Reviewing the Jaguars’ 2019 Free Agency Class and Its Impact So Far
With the 2020 free agency cycle set to begin in a few weeks, it is time to review the Jaguars' most recent March signings.
The 2019 offseason saw the Jaguars make one huge move and then fill out their roster with a few cheaper veterans, a different strategy than the team implemented during free agency in past years.
Ultimately, the Jaguars signed six players to new deals, including one being a player the Jaguars had drafted four years previously whose contract was set to expire. How did the six perform in 2019, and which way are they trending as we head into 2020?
QB Nick Foles
Contract: Four-year, $88 million with $45.125 million guaranteed.
Stats: 77/117 passing (65.8%) for 736 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions and two fumbles lost in four games.
Overall: Nick Foles didn't have the 2019 he or the Jaguars hoped he would have, but the veteran quarterback was a a victim of bad luck from the start. The former Super Bowl MVP with the Philadelphia Eagles signed for the most guaranteed money in franchise history in March, solidifying his status as the No. 1 quarterback entering the rest of the offseason.
He got off to a solid start in Week 1 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, going 5/8 for 75 yards and one touchdown in two possessions, but he injured his clavicle on a 38-yard touchdown pass to DJ Chark, an injury he would get surgery for that would sideline him for the next eight games.
Foles returned in Week 11, replacing Gardner Minshew II as the team's starting quarterback after the Jaguars fell to a 4-5 record going into the Week 10 bye. Foles would only start the next three games, however, with the Jaguars losing each by multiple possessions. Foles was benched in favor of Minshew at halftime in the Jaguars' Week 13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he committed three turnovers in the first half. Following this, Foles didn't play another snap during the season.
Foles' issues in 2019 were magnified by his injury and the fact that the Jaguars had an abundance of question marks on the offense the team surrounded Foles with, so it is hard to place all blame on Foles. However, Minshew did perform better with the same pieces, and the starting position in 2020 is far from guaranteed for Foles.
WR Chris Conley
Contract: Two-year, $4.595 million with $1 million guaranteed.
Stats: 47 receptions for 775 yards and five touchdowns in 16 games.
Overall: Signing with Jacksonville following four years with the Kansas City Chiefs Chris Conley had the best statistical season of his career in 2019. He tied a career-high in touchdowns and set career-high marks in receiving yards and and receptions. He had drops at times, but played a big role for the Jaguars' post-Blake Bortles passing offense, playing 79% of the team's offensive snaps.
Conley will likely be on the roster next season due to the team's minor financial commitment to him, and while the team needs to improve its wide receiver depth, Conley should still have a role in 2020.
OT Cedric Ogbuehi
Contract: One-year, $895,000 with $90,000 guaranteed.
Stats: 14 games played.
Overall: Signed to serve as the team's swing tackle as left tackle Cam Robinson recovered from a 2018 ACL injury, Ogbuehi mostly served as offensive line depth throughout 2019. He missed the first two games due to injury, but appeared in each of the next 14 games, performing as the team's top backup offensive tackle and sixth offensive lineman in certain formations. The former first-round pick played only 155 snaps (14%), so if the team replaces him in the offseason it won't be a major move.
OG A.J. Cann
Contract: Three-year, $15.055 million with $6.005 million guaranteed.
Stats: 16 games and 16 starts at right guard.
Overall: A.J. Cann started 16 games for the second time in his five seasons as a Jaguar in 2019, and arguably had the second best season of his career (trailing only 2017). The team's third-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Cann has been a mainstay in the Jaguars' offense since his rookie year, earning him a new deal once his rookie contract ended in 2018.
Cann did split most of his playing time in 2019 with Will Richardson, with the two serving in a rotation at right guard that lasted from Week 3 until nearly the final game of the season. Cann played a career-low number of snaps with 777 (71%), but he ultimately won the position battle between the two. Unless the Jaguars add to the interior of the offensive line during free agency, Cann is likely the expected starter at right guard entering training camp.
TE Geoff Swaim
Contract: Two-year, $6.6 million with $1.25 guaranteed.
Stats: 13 catches for 65 yards in six games.
Overall: Signed from the Dallas Cowboys to add veteran depth to the tight end position, Geoff Swaim didn't play much in 2019 due to a concussion and ankle injury in Week 16 that sidelined him. He played 199 snaps (18%) in the six games he played, so he was a big part of the run blocking scheme early on in the year, but never played a large role as a pass-catching threat. Due to his cap number in 2020, the Jaguars could decide to move on from the 26-year old.
LB Jake Ryan
Contract: Two-year, $8 million with $1 million guaranteed.
Stats: No stats in two games played.
Overall: Due to being placed on the reserve/NFI list during the beginning of the season, former Green Bay Packer linebacker Jake Ryan didn't appear in game for the Jaguars until Week 13. He ultimately played only one snap on defense and 34 on special teams for two weeks, before ending his season due to a hamstring injury. After making no impact on the defense in 2019, Ryan isn't a lock to be brought back next season.
