What to Expect from the Jaguars When Legal Tampering Finally Begins

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- In 24 hours from this writing, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the rest of the NFL will enter the legal tampering period.

While the Jaguars and general manager James Gladstone won't see moves be made official until Wednesday when the new league year begins, Monday will represent the true start of free agency.

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

So, what can we expect from Gladstone and the Jaguars' brass as legal tampering kicks off? We take a look below.

Still cap moves to be made

Jacksonville Jaguars General Manager James Gladstone, left, and Tony Boselli, Jacksonville Jaguars Executive Vice President of football operations walk on the field before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Jaguars still have to clear some cap space, even if they are now in a spot where they are not over the cap any longer. Jacksonville will want some flexibility to sign their own players, sign external free agents, and then eventually the money to sign their draft class and undrafted free agents. This is very doable, but eventually it has to be done.

If the Jaguars have found any players they have decided they want to part ways with, there is no real point in doing so until right around the start of the league year. Until then, the Jaguars can potentially shop them for additional draft capital like they did with Christian Kirk last offseason. This would be the smart thing to do.

Fates of Etienne, Lloyd, Brown

The Jaguars' three big free agents are clearly running back Travis Etienne, linebacker Devin Lloyd, and cornerback Montaric Brown. It seems like a foregone conclusion the Jaguars will lose Etienne and Lloyd, each of whom looks like they are set to have strong markets. Perhaps the markets don't develop as either expects and the Jaguars can find a way to make it work, but that seems unlikely right now.

Brown is the interesting one, however. The Jaguars' starting cornerback last season, Brown is fresh off a career year and is still trending upward. The Jaguars love him and know exactly how he fits. The market for him, however, looks like it is set to be larger than many would have projected several months ago. He might be someone the Jaguars want to move forward with to bring him back into the fold.

Is there a big move?

james gladston — 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 Jaguars, like we mentioned, still need to create cap space to be able to make moves of note this offseason. But knowing how the Jaguars operated last year, should anyone put it past them to make a big-time move at some point or another? James Gladstone was one of the most aggressive general managers in the NFL last season, and it feels like it would be unwise to not consider one possible each offseason.

The Jaguars' lack of a first-round pick limits their options, but the Jaguars have a window that has been flung open. This doesn't feel like the 2023 offseason, when the Jaguars were content with not making moves and attempting to rely on internal improvements that didn't happen.