Jags Work Out Kicker, Punter
- The Jaguars worked out free agent kicker Zach Hocker today, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Incumbent Jacksonville kicker Jason Myers‘ field goal conversion rate dipped below 80% last season, and he also missed three extra points, so the Jags may be open to adding competition. Hocker. 25, last appeared in the NFL in 2015 as a member of the Saints and Rams. Jacksonville also auditioned punter Tom Hornsey, adds Wilson.
Jaguars To Sign TE Mychal Rivera
The Jaguars have agreed to terms with tight end Mychal Rivera, Jeff Darlington of ESPN tweets. It’s a two-year deal with a max value of $6.75MM, but year two is a team option, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com adds (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Jaguars Offered Dontari Poe More Money Than Falcons]
Rivera started 13 games for the Raiders between the 2013 and 2014 seasons. The ’14 campaign was a career year as he logged 58 receptions, 534 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. In 2016, Clive Walford surpassed him on the depth chart. It has been long known that the Raiders were likely to move on from him.
Rivera now joins Marcedes Lewis atop the tight end depth chart. Lesser known tight ends Ben Koyack, Neal Sterling, and Alex Ellis are also on the roster for the time being. The Jaguars have been on the lookout for TE help ever since trading Julius Thomas to the Dolphins in February. The intra-state swap sent Thomas to Miami in exchange for a 2017 seventh-round pick. Then, in a separate deal, left tackle Branden Albert came to Jacksonville for a 2018 seventh-round selection.
Jaguars Meet With Cam Robinson
Meanwhile, former Foster teammate Cam Robinson met with the Bills and Panthers. A Jaguars stop is next for the first-round tackle prospect, Rapoport reports. The Carolina visit occurred today. Robinson, Wisconsin’s Ryan Ramczyk and Utah’s Garrett Bolles headline the tackle class.
FA Rumors: Butler, Poe, Z. Brown, Raiders
Restricted free agent cornerback Malcolm Butler didn’t emerge from his Saints visit on Thursday with a deal, but the meeting “went well,” a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). As of now, there remains motivation on both sides to hammer out an agreement, Rapoport adds. PFR’s Zach Links laid out a few potential scenarios earlier this week involving Butler, who would surely net the Patriots a quality return in a trade.
More free agency-related news:
- The offer that defensive tackle Dontari Poe accepted from the Falcons on Thursday was worth less than the Jaguars’ proposal, reports ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitter link). Before taking a one-year, $8MM deal (plus incentives) with the reigning NFC champions, Poe turned down the Jags’ fully guaranteed $9MM (and incentives). Head coach Dan Quinn was key in talking Poe into joining the Falcons, relays Anderson.
- It doesn’t appear that linebacker Zach Brown‘s powwow with the Raiders will lead to a deal, as a source told ESPN’s Adam Caplan that it “looks like a no-go right now” (Twitter link). Although Brown had a stellar 2016 with Buffalo and currently ranks as PFR’s top available linebacker, the market for his services has been tepid.
- Wide receiver Andre Holmes met with the Bills on Thursday, one day after there were reports that he had signed with them, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (via Twitter). It turns out the Bills offered Holmes a three-year, $4.5MM accord, which the NFLPA accidentally documented as a done deal.
- Linebacker Dekoda Watson visited the Seahawks on Thursday, tweets ESPN’s Field Yates. The 29-year-old Watson is a journeyman who has played for five teams, including the Broncos last season. He served as an integral special teams cog in Denver, which would like to re-sign him.
Jaguars Sign LB Josh McNary
The Jaguars signed linebacker Josh McNary, according to a team announcement. McNary, formerly with the Colts, was non-tendered this offseason.
McNary, an Army product, appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Colts last season. He has been largely a special teams guy for Indianapolis over the last four years and that’s likely the role he’ll continue to play in with Jacksonville. His career sack total is 0.5 and he had just 13 total tackles in 2016. Still, he is a tough player who is willing to do the dirty work in the third facet of the game.
In other Jaguars news, the team recently hosted defensive tackle Dontari Poe on a visit. Poe, unsurprisingly, is among PFR’s best interior linemen remaining in free agency.
