It’s no surprise given how the offseason unfolded, but the Jacksonville Jaguars were among the lowest-spending teams in free agency.
The lone outside addition made by the Jaguars during the initial free agency waves was signing running back Chris Rodriguez to a modest two-year, $10 million deal.
The team has since signed veteran running back Ameer Abdullah as well.
GM James Gladstone also re-signed a few of his own unrestricted free agents, bringing back Montaric Brown on a three-year, $31.8 million deal, along with Dennis Gardeck, who signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract.
But most of the roster turnover experienced by Jacksonville was either due to free agent departures or players being brought in through the NFL draft.
In total, the Jaguars spent $57.96 million in free agency this offseason, according to CBS Sports. This ranks 30th in the NFL.
It’s also worth noting that the Jaguars did extend Travon Walker and Ross Matiscik, but those contracts are not included in the overall free agency figure.
Considering that the Jaguars are coming off a 13-win season, the lack of significant roster moves made has drawn the criticism of some NFL analysts.
That said, there are a few reasons behind this approach. One was Gladstone being mindful of the compensatory draft picks that the Jaguars are projected to receive in 2027. This team also did not have much salary cap room after taking on so much dead cap following last offseason’s roster turnover.
This patient approach also speaks to the confidence Gladstone has in those already on the roster.
Perhaps more than an outside addition, potentially the biggest catalyst behind the Jaguars taking another step forward this season will be the continuity of being the same offensive and defensive systems for a second offseason.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars rank near bottom of NFL in free agency spending this offseason
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire / Jaguars Wire
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By Paul Bretl, Jaguars Wire | USA TODAY Network
