The Jacksonville Jaguars continued to fortify their roster for the 2023 season on Saturday, inking veteran defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris to a three-year, $30 million extension.
With Robertson-Harris now signed through the 2026 season after previously being set to enter a contract year, the complexion of the Jaguars' offseason has changed.
But what exactly does the Robertson-Harris deal mean for the Jaguars moving forward? We break it down below.
The Jaguars' potential needs entering free agency and the draft have just changed a great deal
Robertson-Harris was widely pegged as a potential cut/trade candidate in local and national takes on the Jaguars' salary cap situation, especially in this space. It made sense considering his $10 million cap hit, but the Jaguars went the other way and opted to keep him on the roster for several more seasons after he earned it with his elite showing at the end of 2022. And now that Robertson-Harris is locked in for the next several years, we can look at the Jaguars' needs a bit differently.
After previously having a potentially gaping hole along the interior defensive line, the Jaguars will now return three starters up front in Robertson-Harris, Foley Fatukasi and DaVon Hamilton. The Jaguars should still add to the defensive line since they have two impending free agents in Adam Gotsis and Corey Peters, along with potentially losing the interior snaps of free agents Arden Key and Dawuane Smoot.
Before the Robertson-Harris extension, the defensive line was probably right up there with cornerback as the team's top need. Adding to the defensive line is still a must, but it is clear the Jaguars have a more dire need at cornerback than defensive line, at least when it comes to spending their premium resources such as pick No. 24.
Robertson-Harris' dominant stretch of play at end of 2022 showed what the Jaguars believe he can consistently be
In terms of which players were the most impactful for he Jaguars in their playoff push, it is hard to not have Robertson-Harris' name near the very top. Robertson-Harris had an all-time performance in the comeback playoff win vs. the Chargers and was key for the Jaguars' pass-rush down the stretch of the season, recording three sacks, seven tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits in the Jaguars' final five games, including a four-tackle for loss performance against the Chargers in the Wild Card Round.
With this extension, the Jaguars have made it clear that they believe Robertson-Harris can be that kind of player on a consistent basis. They made him a key offseason signing in 2021 and he has since grown into a leader in the locker room, on the field and in the defensive line room. By the end of 2022, his production began to match all of that and then some.
Jacksonville clearly believes Robertson-Harris' arrow is still pointing up, which is a safe bet considering he will be returning to the same role in the same scheme. Robertson-Harris is now set to be a player the Jaguars have to lean on moving forward as he enters his seventh season and beyond.
Jaguars are doing their best to return as many productive players from 2022 as possible
The Jaguars' offseason moves so far have been all about retaining players. From extending Robertson-Harris and knocking down his cap hit when it looked like he could potentially be on his way out to extending C.J. Beathard to restructuring Foyesade Oluokun to clear up cap space for other internal signings, the Jaguars have done every move in their power to bring the same key pieces back in 2023.
Does this mean every single player who is set to be a free agent will return? Not really. Jawaan Taylor still seems like a longer shot to re-sign than other players such as Evan Engram and Arden Key. But the Jaguars are doing what they can to bring make sure they don't have any new holes entering the 2023 offseason, while also having continuity on both sides of the ball. After years of turnover, the Jaguars are finally entering a stage where they can start to build upon a foundation.
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