With free agency a week in, have the Jaguars upgraded their personnel?

Well that was exciting!

The Jacksonville Jaguars have proved to be one of the more active NFL franchises in free agency thus far, welcoming eight new faces to Duval County. But has the team got better? Let’s compare the additions to the losses one by one, and see where we stand:

Gabe Davis vs Calvin Ridley

Okay. On star power alone, it’s easy to condemn the Jaguars’ moves at wide receiver as one giant misstep. And, in some regard, there are plenty of questions for general manager Trent Baalke to answer. After all, the front office had told everyone that they wanted Calvin Ridley back, only to see him depart for Tennessee. Why? Because they dragged their heels signing edge rusher Josh Allen, who consequently needed to be tagged. That meant Ridley hit the open market, and the Titans coughed up stupid money that Jacksonville weren’t willing to match. Regardless of your opinion of Ridley, that is the kind of roster management that has plagued the Jaguars for some time.

That being said, in terms of value for money, it’s not even close. Davis is five years younger than Ridley, and costs $10m a year less to have on the team. Whilst his production as a whole hasn’t reached the heights of his predecessor, ‘Big Play Gabe’ has shown up in big moments for the Buffalo Bills - and you feel there’s a lot more to come from the Floridian as he returns to the East Coast. Nobody is naive enough to think that the Jags are done at receiver, but perhaps this may be a case of addition by subtraction. Baalke certainly hopes so.

Darnell Savage vs Rayshawn Jenkins

The bad news? Darnell Savage had the worst year of his young career with the Green Bay Packers last season. The good news? EVERYONE in that secondary played poorly under Joe Barry - and based on Savage’s previous performances, it’s worth taking a gamble on 2023 being an outlier. Savage has 302 tackles on his resume in just five years in the league - that’s twelve more than the man he’s replacing, who has been around two years longer. None of this anoints him as the finished article as he joins the Jaguars, but much like Gabe Davis, there’s a sense that we haven’t seen the best of him yet.

Rayshawn Jenkins brought a healthy dose of veteran experience and locker room leadership to the table, and was well respected by fans and teammates. Being a leader isn’t something earned overnight, and might be a growth area for Savage, but it’s clear that in three years in Jacksonville, Jenkins built up a lot of good will. Incredibly durable, the strong safety started 48 games - playing at a consistent if not elite level. He heads to the Seahawks for $6m a year, meaning the Jags are paying a little extra ($7.5m a year) to get a lot younger with Savage. This is a move that probably upgrades now, and should look better the further down the line we get.

Ronald Darby vs Darious Williams

This one is all about fit. Despite being one of the best performers for the Jaguars in 2023 - and registering four interceptions - Darious Williams was let go this offseason. Why? Size and style of play; New defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen prefers bigger, longer corners who thrive in press. Williams probably registered his best season as a pro last year, but with a fairly chunky salary cap hit the Jags were happy to head in a different direction. He takes his talents back to the Los Angeles Rams where he won a Super Bowl ring on a 3 year deal averaging $7.5m a season.

His replacement is Ronald Darby, who spent last year with the Baltimore Ravens. Entering his tenth season in the league, Darby didn’t have anywhere near the same kind of output as Williams did last campaign, starting just seven games. That said, the journeyman is two inches bigger than Williams and comes significantly cheaper, averaging $4.25m a year. He’s also well known for his physical style of play, something Nielsen will look to utilize. This move feels like a drop-off in quality even if the fit is better, and there’s no guarantee Darby locks down the outside spot Williams manned.

Arik Armstead vs Foley Fatukasi

Time to get excited folks. Foley Fatukasi was a consummate professional during his two years in Jacksonville, a sturdy piece on the interior of the line that provided consistency in his 29 starts. Much like Williams and Jenkins, he leaves the Jags with nothing but well wishes. And yet, there’s no denying Trent Baalke has improved the defensive line with his replacement…

Arik Armstead comes to the Jags with a resume comparable to any defensive tackle in the NFL. In his nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Armstead racked up 302 tackles, 43 TFL’s and 33.5 sacks. From 2018 through 2021, he played every game for San Fran, demonstrating positional versatility to operate in either a three or four man front. One of Trent Baalke’s biggest wins as general manager when on the West Coast, he brings him over to Jacksonville as part of a significant focus on the trenches this offseason. It’s hard to see this as anything other than a major upgrade for the Jags.

