Why the Jaguars' Offseason Deserves More Credit Than It's Getting

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The 2026 NFL Offseason is for, all intents and purposes, over.

Training camp is now fewer than four weeks away, and the entire NFL is set to awaken from its slumber by the end of July. The time for teams to gear up and improve ahead of Week 1 is essentially in the past, and teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars are starting to get their offseasons torn apart.

The Jaguars have frequently been listed in national roundups as a team having one of the worst offseasons of any NFL squad, with the latest coming from USA Today. But when looking at the state of the Jaguars' offseason moves and how the roster has shaped up, it is clear that James Gladstone and company deserve more credit than they have gotten to this point.

James Gladstone's Offseason

When it comes to evaluating offseasons, it seems like many have lost the plot and are, at times, speaking out of both sides of their mouthes. For years and years, the general rule of thumb has been that the teams with losing records who spend a ton of money in free agency are the ones entering a dangerous proposition. Remember the Jaguars getting slammed in 2022?

Well, the Jaguars' 2022 free agency class brought a 9-8 playoff season and ... very little else. Most of the group did not finish their original deals with the Jaguars before being released or traded, and the only player left from that big-money offseason is linebacker Foyesade Oluokun.

But at the same time, NFL media tends to have a "what have you done for me lately?" mindset when it comes to judging offseasons. Don't spend too much! But also, hey, why are you not spending? It doesn't make much sense, but the teams who have quiet offseasons that are built more on planning ahead and maximising assets are not sexy teams when it comes to offseason winners and losers.

The Jaguars ranked No. 32 in offseason spending this year, and chances are they would have gotten rave reviews had they spent like the Tennessee Titans, who gave bloated deals to role players, or like the Arizona Cardinals, who seemed to spend just because they could. The Titans and Cardinals are each better than they were a year ago, but at the cost of hundreds of millions in contracts? And just how much better can you get by signing players whose former clubs let leave?

This offseason, the Jaguars opted to use their resources to extend their own players, such as Travon Walker, Montaric Brown, Jakobi Meyers, Brenton Strange, and others. As a result, the only free agent they signed before May was veteran running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. on a minor deal, and they let several free agents walk.

Three of those free agents -- Devin Lloyd, Travis Etienne, and Greg Newsome -- are expected to land the Jaguars' Day 3 compensatory picks for the Jaguars' 2027 draft haul. Letting Lloyd and Etienne leave for the Carolina Panthers and the New Orleans Saints has drawn quite a bit of criticism, especially since there has been no corresponding move to replace Lloyd and Rodriguez isn't a significant name to replace Etienne.

eteinn — Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) rushes for yards during the third quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Bills defeated the Jaguars 27-24. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Suddenly, Lloyd and Etienne have become elite players who carried the Jaguars a year ago. At least, that is how people have talked about the Jaguars' offseason. Both players were certainly valuable and productive a year ago, but irreplacable? Hardly.

Lloyd did not even win the starting linebacker role out of training camp last year, rotating with Ventrell Miller in Week 1 before his turnovers started pouring in the following week. And then with Lloyd finally the clear starter, the Jaguars still took him off the field on most third downs. Is that a player whose departure will sink a franchise? Especially after his first three seasons were far inferior to his fourth?

Etienne was a fan-favorite and scored plenty of touchdowns in an eventful 2025 season, but did anyone think the Jaguars had a good running game? Etienne, for all of his talents, has been one of the more inefficient running backs in the NFL throughout his career, and it seems like the Jaguars could have an easier time putting a strong running game together with their current crop of running backs, especially at the price point between Etienne and their new running back room.

No, the Jaguars did not make any massive moves this offseason. They kept their key players, stocked up on draft picks, and did not make any deals they might regret. And while they lost two productive players, neither was made a priority for a reason. If the Jaguars thought they needed them, they would have kept them.

Remember when efficient offseasons were celebrated? When the smart teams were the ones staying out of the March rat race? That is what the Jaguars did, but for some reason it was not enough for most.

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