WHICH POSITIONS SHOULD THE JAGUARS CONTINUE TO ATTACK IN FREE AGENCY?

Marcell Dareus (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)

The Jaguars have been busy as of late, but there's still plenty of work to do. 

BY JORDAN DE LUGO

---

The Jaguars have been busy over the last five days. Dave Caldwell and the rest of the Jaguars' brain trust traded away Calais Campbell, AJ Bouye, and Nick Foles for significant draft capital. They've signed linebacker Joe Schobert, cornerback Darqueze Dennard, defensive end Rodney Gunter, and interior offensive lineman Tyler Shatley. They placed a second-round tender on receiver Keelan Cole and an exclusive rights tender on linebacker Austin Calitro. 

But the Jaguars shouldn't be done yet. There's still plenty of work to do on this roster. And the draft will offer plenty of potential answers, especially with the now 12 draft picks the Jaguars own. That number could still rise if disgruntled defensive end Yannick Ngakoue is traded before the draft. 

But Dave Caldwell has always had the philosophy that the team should be able to line up and play a game if they had to before the draft. The way the roster is currently constructed, I don't think stepping on the field would yield positive results. 

So which areas do the Jaguars need to attack in the coming days?

Outside Cornerback

The Jaguars signed Darqueze Dennard earlier this week, and he'll compete for a starting job at outside cornerback. But he's primarily played in the nickel role throughout his career in the NFL. The Jaguars think he can compete as press-corner, but would banking on him and him alone as the starter opposite Tre Herndon be wise? I don't think so. There are still plenty of free agents with starting experience on the outside. A veteran presence would make sense for the youthful Jaguars. Jimmy Smith, Aqib Talib, Prince Amukamara, and many others would seem to fit. 

Defensive Tackle

The only big run-stuffing defensive tackle with any amount of considerable starting experience on the Jaguars' roster is Abry Jones. But he didn't help stop the bleeding for Jacksonville's run defense last season, and shouldn't be relied upon to do so in 2020. Damon Harrison, Marcell Dareus, and Mike Daniels all have the ability to fill the role the Jaguars need along the defensive line, as does Shelby Harris, who is significantly younger. 

JAX Tee

$25.00

Shop

Tight End

The Jaguars have two tight ends on their roster that offer a reasonable amount of promise heading into 2020. James O'Shaughnessy was having a career year before he hit the IR in 2019. Josh Oliver is an athletic tight end whose rookie season was marred by injuries. Both players should be effective for the Jaguars, if healthy. But O'Shaughnessy has a history of injuries, and Oliver has never shown he can get the job done on an NFL field. Eric Ebron, Jordan Reed, and Delanie Walker could all be potential fits. 

Offensive Tackle

The Jaguars may believe they have their two starters of the present and future already on their roster. Jawaan Taylor did more than enough during his rookie year in 2019 to lock down the right tackle job. But coming off an ACL injury, Cam Robinson struggled on the left side. Still, with a full offseason to hone his craft, Robinson could get closer to reaching his full potential. But even if Robinson is the starting left tackle for the Jaguars in 2020, they need a swing tackle. Their guy from 2019, Cedric Ogbuehi, signed with Seahawks this week. Cordy Glenn would be a strong option to not only compete for the starting job with Cam Robinson, but to serve as a veteran presence at tackle. Glenn has struggled with injuries and didn't get along with the new regime in Cincinnati. Jacksonville could be a fresh start for a talented offensive tackle. 

Safety

The Jaguars may not need to sign a starting safety in free agency. They like their duo of Ronnie Harrison and Jarrod Wilson. I'd prefer them to look for a replacement for Wilson in the starting lineup, but they could do that in the draft if need be. Cody Davis, who has been a primary backup at safety and core special teamer for the Jaguars since 2018, is an unrestricted free agent. They'll likely need to bring him back into the fold or find another backup safety. Andrew Wingard impressed the coaching staff during his rookie year, but the Jags will need more than one backup at safety for the coming season. 

Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis.