The Jaguars and new head coach Doug Pederson made plenty of moves on Monday.
Jacksonville agreed to deals to bring in Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Christian Kirk, longtime Washington Commanders guard Brandon Scherff, Atlanta Falcons star linebacker Foye Oluokun and New York Jets defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi.
Kirk had a career-high 982 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season in Arizona, who first took him with the No. 47 overall pick in 2018. It’s unclear what his deal looks like with Jacksonville, but it’s reportedly “large.”
Kirk will undoubtedly bolster a position where the Jaguars struggled last season and will provide former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence with a very solid target each week after his rough rookie season.
Though it’s unclear what the deal looks like, Scherff agreed to a deal with the Jaguars on Monday too, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Scherff will likely replace Andrew Norwell on their line, who has left in free agency.
Scherff has spent the last seven seasons with Washington, who drafted him with the No. 5 overall pick in 2015 out of Iowa. The five-time Pro Bowler hasn’t played a full season since 2016, but he’s undoubtedly become one of the best offensive lineman in the league. Scherff has missed 22 total games over the last four season — including six last year both due to COVID-19 and a left knee injury.
Washington used its franchise tag on Scherff the last two seasons while the two sides repeatedly failed to reach a long-term deal.
The team used the franchise tag on Cam Robinson last week, which will guarantee him $16.6 million in 2022 and provide even more protection for Lawrence.
Oluokun should provide a huge boost to Jacksonville’s defense, too. The 26-year-old had a league-best 192 combined tackles last season with the Falcons, his fourth season in the league. The former Yale player agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal with Jacksonville, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Fatukasi had a career-high 46 total tackles last season with the Jets, his fourth season in the league. He’s reportedly reached a three-year, $30 million deal with the Jaguars, according to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Though it’s still unclear how the Jaguars will use the No. 1 overall draft pick next month, they certainly filled plenty of needs in free agency on Monday.
