Even in the middle of June, there is still a good amount of value on the free agent market. They did meet their goals early on in the offseason and in the draft but there is always room for improvement, as they say.
So, here are the best remaining free agents that could help the Jaguars.
Late Offseason Moves That Could Improve The Jaguars
Hunter Renfrow
Even with the addition of Brian Thomas Jr. as the future WR1, the Jaguars still need a solid WR2 or WR3 to replace Zay Jones. Enter Hunter Renfrow, who has a history with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, who were teammates with the receiver at Clemson. Renfrow’s remembrance of Lawrence would light a spark, and his style of play could help out if the load is too much for the young Thomas.
Again, there are other good choices here, like Michael Thomas and Russell Gage, but it’s Lawrence’s team now, and they could go with a source of familiarity.
David Bakhtiari
Baktiarti spent more than a decade with the Packers and became the key blocker for Aaron Rodgers during his time there, with five All-Pro selections and three Pro Bowls presenting a borderline Hall of Fame case.
Yes, there is a recent injury history involving him, and he will turn 33 in December. However, this just seems like a total Baalke move.
If Walker Little or Cam Robinson keep stuffing, would someone like Bahkiari step up and help Lawrence for a season or two and be a mentor for Anton Harrison as he gets prepared to be the future cornerstone at the offensive line?
Halapoulivaati Vaitai
Erza Cleveland is probably not the long-term answer at guard for the team, and if Walker Little can’t be the answer at guard either, then it’s time to give the position another look.
Enter Halapoulivaati Vaitai, who has a history with head coach Doug Pederson, as he was a lineman with the Eagles from 2016 to 2019. Since 2020, he has been a lineman for the Lions.
Vaitai can play both guard and tackle, which is a bonus. And, while he has an injury history, he stepped up big time for the Eagles in 2017 when Lane Johnson and Jason Peters were injured.
He could see the same role for the Jaguars in this scenario.
Lawrence Guy
Guy has kind of been low-key consistent when healthy, as he has four seasons where he has two or more recorded sacks.
He has also been regarded as a great teammate in his time in New England, and proving him into the defensive line to develop Maason Smith and Jordan Jefferson would be such a good idea.
Trade for Marshon Lattimore
Trading for Marshon Lattimore would be the ultimate big move the Jaguars can make this offseason.
Lattimore has good ties with new defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen who was involved with the defense from 2022 to 2017 In that time, he won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and was a four-time Pro Bowler from 2017 to 2021.
Since then, Lattimore has missed most of 2022 and 2023 due to a fight with Mike Evans against the Buccaneers in Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season and a lacerated kidney in Week 5 of that season caused him to miss the rest of that season until Week 17. Lattimore had his 2023 season end in Week 10 after an ankle injury that caused him to miss the rest of the season.
Several Jaguars fans have lobbied for this trade to happen and, if he can stay healthy, a new team with a familiar face as defensive coordinator could be the boost needed for him to rebound in his career.
The Jaguars have better depth on the secondary now but they need a star like Lattimore to fully upgrade it.
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