Devin Duvernay vs Jamal Agnew

A fan favorite during his time in Jacksonville, Jamal Agnew’s 2023 season was interrupted with various injuries. The setbacks saw him share return duties with Christian Kirk and Parker Washington, eating into his production. That said, he did post career numbers as a receiver (230 yards), but evidently it wasn’t enough for him to extend his stay with the Jags.

Conversely, Devin Duvernay was a much larger part of the Ravens’ offense the last four seasons UNTIL 2023, where he posted just 33 all-purpose yards. Both Agnew and Duvernay’s ability to contribute on offense is welcome, but their place on the roster is down to their special teams prowess. In that regard, Duvernay averaged more punt return yards on average (12.6) than Agnew (10.6) in 2023, but a lot less kick return yards on average (19.3 versus 26.1). The averages on kickoffs are very similar across their careers, so perhaps last season was an outlier for Duvernay. Either way, durability notwithstanding this feels like a lateral move for the Jaguars.

Mitch Morse vs Tyler Shatley

Okay, not quite an apples to apples comparison this one, as Mitch Morse is expected to replace Luke Fortner at center. That said, Shatley has started a considerable number of games at pivot for the Jags in the ten years he was with the team - and based on Fortner’s college history, he is able to play anywhere on the interior of the offensive line. So in a weird love triangle sort of way, it’s sort of a replacement. Still with me? Good.

Tyler Shatley earns nothing but respect from this writer for being a capable presence at numerous positions for the Jaguars over a decade. Being versatile and available is a skillset not everyone has, and 145 games (52 starts) is something to be appreciated. That said, the offensive line is looking in much better shape after the first week of free agency. Morse comes in as a seasoned veteran with 126 starts under his belt for both the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, and went to the Pro Bowl as recently as 2022. His arrival allows Fortner to backup himself as well as Brandon Scherff and Ezra Cleveland at guard too. Whichever way you slice it, Trevor Lawrence’s protection has gone up a level.

Trevis Gipson vs K’Lavon Chaisson

Now we’re getting to the rotational pieces of the roster. But if we’re all honest, K’Lavon Chaisson did next to nothing in a Jaguars jersey the last four years. Arriving to much fanfare via the 20th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the speedy edge rusher made just five sacks in 57 games - and only ended up starting eleven of them. That phenomenal production was enough for the Carolina Panthers to give him $5m to come play for them in 2024 - if that front office is giving him money, it’s a sure sign the Jags were right in letting him go.

Selected 135 places behind Chaisson in the same draft was Trevis Gipson. Gipson did next to nothing for the Tennessee Titans last season, but before that gave the Chicago Bears decent value for money, registering ten sacks as a backup over three years. I’ve not seen the numbers, but I can’t imagine it being more than what Chaisson got in Carolina. As a rotational edge rusher that can flit between end and linebacker, this is a risk-free move with the potential to have considerable upside - Gipson is just 26 years old and should have plenty of tread left on the tyres.

Joey Slye vs Brandon McManus

The Jaguars have had fun with kickers the last few years. From Josh Lambo suing a former head coach, to Matthew Wright kicking a 53 yard field goal to beat the Dolphins in London to get the job for a year, the team has been through some names. Kai Forbath, Aldrick Rosas, Riley Patterson, Stephen Hauschka, Jonathan Brown, Brandon Wright and Brandon McManus have all swung the leg in the black and teal in the last five years alone. Maybe it’s time to get one guy at the position?

Well, Trent Baalke did try - it looked like the Jags had signed Will Lutz on the first day of the legal tampering period, only for him to change his mind and stay with the Denver Broncos instead. As an alternative, Jacksonville have essentially exchanged kickers with the Washington Commanders, swapping McManus with Joey Slye. Slye will battle Patterson for the right to kick in 2024, although neither have the leg that McManus has showcased in his career. But, it’s kicking, so what does anyone really know?