Among other topics, Ben Solak of ESPN recently made a “big prediction” for each of the teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs. So what moves could the Jacksonville Jaguars potentially be making?
Solak’s big prediction for the Jaguars centered around them trading away or releasing one of their veteran pass-catchers, either wide receiver Christian Kirk or tight end Evan Engram.
“I expect at least one of wide receiver Christian Kirk and tight end Evan Engram to be traded or cut this offseason, to make room for younger pass catchers Parker Washington and Brenton Strange,” wrote Solak.
Both players would miss time with injuries in 2024. Engram appeared in nine games and, as always, was a big part of the offense with 64 targets during that span. He was also coming off a 114 catch, 963 yard season in 2023.
Kirk, meanwhile, played eight games and caught 27 passes at 14.0 yards per catch. After eclipsing 1,000 yards in 2022, his first with the Jaguars, Kirk played in only 12 games in 2023.
For a team that had four wins and is making a change at head coach, trading away a veteran for additional draft capital to infuse more young talent on the roster does make sense.
Solak also notes that with the fifth pick in the draft, the Jaguars could still add to their pass-catching unit as well, taking either Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden or Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan–a selection for Jacksonville in a recent mock draft.
There is also the salary cap component to this where moving on from Engram would free up nearly $6 million in cap space and moving on from Kirk would create an additional $10.4 million in cap space, per Over the Cap.
Not accounting for the 2024 unused salary cap rollover, the Jaguars currently rank right around the middle of the pack in 2025 salary cap space.
