Jaguars Announce Darqueze Dennard Will No Longer Sign With Team
Cornerback Darqueze Dennard, one of the Jacksonville Jaguars' top reported free agency signings this month, will not end up in Jacksonville after all.
The Jaguars announced on Thursday that Dennard will no longer be signing with them and is still a free agent. This comes a week after the Jaguars announced they had agreed to terms with the veteran corner.
"CB Darqueze Dennard will not be signing with the Jaguars as the two sides could not come to an agreement on the final contract terms," the Jaguars said in a release. "He remains an unrestricted free agent."
With Dennard no longer landing in Jacksonville, the team's cornerback depth consists of Tre Herndon, D.J. Hayden, Brandon Watson, Parry Nickerson, and Rashaan Melvin, whom the Jaguars agreed to terms with this week.
Dennard spent the last six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals. If Dennard had signed in Jacksonville, he would have competed for a starting job on the outside even though he has primarily been a nickel cornerback throughout his career.
“We feel really good about his skill level to play outside,” coach Doug Marrone said when the team announced the addition last week.
“He’s a press corner and wants to play outside. He wants to prove that he can do it, and we believe that he can, so it was a good fit for us. D.J. Hayden is our starting nickel corner. I talked to D.J., and we’re extremely happy with him in that spot.”
With Dennard no longer in the picture, the Jaguars' secondary corps takes a big hit. Dennard's fit on the outside was always questionable, but he is a solid cornerback who has experience inside and outside and his veteran presence would have been beneficial to a young Jaguars' defense.
It is unclear what the snag was between Dennard and the Jaguars. The former Bengal posted on social media Wednesday about ex-teammate Tyler Eifert joining the Jaguars.
With Dennard no longer in the fold, the Jaguars' insurance options at cornerback have severely dwindled. The team was already a top candidate to pick a cornerback in the first round of April's NFL draft, and this only further solidifies that line of thinking.
