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NFL sets cap, fifth-year options: What it means for Jaguars' Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd
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- NFL sets cap, fifth-year options: What it means for Jaguars' Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd
The Jacksonville Jaguars don't need to invest much into their impending free agents this offseason , but they will need to make decisions on a couple of former first-round picks.
The NFL set the league's salary cap, and fifth-year options for the 2022 NFL Draft class over the weekend.
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The Jaguars have two players eligible: defensive end Travon Walker and linebacker Devin Lloyd . Walker was drafted with the first-overall pick, Lloyd with the 27th-overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Jaguars are back from the NFL Scouting Combine with full notebooks and binders of reports on not only the upcoming NFL Draft class, but also on free agency and the team's roster.
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Jaguars general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen met with the media last week, addressing several topics including the status of the team's roster in its current configuration. Gladstone also left a clue as to what direction the team will head in as they look to reshape the roster.
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"Where it stands right now, I think we'll prioritize positions that really are across the front both offensively and defensively and those that put points on the board. That's where my mind goes when you ask a question like that. Beyond it, we'll continue to round out," Gladstone said last week.
Jacksonville's priorities this offseason focus on the trenches, and that includes Walker who is expected to command a high pay increase after this season.
The Jaguars have picked up fifth-year options recently, including for both quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne . Etienne is entering his fifth and final year of his contract. He is set to make $6,143,000 in base salary this year, the value of the basic fifth-year option for running backs drafted in the 2021 Draft.
NFL sets 2025 salary cap, a $23.8 million increase from last year
The NFL set the league's salary cap for the 2025-26 season this weekend at $279.2 million. The cap number represents a $23.8 million increase from last year's $255.4 million figure and is a record high.
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The cap escalation is $100 million more than what it was in 2018 ($177 million) and nearly $200 million more than what it was in 2005 ($85.5 million).
What is a fifth-year option? When is the deadline?
A fifth-year option allows teams to extend contracts for first-round draft picks for an additional year. The deadline to exercise a fifth-year option is typically in May.
This year's fifth-year option deadline is May 1.
Players become eligible for fifth-year options after the conclusion of the third season of their rookie deal.
The fifth-year salary is calculated based on four tiers: Basic, playing time, one Pro Bowl and multiple Pro Bowls. The salaries scale based on that criteria.
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Here's how it's calculated, according to the 2020 NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA):
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Basic: Players who do not meet any requirements. The salary is calculated from the average of the third to 25th highest salries at their position over the past five seasons.
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Playtime: Calculated from the average of the third to 20th highest salaries at their position over the past five seasons, assuming their snap counts over their first three seasons include 75% or greater in two of their first three seasons, or they hold an average of 75% or greater snap percentage over all three seasons or they've accounted for 50% or greater overall all three seasons.
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One Pro Bowl: Players who are named to a Pro Bowl on the original ballo t will be eligible for a fifth-year option equal to the transition tender at their position.
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Multiple Pro Bowls: Players named to two or more Pro Bowls on the original ballot are eligible for a fifth-year base salary equal to the franchise tender at their position.
Travon Walker 's fifth-year option number set. Will Jaguars pick it up?
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - DECEMBER 29: Travon Walker #44 of the Jacksonville Jaguars looks on during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium on December 29, 2024 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)
Walker, 24, is a key cog on Jacksonville's defense and has been since being drafted in 2022, starting 48 games for Jacksonville. Walker missed two games in 2022 due to injury.
Throughout his career, Walker has accounted for 24 sacks, 82 solo tackles, 28 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles in his career.
After totaling just 3.5 sacks in his rookie year, Walker totaled 10 and 10.5 sacks over the last two years, respectively. He was the first Jaguars player to account for 10 or more sacks in back-to-back seasons since Calais Campbell in 2017-18.
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Walker has not made any Pro Bowls, but he has achieved the league's playing time criteria. His fifth-year option value is set for $15,196,000 as a defensive end.
Given Walker's value to the team's defensive line, picking up his option will be a no-brainer. Especially after Gladstone made it clear the team plans to invest in its line of scrimmages.
Devin Lloyd's fifth-year option number set. Will Jaguars pick it up?
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (33) is introduced before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Packers edged the Jaguars 30-27 on a last-second field goal. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Lloyd, 26, is entering his fourth season with Jacksonville after the team traded up back into the first round to take him with the 27th overall pick.
Lloyd has played 48 games for Jacksonville, starting 46. He's missed a few games due to injury over the last couple of seasons.
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Lloyd has accounted for 355 total tackles (195 solos), nine tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits, 19 pass breakups, four interceptions and two sacks.
Though Lloyd has been productive in Jacksonville, he has not found a solidified role with the defense. Lloyd played weakside linebacker in 2022-23 before a new defensive scheme played him at middle linebacker in 2024. Still, the team did not get tremendous use or production out of Lloyd.
A change of scenery might be best for him and the franchise if the team cannot find a legitimate role for him.
Lloyd meets the playing-time criteria for a fifth-year option. The linebacker option is set for $14,751,000. Barring a 180 by the team's new GM and HC, it is unlikely Lloyd's option will be picked up.
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Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 or on Bluesky @ Demetrius .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Will Jaguars pick up fifth-year options for Travon Walker, Devin Lloyd?
