Should the Jaguars Pursue Everson Griffen to Bolster the Pass-Rush Off of the Edge?

A year after the Jacksonville Jaguars' greatest strength was their pass-rush, the team now has serious question marks looming over their ability to get to the quarterback.

Already gone is versatile veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who provided heaps of pressure from the edge and interior of the defensive line over the last three seasons. Since 2017, Campbell had produced 31.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 77 quarterback hits, with 6.5 sacks coming in 2019.

Now, Campbell has been dealt to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2020 fifth-round selection and the Jaguars will have to find a replacement for his inside/out pass-rush ability.

Another pivotal piece of the Jaguars' pass-rush unit has one foot out of the door in fifth-year defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who the Jaguars designated with the franchise tag earlier this month. Ngakoue has made it clear he doesn't see a long-term future in Jacksonville, casting doubt over whether he will be on the roster in 2020.

If Ngakoue is not on the roster, the Jaguars will lose a pass-rusher who has 37.5 sacks, 14 forced fumbles, and 85 quarterback hits since 2016, including eight sacks and four forced fumbles in 2019.

Jacksonville still has second-year defensive end Josh Allen, who recorded 10.5 sacks as a rookie, but Allen shouldn't be asked to shoulder the weight of the pass-rush all by himself. Allen has all the makings of a top-tier pass-rusher, but no player should be asked to be his team's sole source of pressure.

So with this in mind, it would make sense for the Jaguars to target a veteran defensive end in free agency to complement Allen in the likely event that Ngakoue doesn't remain on the team.

One player who could fit this bill? Veteran defensive end Everson Griffen, who announced on Friday that he would not be returning to the Minnesota Vikings after 10 seasons with the team.

When discussing a potential defensive end addition to the roster, it is important to consider what the role may consist of. What makes sense for all parties involved would be for the Jaguars to target a player to play a similar role to the one Allen played in 2019, with Allen taking over Ngakoue's role as the No. 1 defensive end.

In 2019, Allen was the Jaguars' No. 2 defensive end and played fewer snaps than Ngakoue, ultimately only playing 634 snaps (60% of defensive snaps). So with a new addition to the pass-rush, the Jaguars should ideally look for a player who can play roughly that amount of snaps. It would require a lot of playing time, but not as large of a load each Sunday as the one Allen would be tasked with.

This would be an ideal role for Griffen, who will be entering his 11th NFL season and will be 32 for most of the 2020 season. Griffen played a large role for the Vikings last season, playing 848 snaps (78% of defensive snaps), and still produced at a solid level, recording eight sacks and 24 quarterback hits.

A reduced role, but one that still asks Griffen to contribute on third downs, could help Griffen continue to produce since he is at a later stage of his career. The peaks of Griffen, who has 74.5 sacks in 147 career games, will likely be lower than they were in 2017 when he recorded 13 sacks, but the veteran has a solid track record of production that indicates he can still contribute to a defense's pass-rush.

Griffen isn't as consistent as he once was, but he is still capable of creating pressures and splash plays in a vacuum. The Jaguars would likely ask less out of him than the Vikings did, which could maximize his ability to contribute off of the edge.

With the Jaguars' front office and coaching staff in a must-win situation in 2020, the Jaguars would likely prefer a veteran who is capable of producing right away to potentially replace Ngakoue. Griffen proved in 2019 that his age hasn't slowed him down enough to the point where he can't impact a defense as a pass-rusher, and he is the best defensive end left on the market who won't break the bank like Jadeveon Clowney will.

One factor the Jaguars would have to carefully consider is how much Griffen is seeking now that he is a free agent. Due to his age, it is unlikely he commands a large deal, but the Jaguars will have a firm price range due to their cap situation.

According to Spotrac, the Jaguars currently have $23,634,739 in cap space. About $13 million needs to be saved to pay the team's 2020 draft class, so that leaves the Jaguars with roughly $10 million to play with unless they make any more roster moves, such as potentially releasing wide receiver Marqise Lee.

The Jaguars don't have much more financial room to add players, so signing Griffen would likely be the final move of what has already been an offseason focused on overhauling the team's defense.

This would all of course be moot if Ngakoue remains with the Jaguars in 2020. Signing Griffen would be a strong indication that the team doesn't believe Ngakoue is on the roster in Week 1, while refusing to add to the defensive end position could be a mistake due to the uncertainty surrounding Ngakoue.

Would Griffen and Allen be as impactful of a duo as Ngakoue and Allen were in 2019? This is highly unlikely, but Griffen could at least give the Jaguars above replacement-level play. This isn't something they are guaranteed to get out of a rookie pass-rusher, so any veteran production would be invaluable moving forward.