Jaguars Officially Announce Agreement to Terms With 12 Players, Including Shaquill Griffin
There are officially 12 new members of the Jacksonville Jaguars roster.
While all 12 of these agreements were made in principle within the last two days, they became official when the start of the 2021 league season began at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, with the Jaguars quickly announcing they had agreed to terms with the following players.
- CB Shaquill Griffin
- WR Jamal Agnew
- DT Tyson Alualu
- DT Malcom Brown
- WR Phillip Dorsett
- S Rudy Ford
- RB Carlos Hyde
- S Rayshawn Jenkins
- WR Marvin Jones Jr.
- TE Chris Manhertz
- DE Roy Robertson-Harris
- DE/OLB Jihad Ward
11 of these players were signed as unrestricted free agents, though Brown was acquired from the New Orleans Saints via a trade for undisclosed draft compensation.
Griffin, 25, was reportedly given a three-year, $40 million contract with $29 million guaranteed, making him the most significant addition the Jaguars have made this week. Griffin, the No. 90 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, recorded six interceptions and 48 pass deflections in 53 starts over four seasons.
Behind him, the Jaguars made a noteworthy investment in veteran defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris, who they reportedly gave a three-year, $23.4 million deal with $14 million in guarantees. Robertson-Harris, 27, appeared in 52 games for the Bears since 2017 and recorded 7.5 sacks, 30 quarterback hits, and nine tackles for loss.
Brown was yet another addition the Jaguars made to the defense, trading for the soon-to-be cut defensive tackle and reportedly giving him a re-worked two-year, $11 million deal with $8 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The former first-round pick has minimal pass-rush production but is a stalwart run defender.
Joining Brown and Robertson-Harris as defensive line additions are former Jaguars' first-round pick Alualu, 33, and former Joe Cullen student and Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Jihad Ward, 26. Alualu played seven seasons for the Jaguars before spending four with the Steelers, while Ward had his best career year under Cullen in 2020.
Continuing with the trend of spending on defense, the Jaguars reportedly reached an agreement with Jenkins for a four-year, $35 million deal with $16 million guaranteed. Jenkins, 27, started 31 games for the Los Angeles Chargers the last two seasons and recorded five interceptions in that span.
Agnew, 25, transitioned to wide receiver from cornerback in 2020 after being drafted by the Lions in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He has minimal production as a receiver but he has five career return touchdowns and was a first-team All-Pro selection as a rookie return man.
Dorsett, a first-round pick by the Colts in 2015, was on Seattle's roster last season with passing game coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, though he missed the season with a foot injury. In 71 games, Dorsett, 28, has caught 124 passes for 1,634 yards (13.2 yards per catch) and 11 touchdowns.
Hyde, 30, also played under Schottenheimer in Seattle last season, as well as under Urban Meyer at Ohio State. He was drafted in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft by then-San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke. He carried the ball 81 times for 356 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and four touchdowns in 2020.
Jones signs with Jacksonville for a reported two-year, $14.5 million deal with $9.2 million in guarantees, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Jones, 31, caught 138 passes for 1,757 yards (12.7 yards per catch) and 18 touchdowns in 29 games under current Jaguars offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell while the two were in Detroit.
Manhertz, 28, has just 12 career catches in 70 games, but the long-time veteran has a reputation as one of the NFL's better blocking tight ends.
Ford, 26, spent the last two seasons with the Eagles and has limited experience on defense but produced solid numbers as a special teams member.
The Jaguars also announced on Wednesday they had reached agreements with pending free agents James O'Shaughnessy and Aldrick Rosas.
