Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 offseason needs
By John Buhler
#Sacksonville came to life in 2017 thanks to an incredible pass rush coming from all over the place in the Jacksonville defense. While guys like Calais Campbell, Dante Fowler Jr., Myles Jack, Yannick Ngakoue and Telvin Smith are under contract, the Jaguars could lose their locker room leader in outside linebacker Paul Posluszny in free agency.
Posluszny is at best a starting level player in the NFL. Though past his prime, he brings a certain level-headedness to the Jaguars defense that they will need. This team is talented, but could be a prime candidate for an ebb and flow season emotionally if they aren’t ready for it. Odds are that Posluszny is able to come back on a team-friendly deal. Losing him could be a huge deal for the Jaguars.
Fortunately, this does look to be a solid edge class in the upcoming NFL Draft. Though Jacksonville is picking towards the late part of the first round, one would expect an undervalued first-round edge player could fall to them in the late 20s. There is no reason for Jacksonville to trade up. Just get the best edge player available and hope that he fits their defensive scheme.
As for free agency, it’s slim pickings at linebacker this year. Jacksonville may not be as big of a spender in free agency in year’s past, but this is a position group that the Jaguars will not overlook this spring. Getting better at stopping the run while staying strong against the pass will be huge for a return trip to the AFC playoffs for Jacksonville.