Earlier in the week, the Jaguars signed three free agents. Running backs Alfred Blue and Benny Cunningham, and offensive tackle Josh Wells were added to the mix. There has been a ton of reaction to these three signings, but in all actuality, there really shouldn't be. The easy answer to the question "What are the Jags getting in their latest free agent signings?" is simple: depth. But there is a little bit more to these signings than meets the eye. Each one brings a specific skill set or quality to the Jaguars roster. Let's breakdown each player. Alfred Blue Alfred Blue's career yards per carry leaves a lot to be desired. It should be noted that the Texans O-Line was horrendous for much of his tenure in Houston, but still Blue hasn't been a great, or even good, runner throughout his career. He does, however, bring toughness and pass blocking ability. Blue can be a bruiser inside, which is something the Jaguars have lacked outside of Leonard Fournette in recent years. If/when Fournette misses time due to injury, Blue could become the battering ram. He can also fill the vacated pass-blocking role that TJ Yeldon assumed for much of the past four seasons. Throughout his tenure in Houston, Blue was an above average pass blocker. Benny Cunningham
Cunningham is another player that hasn't been overly impressive from a pure rushing perspective. But upon deeper inspection of this signing Cunningham does bring some traits to the table. He's been an above average receiver out of the backfield throughout his career. With 114 receptions on 147 targets and an average of 8.8 yards per catch, Cunningham can undoubtedly provide a spark as a receiver out of the backfield. Nick Foles loves to hit RBs on quick hitters, so that fit is ideal. Cunningham also has plenty of experience as a kick returner with 110 career returns and an average of 26.3 yards per kick return. Josh Wells Wells has spent his entire professional career in Jacksonville where he's had a decent amount of success as a swing tackle. He can play on both the left and right side, and before an injury-plagued 2018 campaign, Wells was a steady backup that didn't represent a huge drop-off in play when his number was called. Wells did surrender a fair amount of pressure in 2018, but he was dealt a lousy hand. Even with the pressures he allowed, he still didn't allow a single sack last season. Wells provides quality depth and versatility for the Jaguars. None of these signings move the needle a whole lot, but each of these players was signed for depth, not to be a significant factor in 2019. Each guy has traits that the Jaguars could find useful if injuries do take place in 2019. There's no need for criticism with these three signings. |
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