Jaguars To Sign A.J. Bouye
The Jaguars and cornerback A.J. Bouye are have reached agreement on a contract, per Ian Rapoport and James Palmer of NFL.com (Twitter link). Prior to the deal, Bouye was still deciding between the Jaguars, Titans, and Bears, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports (Twitter link). The agreement was finalized on Thursday after the official start of free agency, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Schefter tweets that the deal is for five years and $67.5MM, with $26MM guaranteed. That means the cornerback will be making around $13.5MM annually. Rapoport adds that Bouye will be receiving $44MM over the first three years of the contract.
An undrafted free agent out of Central Florida in 2013, Bouye had started only eight games during his first three years in the league, but was pressed into duty in 2016 and ended up starting 11 contests. During that time, Bouye managed one interception and 16 passes defensed, and graded as the NFL’s third-best corner behind Denver’s Chris Harris and Aqib Talib, per Pro Football Focus. In the most recent edition of PFR’s Top 50 Free Agents, Bouye ranked first overall.
One of the more intrguing free agents in recent memory thanks to his lack of experience, Bouye generated quite a market during the legal tampering period. The Colts, Titans, Bears, Buccaneers, Jets, and Eagles were all thought to be interested in the 25-year-old Bouye, who is expected to command north of $12MM annually. The Texans also wanted to retain Bouye, but Houston couldn’t keep up with the other offers flowing Bouye’s way.
The Jaguars are no strangers to defensive spending in free agency. In 2016, Jacksonville added Malik Jackson and Tashaun Gipson on top-of-the-market deals, and this offseason the club has already inked Barry Church and is in the running for Calais Campbell, though the latter is now deciding between the Jaguars and Broncos.
Jacksonville’s pass defense ranked 12th in DVOA last year, a ranking that only figures to improve following the addition of Bouye, who will team with 2016 first-round pick Jalen Ramsey to form a lethal (and youthful) cornerback duo.
Jaguars Release Sen’Derrick Marks
The Jaguars have announced the release of defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks. Jacksonville was reportedly trying to trade Marks earlier this week.
Marks saw an ACL tear in Week 17 of the 2014 season alter his career. The 30-year-old defensive tackle and full-time Jags contributor has started just three more games since. Marks played in all 16 games last season but sat behind Malik Jackson and Abry Jones, both of whom being set for long-term Jacksonville tenures after Jones was re-signed last month.
Marks had one more season at $4.675MM on his Jags contract. Now, Jacksonville has cleared all but $200K of his 2017 wages will be cleared off the books. He registered 8.5 sacks in 2014 but just 3.5 since.
Jaguars Re-Sign Bryan Walters
Bryan Walters‘ contributions over the past two years enticed the Jaguars to keep him for at least one more. The Jags signed the veteran wide receiver to a one-year deal that stands to be worth as much as $2.3MM if incentives are met, Mike Kaye of First Coast News reports (on Twitter).
The deal includes a second-year option, per Kaye. The 29-year-old Walters came to Jacksonville from Seattle in 2015 having totaled less than 100 career receiving yards. He’s gone for 599 in his two Jags seasons, hauling in 24 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns last season as an auxiliary target.
Calais Campbell Picks Jaguars Over Broncos
After considering Denver, Calais Campbell is going to sign a four-year, $60MM deal with the Jaguars (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). The deal will include $30MM guaranteed.
The Jaguars’ offer was initially reported to be “upwards of $14MM per season.” It sounds like Campbell’s indecisiveness may have motivated the Jaguars to sweeten the pot even further. The Broncos were offering him $13MM/year on a new deal. It should also be mentioned that there is no state income tax in Florida, so Campbell stands to make a lot more with the Jags than he would have with the Broncos.
The Jaguars were armed with ample cap space this offseason and they used it to beef up their front seven with the addition of Campbell. The former University of Miami star will join up with Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., Roy Miller, and Yannick Ngakoue to form a fearsome front four.
Despite entering his age-31 season, Campbell was one of the prizes of this year’s free agent market — he ranked as PFR’s No. 9 overall free agent and No. 1 interior defender. Capable of playing tackle or end, Campbell placed as the No. 2 interior player in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, earning strong marks against the run and pass. Last year, he managed eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception while playing more than 800 snaps.
Giants, Jaguars Eyeing Rhett Ellison
The Giants and Jaguars are interested in tight end/fullback Rhett Ellison, who could be looking at a $5MM annual salary, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com and Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter links).
$5MM would represent a significant raise for Ellison, who re-signed with the Vikings in 2016 for just $1.75MM. Ellison, 28, has averaged just 10 receptions per season during his five-year run in Minnesota, so it’s certainly surprising that enough clubs’ interest would drive his price into the $5MM area. In 2016, Ellison appeared in 15 games but only secured 14 targets in the passing game.
The Giants are known to be interested in the tight end market, and have been mentioned as a possible suitor for Martellus Bennett and other free agents. The Jaguars, meanwhile, are on the hunt for a tight end after trading Julius Thomas to the Dolphins earlier this year.
Calais Campbell Still Deciding Between Jaguars, Broncos
Despite reports to the contrary, it sounds like Calais Campbell‘s deal with the Jaguars is not set in stone. The defensive lineman could take less money to return to his birthplace of Denver rather than join up with Jacksonville, Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com tweets. Right now, the Broncos are offering him $13MM per year on a new deal. The Jaguars are offering upwards of $14MM per season. Right now, Campbell and his wife are weighing the Jaguars against the Broncos (Twitter link via Mike Klis of 9NEWS). 
