Evan Engram isn’t going to hit the open market. Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke made that clear Tuesday in a conversation with NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
“I talked with Trent Baalke a few minutes ago and he said, ‘Evan Engram will be on this football team in some capacity,'” Wolfe said Tuesday. “They want to get a long-term deal done, but they have that franchise tag as a tool if it lingers. They’ve started early parts of those conversations with Evan Engram.
“He had a career best year in that offense. Doug Pederson raved about him. Trevor Lawrence raved about him.”
None of that is too surprising, as all parties have explicitly expressed a desire to keep Engram in Jacksonville. Earlier in February, the tight end said initial talks with the Jaguars have been “very promising” and he’d view the franchise tag as placeholder until a long-term deal gets done.
The Jaguars have another week to figure out a contract that works for both sides. If the team is still working to bridge the gap at that point, it’d likely make sense to use the franchise tag before the March 7 deadline.
A franchised tight end would cost $11,345,000.
Engram, 28, broke the Jaguars’ single-season franchise records for receptions (73) and receiving yards (766) by a tight end. He also added another 12 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown in the postseason.
