On Guard: How Ben Johnson May Have Helped Jaguars in Free Agency

Ben Johnson chose the Bears over the Jaguars, but at the end of the day, the Chicago head coach may have helped Jacksonville upgrade its offensive line.

Indianapolis Colts guard Will Fries (75) and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Mykal Walker (38) tangle after a play Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

New Chicago head coach Ben Johnson spurned the Jaguars in January. Turns out, he may have helped them in March.

The Bears made two significant trades to acquire guards Jonah Jackson from the Rams and Joe Thuney from the Chiefs, taking Chicago out of the market for guards. Incidentally, that position is expected to be a target for Jacksonville, which figures to lose veteran Brandon Scherff in free agency.

Upgrading their offensive line is a priority before James Gladstone and Liam Coen can effectively evaluate their running backs, or even the future of Trevor Lawrence.

Before trading Thuney to the Bears, the Chiefs took the top offensive guard off the market by placing the franchise tag on Pro Bowler Trey Smith. And should the Jaguars want to spend at guard this week, they don’t necessarily need to target big-money players. A few interesting options are coming off injury.

“James Daniels actually played really well for the Steelers before he had a major injury,” analyst Gregg Rosenthal said last week on the 40s and Free Agency podcast. “And maybe they can afford to kind of wait for him to get healthy. So, that's one guard name that stuck out to me.

Another possible option for Jacksonville would be Kevin Zeitler, Rosenthal said, a veteran, short-term solution to bridge toward a future starter as the Jaguars draft and develop another player. Ironically, Zeitler spent last season with Johnson in Detroit but Johnson opted for Jackson and Thuney instead.

Will Fries is another intriguing choice for Jacksonville. The Indianapolis guard is expected to receive strong interest when the early negotiation window opens Monday. Draft analyst Jordan Reid said Fries is part of an exclusive club.

“Have always felt the best GMs execute free agency by identifying and paying players for what they could be in the future,” Reid tweeted Sunday. “These are 5 players that fit into that category.”

In addition to Fries, that group includes Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo, Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood and Fries’ teammate, Colts edge-=rusher Dayo Odeyingbo.

• G Will Fries
• CB Paulson Adebo
• DT Tershawn Wharton
• LB Jamien Sherwood
• EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo

Have always felt the best GMs execute free agency by identifying and paying players for what they could be in the future. These are 5 players that fit into that category.

— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) March 9, 2025

The Jaguars, who also need to replace retired center Mitch Morse, will have plenty of AFC competition in the guard market. The Chargers and Ravens are among those suitors. Could the Jaguars also entertain Mekhi Becton, who resurrected his career while winning a Super Bowl last year in Philadelphia?

“What happens with Mekhi Beckton?” analyst Daniel Jeremiah told Rosenthal. “Is that a flyer you'd be willing to take? You know, as someone who can help you run the ball?

“Because last year the Jags, we can talk about Trevor and his issues, they couldn't run the ball. They were 26th in rushing yards per game. … They should be more productive in the run game than they are, which means they don’t get any push up front.”

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