The Jaguars are armed with ample cap space this offseason and they were hoping to beef up their front seven with the addition of Campbell. The former University of Miami star, they hope, will join up with Malik Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., Roy Miller, and Yannick Ngakoue to form a fearsome front four.
Recently, we identified the Broncos as a logical contender for Campbell. Now, they’re making a real play for him. The Broncos arguably would offer Campbell a better chance to win right away, and that’s probably a big factor for him as he enters his age-31 season. Campbell has been in nine playoff games with Arizona but has never won a ring.
Campbell, who played his high school ball in Denver, finished as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 3-4 defensive end last season. The Broncos had persistent trouble filling Jackson’s spot, and the gulf between Campbell and the other defensive end options could be sizable. Chris Baker also appeared on the Broncos’ radar, but Campbell has been a better player during his career.
Denver’s three-pronged strategy of Vance Walker, Adam Gotsis and Jared Crick to replace Jackson backfired when Walker tore his ACL and Gotsis proved too raw. Crick is under contract for another season but would fit more in a depth role. The Broncos still finished with the league’s top DVOA defense but struggled to stop the run, plummeting from third in 2015 to 28th last season.
The 6-foot-8 Campbell forced two fumbles, recovered three and registered eight sacks in 2016. Campbell would add to a Broncos team already tilted toward defense, financially and productivity speaking, if he backtracked on his Jaguars agreement and ventured back home. Without a franchise quarterback, the Broncos have most of their capital tied up in defense, having extended the likes of Von Miller, Chris Harris, Derek Wolfe and Darian Stewart over the past two-plus years.
Sam Robinson contributed to this report.
Jaguars Out On Kevin Zeitler; Down To Saints, Browns
The Jaguars are out of the running for guard Kevin Zeitler, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report tweets. That means the interior lineman is likely down to two teams: the Saints and Browns. Zeitler’s AFC South destinations, with the Colts being involved as well, appear to be out.
Viewed as not only the top guard on the market but the top offensive lineman, Zeitler represents a key domino in free agency in terms of setting the market. The Browns, of course, possess more cap room here, entering Thursday with more than $100MM. Although they agreed to a deal with Kenny Britt, the Browns obviously can afford Zeitler and several other marquee free agents if they so choose. Zeitler’s price tag could run past $12MM AAV, which would be a guard record.
The Saints have prioritized this position for years in order to preserve Drew Brees‘ pocket. They have former perennial All-Pro Jahri Evans back in unrestricted free agency. New Orleans finished last season tops in total offense in 2016 and could stand to improve if it adds a lineman of Zeitler’s caliber. The Saints have more money to spend than they usually do at this time of year, but the $27MM-plus pales in comparison to the Browns’ warchest.
Once Zeitler signs, it will complete a rough defection day for the Bengals, who just saw Andrew Whitworth agree to a deal with the Rams.
Jaguars To Sign Calais Campbell
One of the top free agent defenders is now off the board, as the Jaguars are expected to sign defensive lineman Calais Campbell, reports Dianne Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Campbell’s new deal will average $14MM per season, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Redskins were the runner-up in the bidding for Campbell, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Jacksonville is no stranger to spending on its defensive line, as the club invested in Malik Jackson just last year. With Campbell now in tow, the Jaguars will feature a front four that includes Jackson, Dante Fowler Jr., Roy Miller, and Yannick Ngakoue, among others. While Jacksonville’s defense showed improvement in 2016, the presence of Campbell may help the unit take another leap during the 2017 campaign.
Despite entering his age-31 season, Campbell was one of the prizes of this year’s free agent market — he ranked as PFR’s No. 9 overall free agent and No. 1 interior defender. Capable of playing tackle or end, Campbell placed as the No. 2 interior player in 2016, according to Pro Football Focus, earning strong marks against the run and pass. Last year, he managed eight sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception while playing more than 800 snaps.
Campbell will now leave Arizona after nine seasons, joining Tony Jefferson — who has signed with the Ravens — as free agent defections. The Cardinals were fully expecting to lose Campbell after using the franchise tag on Chandler Jones, but they can probably expect to reap a 2018 compensatory pick as a result.
With Campbell now under contract, the interior defender market is now topped by the likes of Johnathan Hankins, Brandon Williams, Dontari Poe, Chris Baker, and Bennie Logan.
Jaguars Expected To Sign Barry Church
Cowboys free agent safety Barry Church is expected to land with the Jaguars on a four-year deal worth more than $6MM per year, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rapoport says the deal will go down barring a “change of heart.” Church can officially ink his contract on Thursday.
Church, one of my Top 50 Free Agents based on projected earning power, seemed likely to leave Dallas as the Cowboys work to keep multiple key free agents with limited cap room.
The 29-year-old totaled 85 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games last season. Pro Football Focus gave him an 85.3 overall score, placing him as the eleventh-best safety in the league out of 89 qualified players. The former undrafted free agent had played in at least 15 games between 2013 and 2015, averaging at least 100 tackles and nearly two forced fumbles per season.
The Redskins and the Panthers were among the other teams to express interest in Church this offseason.
Church will join a Jaguars safety corps that currently consists of Tashaun Gipson, James Sample, Peyton Thompson, Jarrod Wilson, and Akeem Davis.
Bucs and Jags Leading For Campbell?
- La Canfora says he wouldn’t be surprised if Calais Campbell lands with either the Buccaneers or the Jaguars. The Jaguars were previously linked to the Cardinals defensive end, while the Buccaneers were reportedly eying free agent Chris Baker.
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