What Does Increased Cap Mean For Jaguars?

One of the biggest questions facing the Jacksonville Jaguars and their new regime is clear: just how aggressive will the Jaguars be when free agency kicks off next week?

The Jaguars have spent big in past offseason. In 2021, they spent among the most of any team in free agency as they tried to build up the roster in the first year of the Urban Meyer and Trent Baalke regime. Big money was then spent in 2022 on Christian Kirk, Brandon Scherff, Evan Engram, Foye Oluokun, and others.

The Jaguars opted not to spend in 2023 as they looked to turn into a draft-and-develop team for the first time in years. But after the team spiraled at the end of the 2023 season, Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson handed out big deals in free agency and with contract extensions in 2024.

Now, the Jaguars have to determine whether they want to once again be aggressive as they build up the roster, or whether they want to sit back and let free agency come to them with a more measured strategy.

One big aspect that could dictate the answer is the NFL's big leap in cap space. The NFL has seen it's cap grow by over $50 million in the last two offseasons alone, which means teams like the Jaguars could be more aggressive than expected.

With the Jaguars ranking No. 17 in the NFL with nearly $40 million in cap, new general manager James Gladstone could have the chance to navigate free agency and make big moves early on to set the tone for his new tenure.

"So, with that, I haven’t been to the Combine since 2019, but there’s an extreme value to the Combine and the event that’s put forward," Gladstone said last week at the combine.

"Now, with that, I think the fact that we’re a new coaching staff, a new general manager working with our scouting staff, this is a great opportunity for an offsite and just building some of the connective tissue that otherwise wouldn’t necessarily exist because we’d just be in our normal mode of operation in Jacksonville."

The combine was a big part of the Jaguars' approach to next week's free agency. And soon, we will know just how Gladstone and new head coach Liam Coen will navigate the offseason.

"So, we’re already meeting today, tomorrow and beyond with our pro scouting staff and our coaching staff working through the initial conversations around our roster as well as the pro-free agent landscape while also working in some of the conversations that are specific to the Draft," Gladstone said.

"So, it’s a great dynamic at this stage and really looking forward to more that comes with the rest of the week.”

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