Chris Gragg Visits Jaguars
Now that free agent defensive tackle Dontari Poe has concluded his visits with the Dolphins, he’ll head home to consider offers, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Poe has met with the Colts, Falcons, and Jaguars in addition to Miami, and will presumably sign with one of the clubs. Poe is PFR’s No. 2 free agent interior defender on the market, just behind Johnathan Hankins.
- Tight end Chris Gragg visited the Jaguars but did not agree to a contract, as Gragg himself announced (Twitter link). Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone was in Buffalo when Gragg was made a seventh-round pick in 2013, so he should have some level of familiarity with the 26-year-old. Gragg missed the entire 2016 campaign with a torn ACL.
Jags Will Address Offensive Line Further
- Although they missed out on the top free agent guard options, the Jaguars are still examining the offensive line market, as Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com writes. Jacksonville, of course, acquired left tackle Branden Albert from the Dolphins earlier this offseason, but still have a hole at left guard, where Patrick Omameh is currently projected to start. The Jags did sign former Cardinal Earl Watford to a two-year deal, but given that he’s best viewed as a reserve, the club may still bring in another interior lineman, either via the second wave of free agency or the draft.
Contract Details: Jones, Gresham, Church
Let’s take a look at the details of some recently-signed contracts:
- Barry Church, S (Jaguars): Four years, $21.6MM. $12MM fully guaranteed. Will earn $7.5MM in 2017 (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com).
- Phil Dawson, K (Cardinals): Two years, $6MM. $1.5MM guaranteed. $1MM signing bonus. $100K Pro Bowl incentive (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
- Anthony Fasano, TE (Dolphins): One year, $2.75MM. $1.25MM guaranteed. $1.25MM signing bonus (Link via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com).
- Marquise Goodwin, WR (49ers): Two years, $6MM. $4.45MM guaranteed. $2.5MM signing bonus (Link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com).
- Jermaine Gresham, TE (Cardinals): Four years, $28MM. $13MM guaranteed (Twitter link via Tom Pelissero of USA Today).
- Chandler Jones, LB (Cardinals): Five years, $82.5MM. $22MM guaranteed. $15MM signing bonus (Twitter link via Ben Volin of the Boston Globe).
- Jordan Poyer, S (Bills): Four years, $13MM. $6MM guaranteed. $3.5MM signing bonus (Link via Rodak).
- J.J. Wilcox, S (Buccaneers): Two years, $6.5MM. $3.125MM guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
- Paul Worrilow, LB (Lions): One year, $3MM. $2.75MM guaranteed. $750K guaranteed. $1MM available via incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
Clarity On Calais Campbell's Interest In Broncos
- There was a bit of confusion following news that defensive lineman Calais Campbell had joined the Jaguars last week, as subsequent reports said the player was having a change of heart and considering the Broncos. However, Florio notes that there was no agreement in place with Jacksonville when these reports emerged. Ultimately, the player did ultimately join the organization on a four-year, $60MM.
[SOURCE LINK]
Dontari Poe To Visit Jaguars
Defensive tackle Dontari Poe will next visit the Jaguars as part of his free agent tour, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN.com. Poe wrapped up his visit with the Colts without agreeing to a deal, although Anderson reports the meeting “went well.”
Poe, 26, has also drawn interest from the Falcons, Dolphins, Raiders, and 49ers, and is expected to meet with Atlanta, Miami, and Oakland at some point. While the Colts were reportedly open to a long-term deal, Poe might be more open to a one-year pact that would allow him to rebuild his value before entering the market again in 2018. Clubs are apparently concerned about Poes’s lingering back issues, so a one-year contract would afford Poe the opportunity to prove his health before cashing in next year.
The Jaguars have been active in making defensive line moves this offseason, as they’ve added Calais Campbell on a four-year $60MM deal while releasing Jared Odrick, Sen’Derrick Marks, and Roy Miller. Poe, a former first-round pick, would slot in alongside Campbell, Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., Yannick Ngakoue, and Sheldon Day on a rapidly-improving front.