Jaguars Meet With OL Orlando Franklin
Orlando Franklin is a free agent after getting released one week ago by the Chargers and he’s now looking for a new home. Today, he’s meeting with the Jaguars, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). 
Franklin, 29, came to the Chargers as a free agent prior to the 2015 season, but things did not go according to plan. In his first year with San Diego, Franklin was sidelined for six games. Last year, he had a perfect attendance record in the regular season, but he was one of the seven worst qualified guards in the NFL, according to the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus.
In Franklin’s first three NFL seasons, he started at right tackle for the Broncos and it wasn’t until his final year in Denver that he switched to left guard. The Jaguars might not have a starting position available for Franklin, but they could theoretically use him as a swingman to help fill in off the bench. Jacksonville already has three versatile O-Line reserves who seem likely to make the final roster in Patrick Omameh (G/T), Earl Watford (G/T), and Luke Bowanko (C/T). Adding Franklin could give the Jags one of the most flexible offensive line groups in the NFL.
Speaking of the Jaguars’ offensive line, the team finally touched base with Branden Albert. It remains to be seen whether they can get the veteran in the building before mandatory camp begins.
Jaguars Worked Out CB Alterraun Verner
The Jaguars worked out veteran cornerback Alterraun Verner last week, a source tells Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Verner’s audition apparently didn’t go well, per O’Halloran. “He was a little out of shape,” the source said. “Word is they will do a do-over.”
[RELATED: Checking In On The Cornerback Market]
Jacksonville is set to field one of the league’s better cornerback tandems, as free agent signee A.J. Bouye will pair with 2016 first-round pick on the outside. After that duo, however, the club’s depth is questionable. Aaron Colvin is projected to start in the slot, but only played 10 games last year thanks to a four-game suspension and an ankle injury. Josh Johnson, Tracy Howard, and Jalen Myrick comprise the remainder of the Jaguars’ cornerback depth chart.
Verner, 28, could compete with Colvin to serve as Jacksonville’s nickelback and also offer depth at outside corner. Released by the Buccaneers in February, Verner reportedly drew immediate interest as soon as being cut loose, but still has yet to land a contract. Originally signed to be a starter for Tampa Bay, Verner’s playing time had dwindled over the past two campaigns, and he saw action on less than a quarter of the Bucs’ defensive snaps a season ago.
Fournette's Language Does Not Include Offset Language; Cummings On Albert
Leonard Fournette recently inked his rookie deal with the Jaguars, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports, Fournette is the only 2017 top-10 draft choice under contract to entirely avoid offset language. Executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin is apparently unconcerned about being on the hook for the full amount of Fournette’s rookie contract if Fournette should be cut within the first four years of his contract, or maybe he is just confident that Fournette will not fizzle out that quickly. This is in keeping with Jacksonville’s standard operating procedure, as the Jags have not included offset language for former top-5 picks Blake Bortles, Dante Fowler, Luke Joeckel, and Jalen Ramsey.
- The Jaguars recently touched base with left tackle Branden Albert, who continues to stay away from the team as he pushes for a new contract. Albert still has roughly a month before he can be fined for his absence, but Roy Cummings of Florida Football Insiders believes he is only hurting himself. The club drafted Cam Robinson in the second round of this year’s draft and has already stated that he will compete for the starting LT position, and given Robinson’s upside, there’s reason to think that he could win it. As such, Cummings does not believe that Albert will hold out of training camp.
6 Possible Fits For Victor Cruz
Victor Cruz is starting to generate some interest months after the Giants ended his lengthy New York tenure in February. But the slot receiver is far removed from his best seasons, ones that occurred before multiple leg injuries sidetracked his career.
But there’s still a market for the 30-year-old wideout, probably on a short-term arrangement to see what the former Pro Bowler has left. Cruz met with the Panthers before the draft, but they went in another direction. The 2012 Pro Bowler also went on visits to discuss a potential role with the Jaguars and Bears last week, and the Ravens expressed interest as well.
Here are some of the fits for Cruz as he attempts to re-establish himself on another team following the down years that marred the second half of his Giants tenure:
- Ravens — Baltimore lost both Steve Smith and Kamar Aiken and has done little to help its receiving corps this offseason. The Ravens did not draft a wideout despite a depth chart that’s headlined by 2016 street free agent Mike Wallace and injury risk Breshad Perriman. Cruz would stand to be a far more proven inside complement for this team compared to what is currently on the roster. A rumored Cruz/Ravens summit hasn’t occurred yet, but the Ravens are believed to be targeting veteran UFAs that would likely serve niche roles this season.
