Jaguars Offseason Mailbag, Sunday Edition: Should Jacksonville Pursue Andy Dalton?

As the 2020 offseason progresses, JaguarReport will take Jacksonville Jaguars-related questions from social media and give our takes on the most pressing questions fans have about their team. From quarterbacks, to free agency, to the NFL Draft, we address it all.

You can send questions to us this offseason via the JaguarReport Twitter or Facebook accounts.

This week we discuss the prospects of acquiring Andy Dalton, what to expect from Josh Allen and Taven Bryan, and more.

From @sglaze1: What would be the cost of acquiring Andy Dalton? I’m not in favor of that, but have heard we are interested.

The Cincinnati Bengals hold the No. 1 overall pick and will positively select LSU quarterback Joe Burrow to be the new face of their franchise, so the era of Andy Dalton is clearly over. The question now is what the Bengals will do with Dalton now that he is expected to be, at best, the No. 2 quarterback.

Dalton will likely continue to push for a trade as opposed to sticking around as a backup to a rookie Burrow. Since the Bengals have less than zero leverage, and since there aren't a lot of suitors currently out there, Dalton can likely be had for a sixth-round pick, which the Jaguars own two of in 2020. Dalton could also be released after the draft, and it makes more sense to target him on the open market as opposed to trading for him.

From @Rachaelfla : What do you think will happen with Josh Allen’s development this year with Calais and Yan gone?

Josh Allen leaned on the veteran leadership of Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue a lot last season. Defensive coordinator Todd Wash described Allen as a puppy following Campbell everywhere, and that is pretty on the nose in terms of how close the two were and how much Campbell guided Allen.

With that said, Allen was selected No. 7 overall for a reason. He is supposed to be a stud pass-rusher regardless of who is in the locker room giving him pointers, so he will have to live up to that billing on his own merit. I think Allen will have a better season in 2020 in terms of consistency, but maybe not production. I wouldn't worry about him.

From @ChevyJas: If Tua slips to 9, and I know FO is drafting to save their jobs this year, but would they really pass on him?

A healthy Tua Tagovailoa likely pushes Burrow to be picked at No. 1 overall, but his draft stock is uncertain due to the complexity of this year's draft due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has resulted in an inability for teams to conduct their own medical exam on players.

With Tua's health such a question mark, it is hard to imagine the Jaguars would roll the dice and take him when they know exactly what they have in Gardner Minshew II. Tua is a better pure passer, but Jacksonville doesn't have the luxury of time to wait for him to be prepared to play.

From @BrodieTaylor8 : How far would one of the top tier WRs have to fall for the Jags to trade up? eg. if Ruggs is still there at 15? 16? I like getting a second-tier guy at 20, but if for some reason the early run doesn’t happen, when do they trade up?

I think if any of CeeDee Lamb, Jerry Jeudy, or Henry Ruggs III fall past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 14, it is worth at least considering a move up. The Denver Broncos pick at No. 15 and have a huge need at wide receiver across from Courtland Sutton, so they would likely pounce on any of those three.

With that said, this is such a deep wide receiver class that Jacksonville could opt to keep its picks and get a starter-quality wide receiver at No. 20 or No. 42. Getting any of the top three receivers after already picking at No. 9 would be a boon for the Jaguars, but may not be necessary.

From @Regtwin27 : Do you think we pick offense on both picks in the first round?

I don't, but I could definitely see it. At this point, Derrick Brown looks to be the most likely pick at No. 9, while the pick at No. 20 could be a wide receiver, cornerback, defensive end, or offensive tackle.

The most likely scenario in which Jacksonville takes two offensive players in the first round is if they take an offensive tackle at No. 9 and then decide to take a wide receiver at No. 20. This is definitely plausible, but there are too many options for the team to pinpoint a specific scenario.

From @unclejohn1000: Is Marquise Lee still going to be on the roster? If so, why? Isn’t he always hurt?

Yes, Marqise Lee is on the Jaguars' roster still. The most likely reason he is still on the roster is that the Jaguars would actually save more money if they cut him later in the offseason. According to Spotrac, the Jaguars save $5.25 million if they release Lee before June 1. If they cut him following June 1, they save $7 million. It is hard to see Lee lasting on the roster past June.

From @KalmanSussman: What’s an accurate projection of Taven Bryan’s snap count this season?

As of now, the Jaguars have made no other additions to the three-technique position, so Taven Bryan looks set to start. The best projection for him might be the amount of playing time Malik Jackson got in 2018, when Bryan was a rookie and rotated in the defense with him. That year, Jackson played 628 snaps (61% of total defensive snaps). Something in this ballpark seems about right for Bryan in 2020.

From @_K3nnyg : Should we draft Jalen Hurts in the third round if he's there?

Unless Jacksonville takes a quarterback in the first round, it is hard to make an argument for them to take one at any other point. Hurts would sit behind Minshew and potentially even Josh Dobbs, which would be a waste of a third-round pick for Jacksonville in 2020 considering the massive needs they have. They could instead find a starting player at a separate position, which is a much better use of resources.

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