3 Impending Free Agents With Ties to Jaguars' Liam Coen

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen was the driving force behind the Jaguars' success last season, and chances are that will happen again in 2026.

Coen is a critical piece of the Jaguars' franchise, setting the culture off the field and designing the identity and vision of the team on the field. Last year, we saw the Coen influence lead directly to additions of several players who had experience with the Jaguars' leader such as Robert Hainsey.

So, which free agents fit the same bill this year that Hainsey fit last season as free agents with ties to Coen? We discuss below and in today's episode of the Jacksonville Jaguars Insider Podcast.

To watch today's episode, view below.

Tyler Higbee

One of the longest-tenured players of the Sean McVay era, Tyler Higbee has been a central and defining piece of the offense since the start. Coen served as a top assistant in Los Angeles for several of those seasons, including in 2022 as offensive coordinator when Higbee led the Rams in targets and had one of the most productive seasons in his career.

The Jaguars added two tight ends last year who once played with Higbee in Johnny Mundy and Hunter Long, and each is under contract for 2026. But if the Jaguars want to add a veteran play-maker with some juice, the 33-year-old Higbee makes sense as an option who Coen knows very well from the past.

Cade Otton

Another tight end whose highlight of his career came with Coen is Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton. The former fourth-round pick just wrapped up his fourth season with Tampa Bay, but the best came in 2024 with Coen as offensive coordinator. In 14 games, Otton caught 59 passes for 600 yards and four touchdowns, becoming a central piece of Coen's passing game.

Otton had another solid, but less impactful, season in 2025 and could be on the verge of a big payday with a new team. But if Coen and the Jaguars want to lean heavily into the recent trend of 12 and 13 personnel-based offenses, then Otton could be an intriguing potential swing unless the Buccaneers retain him.

Wan'Dale Robinson

The only player on this list who didn't play for Coen at the NFL level, Wan'Dale Robinson has ties with Coen that go back to 2021 when Coen was the offensive coordinator for Kentucky. With Coen calling plays for the Will Levis-led offense, Robinson had a massive final season at Kentucky, catching 104 passes for 1,334 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding another 111 yardson the ground.

Robinson could be set for a big pay-day with a different team after his first 1,000-yard season in the NFL, but if not then he could make sense as the final piece to round out the Jaguars' receiver room. He could be an attempt to rectify the Dyami Brown decision from the previous season as well considering their similarities.

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