From the jump, the 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars looked like an abject disaster. Urban Meyer, the decorated coach from the collegiate ranks tabbed to oversee the Jaguars’ rebirth, made misstep after misstep on his way to a December firing. Meanwhile, No. 1 overall selection Trevor Lawrence, considered a consensus generational quarterback prospect, failed to develop under Meyer’s watch.
The Jaguars struggled in nearly every facet of the game. Outside of running back James Robinson, the offense looked lifeless virtually the entire season. Even Robinson couldn’t avoid falling into the black hole of optimism at the center of Jacksonville, rupturing his Achilles tendon in Week 16. That injury marked the second season-ender suffered by a Jaguars running back following first-round pick Travis Etienne’s ACL tear during the preseason. On the other side of the ball, the team couldn’t have performed much worse. The defense finished 31st in Football Outsiders’ DVOA, ranking ahead of only the New York Jets.
While last season went exceptionally poorly for the Jaguars, their future still remains somewhat promising. Meyer’s best efforts didn’t diminish Lawrence’s long-term potential and the team enters the offseason with the second-most salary cap space in the league.
Last season’s salary cap number dropped to $182.5 million as the league dealt with the pandemic, but the 2022 cap will rebound to $208 million, according to Over The Cap. That increase should loosen a few team pocketbooks this offseason.
Franchise- and transition-tag possibilities
Wide receiver D.J. Chark, probably the biggest name among the Jaguars’ pending free agents, seems the most likely candidate for the franchise tag on the roster. The 26-year-old wideout had solid campaigns in 2019 and 2020, recording 126 receptions for 1,714 yards and 13 touchdowns over that stretch. However, injuries limited him to just four games this past season, clouding his future in Jacksonville. Given the options potentially available in free agency and the draft, the Jaguars might let Chark test the market rather than use an expensive tag.
A year ago, the Jaguars applied the franchise tag to left tackle Cam Robinson in hopes of securing capable offensive-line play for Lawrence. The protection around the rookie signal-caller never stabilized in 2021, but Robinson didn’t prove to be the weak link, allowing just one sack and 31 total pressures in 14 starts, according to Pro Football Focus. The front office has the option to tag Robinson again, but that seems unlikely given the roughly $16.5 million cost.
Salary cap
Estimated 2022 cap space: $55.2 million (as of Feb. 17)
Notable unrestricted free agents
Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 UFAs
Player | Pos. | 2021 Team | Snaps | Age | 2022 Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Pos. | 2021 Team | Snaps | Age | 2022 Team |
Andrew Norwell | LG | Jaguars | 99.40% | 31 | |
Cam Robinson | LT | Jaguars | 79.00% | 27 | |
Damien Wilson | LB | Jaguars | 78.20% | 29 | |
Tyler Shatley | C | Jaguars | 49.10% | 31 | |
Laquon Treadwell | WR | Jaguars | 44.70% | 27 | |
Jihad Ward | EDGE | Jaguars | 41.20% | 28 | |
Adam Gotsis | EDGE | Jaguars | 39.90% | 30 | |
Nevin Lawson | CB | Jaguars | 29.30% | 31 | |
Taven Bryan | IDL | Jaguars | 27.00% | 26 | |
Tavon Austin | WR | Jaguars | 26.50% | 32 | |
James O'Shaughnessy | TE | Jaguars | 26.40% | 30 | |
Tre Herndon | CB | Jaguars | 18.70% | 26 | |
A.J. Cann | RG | Jaguars | 18.30% | 31 | |
Jacob Hollister | TE | Jaguars | 16.00% | 29 | |
D.J. Chark | WR | Jaguars | 15.60% | 26 | |
Will Richardson | RT | Jaguars | 12.40% | 26 | |
Lerentee McCray | EDGE | Jaguars | 6.50% | 32 | |
Jaydon Mickens | WR | Jaguars | 2.20% | 28 | |
JK Scott | P | Jaguars | 1.40% | 26 | |
Tyrell Adams | LB | Jaguars | 0.10% | 30 |