Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone on the field during pregame against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Travis Register-Imagn Images

Jaguars Big Free Agency Departures Are Actually Helping Them

Originally posted on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI
By John Shipley | Last updated Mar 10, 2026 4:08 PM ET

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of just a handful of teams to not reach an agreement with an outside free agent through the first 30 or so hours of free agency.

But that doesn't mean it is a bad thing. In fact, the Jaguars' recent free agency departures are actually helping the franchise in the long-term.

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Compensatory Pick Wins

To date, the Jaguars have lost three free agents in running back Travis Etienne , linebacker Devin Lloyd, and cornerback Greg Newsome, with the trio signing deals with the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and New York Giants, respectively. As a result, the Jaguars are currently on pace to land three projected compensatory draft picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, according to Over the Cap's calculations.

As things stand today, the Jaguars are projected to land a fourth-round pick thanks to Lloyd signing a three-year, $45 million deal with the Panthers. They are also projected a fifth-round pick for Etienne and a sixth-round pick for Newsome. If all things remain the same, this would give the Jaguars 10 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft without even having to lift a finger.

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It is important to remember that this all could change the moment the Jaguars do sign an external free agent -- or at least one that qualifies toward the compensatory pick formula. This consists of players whose contracts have expired with their former teams, as Etienne's and Lloyd's did for the Jaguars.

If the Jaguars focus on players who were released, though, they will face no impact when it comes to their compensatory picks. The Jaguars will unlikely make decisions based simply on the chances to have these three extra picks, but this is at least a brightside for the Jaguars losing key players like Etienne and Lloyd.

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The Jaguars went on a record stretch of years without any comp picks, largely because they attempted to be offseason winners every single season. Now that the Jaguars are playing the offseason more slowly, however, the Jaguars can hope to help build their teams off the backs of picks like these.

This is not to say the Jaguars are going to willingly let every single free agent hit the market. The team did re-sign big names like Jakobi Meyers, Cole Van Lanen, and Montaric Brown. But it is clear that the Jaguars are being selective, and they can now stand to benefit from it.

This article first appeared on Jacksonville Jaguars on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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