Which In-House Free Agents Should Jacksonville Bring Back in 2020?

What players should Jacksonville try to reach a new agreement with?

Last week, we broke down the players that could depart the Jacksonville Jaguars roster via free agency later this offseason. Jacksonville has talented players on both offense and defense set to get new deals, whether from the Jaguars or one of the other 31 teams.

Jacksonville will be entering a crucial offseason period after owner Shad Khan decided less than a week ago to retain both head coach Doug Marrone and general manager Dave Caldwell. The duo needs to find success on the field in 2020, and their work begins with the free agency period. 

For the Jaguars to take a step forward and improve upon their 6-10 record from 2019, they will have to not only fill several holes on the roster but also retain a few key players. Of all of the free agents who are currently set to depart Jacksonville, which ones should Jacksonville be focused on signing to a new deal? There are quite a few.

DE Yannick Ngakoue

This one is as obvious as obvious gets. Yannick Ngakoue is one of the three to four best players on the entire roster, is potentially Caldwell's best draft pick in his entire seven-year tenure as general manager, and he will only be 25 when the 2020 season begins.

Ngakoue is going to command a giant contract, whether from the Jaguars or another team, and that is something Jacksonville will have to try to figure out. Caldwell has already said doing so is his No. 1 priority, and it should be. Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks and 14 forced fumbles since being drafted in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and 2019 showed the duo of him and Josh Allen has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL. With Allen still on a cost-controlled deal for the next few seasons, there is no good reason why Jacksonville shouldn't want Ngakoue back. 

On top of all of this, Ngakoue brings value to the Jaguars in more ways than just his on-field play. He is one of the most respected players in Jacksonville's locker room and often serves as the emotional leader for the defense. Losing him would not only create a hole on the field, but a gaping one in the organization. 

LB Donald Payne

For the first two and a half years of Donald Payne's NFL career, he was either a special teams-only player for the Jaguars or not on a team at all. But he was brought back into the fold in Jacksonville in Week 8 after they suffered numerous injuries at linebacker, and five weeks later he was forced into a starting role at Mike linebacker when Myles Jack was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury. 

In what was not only his first chance to start in the NFL but, really, his first chance to play defense, Payne flashed a good bit. He had some issues with diagnosing plays and maintaining eye discipline, but he was always around the ball and got better each week. In five starts, he recorded 60 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit, better stats than most of Jacksonville's linebackers. 

It would be wise for Jacksonville to bring Payne back on a cheap deal to keep him as depth, and potentially even continue to develop him for a role on defense. If Jacksonville has issues with injuries at linebacker again next year, Payne being on the roster could ease some worries. 

WR Keelan Cole

While the Jaguars badly need to upgrade their wide receivers room this offseason, bringing back fourth-year wide receiver Keelan Cole could be a smart move. He was nothing more than the No. 4 wide receiver once Marqise Lee went on injured reserve at the mid-point of the season, but he showed vast improvement from his disastrous 2018 season in a number of areas. He had better hands, route, ability after the catch. He was just a better player.

One could argue that when comparing his playing time and volume of targets to Dede Westbrook's and Chris Conley's, Cole actually had a better season than either. Each of his three touchdowns came in the red zone, which is significant considering how much Jacksonville struggled when it came to converting red zone trips into touchdowns. 

If Cole can continue his positive trajectory, he is a perfect No. 4 wide receiver and could potentially grow into a bigger role. Players like that who are at a position of need shouldn't be allowed to leave TIAA Bank Field.

FS Cody Davis

Cody Davis has only played 78 defensive snaps for the Jaguars in two years with the team, but his value to what Jacksonville does goes far beyond that. He performs a number of key roles on every special teams unit and has been responsible for a number of tackles that led to good field position, blocked kicks, and solid protections. 

Davis does it all for special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis and was voted as a captain by his teammates before the 2019 season. Davis should be able to be brought back on a cheap deal as well since he has been a special teams-only player for the bulk of his career. Keeping him in the fold would be a smart move considering all of the different hats he wears. 

TE Nick O'Leary

One of the positions Jacksonville will have to give the most attention this offseason is tight end. Third-round rookie Josh Oliver suffered through multiple injuries and made no impact in 2019, while starter James O'Shaughnessy was on his way to a career year before an ACL injury ended his season in Week 5.

Only playing in six games for the Jaguars in 2019, veteran tight end Nick O'Leary was actually a decent depth piece, especially considering he signed in Week 11 and was forced to learn the offense on the fly. He caught 13 passes for 109 yards and one touchdown, better numbers than both Seth DeValve and Ben Koyack. 

O'Leary obviously isn't the answer to Jacksonville's issues at tight end, but he is a better No. 3 or No. 4 tight end than the other options available.