- Raiders — Oakland made some flashy additions to an offense that was already among the league’s best. Marshawn Lynch, Jared Cook and Cordarrelle Patterson will see plenty of time for the rejuvenated team, but the Raiders still don’t have a surefire No. 3 wide receiver. Former UDFA Seth Roberts did not build on his promising spurts in 2015, and Patterson has made his name as a kick returner. The former first-round pick hasn’t been a consistent receiving threat. The Raiders are targeting extensions for Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson and Khalil Mack, but a low-end Cruz pact — likely for one year — wouldn’t stand to impede those pursuits much.
- Browns — If Cruz visited the Bears, he’s not dead set on playing for a team in position to contend now. The Browns look to have made a mistake by cutting Taylor Gabriel last summer, and they don’t have much beyond Kenny Britt and Corey Coleman despite a sizable wideout corps acquired in last year’s draft. Cruz doesn’t fit a rebuilding team, but Cleveland has young quarterbacks Cody Kessler and DeShone Kizer. A better target to help over the middle would stand to aid in these passers’ development. Cruz did haul in 39 passes for 586 yards last season; that’s over 300 more than any current Browns WR3 candidate did.
- Jaguars — The obvious connection to Tom Coughlin makes this avenue somewhat viable, and the parties getting together for a meeting makes Jacksonville a candidate. It’s just more difficult to see where Cruz would play than some of these other teams. The Jags already have starters Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, and Marqise Lee put together his best season in 2016. While Robinson and Lee are UFAs after the season, Cruz as of now does not profile as a player that would command a multiyear deal and factor into longer-term planning.
- Lions — Detroit has two locked-in starters in Marvin Jones and Golden Tate, and the franchise selected 6-foot-4 wideout Kenny Golladay in Round 3. The Lions, though, could still use another veteran here, especially if Ameer Abdullah‘s injury history continues to force passing-down specialist Theo Riddick — himself a season-ending injury casualty last season — into the backfield. That said, the Lions are a candidate to re-sign Anquan Boldin, which would negate this path.
- Bears — Also an interesting match despite the visit, Chicago has lost some marquee receiving weapons in recent years. Brandon Marshall made another franchise regret a trade in 2015, and Alshon Jeffery‘s defection to the Eagles leaves the Bears in transition mode here. Kevin White‘s rampant injury struggles don’t make the former top-10 pick a safe bet either, leaving Cameron Meredith as their de facto WR1. But the Bears signed both Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton. While neither can match Cruz at his best, and both did not thrive in their contract years, but Chicago adding both may make the ex-Giant superfluous and create some interesting debates on which wideouts to shuttle to special teams.
Which of these teams do you think would be the best fit for the would-be eighth-year veteran? Who did we leave off that you think would make for a logical destination? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section.
Jaguars Touch Base With Branden Albert
There has been communication this week between the Jaguars and left tackle Branden Albert, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (on Twitter). This is a positive development since head coach Doug Marrone, as of one week ago, had not spoken to the lineman.
“I just want to know so when you ask me, I can answer it or when [Coughlin or Caldwell] asks, I can answer them,” Marrone said on May 13. “They ask me, ‘Have you talked to him? Is he going to come? Is he going to play?’ I don’t know. I’ve been in situations where I’ve had a player on the [franchise] tag and they would say, ‘Hey, I’m not signing the tag, I’m not going to [show up], but I’m going to be working out and training.’ … You just want to know where everyone is at and that’s all I was expecting [from Albert].”
Albert still has roughly a month before he can be fined for his absence, but the lack of dialogue between Jacksonville and the offseason pickup is noteworthy. After Albert was traded to the Jaguars this offseason, free agent tackles like Matt Kalil, Riley Reiff and Russell Okung cashed in on the open market, and that likely led Albert to push for a better contract. The Jaguars reportedly are unwilling to renegotiate his deal.
As it stands, Albert has two years to go with cap numbers of $8.9MM in 2017 and $9.6MM in 2018. There is no guaranteed cash in either season.
Jaguars To Work Out LB Mike Morgan
The Jaguars will audition free agent linebacker Mike Morgan on Thursday, and Morgan could sign with Jacksonville if the tryout goes well, according to Sheil Kapadia of ESPN.com.
