Baalke and Pederson Detail Why the Jaguars Signed Foyesade Oluokun
The Jacksonville Jaguars made seven major additions this past week; with the start of free agency, the Jaguars spent more than any other franchise as they threw money to starters on both sides of the ball.
But why did the Jaguars make these specific additions? What stood out to them about each player added? Thanks to comments from general manager Trent Baalke and head coach Doug Pederson on Wednesday, we can answer those questions.
Next up: linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, who the Jaguars signed to a three-year deal worth between $45 million to $46.5 million that carries a guarantee of $28 million at signing.
Oluokun's most productive year came this past season, with the former Yale product starting all 17 games and recording 192 tackles, four tackles for loss, one forced fumble, three interceptions, two sacks, and six pass deflections.
The Jaguars agreed to terms with Oluokun before they officially released Myles Jack, but it is clear the Jaguars always had plans to add Oluokun and let Jack hit the free agent market. The Jaguars would have a slightly crowded spot at linebacker between Jack and Oluokun, but the subtraction of Jack ensured this would not be the case.
"Well, I keep the conversation with Myles between us but we had a great talk. In fact, we met twice yesterday. He understood where we were at," Baalke said. "And Myles has done an awful lot for this organization, an awful lot for this community. He deserves, he deserves an opportunity to go out there and he will I mean, he's gonna go out there and test the market."
With Jack no longer in the fold or in any long-term plans, the Jaguars had a new glaring need at inside linebacker in defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell's scheme. Now, it will be up to Oluokun to fill the important role.
But what exactly about Oluokun's tape with the Falcons made the Jaguars confident that he can fill that role? To Baalke, it came down to what Oluokun was able to accomplish as a second-level defender in terms of racking up tackles, with Oloukun being one of the NFL's most productive defenders in terms of tackles the last two seasons.
"He makes about every tackle on the field. He led the league in tackles last year. You know, he's a smart football player," Baalke said.
"He's athletic, he competes on all three downs. He's good in the pass game. He's very good against the run. He's got range. There's a lot to like about him, a lot to like. And he's a hard worker, culture builder. He's healthy. He's young. He's just beginning his career really."
Baalke's evaluation of Oluokun makes a lot of sense considering almost the entirety of Oluokun's experience at the linebacker position has come in the NFL over the last four seasons. The former Yale defensive back transitioned to linebacker at the end of his college career and really took to first and most significant steps toward his transition with the Falcons.
To the Jaguars, this means they are getting a player they think is still approaching his ceiling and has not yet met his potential -- an assessment Oluokun himself agrees with.
“I think it’s been a blessing that I didn’t really learn the position until the NFL. I had no habits to break, only habits to learn," Oluokun said on Thursday. "Then obviously I had a coaching change after my third year, didn’t have to relearn the position, but learned a different scheme and everything and what they asked of me was a little bit different. I was a versatile player coming out of college, but even as a linebacker, I feel like I can do different things depending on what the coaches want.
"Then when I found myself getting more playing time, you might not know but our starter got hurt my rookie year. I got the opportunity to earn more playing time and then when he came back the second year, they put that trust in me again late in the season and we went on a little bit of a run and that earned my playing time. Third year, I was able to start. But it’s really just about getting better every day, not being able to say ‘I’m good at this’ but really focusing in on saying what can I get better at because I want to be a better and better player until I feel like I’m the best out there.”
