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What did ESPN's NFL analyst Ben Solak love and not love about the Jacksonville Jaguars' offseason moves?
Solak recently power-ranked each NFL team's offseason and highlighted what he liked and disliked about the moves that were made.
For the Jaguars, on the power ranking end of things, they came in at No. 19 following their free agency moves. While the signings the Jaguars made won't garner a lot of attention, GM James Gladstone was very intentional about adding immediate starters to the roster who can help raise the floor--and it's that approach that Solak loved.
As Solak put it, what he loved specifically was the "return to competency." He mentions that both Patrick Mekari and Robert Hainsey can be starters, but the addition of either impacts how the Jaguars should approach the draft at those positions.
Solak adds that Dyami Brown and Jourdan Lewis were signed to large enough deals that they should be impactful starters for the Jaguars, but the contracts aren't so big that they'll have long-term cap implications if the players underperform.
"The best thing bad teams can do in free agency is get veteran starters who will plug immediate gaps and raise the floor of the team," Solak wrote. "This is exactly how a new front office should reload a roster."
Now, as far as what Solak didn't love, it was "the priorities." What he meant by that was adding two tight ends when the Jaguars have Brenton Strange. He also pointed out signing Lewis when Jarrian Jones was solid from the nickel, and Solak called Brown's skill set "quite redundant" when compared to Brian Thomas Jr.
As always, there is more context behind the moves. At tight end, the Jaguars had only three tight ends under contract prior to free agency, so multiple additions were a need. In addition to that, both Mundt and Long come from similar offenses to Liam Coen's, which should help with the transition.
Gladstone also spoke highly of Jones' versatility, so obviously, with the addition of Lewis, there is confidence that Jones can bounce to the boundary, where he often did line up while at Florida State. Another not to be forgotten about element is play style, and Gladstone really likes what Lewis brings in that regard, along with his veteran presence.
And then when it comes to Brown, the Jaguars see an ascending player whom they are taking a one-year bet on to see if he can continue to improve and reach his potential.
The goal for Gladstone with free agency was to raise the floor of this roster, and I'm guessing most will agree that happened. With 10 draft picks, there are plenty of opportunities still out there for the Jaguars to round out this roster with some high-impact help.
"What we were seeking to do in pro free agency was to raise the floor of this football team and every player that we pursued and that we've now acquired is meeting that standard," Gladstone said.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars free agency: What ESPN loved and did not love about signings
Continue reading...
Solak recently power-ranked each NFL team's offseason and highlighted what he liked and disliked about the moves that were made.
For the Jaguars, on the power ranking end of things, they came in at No. 19 following their free agency moves. While the signings the Jaguars made won't garner a lot of attention, GM James Gladstone was very intentional about adding immediate starters to the roster who can help raise the floor--and it's that approach that Solak loved.
As Solak put it, what he loved specifically was the "return to competency." He mentions that both Patrick Mekari and Robert Hainsey can be starters, but the addition of either impacts how the Jaguars should approach the draft at those positions.
Solak adds that Dyami Brown and Jourdan Lewis were signed to large enough deals that they should be impactful starters for the Jaguars, but the contracts aren't so big that they'll have long-term cap implications if the players underperform.
"The best thing bad teams can do in free agency is get veteran starters who will plug immediate gaps and raise the floor of the team," Solak wrote. "This is exactly how a new front office should reload a roster."
Now, as far as what Solak didn't love, it was "the priorities." What he meant by that was adding two tight ends when the Jaguars have Brenton Strange. He also pointed out signing Lewis when Jarrian Jones was solid from the nickel, and Solak called Brown's skill set "quite redundant" when compared to Brian Thomas Jr.
As always, there is more context behind the moves. At tight end, the Jaguars had only three tight ends under contract prior to free agency, so multiple additions were a need. In addition to that, both Mundt and Long come from similar offenses to Liam Coen's, which should help with the transition.
Gladstone also spoke highly of Jones' versatility, so obviously, with the addition of Lewis, there is confidence that Jones can bounce to the boundary, where he often did line up while at Florida State. Another not to be forgotten about element is play style, and Gladstone really likes what Lewis brings in that regard, along with his veteran presence.
And then when it comes to Brown, the Jaguars see an ascending player whom they are taking a one-year bet on to see if he can continue to improve and reach his potential.
The goal for Gladstone with free agency was to raise the floor of this roster, and I'm guessing most will agree that happened. With 10 draft picks, there are plenty of opportunities still out there for the Jaguars to round out this roster with some high-impact help.
"What we were seeking to do in pro free agency was to raise the floor of this football team and every player that we pursued and that we've now acquired is meeting that standard," Gladstone said.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars free agency: What ESPN loved and did not love about signings
Continue reading...
