Did the Jaguars overpay for Shaquill Griffin?
Former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin was easily the flashiest free-agent acquisition the Jaguars made this offseason, but he didn’t come cheap. The team gave him a three-year, $40 million contract ($29 million of which is guaranteed), making him the league’s No. 12 highest-paid corner.
It was a clear upgrade for a secondary that has been looking for a shutdown option since Jalen Ramsey was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, and the cap space-leading Jaguars could certainly afford to foot the bill. But was it a good use of capital? Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox doesn’t think so.
Bad teams often have to overpay in free agency, which is exactly what the Jacksonville Jaguars did with cornerback Shaquill Griffin this offseason. Jacksonville, which won only one game last year, gave Griffin a deal worth $13.3 million annually.
Griffin is now the 12th-highest-paid corner in the NFL in terms of annual value, which his play doesn’t justify. He was a four-year starter before arriving in Jacksonville—and a Pro Bowler in 2019—but he isn’t elite.
Over the past three seasons, Griffin has surrendered 1,984 yards and 15 touchdowns in coverage. While he did log five interceptions over that span, he also allowed an opposing passer rating over 93.0 in each of his last three campaigns.
There’s no faulting Griffin for taking the money, and there’s no faulting Jacksonville for overpaying to improve the league’s 31st-ranked defense. However, Griffin is going to be excessively compensated for at least the next two years.
The earliest out for the Jaguars will be in 2023, when Griffin will carry a cap hit of $17.5 million and have only $4 million in dead money remaining.
Knox is right about the fact that Griffin’s production in Seattle, though very solid, was never at an elite level. In all fairness, his contract isn’t exactly in line with that of an elite player at the position, but it’s still quite hefty. Luckily for Jacksonville, Griffin will be just 26 when the season starts and should still have some of his best years ahead.
He’s also right about the fact that even if the Jaguars overpaid, they had little choice. The secondary needed an upgrade as 2020 first-round pick C.J. Henderson didn’t exactly reassure the club with his play, which was limited to eight games due to injuries.
Griffin will certainly need to take a step forward from where he was at with Seattle if this deal is going to be justified, but as the leader in the defensive backfield for at least the foreseeable future, the Jags have high hopes for him.
