The 4 pm deadline for franchise-tag players to agree to a new long-term deal with their respective club has come and gone. Yannick Ngakoue did not get traded, and he also did not receive a new contract.
There were reportedly multiple offers on the table for the Jaguars, including one that featured a "Pro Bowl player," per Tom Pellisero. What does this mean? Ngakoue is likely stuck in Duval for the 2020 season. The reason a trade didn't come to fruition, even though Ngakoue was willing to play for another team without a new contract, is that Dave Caldwell, the Jaguars' GM, values Ngakoue highly. Caldwell has remained steadfast in his desire to either keep Ngakoue or receive fair trade compensation for the ascending pass rusher. What is a fair deal from Dave Caldwell's perspective? That's up for debate. But because Ngakoue is still a Jaguar and a prospective trade partner would now not be allowed to sign him to a long-term deal until next offseason, his trade market will likely plummet. At the very least, the Jaguars aren't likely to receive an offer that's close to what they're looking for. All this to say, Yannick Ngakoue will, in all likelihood, have to decide whether to swallow his pride for $17.8 million in 2020, or sit out and not make a dime. If he chooses the former, Ngakoue will make a boatload of cash and risk an injury that could negatively impact future contract negotiations. The latter? That would certainly be unwise for Ngakoue. Having earned less than $5 million so far in his professional career, passing up on nearly $18 million for one season of work would be a tough pill to swallow. Not playing certainly won't increase his chances of getting a contract that pays him as a top-five defensive end. This situation is far from over. Will a pass-rush needy contender make an offer the Jaguars can't refuse? Could such an offer come in training camp? Or perhaps more likely after the season has begun? Will Ngakoue hold out, costing himself even more $? How lethal would the Jaguars' pass rush be if they boasted, Yannick Ngakoue, Josh Allen, and first-round pick K'Lavon Chaisson coming off the edge? Stay tuned, Duval. Follow Jordan on Twitter for all the latest Jaguars news and analysis. |
