Should the Jaguars Have Interest in Adding Larry Warford to the Offensive Line?

It isn't often teams can find a starting-caliber offensive lineman on the free agent market in the middle of May, let alone one who has been to three consecutive Pro Bowls and is under the age of 30.

But such is the case with eight-year veteran guard Larry Warford, who the New Orleans Saints released last week. Warford signed with the Saints in 2017 and started 44 games for the team at right guard in the last three seasons, but the drafting of Michigan interior offensive lineman Cezar Ruiz in the first round of last month's draft.

With Warford now free to sign with any team, it would make sense for him to become one of the most enticing available players in the league. He is a solid starter at a position the Saints were simply deep at, and the reason for his release was due to the cap space and not his talent. Logically, any team with a need along its interior offensive line should have at least some interest in the 2013 third-round pick.

But does this mean the Jacksonville Jaguars consider pursuing Warford, who has appeared in the Pro Bowl in each of the last three seasons? We look at the pros and the cons of the potential move to determine the answer.

Why it would make sense for the Jaguars to pursue Warford

Heading into the 2020 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made just one notable addition to an offensive line that saw ups and downs in 2019. That addition came in the form of 2020 fourth-round pick Ben Bartch, who is slotted to provide depth inside for the Jaguars. Bartch is a talented player, but he may not be ready to contribute right away due to his relative inexperience at the position.

With Gardner Minshew II set to start in his sophomore season, the Jaguars have looked to add to the offense around him otherwise. They have made additions at tight end (Tyler Eifert), wide receiver (Laviska Shenault), running back (Chris Thompson), and are transitioning to a new offensive coordinator in Jay Gruden.

The Jaguars clearly want to field the best offensive possible around Minshew to give him the best chance to succeed, so why not do the same along the offensive line?

The Jaguars are currently set to return each of six offensive linemen who saw extensive action in 2019, but there is still some room for improvement. According to Football Outsider's 2019 offensive line ratings, the Jaguars were tied for the fifth-lowest adjusted line yards with 3.88.

Warford clearly was only a small piece of the Saints' offensive line, but that unit led the NFL in adjusted line yards with 4.92. Warford wasn't the sole reason for the high figure, but he still played an important role in the unit's success.

Warford has started at right guard throughout his career, which is admittedly a crowded spot for Jacksonville after seeing A.J. Cann and Will Richardson rotate at the position in 2019. But if the Jaguars want to seek improvements along the entire roster, it needs to be factored in that Warford is a more established blocker than either of those two, despite how high the Jaguars are on both Cann and Richardson.

When it comes to the financials, the Jaguars have $21,367,267 in cap space according to OverTheCap, though this figure will clearly change once the Jaguars sign their 12 draft picks to contracts. Still, the Jaguars have enough flexible contracts on their cap which they can move around to make room to sign Warford if necessary.

Ultimately, Warford would provide an upgrade along the Jaguars' offensive line, help pave the way for Minshew and running back Leonard Fournette. At the very least, Warford would create plenty of competition along a unit which the Jaguars need to badly take a step forward.

Why it would make sense for the Jaguars to have no interest in signing Warford

All offseason long, the Jaguars have made it clear that they are higher on their offensive line than many others are. They are turning each of their starters from 2019 with Cann, Richardson, center Brandon Linder, left guard Andrew Norwell, left tackle Cam Robinson and right tackle Jawaan Taylor, and head coach Doug Marrone has made it clear he expects a solid season from the group.

"I know they’re working hard. I know they’ve been working from after the season. They all have. I just think it’s a position where we looked at some players and just felt like, like I said all along, I think those players have a lot on their plate to make sure they improve. We’ve said that. We really think they’re going to make a big jump," Marrone said following the second day of the NFL draft.

"I’m excited about it. I think (Offensive Line Coach) George Warhop is one of the best coaches that’s in the league coaching the offensive line. He was with them for one year, and I said before, we all know that it’s all on those guys up front to step up. There are still a couple of guys on this board that I think have the ability to come in and compete, and we’ll see where they are when we pick.”

With the addition of Bartch, that gives the Jaguars eight offensive linemen they are high on: the six who started last year, rookie Bartch, and backup offensive lineman Tyler Shatley. At the end of the day, that is a deep group in terms sheer depth and volume, so there isn't much room left unless somebody was subtracted.

The Jaguars are already financially tied to Norwell after making him the league's highest-paid guard (at the time) in the 2018 offseason, so it would be sensible for the Jaguars to decide to not pool an abundance of resources into the position considering the players already on the roster.

Overall

It is indisputable that signing Warford would improve the Jaguars' offense and team overall. He is one of the reasons the Saints had one of the league's best offensive line units in each of the last three seasons, and this needs to be factored in whether the Jaguars expect a jump from its offensive line or not.

Does this mean it should be expected for the Jaguars to pursue Warford? Not really. Warford would be an upgrade for a number of teams, but this doesn't mean every team would have a legitimate interest in him. Whether it is agreeable or not, the Jaguars at least appear happy with their current offensive line group.

Should the Jaguars have any interest in adding Warford? In the sense that it would improve the team and make life easier for Minshew, sure. But there are easons for the Jaguars to feel as if this is a move they don't need to make before the season begins.

The Jaguars are set to have continuity along their offensive line in 2020. Adding Warford would change that, even if he is immensely talented. Warford shouldn't expect to be on the free agent market for long, but it would be surprising for his next destination to be Jacksonville.