REPORT: Jaguars Predicted to Steal Star Defender from AFC Rival

The Jacksonville Jaguars definitely need to rectify their defensive woes heading into the NFL offseason, as they ranked second to last in the league in yards allowed this past season.

The Jaguars are slated to have some modest cap room to utilize in free agency, so they should certainly look to make some moves to repair the issue.

Marcus Mosher of The 33rd Team has already zeroed in on one option for Jacksonville, linking the Jaguars to Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Asante Samuel Jr.

"The Jacksonville Jaguars locked up Tyson Campbell to a long-term contract last offseason, but they could use another cornerback opposite him," Mosher wrote. "Asante Samuel Jr. played college football at Florida State, and the idea of returning home could be appealing. He only played 234 snaps due to injury this season, but he is a quality No. 2 cornerback when healthy and would be a huge upgrade for Jacksonville."

But do the Jaguars really need a cornerback that badly?

Jarrian Jones played pretty well during his rookie campaign, and third-year corner Montaric Brown flashed some considerable potential.

If anything, the safety position is a bigger area of need for Jacksonville, especially with Andre Cisco preparing to potentially walk in the coming months.

Samuel is definitely a good player, and during his last healthy season in 2023, he registered 63 tackles, a couple of interceptions and 13 passes defended. He also logged a very solid coverage grade of 75.6 at Pro Football Focus.

However, would handing Samuel a two-year, $28 million contract—which is what Mosher is projecting—be the best use of resources?

The Jaguars would probably be better off allocating their finances toward acquiring better weapons for Trevor Lawrence and addressing other areas of the defense, such as their interior defensive line or safety. Contrary to popular belief, cornerback is not a major weakness for Jacksonville.

The Jaguars' primary area of focus should be properly cultivating Lawrence, especially after bringing in an offensive mind as their new head coach in Liam Coen.

Signing Samuel for $14 million annually over a couple of years just does not seem like a very wise decision given Jacksonville's currnet monetary situation.

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