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Jaguars, guard Ezra Cleveland reportedly agree to three-year, $28.5 million deal
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- Jaguars, guard Ezra Cleveland reportedly agree to three-year, $28.5 million deal
The Jacksonville Jaguars are continuing their plan before the start of the new league year, reportedly agreeing to terms on a new three-year contract extension with left guard Ezra Cleveland . Cleveland was set to become a free agent March 13, the start of the new league year.
Earlier Thursday, it was also reported that the Jaguars were re-signing veteran special teams ace and safety Daniel Thomas , their first reported re-signing of the offseason. The Jaguars made many roster moves this week, including several cuts for salary cap purposes ahead of the new league year.
Jacksonville Jaguars guard Ezra Cleveland (76) in action during an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Monday, Dec. 4, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Gary McCullough)
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According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Cleveland is set to make $28.5 million over three years with $14.5 million in guaranteed money. The full details of the contract have not been made public at this time.
According to OverTheCap, Cleveland's reported average yearly value of $ 9.5 million per season ranks 13th among all guards. His total reported guarantees, $14.5 million, ranks 17th.
The Jaguars traded for Cleveland at the trade deadline this past season, sending a 2024 sixth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for his services. Cleveland fell out of favor in Minnesota after dealing with a foot injury and getting benched by Week 6 last year.
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He was graded positively by Pro Football Focus in 2022 (73.4 overall) after being drafted by the Vikings in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Cleveland started five games in Jacksonville, including four games at left guard and one game at left tackle.
Though he didn't play many games for Jacksonville, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke indicated at the NFL Scouting Combine last year that the team wanted to work out a long-term deal with the veteran guard and had plans to meet with Cleveland's agent, Ron Slavin.
"We traded for him for a reason and we think he's an awfully good football player. We'd like him back. We'd like all of our players back. That's the way we roll," Baalke said last week. "Unfortunately, you can't get them all back. We'll work hard, talk with Ron, his agent, and we'll talk with Ezra a little bit and see if we can come to an agreement."
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The Jaguars will likely deploy Cleveland as the team's starting left guard in 2024. However, there remains some uncertainty surrounding the rest of the team's offensive line that'll likely play itself out over the next few months.
Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Demetrius82 .
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars, guard Ezra Cleveland reportedly agree to three-year contract
