It’s official: Marcell Dareus will become a free agent. The defensive tackle has been a Jaguar since 2017, but Dave Caldwell confirmed on Tuesday that the Jacksonville Jaguars will not pick up his contract option. When healthy, Dareus has been a run stuffer, but parting ways saves the team $20 million in cap space. Dareus is the first big-name player on the Jags that will likely not return for the 2020 season.
Caldwell confirmed the Jaguars are not picking up DT Marcell Dareus' option.
— John Reid (@JohnReid64) February 25, 2020
Official: Jacksonville Jaguars Decline Marcell Dareus’ Option
Dareus and his big contract are the first shoe to drop this offseason in roster management. As the NFL Scouting Combine is underway, Caldwell confirmed to reporters that the team won’t pick up Dareus’ contract option. The move comes as no surprise to those following the team. The defensive tackle missed 10 games in 2019 due to injury. It would have been the player’s second full season with the team and his run blocking skills were definitely missed. His contract was simply too big to keep him.
Dareus joined the Jaguars midway through the 2017 season in a trade made with the Buffalo Bills. His presence on the team was helpful in a year that saw the Jags reach the AFC Championship game. He played nine regular season games with the team in 2017 in addition to the playoffs. Dareus played 15 games for Jacksonville in 2018 and just six in 2019 due to injury.
Prior to playing in Duval, Dareus spent the first six and half years of his career in Buffalo. He is a two time Pro Bowler and one-time First-Team All-Pro. Dareus turns 30 on March 13th, and he is set to become a free agent. Interestingly, Caldwell did mention potential interest in keeping the defender. However, other teams will be able to negotiate with Dareus and try to attract him elsewhere.
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