new chapter of his NFL career in Kansas City.

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Jawaan Taylor open to playing whatever position helps Chiefs win championships

Left tackle? Right tackle? Jawaan Taylor says he doesn’t care what position he plays so long as it helps the #Chiefs win championships.

The Kansas City Chiefs introduced their new offensive tackle, Jawaan Taylor, on Thursday.

There has been some question about where Taylor might play, with reports indicating that he might make the switch to the left tackle spot for Kansas City. This would come after spending the last four seasons of his career playing right tackle with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Speaking with members of the media, Taylor explained that the team approached him about potentially playing the left side, noting that he’ll be happy to play anywhere so long as he’s contributing to the team’s end goal.

“Yes, I was definitely told about the left tackle position,” Taylor began. “But I think I’m definitely able — athletic enough — to make the switch over. Very, very versatile, so I feel like I can go out and make the switch pretty seamless. But, at the end of the day, if they need me to switch over and play other positions, I’m open to doing it. I’m just here to try and help this team win championships.”

As for what goes into making the switch to left tackle, Taylor explained to reporters that it’s all about the hips, feet and trusting your coaching.

“Left tackle, right tackle, it’s just a flip of the hips honestly,” Taylor said. “Other than that, if you’re athletic enough and you trust your feet. You’ve got great coaching as well, which I know that’s here (in Kansas City). I feel like the transition will be pretty good.”

The last time that Taylor started a game at left tackle was in 2017 with the Florida Gators. He reminisced about that opportunity and expressed his excitement to potentially revisit that in Kansas City.

“It was fun,” Taylor said. “At the time we had a couple of injuries on the team. We had to move a couple of guys around on the line. They trusted me to go over there and play left tackle for the last two games of the season. Now that I have the opportunity to play it again, I’m very, very excited for it and I’m embracing the opportunity. I’m just getting ready to go and I should be ready to go by the time we report back (OTAs).”

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Two former Gators ink new NFL deals during free agency period

The NFL free agency period started off with a bang and several players inked new deals on Monday, including two former Gators.

Two former Florida Gators, linebacker [autotag]Alex Anzalone[/autotag] and offensive tackle [autotag]Jawaan Taylor[/autotag], signed new NFL deals on Monday.

Anzalone, who has spent the last two years with in Detroit on one-year deals, inked a three-year contract worth a maximum value of $18.75, according to the Detroit Free Press. He wore the captain badge for the Lions last year and was one of the top performers on an otherwise bad defense.

Detroit acquired him as a free agent in 2021 after Anzalone spent 2020 recovering from injury. Prior to that, he spent time with the New Orleans Saints from 2017 to 2019. He was a third-round pick in the 2017 draft after spending four years at Florida — three of which were shortened by injuries.

Taylor signed with the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s guaranteed $80 million over four years, $60 million of which is guaranteed.

The Jacksonville Jaguars drafted Taylor 35th overall in the second round of the 2019 draft after a three-year career with the Gators. He was a starter at right tackle for Florida for three years and stepped into the role as a true freshman.

Taylor has steadily improved over his first four years in the league and should now play a key role in one of the top offenses in the NFL. He’s only 25 years old and has four years of pro experience under his belt. If he takes a big step forward next season, he could be one of Florida’s top active alumni.

There are plenty of other Gators looking for contracts this free agency period, but these two locked up favorable deals early.

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Is OT the Jaguars’ biggest draft need after losing Jawaan Taylor?

Is offensive tackle the Jaguars’ new top priority in the 2023 NFL Draft?

The Jacksonville Jaguars said they wanted to keep the nucleus of their AFC South winning squad together, but a key player slipped away Monday.

While it won’t be official until at least Wednesday, starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor is leaving to join the Kansas City Chiefs on a four-year, $80 million deal that was simply out of the Jaguars’ price range.

Taylor, 25, put together a career-best year in 2022, allowing only 16 pressures in the regular season after allowing 133 through his first three years. The Jaguars reportedly “pushed hard” to keep Taylor and it didn’t take much reading between the lines to tell that quarterback Trevor Lawrence wanted his right tackle back in 2023 and beyond.

But now that he’s gone, how much of a priority is finding a replacement?

The Jaguars may already have their new starter on the roster. Cam Robinson will presumably return to his role as the left tackle after a meniscus tear cut his 2022 season short. On the other side, 2021 second-round pick Walker Little is the clear favorite to fill Taylor’s shoes.

Little, 23, stepped in and started three regular season games and two playoff games at left tackle in Robinson’s absence. Across his five starts, Little was credited by Pro Football Focus with allowing eight hurries and two sacks.

But almost all of Little’s NFL experience has been at left tackle and it’s no sure thing that he’d gel on the right side. And even if he does, the Jaguars’ depth chart is dangerously thin without a reliable backup like Little waiting in the wings.

Offensive tackle is far from the only need the Jaguars will have to address in the 2023 NFL Draft. Finding a cornerback to pair with Tyson Campbell, adding to an anemic pass rush, and filling out the depth chart at tight end are all important considerations for Jacksonville this April. Those needs pale in comparison to the offensive line, though.

