2021 Free Agency: Grading the Jaguars' Addition of Special Teams Star Jamal Agnew
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been busy thus far through free agency over the last couple of days. One of the first agreements they reached was to bring in Detroit Lions wide receiver and special teams star Jamal Agnew.
Agnew is fresh off another solid year returning kicks as he returned 14 punts for 178 yards (12.7 yards/return) and one touchdown. He also started to make the transition to part-time wide receiver in 2020, hauling in 13 receptions for 89 yards, and is cashing in.
According to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle, Agnew and the Jaguars agreed to a three-year, $14.25 million deal with $4 million in guarantees.
His speed and vision with the ball in his hands make him one of the best return men in the league and an attractive option for head coach Urban Meyer.
He was an all-pro returner as a rookie in 2017 with 29 punt returns for 447 yards (15.4 yards/return) and two touchdowns. His career five return touchdowns both in the punt and kick game show he has the ability to make a massive difference on special teams and can flip the field at any moment.
So, what does his addition to the roster mean for the Jaguars' future? We dive into that here and give our grade.
How does he fit?
Meyer has long been one of the biggest proponents of emphasizing special teams and that hasn’t changed in the slightest with the additions they have made thus far in free agency, particularly with Agnew.
As a returner there really isn’t much ‘fitting in’ to a new scheme like a defensive lineman or safety would. However, the addition does reunite him with new offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell from their time in Detroit together.
Obviously Agnew has little to no impact on offense, but Bevell at least has familiarity with the return specialist and we could see him as a gadget player coming in to provide a change of pace and add to the options Meyer and Bevell have on offense.
From that standpoint, he could fit in extremely well. Meyer has talked at length about adding speed and explosiveness to the receiving corps.
“If you’ve covered our teams over the years, the need for speed, the big play opportunity was not the Jaguars last year and we’re searching for the big play hit at the receiver position,” Meyer said last week.
Now, is that Agnew? No, but his emergence as a potential wideout last season opens the door to some intriguing options should Meyer and Bevell decide to do so.
Impact on depth chart
There shouldn’t be much doubt when it comes to where Agnew fits in on the depth chart. The Jaguars struggled last year in the return game. Rookie Chris Claybrooks was set to be the guy returning kicks until he began having some issues with muffs.
Keelan Cole then took over in the return game following Claybrooks’ issues and had some success returning nine punts for 140 yards and bringing one back to the house. And while he was serviceable, Agnew has been a game-changer in the return game since stepping foot in the league.
And with a three-year deal with an average salary of $4.75 million, Agnew is going to be the starting returner in both the punt and kick game for the Jaguars in 2021.
Overall Grade: C+.
Agnew is a fantastic returner and Meyer greatly values speed and winning the field position battle in special teams. He fits that role better than almost anybody in the league. However, his contract to just be a returner is a high price to pay.
The big question is if Agnew will be just that. You would think with his payday, Agnew will be featured at least partially in the passing game or on jet sweeps on offense to get his 4.3 speed involved. However, with only 16 career receptions that’s a big risk.
If Agnew can rekindle what he did in 2017 averaging 15.4 yards per punt return and can do so consistently then this deal will prove to be a good one for the Jaguars. Only time will tell.
