{"id":10685,"date":"2017-01-16T16:38:42","date_gmt":"2017-01-16T21:38:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=10685"},"modified":"2021-03-12T19:18:08","modified_gmt":"2021-03-13T00:18:08","slug":"jacksonville-jaguars-2017-free-agent-decisions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2017\/01\/16\/jacksonville-jaguars-2017-free-agent-decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville Jaguars 2017 Free Agent Decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/strong><\/a> taking over football operations and Doug Marrone<\/a><\/strong> taking over as head coach; clearly,\u00a0changes 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.<\/p>\n

Jacksonville Jaguars 2017 Free Agent Decisions<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s take a look at some of the players the Jaguars will need to make a decision on:<\/p>\n

Abry Jones, Defensive Tackle<\/h3>\n

Abry Jones<\/strong><\/a> took on a large role mid-season once Roy Miller<\/a><\/strong> 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\u00a0he’s ready to take on a large role on this defense. Jones\u00a0needs to be a priority this off-season, as he can be a core piece on this defensive line long-term.<\/p>\n

Prince Amukamara, Cornerback<\/h3>\n

The Jaguars signed Prince Amukamara<\/strong><\/a> 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<\/strong><\/a> and Amukamara at the top of the depth chart. It seems clear\u00a0that he also has to be a high priority to bring back this off-season. Former\u00a0New York Giant connections\u00a0Coughlin and Perry Fewell<\/strong><\/a> being in the mix likely increases his chances of sticking around.<\/p>\n

Jonathan Cyprien, Strong Safety<\/h3>\n

This decision is going to rely heavily on the scheme that Todd Wash<\/strong><\/a> wants to run on defense. Jonathan Cyprien<\/strong><\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

Luke Joeckel, Left Guard<\/h3>\n

The Jaguars haven\u2019t got what they imagined out of Luke Joeckel<\/strong><\/a> so far in his NFL career. After the former second overall pick\u00a0failed at left tackle\u00a0in the early going, the team\u00a0decided to try him out at left guard\u00a0this past season. Unfortunately, Joeckel ended up going down with an injury and missing the season, so they weren\u2019t able to get a great look at him in this role.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0it\u2019s time to move on.<\/p>\n

Tyson Alualu, Defensive Tackle<\/h3>\n

One of the few Jaguars left from the Gene Smith<\/a><\/strong> era, Tyson Alualu<\/strong><\/a> 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\u2019t have much of a\u00a0veteran presences on the team, and it may be smart to bring him back on a reasonable one or two-year deal.<\/p>\n

Bryan Walters, Wide Receiver<\/h3>\n

The Jaguars offense was a train wreck most of the season but Bryan Walters<\/strong><\/a> was often a pretty reliable target for Blake Bortles<\/strong><\/a>. It’s yet to be determined\u00a0if he\u2019ll want to return as he didn\u2019t get a lot of playing time until late in the year. If he does want to return to Jacksonville, then\u00a0one can reasonably\u00a0expect him to stick around.<\/p>\n

Denard Robinson, Running Back<\/h3>\n

A former University of Michigan quarterback that converted to running back in the pros, Denard\u00a0Robinson<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0has yet to show why the Jaguars should retain him. Unfortunately, Robinson is a replaceable piece on offense, and\u00a0I expect the Jaguars to cut ties with him this off-season.<\/p>\n

Main Photo:<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n