Marcell Dareus approached the Jacksonville Jaguars organization with a restructured contract in mind. Dareus has been in the league for eight years and just finished his second with the Jags. The interior defsensive lineman came to the team through a trade mid season in 2017. He is best known for his run blocking ability. After meeting with general manager Dave Caldwell, Dareus has a restructured contract which unselfishly helps the team.
Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell said NT Marcell Dareus came to the team and told them he wanted to restructure his contract because he wanted to stay in Jacksonville.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) February 27, 2019
Marcell Dareus Contract Restructure
It’s not too often that you see players approach the general manager about a team friendly deal. But that’s exactly what Dareus did. The eight-year veteran seems to like being in Jacksonville and wants to continue to be a part of a strong defense. Though unselfish, it is possible Dareus could have been cut if he hadn’t worked out a new deal. His old contract would have cost the team over $10 million in cap space but would have carried zero dead cap.
According to Spotrac, Dareus’ new contract is a two-year, $20,435,000 deal. He also gets a $5 million signing bonus along with a $250,000 workout bonus in 2019. This new contract winds up saving the Jaguars $5 million in cap space for the 2019 season. That, of course, is great news for a team that doesn’t have much cap space.
Dareus’ Move Good for the Team
The Jaguars currently sit at 31st out of 32 teams in terms of cap space. This is especially bad when you consider that the Jags don’t know who their quarterback will be at the start of the 2019 season. The team definitely has to make some decisions about their roster in order to provide more room to work with. But, Dareus’ proactive move is a good start.
Many analysts have the Jaguars linked to Nick Foles as the most likely landing spot for the 2017 Super Bowl MVP. Foles is the top quarterback free agent this year and will, therefore, command a respectable salary. With the fact that the Jaguars still have a top-five defense, it may be more likely that the team decides to go with a veteran. Though it’s been a few years since Foles has played a full 16 game season, he wouldn’t be new to the NFL like a rookie would be. If the Jaguars decide to go with Foles, fans can point to Dareus as one of the reasons the team had the ability to get the deal done.
Dareus Is Comfortable With the Team
It’s obvious that Dareus wants to remain in Jacksonville. Though the team had a hard fall in 2018, the defense is still strong and he fits in well as a run stuffer. Not only that, but Dareus already had familiarity with head coach Doug Marrone before being traded to the Jags in 2017. Marrone was the Buffalo Bills head coach from 2013-2014. That’s now three and a half seasons with Marrone as Dareus’ head coach, so he must have a positive impact with him and others.
The Last Word
Most talk surrounding the Jaguars of late has to do with who their next quarterback will be. But it’s always nice to hear of players willing to make team-friendly deals in order to stay with the organization. With the cap savings made thanks to Dareus’ new contract, the team is now in a better position to execute their free agency plans.
