Jaguars' Free Agency Approach Will Tell Us Multitudes

How the Jacksonville Jaguars approach free agency will be fascinating to watch this offseason.

Jan 4, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tony Boselli and general manager James Gladstone look on after the game against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Jacksonville Jaguars sit in a curious position heading into free agency this offseason. After making moves to bolster the offensive line last year and add key talents on defense, the Jaguars sit at roughly $110,000 in salary cap space due to the outrageous contracts put together by the previous regime.

General manager James Gladstone and his staff have been working hard behind the scenes to put a plan in place to position themselves for success going into the NFL Draft next month. No first-round selection adds more pressure to do as much as the Jaguars can to clear more salary cap space in the coming days to improve the roster.

Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone speaks during a press conference at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

However, recent hints suggest the Jaguars could be sneaky contenders for big-ticket names in free agents. With so little cap space, how could they pull something like this off?

Gladstone's free agency approach is a wild card for the Jaguars offseason

Both the Baltimore Ravens and the Dallas Cowboys had been working on this for days. They kept communication with the Raiders.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were another team trying to put together a big trade package that would get it done.

Ravens win. https://t.co/5AV8vV3uyT

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 7, 2026

The reason I'm sharing this report from The Athletic's NFL Insider Dianna Russini is that he offers the hint of Gladstone working behind the scenes to get things done to improve the roster. If the Jaguars were attempting to swing big on one of the best pass rushers in the game, they would be willing to be aggressive in the trade market and free agency for some of the top free agents available.

The discussion about the team's attempt to trade Maxx Crosby is a topic for another time, but it does relate to the idea mentioned above. Gladstone isn't afraid to make moves to put his team in a better position for success. That makes me believe the Jaguars are likely in the mix for someone like Trey Hendrickson or Kenneth Walker III, or trade for someone like Jonathan Greenard.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen speaks during a press conference as general manager James Gladstone looks on at the Miller Electric Center, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I don't believe this rules out the Jaguars from any other big trade, especially if they were willing to move more draft capital and player assets. However, Gladstone could also be very quiet in the coming weeks as a pretext to the main event: the NFL Draft—it is Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen's money maker.

Jacksonville did a great job last offseason with the move up for Travis Hunter while getting sound contributions from other rookies and undrafted free agents. In a 2026 class that features better depth than high-end talent, the Jaguars will likely view their draft capital as premium bits to improve and to build the foundation of their roster. When the legal tampering period begins on Monday at noon Eastern, we'll know just how aggressive the Jaguars could be.