3 Observations on Jaguars Releasing Shaquill Griffin

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had to make a number of moves this offseason to get under the cap ahead of March 15. Among those biggest moves came on Wednesday, with the release of Shaquill Griffin ending a two-year year free-agency tenure that never really got off the ground.

While the Griffin move was expected for some time, it is still significant to see the former Seahawks cornerback move on so quickly after singing a significant deal with the Jaguars during the 2021 offseason.

With Griffin now officially off the books, what does the move mean for the Jaguars and their offseason moving forward?

The Griffin move was necessary after what transpired in 2022

On the surface, the Griffin release isn't surprising in the least. He played in just five games in 2022 and was last seen in Week 6 giving up a last-second touchdown to Alec Pierce in a road loss to the Colts. Since then, Griffin had undergone back surgery and was largely forgotten about as Tyson Campbell and Darious Williams thrived as the Jaguars' outside cornerbacks.

Simply put, Griffin never seemed to fit the Jaguars' new plans in 2022. He was a key veteran voice in a shattered locker room in 2021 as the Jaguars dealt with the Urban Meyer debacle, but his play never matched his salary, even during his best stretches with the Jaguars.

Considering he was, at best, the team's fourth-best cornerback in 2022 and wasn't needed during the critical home-stretch, the Jaguars couldn't justify his salary for 2023. His contract was always a two-year deal in theory, but the Jaguars surely expected different production when they signed him to it. It never clicked, though, and the 2022 season only drove this point home.

Griffin is the most glaring miss in Trent Baalke's first free-agency class

The Jaguars spent considerably in the 2021 offseason, though they didn't add as many impact players as they did last season. Still, they handed out big contracts to Griffin, Jamal Agnew, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Rayshawn Jenkins and added Marvin Jones while also adding depth pieces in Chris Manhertz, Rudy Ford, Carlos Hyde, and Phillip Dorsett.

Dorsett, Hyde, and Ford were all busts, but they were cheap adds. Manhertz played his role well as a blocker for the entire duration of his deal. And, finally, Agnew, Robertson-Harris, and Jenkins have all proven themselves as playmakers entering 2023, with each of the three coming off big performances in 2022.

In short, the only glaring miss in the class is Griffin. The 2022 free-agency class was more impactful in its first full season, but the 2021 class still held its own outside of Griffin.

Cornerback remains one of the Jaguars biggest offseason needs

The one position the Jaguars seemed to not find enough answers for last offseason was cornerback. The Jaguars were hoping for a bigger year from Griffin, but the fact that Griffin never seemed to fit their new scheme and Darious Williams missed most of training camp meant the Jaguars were always going to start slow at the cornerback position.

Jacksonville finished strong, with Tyson Campbell elevating his game in his sophomore season and Williams finding significantly more success on the outside than in the slot. But for as much of a need as cornerback was last year, it is an even bigger need now. With Griffin off the roster and 2022 No. 3 cornerback Tre Herndon also a free agent, the Jaguars have a serious lack of bodies at cornerback right now. Expect for this to be a position they invest in heavily this offseason.

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