Gene Frenette: Jaguars free agents have to balance paycheck with team loyalty

When Evan Engram thinks about the “dark times” he went through during his five seasons with the New York Giants — often the target of fans’ ire for dropping too many passes and generally not living up to his first-round draft status — it makes the 28-year-old tight end forever grateful for the Jaguars’ workplace environment.

That’s why Engram, one of a dozen unrestricted free agents on the roster, hates to even think about the possibility of leaving the Jaguars after one season.

Like so many of his teammates, Engram forged relationships in Jacksonville that he shudders to think about not continuing if he and the front office somehow don’t come to terms on a new contract.

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Engram, after delivering career highs in catches (73) and yards (766) this season, should warrant a substantial raise from the one-year, $9 million deal he signed in March.

He just hopes that happens with the Jaguars, a team Engram can’t bear to leave now after all the bonds he formed during a turnaround season that fell one game short of reaching the AFC Championship. The Jaguars also have the option, if necessary, to keep him for one more year by applying the franchise tag.

“God showed up big-time in my life this year,” Engram said after Saturday’s 27-20 AFC Divisional playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. “I don’t think it happens anywhere else.”

Thirty-six hours later, the Jaguars’ tight end was no less emphatic about wanting to stay in Jacksonville.

“Something great is being built here,” said Engram. “That’s not easy to do on a new team. Coming into a new situation for me this year, it wasn’t an easy process. Once you do it, you don’t want to go rebuild that. You don’t want to start over.”

But with the Jaguars’ season over, the drama now shifts to the business side of the NFL life for Engram and many of his unrestricted free agent (UFA) teammates.

As much as players talk about wanting to stay here because of the brotherhood culture first-year head coach Doug Pederson has nurtured, the reality is GM Trent Baalke can’t keep every impending free agent.

Realistically, in his GM career, how often does Baalke see one of his own free agents agree to sacrifice less money — the so-called "hometown discount" — to stay with the team?

“I think you can say at times that does occur," said Baalke. "Does it occur across the board? No, but you want to create an environment where they want to be, and (head coach) Doug (Pederson) has done a great job. I think the entire staff has done a great job, this player group, it’s a close-knit group. When you’ve got a situation like we have, it’s tough to leave if you’re a player. Hopefully that works to our advantage to getting them back, whether that is reflective of the contracts or not, that remains to be seen.”

Balancing loyalty, money 

With the Jaguars about $20 million over the salary cap, according to Spotrac, that means contract negotiations could get dicey and will force some players to seek employment elsewhere.

Engram would prefer, depending on the price, to not go anywhere.

But this question is now hovering for all of the team’s UFAs: can players emboldened by the culture created by Pederson get a desirable enough contract to warrant sticking around?

Starting right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who has started all 68 games (playoffs included) in his Jaguars’ career, and Engram are the Jaguars’ biggest high-profile free agents. It’ll be interesting to see if their agents and Baalke can work out deals to keep them in black and teal.

Is Taylor willing to sacrifice some of his paycheck to stay in the work environment he cherishes with Pederson.

“That’s something I have to take into consideration,” said Taylor. “That’s something I have to discuss with my agent [Drew Rosenhaus]. I haven’t had a chance to talk numbers with anybody yet. Whatever I have to do to stay here, I’ll do it.”

Of course, that’s easier for Taylor to say now in the Jaguars’ locker room, with emotions still stirring within all the players after a gut-wrenching, season-ending loss.

But with potential Jaguars negotiations likely still weeks away, and free agency beginning March 15, there’s no telling what could happen as both sides plot strategy toward a potential agreement or separation.

“I’m not going to comment on the price [of a new contract], but I just know I want to be here,” said safety Andrew Wingard, another Jaguars UFA. “The culture, the guys, winning games, knowing the coaching staff, all that goes into it. I can only speak for myself. I want to be here. Time will tell.”

'An attractive place'

Over half of the Jaguars’ free agents I spoke with all expressed a desire to return for 2023. That sentiment is rooted primarily in seeing how much Pederson transformed a workplace that was rife with uncertainty and chaos under Urban Meyer.