Morgan, 29, was nominally the Seahawks’ starting strongside linebacker in 2016, but because Seattle spent so much time in nickel, Morgan’s defensive snaps were limited. Morgan’s contributions were further restricted by injury last year, as he spent eight weeks on injured reserve while dealing with a sports hernia. All told, Morgan played only 138 defensive snaps and posted just 10 tackles.
Jacksonville is already well-stocked with linebackers in the forms of Myles Jack, Paul Posluszny, Telvin Smith, and fifth-round pick Blair Brown, so Morgan would likely be limited to special teams duty. That’s a role Morgan has played before, as he saw action on more than 60% of the Seahawks’ special teams plays in 2015. The Jaguars ranked a lowly 25th in special teams DVOA last season.
Jaguars Sign RB Leonard Fournette
Leonard Fournette is officially a member of the Jaguars. The Jags have signed the running back to his four-year rookie deal, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
Per the terms of his slot as the No. 4 overall pick, Fournette will receive a four-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $27.15MM. That sum includes fat a $17.89MM signing bonus. By virtue of being a first-round pick, the Jaguars will also reserve the right to keep him for a fifth season.
Fournette was widely regarded as the best running back in this year’s class and he impressed evaluators at the combine with his faster than expected 40-yard-dash time. If he stays healthy, the Jaguars figure to have a superstar on their hands. Before the draft, one anonymous NFC director of scouting told NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein that the LSU back has an exceptionally bright future ahead of him:
“I can’t wait to see how the draft guys pick at Fournette and tell everyone what he doesn’t do right. He was healthy last year and that is what you are going to get. Big, fast and dominant.”
Photo via Pro Football Rumors on Instagram.
Jaguars Sign Blair Brown
- The Jaguars have agreed to terms with fifth-round linebacker Blair Brown, the club announced today. While Jacksonville already boasts three starting linebackers in Myles Jack, Paul Posluszny, and Telvin Smith, the latter two are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents next spring. Brown, then, gives the Jaguars insurance at the position, and will likely serve as a high-end reserve in 2017. Heading into the draft, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com praised Brown’s “short area burst” and ability to “drop into space.”
Gerald Hodges Visits Colts; Pats, Jags Next
The Gerald Hodges free agency tour continues. After meeting with the Jets last week, Hodges visited the Colts on Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Next up is a visit with the Patriots on Wednesday and the Jaguars on Thursday. 
Hodges spent 2016 with the 49ers and quietly had a strong season. The 26-year-old amassed 80 total tackles, three sacks, and two picks in 15 games (12 starts) with San Francisco. He also ranked 21st among Pro Football Focus’ 87 qualified linebackers.
The Colts have already gone to great lengths this offseason to revamp the defense. At linebacker alone, the Colts have made seven major additions, including free agents John Simon, Sean Spence, Jabaal Sheard, Barkevious Mingo, and Jonathan Bostic. The team also added two ‘backers in the draft in third rounder Tarell Basham and fifth round pick Anthony Walker Jr.
In addition to the aforementioned Jets visit, Hodges met with the Chiefs and Seahawks in March. He left both meetings without a deal, however, and we haven’t heard any buzz about a deal with KC or Seattle.
Jaguars Cut Louis Nix, Akeem Davis
The Jaguars announced they have signed defensive tackle Kelvin Maurice and safety Jarrod Harper. To make room on the roster, the Jaguars cut safety Akeem Davis and defensive tackle Louis Nix. 
Maurice and Harper were tryout players at the Jaguars’ rookie minicamp over the weekend. Maurice, a Nebraska product, became a full-time starter for the first time in his final season on campus. He finished out 2016 with 39 total tackles and four sacks, a performance that earned him some attention from at least one NFL team. Harper, meanwhile, is a defensive back out of West Virginia. Both players stood out in a group of 39 tryout players vying to make the 90-man roster.
Nix, 26 in July, appeared in four games for the Giants in 2015. The well-traveled defensive tackle spent time on the Jaguars’ practice squad last year but couldn’t pass muster with the team this time around. Davis, 27, got the bulk of his NFL experience with the Redskins in 2014 when he appeared in 13 games. After suiting up for three different clubs in 2015, the safety appeared in two games for the Jaguars last season.