Which Jaguars' Signing Has the Most Upside?

The Jacksonville Jaguars made sure to not hesitate in free agency, adding a staggering nine players on the first day of legal tampering alone.

For new Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and general manager James Gladstone, free agency presented a chance for the Jaguars to not only upgrade the overall talent and depth of the roster, but also for them to bring in some familiar faces.

Amongst those familiar faces is none other than center Robert Hainsey, who is projected to start for the Jaguars this season in the wake of Mitch Morse's retirement earlier this month.

Hainsey brings starting experience and a knowledge of Coen's scheme to the table. According to Pro Football Focus, he also brings more upside than any other Jaguars' signing.

"Veteran Mitch Morse bid adieu to the Jaguars and retired, creating a hole in the middle of their offensive line. Rather than take a swing on an unproven 2025 NFL Draft center prospect, the team reunited new head coach Liam Coen with former Buccaneers lineman Robert Hainsey," PFF said.

"Hainsey took a backseat to Graham Barton in 2024 and logged only 94 snaps. He had previously shown promise, joining Jason Kelce, Creed Humphrey and Corey Linsley as the only centers to not allow a sack on more than 600 pass-blocking snaps in 2022. The Jaguars are known for shelling out chunks of money each offseason, so while the $7 million-per-year average for Hainsey is high, it leaves room for him to provide plenty of upside."

Considering the Jaguars' issues at center in 2022 and 2023, Hainsey is set to be a big upgrade over former center Luke Fortner. The question now is whether he will be an upgrade over Morse, who spent the final year of his NFL career in the middle of Jacksonville's offensive line.

Considering Hainsey has spent an entire season in Coen's offense, the Jaguars will also be relying on him to speed up the installation and understanding of the scheme for the entire offense.

"It was a massive priority, right? That's some weight off the shoulders of [QB] Trevor [Lawrence] at the line of scrimmage, that now because of the familiarity from Robert, he doesn't have to bear as a quarterback." Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said earlier this month.

"At the same time, Robert got one op [opportunity] to start this past season versus the New Orleans Saints, and I'd encourage anybody and everybody to watch that game and understand why it was a player of interest. Think about the intangible elements in the back of your mind as it relates to a performance on the field, and you'll see that clear as day in that game."

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