Trevor Lawrence’s growth and health are the most important things for the long-term well-being of the Jaguars. Continuing to build up front and ensuring that the young quarterback stays upright are paramount.

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9 winners and losers (everyone waiting on Aaron Rodgers) from Day 1 of NFL free agency

The Bears had a BIG day. Everyone hoping for some real Aaron Rodgers news did not.

What a wild (and weary) way to start this year’s NFL free agency.

At the horn of the negotiation window (there are other creative names for it!), a flurry of deals for foundational talents and upside players started to fly in. It’s almost as if these contracts were talked about in advance. (Noooo, that would never happen. Impossible!)

For example, in Chicago, the Bears revamped their defense. In Denver, the Broncos rebuilt an offensive line in front of Russell Wilson on the fly. What a productive day for both franchises all around.

And in Green Bay and New York?

Well, both the Packers and Jets kind of just hung around a swing together, hoping their mutual misery in waiting over Aaron Rodgers would soon conclude. Some NFL personalities were right there with them, wading in frustration. Who am I kidding? So were we.

As we head into the second day of the 2023 NFL free agency period, let’s break down some of the more notable winners and losers from Day 1.

Contract details for new Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor revealed

The contract numbers for new #Chiefs OT Jawaan Taylor’s four-year deal have been revealed.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to sign former Jacksonville Jaguars OT Jawaan Taylor on a four-year contract. While they can’t officially consummate the deal until free agency opens on Wednesday, the contract numbers are already out in the wild. At face value it looks like a good contract for Kansas City, leaving the team with flexibility in 2023 and the future.

According to the folks at OverTheCap, Taylor carries a low base salary of $1.08 million in 2023, with $4.725 million in prorated bonus money and a $20K workout bonus. It brings his first-year cap hit up to $5.825 million, leaving Kansas City with somewhere around $9 million in cap space remaining for 2023. They do have several other ways to create more cap space this season, including a Chris Jones extension and a number of other restructures.

For each of the following three years after 2023, Taylor carries a $19.5 million base salary along with $4.725 million in prorated bonus money, giving him cap hits of $24.725 million in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

A total of $40 million is guaranteed at the signing of the contract and the Chiefs can realistically get out of the contract after two years, but more likely three years. Ideally, Kansas City likes what they see from Taylor in 2023 and restructure his contract next year (prior to $20 million of the deal becoming fully guaranteed on the third day of the new league year) to create some space and push money into future years when the salary cap is expected to rise.

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Chiefs’ signing of Jawaan Taylor earns ‘B’ grade from Touchdown Wire

The #Chiefs’ signing of #Jaguars OT Jawaan Taylor earned a “B” grade from our friends at @TheNFLWire

The Kansas City Chiefs got on the board on the first day of the legal tampering period with a splash move on the offensive line.

The Chiefs are set to sign Jaguars OT Jawaan Taylor when free agency opens. While Taylor has been a budding star at right tackle for Jacksonville since entering the NFL, there seems to be some indication that Kansas City could play him at left tackle. It’s a spot that he’s played sparingly in his NFL career and only had a few starts at during his college career at the University of Florida.

Our friends at Touchdown Wire are providing early grades for every move made in free agency. Doug Farrar gave the Chiefs’ signing of Taylor a “B” grade, but almost entirely due to the fact that there is no telling how a switch to the left side will go for him.

Here’s a look at some of what Farrar had to say about the move:

The interesting thing about this move is that Taylor, who allowed five sacks, one quarterback hit, and 15 quarterback hurries in 775 pass-blocking snaps last season, was almost exclusively a right tackle. All indications are that Taylor will flip to the left side, which he hasn’t really done throughout his four years in the NFL. Taylor played a handful of snaps on the left side of the offensive line last season, but they were almost entirely situational.

No matter how talented an offensive tackle may be (and Taylor is a very good player), moving from right to left or vice versa is a transition that takes time. That’s the only hesitation on this deal, and given the success Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and offensive line coach Andy Heck have had overall, we’ll take the positive over here. It’s just a bit of a wonderment in the short term, and that’s a lot of money for a transitional move.

It feels like this move might be more of an incomplete grade for Kansas City right now. In this writer’s humble opinion, there are three courses of action the team can take that would have an impact on that final grade. The first is to play Taylor at right tackle, where he’s played his entire NFL career, and to draft a rookie left tackle as reports have indicated they’d be comfortable doing. The second option is to start Taylor at left tackle and have Lucas Niang and a rookie battle it out on the right side of the offensive line for the starting right tackle gig. The final option is to continue exploring your options at both left and right tackle. Orlando Brown Jr. is shockingly still on the market as of 2:30 p.m. ET on Monday. Maybe they’re still interested in making a trade? Right now, the big picture is still incomplete.

What grade would you give the move to sign Taylor, Chiefs Kingdom? Be sure to let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

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