Jaguars Made Difficult, But Correct Calls on Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered some tough losses on Monday.

Even if the Jaguars were always expected to lose former first-round picks Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd to free agency, that doesn't take the sting away. Both were homegrown talents coming off career seasons, and fan favorites at that.

But the Jaguars are no longer signing deals with emotions behind them. Instead, the Jaguars are making the correct calls -- even when they are tough.

Jaguars Making Tough Calls

After the year the Jaguars had in 2025, there was not much projection when it came to Etienne and Lloyd. The Jaguars knew how they would fit in 2026 and beyond. Each would have continued to find success, just as they did under the Jaguars' staff during the 2025 season. And it is because of that foresight that the Jaguars were able to make the decisions they did now.

devin lloy — Feb 2, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) during AFC practice at the NFL Flag Fieldhouse at Moscone Center South Building. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Jaguars signed three players to significant deals since in the last several months, signing wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen, and then finally cornerback Montaric Brown on Monday. In short, the Jaguars had five critical free agents and managed to keep three of them.

The two that are leaving signed large deals on the open market, with Etienne getting $13 million a year from the Saints and Lloyd getting $15 million a year from the Carolina Panthers. It was surprising that Lloyd did not get more considering the rise in the salary cap, but his deal matches several linebackers from last offseason and this year's market got set with cheaper deals for Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker.

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd (0) runs on the field before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Buffalo Bills at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

With that in mind, it is tough to argue the Jaguars should have ponied up even that much for Lloyd even after the year he had in 2025. Lloyd was excellent for the Jaguars, but there has to be a reason that 2025 served as an outlier for his career to date. The Jaguars, seemingly, have decided that they trust their coaching staff to develop linebackers over having to pay $15 million for one.

As for Etienne, his contract came north of what many expected. Etienne was an explosive play-maker for the Jaguars, but the Jaguars should hope to improve the running game in 2026. They can get more cosistent, and they can likely do it for a fraction of the cost.

As opposed to paying for deals at lesser valued positions like linebacker and running back, the Jaguars prioritized wide receiver, cornerback, and offensive tackle. Everybody liked the players, yes, but it is hard to argue the Jaguars made the wrong choice when it came to their priorities.

In a past Jaguars life, first-round picks who even came halfway to meeting their potential got new deals. This Jaguars regime didn't pick Lloyd or Etienne, though, and they made sure they would not fall for the mistakes of Jaguars past. A tough lesson to establish, but an important one.