Fixing the Jaguars: What a Perfect Offseason Looks Like for Jacksonville

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Fixing the Jaguars: What a Perfect Offseason Looks Like for Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 11: Trevor Lawrence 16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars warms up before the AFC Wildcard Playoff game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills on January 11, 2026 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fl. Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 11 AFC Wildcard Bills at Jaguars EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260111542520 ©IMAGO/Icon Sportswire

Kyle Besson · EssentiallySports

Thu, Feb 19, 2026 ·

6 min read

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The Jacksonville Jaguars had a strong season in Liam Coen's first year as head coach. The Jaguars went 13-4 and won the AFC South.

Despite their successful regular season, Jacksonville was one-and-done in the playoffs, falling to the Buffalo Bills in the Wildcard. So what are their next steps? They have -$9 million in cap space and are losing key players to free agency. How do we give the Jaguars an offseason that sets them up for success?

For this simulated offseason, we'll be utilizing StickToTheModel , a new general manager-like simulation that tries to depict the NFL offseason accurately.

Who to Cut?

As mentioned before, Jacksonville has a bit of a cap problem. To negate this, we'll have to cut some players and restructure the contracts of others.

Unfortunately, the Jaguars don't have any players they can cut that would immediately fix the cap issue. We first start by cutting tackle Chuma Edoga to save $2.9 million. Wide receiver Tim Jones and tight end Johnny Mundt are next, saving us a combined $3.7 million.

Defensive tackle Austin Johnson is our first on defense to get cut, but then there comes a hard decision. Cutting safety Antonio Johnson would save us $3.6 million, but the third-year safety was too big an impact player to warrant the move.

Who to Resign?

JACKSONVILLE, FL – JANUARY 11: Travis Etienne Jr. 1 of the Jacksonville Jaguars runs with the ball during the AFC Wildcard Playoff game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills on January 11, 2026 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fl. Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 11 AFC Wildcard Bills at Jaguars EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon260111544989

Who do we resign to? With what cap? We won't be bringing any pending free agents back. Losing names like Travis Etienne, Greg Newsome II, and Devin Lloyd isn't easy, but we don't have the cap flexibility to fit them in.

We do, however, make additional moves with players already on the roster to clear up more cap space.

Restructure

We have to get busy restructuring players. Doing so will open up cap space but also guarantee the Jaguars will be paying these players down the road.

First is wide receiver Jakobi Meyers . Altering Meyers' contract saves us $3.6 million this offseason. We also agree to restructures with Jourdan Lewis , Walker Little , and Foyesade Oluokun . Agreeing to restructures with these three players saves us another $14 million in cap.

The final restructure is defensive end Josh Hines-Allen . Hines-Allen's restructure alone saves us $4.6 million.

Extensions

NFL, American Football Herren, USA Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans Nov 30, 2025 Nashville, Tennessee, USA Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange 85 catches a touchdown as Tennessee Titans safety Kevin Winston Jr. 23 defends during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Nashville Nissan Stadium Tennessee USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xStevexRobertsx 20241130_rtc_ra1_0149

We aren't able to get much done in the extension market either. We agree to a three-year extension with tight end Brenton Strange , but that won't save us any cap space this season.

Free Agency

With the moves we made, we are able to muster up around $28 million in cap space to spend in free agency. While not a lot, there's enough room to add valuable pieces.

Our big signing of free agency was getting offensive lineman Tyler Linderbaum . We agreed to a three-year deal worth $48 million with the Pro Bowl offensive lineman. Adding Linderbaum immediately beefs up the trenches, and we got him on a pretty good deal.

September 28, 2025: Baltimore Ravens center Tyler Linderbaum 64 looks to block during an NFL, American Football Herren, USA football game against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO. /CSM Kansas City United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20250928_zma_c04_477 Copyright: xDavidxSmithx

On the other side of the ball, we make two additions. We first signed DaQuan Jones to a one-year deal worth $6.5 million. More than what we wanted to spend, but it adds a solid presence to the interior of the defensive line. We also agree to a one-year deal with cornerback Jeff Okudah for depth.

The Draft

On top of their cap situation, Jacksonville doesn't have a first-round pick in 2026. They traded it away during last year's draft to move up for Travis Hunter . While Hunter may have warranted the trade-up, his hefty price tag leaves us struggling to find ways to add to the team.

2.56 S A.J. Haulcy

Building on our defense is a necessity, and LSU's A.J. Haulcyimmediately adds versatility. The 6-foot safety combines elite ball skills with a large and dense frame, making him viable against the pass and as a run defender.

3.81 CB Malik Muhammad

Continuing to add to our secondary, we add Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad.The 6-foot cornerback is a flexible defender and could play in various packages, but has the capable size to play on the boundary. Muhammad has incredible football instincts and can play man coverage comfortably.

3.88 OL Gennings Dunker

Taking a break from defensive additions, we add Gennings Dunker. Despite playing tackle in college, Dunker's limited athleticism will see him play in the interior in the NFL. The 6-foot-5 offensive lineman has a massive frame and plays aggressively. While Dunker doesn't make the biggest impact on the run game immediately, his outstanding size could develop into a great pass protector.

3.100 EDGE Caden Curry

Finally addressing the edge, we add Ohio State's Caden Curry. The 6-foot-3 edge rusher logged 11 sacks in 2025 and 16.5 tackles for loss. His play needs to be cleaned up, but his significant production, while underdeveloped, makes him an eye-catching prospect.

Recap

NFL, American Football Herren, USA Green Bay Packers at Jacksonville Jaguars Oct 27, 2024 Jacksonville, Florida, USA Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence 16 celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. 7 during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at EverBank Stadium. Jacksonville EverBank Stadium Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMelinaxMyersx 20241027_szo_av1_0194

Additions

OL Tyler Linderbaum
IDL DaQuan Jones
CB Jeff Okudah
S A.J. Haulcy
CB Malik Muhammad
G Gennings Dunker
EDGE Caden Curry

Losses

T Chuma Edoga
WR Tim Jones
DT Austin Johnson
TE Johnny Mundt
RB Travis Etienne
CB Greg Newsome II
LB Devin Lloyd

There's not a lot of room for additions for this Jaguars team. They have a cap space problem that isn't easily fixable, and they are without a first-round draft pick. Despite this, we're able to make enough room for a big-ticket free agent in Linderbaum and use our four Day 2 draft picks to add falling prospects at good value.

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