Jaguars head into free agency negotiating period with a plan to be aggressive
A promise to be aggressive will be put to the test for Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke on Monday when the two-day free agency negotiating period begins at noon ET.
To improve their roster, the Jaguars need to make a big splash over the next three days, including Wednesday, when free agents can begin officially signing contracts at 1 p.m.
The Jaguars have needs at wide receiver, tight end, linebacker, defensive line and offensive line in free agency and the draft.
''We'll be very aggressive within reason,'' Baalke said. ''We have to be smart to identify the right players, hopefully recruit the right players.''
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How much do the Jaguars have to spend?
According to Spotrac, the sports business website, the Jaguars are roughly $40 million under the $208.2 million salary cap they spend on free agents. With several positions in need of an upgrade, they likely will have to overspend to lure any high-profile free agent because the Jaguars have just four wins in two seasons. The Jaguars gained an additional $1.9 million in salary cap space on Friday when they released running back Carlos Hyde after one season.
What is the Jaguars' biggest need?
The Jaguars need an exceptional vertical threat for quarterback Trevor Lawrence at wide receiver and tight end. They could take the first step in addressing the need in free agency before looking for additional help during next month's NFL draft. However, the free-agent wide receiver class does not include Green Bay's Davante Adams and Tampa Bay's Chris Godwin, who both received franchise tags. Another potential target, Mike Williams, also did not make it to free agency because the Los Angeles Chargers signed him to a three-year, $60 million deal. But potential targets the Jaguars could pursue are Allen Robinson, Christian Kirk, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Russell Gage. Amari Cooper appeared to be heading to free agency, but instead of releasing him, the Cowboys reached a deal with the Cleveland Browns to trade him.
Any chance DJ Chark will be re-signed?
The Jaguars are interested in re-signing Chark, but he is likely to sign with another franchise if no deal is reached by this afternoon. Based on what Baalke said at the NFL Combine, the Jaguars appear to have a projected value range of what they are willing to spend to retain Chark, and they are not prepared to go above it.
''To say that it's hard to judge the market and the market is what it is, right? It's predicated on what others value the player,'' Baalke said. Though a Twitter photo showing Lawrence and Chark working out together last week at Bishop Kenny received plenty of attention, it won't affect whether the Jaguars can get a deal completed.
What will be the plan at OG?
The Jaguars likely will explore the free-agency market to find a player to replace Andrew Norwell at left guard. The top available guard on the market is ex-Washington Brandon Scherff, but he could command a contract in the neighborhood of $50 million over three years, according to Pro Football Focus. Scherff also plays right guard, which means if he signed with the Jaguars, Ben Bartch would likely move to left guard. Among the Jaguars' top free agents who could sign elsewhere are middle linebacker Damien Wilson, defensive tackle Taven Bryan, defensive end Jihad Ward, cornerback Tre Herndon, edge rusher Jihad Ward and tight end James O'Shaughnessy.
Jaguars' best chance of signing a high-profile free agent?
Zach Ertz is a proven tight-end talent who enjoyed the best seasons of his career in Philadelphia when Doug Pederson coached the Eagles. It's not far-fetched to believe a reunion could occur this week with the Jaguars extending a lucrative offer to Ertz. During the Eagles' Super Bowl run during the 2017 season, Ertz caught 74 passes for 824 yards and eight touchdowns to earn a Pro Bowl invitation.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars head into free agency negotiating period with numerous needs
