Making Sense of the Jaguars’ Flurry of Free Agent Signings
– Landing defensive lineman Arik Armstead on Thursday afternoon didn’t soothe the sting of losing receiver Calvin Ridley the day before for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it might turn out to be a more impactful move in 2024.
The interior of the defensive line was one of the Jaguars’ biggest weaknesses — especially against the run — in the second half of the 2023 season, when they allowed 131.8 yards per game over Weeks 13-18. And while the 6-foot-7, 290-pound Armstead doesn’t completely fix the issue, he does make the Jaguars significantly better there.
Armstead, who will join the Jaguars on a three-year, $51 million contract, is one of the NFL’s greatest defensive lineman when healthy, with 20 quarterback pressures and five sacks last season. He adds an interior pass-rush presence that will take pressure off edge rushers Josh Allen and Travon Walker. With Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, and Roy Robertson-Harris, the Jaguars have three-quarters of their first- and second-team tackle rotations set. The hole still needs to be addressed, but the addition of Armstead lowers its importance from Thursday morning.
Plus the Jaguars don’t have to take a defensive lineman with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 draft now if there’s a player at another major area of need — such as cornerback — available.
The Armstead acquisition capped off a solid week of free agency for the Jaguars, who filled holes with experienced players and boosted the leadership in the locker room. Those areas were lacking last season and showed in the latter part of the year during a 1-5 stretch that saw them miss the playoffs; Allen said after the season that everyone was waiting for a spark to break up the slump, but it never came. So the Jags added several players from teams that made deep playoff runs.
Here’s a look at the key additions from this week, how they factor into the Jaguars’ plans and what could come next.
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