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What could the Walker Little extension mean for Trent Baalke, Jacksonville Jaguars' draft?
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- What could the Walker Little extension mean for Trent Baalke, Jacksonville Jaguars' draft?
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a rare in-season extension with left tackle Walker Little . The move was completed Sunday ahead of the team's game against the Houston Texans , announced a few hours before the game kicked off.
Little will reportedly get $45 million over three years with $26 million guaranteed. The extension gives the Jaguars some clarity as Little was set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
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EXTENSION: Jacksonville Jaguars, Walker Little agree to contract extension. See the salary details
The Jaguars traded starting left tackle Cam Robinson near the trade deadline to the Minnesota Vikings , making Little the team's permanent starting tackle. Previously, Little played due to an injury or last season at left guard when the team experimented with the offensive lineman's position.
Since being drafted by the Jaguars in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Little has started 21 games, playing in 51. Little filled in for Robinson over the years when the veteran went down due to injury or suspension.
With Little under contract at least through the 2027 season, the Jaguars can move on to other areas of the roster that could need fixing. But, what does the signing mean for the team moving forward?
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Does Walker Little 's extension mean anything for Trent Baalke's future?
Jacksonville Jaguars Manager Trent Baalke walks off the field during the third day of an NFL football training camp practice Friday, July 26, 2024 at EverBank Stadium’s Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
The timing of Little's deal with the Jaguars is a bit of a conundrum given the state of the franchise. Jacksonville, at 2-9, had been expected to make potential wholesale changes either during or immediately following the season. That includes general manager Trent Baalke, who drafted the 25-year-old left tackle.
Baalke's job security has been under question for weeks. Signing a player for the future could imply he expects to remain in his role. The flipside of that, however, is that someone has to do the job as it stands today and signing Little is something many prospective general managers would likely consider.
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The closer a player gets to free agency, the more expensive he will be or the more likely he is to hit the open marker. So, signing Little now makes sense rather than letting him get closer to free agency for Baalke or any other prospective GM.
ESPN's Adam Schefter included one nugget in his report about Little's extension, implying that the move could be a sign of Baalke's retention following the season.
"One executive from another team said Little's deal is a sign that Baalke is planning to stick with the Jaguars, despite all the uncertainty that has surrounded the team," said Schefter.
Jaguars are confident in Walker Little moving forward
Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little (72) runs on the field before an NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans 34-14. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
To point out the obvious, Jacksonville is confident in Little as the team's starting left tackle for the foreseeable future.
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Before the extension, Little's status with the team was up in the air even after they offloaded Robinson to Minnesota.
Jacksonville has never gone all-in with Little. He lost a training camp battle for right tackle in 2022 to Jawaan Taylor and the team drafted tackle Anton Harrison in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which relegated Little to a swing-tackle role permanently.
Little was supposed to compete with Robinson during this year's training camp but did not receive many reps with the starting unit with the team seemingly sticking with Robinson ahead of the former second-round pick.
Jacksonville's lack of investment beyond a draft pick in Little was taken as a sign that they may not feel strongly about him as their left tackle of the future.
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With the extension, any ambiguity regarding Little's status with the team can be eliminated.
Before the bye week, Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said that Little had "settled into" the left tackle spot and it's clear the team's front office feels the same way. Little will protect quarterback Trevor Lawrence 's blindside.
Travis Hunter to Jacksonville? Jaguars unlikely to pick a tackle in first round of 2025 NFL Draft
Sep 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) walks off the field before the game against the Baylor Bears at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
With Little in tow, the Jaguars will likely go in a different direction in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Ahead of the team's game against the Texans, Jacksonville held the third-overall pick in the upcoming draft. The Las Vegas Raiders (2-10, second-overall) and the New York Giants (2-10, first-overall) leaped ahead of them, but that order will almost certainly change with five weeks remaining in the regular season.
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Regardless of their draft positioning, though, with Little in the fold, Jacksonville won't be selecting a tackle with their first-round pick.
The Jaguars could turn to the defensive side of the ball instead. Colorado cornerback Travis Hunter remains the favorite to be the first defensive player taken in this year's draft without an obvious, elite edge rusher in this year's class.
Jacksonville could opt to sure up that side of the field, particularly their cornerback spot opposite of CB Tyson Campbell .
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: How does Walker Little's extension impact Jaguars future, NFL Draft?
