The 2017 off-season is going to be a very big one for the Jaguars. We already saw that last week with the announcement of Tom Coughlin taking over football operations and Doug Marrone taking over as head coach; clearly, changes will be made. The Jaguars will have some more big decisions in the near future as they will need to decide who to retain from last season who will be on the free agent market.
Jacksonville Jaguars 2017 Free Agent Decisions
Let’s take a look at some of the players the Jaguars will need to make a decision on:
Abry Jones, Defensive Tackle
Abry Jones took on a large role mid-season once Roy Miller went down with a torn Achilles and had great success. The undrafted free agent out of the University of Georgia has been a rotational defensive linemen for the last few years, and finally got a chance to prove himself this season. During this opportunity, he showed that he’s ready to take on a large role on this defense. Jones needs to be a priority this off-season, as he can be a core piece on this defensive line long-term.
Prince Amukamara, Cornerback
The Jaguars signed Prince Amukamara to a one year deal last March, to prove he can stay healthy over a full season. For the most part, he did just that and likely should get a lucrative long-term deal, whether that comes in Jacksonville or elsewhere. The secondary was vastly improved with Jalen Ramsey and Amukamara at the top of the depth chart. It seems clear that he also has to be a high priority to bring back this off-season. Former New York Giant connections Coughlin and Perry Fewell being in the mix likely increases his chances of sticking around.
Jonathan Cyprien, Strong Safety
This decision is going to rely heavily on the scheme that Todd Wash wants to run on defense. Jonathan Cyprien often excelled when in run support this past season, and overall had a solid year. Unfortunately, he is a major liability in coverage. It may be best to cut ties with the former second- round pick. This will probably be the toughest decision for the Jaguars this off-season.
Luke Joeckel, Left Guard
The Jaguars haven’t got what they imagined out of Luke Joeckel so far in his NFL career. After the former second overall pick failed at left tackle in the early going, the team decided to try him out at left guard this past season. Unfortunately, Joeckel ended up going down with an injury and missing the season, so they weren’t able to get a great look at him in this role.
In the short time that he played he showed some pretty solid success, but nothing that makes you think he can be a high-end guard in the future. There may very well be a lot better options on the free agent market and in the draft that you could go here. It’s possible that it’s time to move on.
Tyson Alualu, Defensive Tackle
One of the few Jaguars left from the Gene Smith era, Tyson Alualu had a very good season in 2016, playing all over the defensive line and really making some nice plays. Alualu is a very solid rotational defensive lineman that has been around a while. The Jaguars don’t have much of a veteran presences on the team, and it may be smart to bring him back on a reasonable one or two-year deal.
Bryan Walters, Wide Receiver
The Jaguars offense was a train wreck most of the season but Bryan Walters was often a pretty reliable target for Blake Bortles. It’s yet to be determined if he’ll want to return as he didn’t get a lot of playing time until late in the year. If he does want to return to Jacksonville, then one can reasonably expect him to stick around.
Denard Robinson, Running Back
A former University of Michigan quarterback that converted to running back in the pros, Denard Robinson has yet to show why the Jaguars should retain him. Unfortunately, Robinson is a replaceable piece on offense, and I expect the Jaguars to cut ties with him this off-season.
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