The Jaguars anticipated that a number of players would be significant in 2023. While many of them met or exceeded expectations, these four fell short. To make matters worse, they received a good wage for their work.
DaVon Hamilton (52), a defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, practices before the regular season / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA
3. DaVon Hamilton, defensive end
defensive end When DaVon Hamilton signed a second deal with the Jaguars, he made headlines as the first player selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. He might be the only player to be re-signed, given the way things have gone this season.
In Week 6 of his first season, Hamilton—a third-round selection in the 2020 draft—joined the starting lineup and never looked back. He improved over time, and the Jags recognized that by awarding him a $34 million three-year contract in the offseason. The former Ohio State Buckeye was anticipated to make a significant contribution in the trenches coming into the 2023 campaign.
But Hamilton missed the first part of the season due to a non-football back issue he sustained during the preseason. In Week 8, he played his first game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After that, he dressed to play against the 49ers in San Francisco. In Weeks 11 and 12, he was a healthy scratch.
Head coach Doug Pederson gave the excuse that Hamilton was being kept off the field at the time: the team wanted him to recover both physically and mentally. Although the fourth-year defensive end hasn’t missed a game since returning against the Cincinnati Bengals, he hasn’t had the kind of impact Jacksonville was hoping for when they extended him.
The Jaguars haven’t seen much of a return on their investment thus far, but perhaps in 2024 Hamilton will return to full strength.
2. Zay Jone, wide receiver
The most crucial quality for an NFL player is availability. Even if you are incredibly talented, it won’t matter if you can’t go onto the football field. This is a fancy way of saying that, in 2023, wide receiver Zay Jones has not lived up to the hype. After being selected in the second round by the Buffalo Bills in 2017, he played for the Las Vegas Raiders for a few seasons before coming to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022.
Because Jones signed a top-market contract while having only once in his career accumulated more over 800 yards in a season, there were many questions at the time about his signing. A player’s value is determined by the amount a club is willing to pay him, but it appeared as though Christian Kirk and general manager Trent Baalke had been overpaid.
When Jones established himself as a vital component of the Jacksonville offense, all criticism was put to bed. The former East Carolina Pirate established new career records for receptions and catches in a season during his debut campaign in black and teal. He was supposed to play much better in 2023, but hamstring and knee problems have limited him.
He might not even reach 300 yards a year after hauling in 82 receptions for 823 yards and five scores. There is still one game left, and he is at 274. Regardless your perspective, that is a sharp decline in output.
Jones’ 2024 cap charge is estimated to be $11.01 million, but if the Jags break off their relationship with him, they may clear $4.4 million in cap space and save $6.569 million in dead money. Given his playing style, it is a possibility.
1. Brandon Scherff, right guard
With plenty of cap space, the Jaguars went into the 2022 offseason. They were among the most active clubs in free agency and did a superb job of utilizing those resources. While a considerable number of the players they have signed have gone on to make a significant impact, some have fallen short somewhat or significantly. One example is right guard Brandon Scherff.
a 2015 first-round draft selection. Over his seven years with the Washington Commanders, Scherff became as one of the league’s best guards. The former Iowa Hawkeye finally entered the free agent market in 2022 after receiving the franchise tag in back-to-back seasons. Jacksonville quickly offered him a three-year contract worth $49 million in free agency.
Though a little expensive, the Jags wanted to strengthen their defensive line, and Scherff was the ideal candidate with five Pro Bowl selections and one First-Team All-Pro pick. Sadly, they haven’t received enough value for their money. Scherff is not the same player he was with the Commanders, despite the fact that he has stayed healthy during his time in Duval.
Although Scherff hasn’t played poorly, he hasn’t played exceptionally well either, and the Jaguars have been paying him like a top player. Given that he has been named team captain twice, you could argue that they are paying a premium for his leadership, but that is just an added benefit. Actually, they wouldn’t have to spend as much money if they could get a younger player to produce on par.
For this reason, Brandon Scherff might be lost to cap space during the offseason. The top brass would save $9.09 million, but he will leave a huge dead money penalty of $14.8 million. That is more than plenty room to investigate the possibility.
