Jacksonville lost a key member of their offensive line during the initial wave of free agency last month, but a notable addition could be coming soon. The Jaguars hosted veteran tackle Cameron Fleming on a free-agent visit, per ESPN’s Field Yates (Twitter link).
Jawaan Taylor inked a four-year, $80M deal with the Chiefs to protect the blindside after occupying the right tackle spot throughout his four years in Duval County. That move left a sizeable vacancy up front for the Jaguars, who have been far less active on the open market in 2023 than they were the previous offseason given their much different financial situation.
Taylor priced himself out of Jacksonville, but Fleming would represent a capable replacement. The 30-year-old did enough in limited action in 2021 to earn himself a new deal with the Broncos last summer. Brought in to provide experienced depth, he ended up starting all 15 games he appeared in over the course of the season, logging a snap percentage of 98%.
Fleming, who started his career in New England before seeing time with the Cowboys and Giants, had one of his best seasons in 2022 in terms of PFF evaluation. The Stanford product earned an overall grade of 72.6, a new personal high mark. Pass protection in particular was seen as a strength of his performance, though another deal allowing him to remain in the Mile High City would be very unlikely.
The Broncos made one of the other big splashes on the o-line market last month, signing RT Mike McGlinchey to a five-year, $87.5M contract. That was part of their major investment up front, with left guard Ben Powers also landing a big-ticket deal. That leaves Fleming on the market for a new team, and Jacksonville could certainly be an appealing destination given their success in 2022 and potential for further postseason runs in the immediate future.
The Jaguars currently have just over $10M in cap space, which would comfortably be enough to sign Fleming on a deal worth the relatively modest amounts he has made during his career. The fact that he has also seen extended time at left tackle during points in Denver and elsewhere, coupled with his level of play last season, could up his asking price to a degree, however. Jacksonville could still be a suitable landing spot for him to at least compete for a starting spot with 2021 second-rounder Walker Little on the right side.
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