The Jaguars free agent class of 2025 consists of multiple key starters and imperative backups, of this group of Jaguars free agents, who should stay and who should go?
Jaguars Free Agent Class 2025: Who Stays And Who Goes?
The Jacksonville Jaguars 2024 season is over, and with the 2025 offseason rapidly approaching, the Jaguars will have to make multiple key decisions across their entire roster. From potential trades and the NFL Draft, there are a few key ways to change the Jaguars roster in 2025.
With the Jaguar’s interview of Liam Coen for their head coaching job, the Jaguars have completed interviews with all of the top five Jaguar head coaching candidates for 2025. Whoever the new head coach is, the Jaguars will likely make changes to philosophy, and they would be the tie-breaker for bringing some of the Jaguars free agents back into the fold for 2025.
With the Jaguars free agent class being at the mercy of a new head coach, and the potential new general manager, there are a lot of discussions left to be had with the Jaguars free agents. Of this Jaguars free agent class, there is one name that stands out as being the most important to address as soon as possible.
Brandon Scherff
The first player to address from the Jaguars free agent class of 2025 is the Jaguars starting right guard, Brandon Scherff. After coming over from Washington in 2022, Scherff has locked down the Jaguars’ right guard spot. Now that his contract is coming up, the decision to bring him back will be the biggest decision from the Jaguars free agent class.
Reviewing the Scherff seasons in Jacksonville, there is a clear distinction from his time in Washington to his time with the Jaguars. Scherff’s Pro Football Focus grades for his career took a significant step back the moment he came to Jacksonville. He went from consistently being graded in the mid-70s to falling into the 60s during his three years in Jacksonville. It’s a drop-off too stark to ignore and should be further scrutinized when reviewing whether Scherff should return in 2025 or not.
With his decline since coming to the Jaguars, and as he’s entering the 2025 season at age 33, the Jaguars should look to get cheaper and younger at the right guard spot. There are a few options in free agency that could help solve this hole, but the 2025 NFL Draft has a strong interior offensive line class, which should be the place where the Jaguars try and solve their right guard spot for the future.
Andre Cisco
Another starter for the Jaguars that is an impending free agent is safety Andre Cisco. After four strong years in Jacksonville, the former third-round pick might be on his way out of the door. In his fourth year, Cisco got off to a bad start. Despite having a couple of good weeks throughout the year, 2024 was his worst season as a Jaguar by far. The Jaguars free agent is the most prominent member of the defense that could leave in 2025, but he should get a much longer look compared to other players around the league.
As he knows the system and has familiarity with the team, Cisco returning on a new deal makes sense for both sides. With the hope that he can return to form going forward, with his fourth season being an outlier, the Jaguars should strongly consider bringing Cisco back. While not a game-changer, Cisco provides stability at safety for the Jaguars. With Cisco being a hair under 25, and with his expected contract not being expensive, it makes sense to bring back the Jaguars starting safety for 2025.
Jeremiah Ledbetter
Jaguars starting interior defender Jeremiah Ledbetter is also a name to watch among the Jaguars free agent class. Playing alongside two of the top five best Jaguars of 2024, Ledbetter had a chance to make an impact up the middle. However, despite consistent playing time, Ledbetter couldn’t pressure the quarterback much throughout the 2024 campaign.
The 30-year-old came into the Jaguars 2024 season as the starting interior defender for the second straight year, and he had a better season than 2023. Despite having the same amount of pressures in both seasons, eight according to Pro Football Focus, Ledbetter got two sacks in 2024. He also got more stops than the rest of his career combined, while playing the most snaps he’s ever had in a season. His role in 2024 was huge, and with the 2025 season on the horizon, the decision to keep him or let him go is an important one.
This decision should be an easy one if Ledbetter wouldn’t cost a whole lot to bring back. If he asks for a decent payday after his best season, the Jaguars should look towards the NFL draft or free agency to find a new defensive tackle. It would be a major need even if he did return, and with multiple intriguing options in both free agency and the draft, the decision to bring Ledbetter back shouldn’t be one to mull over for long.
Offensive Backups
The rest of the Jaguars free agent class consists of backups on offense. Each one could return, but with the Jaguars draft capital and the free agent class of 2025, there will be plenty of turnover with these players.
Mac Jones
The backup quarterback for the Jaguars is a free agent following the 2024 season, and with his performances to close out the 2024 season, there is little reason to bring him back. He wasn’t the worst backup quarterback, but Jones turned the ball over a lot. With the Jaguars looking to address needs elsewhere on the roster, paying a backup quarterback a lot of money doesn’t align with where the Jaguars should be aiming.
D’Ernest Johnson
The Jaguars free agent class of 2025 also includes D’Ernest Johnson, the third-string running back behind Travis Etienne Jr. and Tank Bigsby. Both Bigsby and Etienne will be getting the majority of the workload in 2025 if they both return, and Johnson would most likely be the odd man out. With a stacked running back draft class, the Jaguars should be more than okay with letting Johnson walk, paving the way for the Jaguars to take a running back in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Offensive Linemen
Two key offensive linemen will be free agents, Cole Van Lanen and Blake Hance. Hance is a veteran who would be a nice backup to bring back, while Van Lanen is a restricted free agent, meaning his return is likely. Both would be solid backups along the offensive line and with the Jaguars looking for stability along the line, bringing back these two would make sense.
Final Outlook on Jaguars 2025 Free Agency
Of the 2025 Jaguars free agents, Cisco, Scherff, and Ledbetter all might be on their way out the door. The key free agents might not be Jaguars much longer, as the combination of the NFL Draft and the free agent class being strong in those positions, the Jaguars have more reason to get cheaper and younger where they can.
However, the Jaguars should try and bring Cisco back. He had a down year, likely lowering his deal. While it may not be the long-term solution, the Jaguars should try and bring back one of the best players from the Doug Pederson era. Cisco, Rayshawn Jenkins, and Andrew Wingard should make a solid safety trio. The hope would be Savage improves and Cisco returns to form.
Other than Cisco, however, the rest of the Jaguars free-agent class doesn’t hold as much weight. Jones and Johnson can depart without much thought, while the backup offensive linemen could return, though their departure wouldn’t be the end of the world. Luke Farrell, Caleb Johnson, Josiah Deguara, and C.J. Beathard round out the Jaguars’ unrestricted free-agent class. Of that group, none need to be a priority resigning, as their roles would be strictly as depth players.
With the draft capital, the Jaguars have, along with the pieces in-house returning for 2025, the Jaguars free agent class of 2025 isn’t nearly as impactful as it could be. The only issues to address would be the offensive guard, safety, and interior defensive line. Both the interior offensive and defensive line were already top priorities, while safety can be solved by bringing Cisco back or looking at the draft.
Once the Jaguars fired Pederson, the Jaguars free agents no longer had their coach. A new head coach may look to bring in his players, or players who better fit his philosophy. That change could make the difference between many of the Jaguars free agents in whether they stay or go. Fortunately, the Jaguars free agent class is small.
While the Jaguars free agent class is a small one, it highlights some of the key positions that need to be addressed for the future. No player will make or break the Jaguars for 2025, and with the chance to contend in 2025 under a new coach, the Jaguars should be prepared to make many moves. It all starts with deciding who should stay and who should go from the Jaguars free agent class of 2025.
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