JACKSONVILLE — With more cap money to spend than any other NFL team, you figured the Jacksonville Jaguars to be proactive in free agency. They were.
They were able to land three new players on defense — defensive tackle Malik Jackson, safety Tashaun Gipson and cornerback Prince Amukamara — and three new guys on offense — running back Chris Ivory, left tackle Kelvin Beachum and center/guard Mackenzy Bernadeau — along with punter Brad Nortman. Several other players were signed later, but these are the seven key players who are likely to help the Jaguars the most.
Three of the defensive guys will likely be starters including Jackson, Gipson and Amukamara. If Beachum is healthy following his ACL surgery from a year ago, the Jaguars will find a starting spot in the offensive line for him. Ivory may not be the starter over T.J. Yeldon, but he could see nearly identical carries as Yeldon. And Nortman will take over punting duties from the departed Bryan Anger.
The signing of Jackson was especially important for the Jaguars. They needed help with the pass rush and when they missed out on both Olivier Verson and Robert Ayers, it was essential to have that pass rush come from the inside. Enter Jackson. He will team with defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks to give the Jaguars one of the best combination of tackles to apply pressure on the quarterback. Double-teaming either player should only leave better access to the quarterback from the two end positions.
What’s key is to have at least one quality end that can do just that. That’s where the Jaguars will turn to last year’s top draft pick, Dante Fowler Jr., to do just that. That was Fowler’s forte in college at Florida. He lined up at various spots along the line, causing havoc among opposing offensive linemen to figure out where he was coming from next.
Fowler could have an ally as well, as the Jaguars have Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa among their top half-dozen choices as who to draft with the No. 5 overall selection. Someone with Bosa’s talents combined with a healthy Fowler and the inside push from the Marks/Jackson tandem, and suddenly the Jaguars’ defense goes from one of the NFL’s worst defenses a year ago to at least middle-of-the-pack in 2016.
The Jaguars already look to be improved in the secondary with the addition of Gipson and Amukamara. If they can provide the type of coverage that they’ve shown in the past, it will give the Jags’ front line added time in which to get to the quarterback. Too many times in 2015, defenders got to the quarterback just after he released the ball. Getting that added time from the shut-down coverage by Gipson and Amukamara could result in a vast improvement in the number of sacks that the defense records.
There’s no question the defense is what needs fixing in 2016. It was horrendous at times a year ago and had little success in shutting down opposing team’s passing games. Expect the Jaguars to go heavy with defensive players early in the draft, with three of the first four picks likely to be on defense.
The offensive unit showed marked improvement in 2015. If the defense can rise to that same level, the Jaguars would become a playoff contender. There are spots along the offensive line that need to be addressed, but the skilled positions — quarterback, running backs and receivers — all appear to be on solid ground.
Beachum could be one of the biggest free-agent signings if he’s fully recovered from ACL surgery. Even if he doesn’t replace Luke Joeckel at the left tackle spot, Beachum would be a candidate to take over at the left guard spot, replacing the departed Zane Beadles. With Brandon Linder, arguably the team’s best offensive lineman a year ago, returning from a torn labrum and ready to step in at the center position, a front five of Joeckel, Beachum, Linder, A.J. Cann and Jermey Parnell would appear to be a significant upgrade of what the Jaguars fielded a year ago. A third-day selection of an offensive lineman might be the only offensive player drafted by the Jaguars this year unless someone of such high value was too good to pass up.
The Jaguars will continue to build their defense. General manager Dave Caldwell has drawn kudos for how he’s gone about enhancing the offense in recent years; now the same must be done on the defensive side of the ball. There is enough talented defensive players available in this year’s draft that the Jaguars will go after as many as they can. They especially like Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland whom they had a chance to coach at this year’s Senior Bowl. If the Jaguars pass on Myles Jack in the first round, look for them to make a concerted effort to somehow land Ragland either at or before their scheduled second-round pick.