Tight end Chris Manhertz, who came from the Carolina Panthers before the 2021 season on a two-year, $6.65 million deal, saw the transformation and now wants his family to stay in Jacksonville if the Jaguars want him.

“You want everything to stay intact, but there’s also the business side of football that takes over,” Manhertz said. “I’d love to be back here. Doug [Pederson], the coaching staff, the locker room, the talent we have, why would you not want to be back here?”

Defensive lineman Corey Peters, a 34-year-old defensive lineman the Jaguars signed the day after a season-opening loss to the Washington Commanders, is a UFA who views his situation from a much different place.

He’s on the retirement watch, but appreciates the Jaguars giving him one last shot after a combined 12 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons.

“Quite honestly, I haven’t made any concrete decisions, but I think I’m pretty much done,” said Peters. “It’s been a good run for me. I’ve been excited to come and join this team and provide whatever I can provide. I think the future is extremely bright. This franchise is climbing now.”

Peters has seen enough of the Jaguars’ operation and its support system to understand why players want to stay, as well as free agents from elsewhere targeting Jacksonville as a destination.

“It will be an attractive place [for free agents],” said Peters. “One thing I didn’t know that I was really surprised by is how loyal and committed the fan base is, especially these last few weeks has been electric. I think the fan base is something special here in Jacksonville. Whatever goals you want to accomplish, which would be Super Bowls and all that, is possible here.”

Count backup quarterback C.J. Beathard as another UFA who wants no part of leaving. It’s not just the team culture, but his tight bond with starter Trevor Lawrence also factors into his desire to stay.

“I spend more time with Trevor during the season than my own family at home,” said Beathard. “I’ve never been in a quarterback room as tight as we had it, especially this past year.”

Nobody wants to leave 

Pederson’s ability to create a united workplace has changed everything. You hear the same sentiment permeating not just in the locker room, but the Jaguars’ reputation around the NFL is changing as well.

Receiver Marvin Jones, a free agent and California native who is moving his family to San Diego this week, loved his two-year stay in Jacksonville. Though he’s looking to sign elsewhere for family reasons, Jones is certain the Jaguars will draw a lot of free agent interest.

“After games, you hear [opposing] players saying how the future here is crazy,” said Jones. “The Jaguars won’t have problems getting people to come here.”

For now, the focus for Baalke and the front office is trying to work things out so their most coveted UFAs will stick around. The team’s culture under Pederson may be as much incentive for some players as any contract offer.

Cornerback Shaquill Griffin, who has been on injured reserve since late October with a back injury, knows his $13 million cap hit makes him a prime candidate to get cut one year before his contract expires. But that didn’t stop him Monday from pleading his case to stay.

“I’m at the point in my career where it’s not about the money anymore,” said Griffin. “Maybe we can do something where we can reconstruct [the contract]. I’ve seen what a winning culture looks like from the inside and outside and I would like to be here.”

The Jaguars’ bond is real and plenty noticeable throughout the locker room. When Lawrence was done with his media obligations, he went up to defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris to say his goodbyes and they exchanged a warm hug.

When one of the Jaguars’ best defensive players in recent weeks reminded him that he’d be back for the last year on his contract, Lawrence reached in to give him another embrace. It was another sign of the team bond that makes current UFAs hopeful that they can remain a part of the brotherhood.

“Everybody’s vibing,” said Robertson-Harris. “It’s one big locker room. It’s not divided in any form or fashion. Offense vibing with the defense, defense vibing with special teams. Everybody’s just having fun playing with each other.

“It’s been a fun ride this year. It’s going to be even better next year.”

Thus, it’s no wonder Engram and all his UFA brothers don’t want to leave a good thing. They love coming to a clique-free workplace where everybody gets along, and winning has a good chance of being sustained for the foreseeable future. But will they be around to enjoy it?

"That’s something that we’re going to work on with Evan and all the other free agents that we have," Baalke said. "We have a list of them that we’ve got to mow down one at a time.”

One thing is certain: It’s going to be interesting to see how much the Jaguars can afford to keep their free agents. And whether all the team bonding is worth players taking less money than they might get elsewhere.

Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars have built culture that free agents don't want to move on from