Andre Cisco is free agency's best value at the safety position despite his down year with the Jags

The Jacksonville Jaguars are resetting as a franchise after firing the previous head coach/GM combo of Doug Pederson/Trent Baalke and bringing in Liam Coen/James Gladstone to run the show.

And, after a down year in Jacksonville, safety Andre Cisco could be looking to do the same.

If the Jags do let Cisco test free agency, he'll be the best value at his position. Even with the down year. A big reason why is his previous ball production: Cisco had seven interceptions over the course of the 2022-2023 seasons, along with 15 pass deflections. Those numbers ranked fourth and 10th, respectively, during that span.

He'll turn 25 soon, meaning he's about to enter his prime. The Jags as a whole took a step back in 2024, so it's kind of hard to put any kind of onus on Cisco as an individual. Sure, there were plenty of times where he was out of place and/or just didn't play well in a certain capacity, but it was clear the dysfunction was coming from the top-down and not from the on-field product. A fresh start in the right defense could easily put the veteran back on track in 2025 and beyond.

Cisco is mainly a "centerfielder", meaning he plays his best ball in the back end of the defense, but he can also play the box and cover guys in the slot when needed. He also has the length and just enough size to be able to cover just about any part of the field from the safety position.

A team could really strike gold, here, especially when considering Cisco's projected market value in free agency.

Cisco would likely land a one-year deal to show that he can bounce back and that is a risk worth taking

NFL cap analysts Josh Queipo and Kyle DeDiminicantanio have Cisco landing a one-year $5.25 million deal in free agency. That honestly makes a ton of sense. The best way for Cisco to prove 2024 was a fluke is to rebound in 2025 and then land a big deal at just 25-years-old in the 2026 offseason. The acquiring team can also add incentives to Cisco's deal, such as interceptions, playing time, etc. in order to put some more potential change in his bank account. At that price, Cisco would be the league's 27th-highest paid safety.

Pro Football Focus and Spotrac have a richer outlook for Cisco. PFF projects him to land a three-year deal worth $9 million per year and Spotrac has his AAV at $10.8 million per year. Those numbers would tie him at No. 15 and land him at No. 12, respectively among all safety contracts.

Spotrac's number is too high and PFF's is toeing the line. Queipo's and DeDiminicantanio's figure makes the most sense and it's not because it's the lowest number - it's the most realistic scenario. It's hard to see a team giving Cisco a multi-year deal based off the unknown that was the 2024 season.

If a team gets him on the cheaper side of a one-year deal and he returns to his 2022-2023 form, then Cisco will easily be one of the better free agent signings of the offseason and it'd be nearly impossible to argue otherwise.