The Jacksonville Jaguars made big moves last offseason to acquire a bevy of talent, which included Christian Kirk, Brandon Scherff, Foye Oluokun, and several other high-priced free agents.
While the team won’t be doing the same this offseason, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke is also reaping the benefits of a much improved franchise. As the team enters into negotiations with some of its own soon-to-be free agents, a contract with the Jaguars is now a much easier sell.
“We’ve got an organization that players now want to play for,” Baalke said Tuesday at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. “When you’re in that situation, it’s a great community. I think the players got a real taste of what that community can offer. If you look at the last two games of the year, how electric that stadium was and filled with Jaguar fans.”
After starting 2022 with a 2-6 record, the Jaguars won their last five regular season games to earn the AFC South title. The team then pulled off a 27-point comeback in a home playoff game before getting eliminated with a 27-20 loss to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Since the season ended, several players have expressed a desire to stay with the team. Tight end Evan Engram called his year in Jacksonville the best year of his life, and offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor said he definitely hopes to re-sign with the Jaguars.
While it still won’t be cheap to keep Taylor and Engram, who landed 15th and 29th respectively on the list of ESPN’s top free agents, the Jaguars are in a position where the players want to make a deal work.
With 23-year-old quarterback Trevor Lawrence leading the way for the foreseeable future and Coach of the Year finalist Doug Pederson in place, the Jaguars are well positioned to be an easy sell for a long time.
