The defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars is tightening up. One of the key pillars of the defense will remain in Jacksonville after the team inked Erik Armstead to a big contract.
Over the past few seasons, one of the Jags’ most reliable defenders has been linebacker Foyesade Oluokun. He’s now getting paid for his efforts.
According to Adam Schefter, Foyesade Oluokun will sign a contract extension with the Jaguars. The linebacker, who is among the finest tacklers in the game, will receive a $45 million contract with $22.5 million guaranteed. That is really quite strong!
“Jaguars are signing LB Foye Oluokun to a three-year contract extension, per his agent @ajv.”
“The extension for Jacksonville linebacker Foye Oluokon will be a four-year, $45 million contract, with a maximum value of up to $48 million, and $22.5 guaranteed at signing.”
Oluokun is a name that fantasy football players may be familiar with because he is perhaps one of the most valuable defenders in IDP systems. There’s a cause behind that: The Jaguars linebacker has been one of the league’s most reliable tacklers since his rise in 2021.
Given that interceptions and sacks are the “flashier” metrics, it’s something of an underappreciated skill. But the deadliest adversary of a defense is a lousy tackler. A player like Foye in the middle provides the club with a great deal of stability.
Jaguars’ offseason spending spree
The Jaguars are hoping for a successful 2024 campaign following a dismal 2023 campaign. Jacksonville had tremendous expectations following their 2022 run to the second round. The club was vying for the top seed in the middle of the season, and it got off to a great start.
But the Jacksonville Jaguars missed the playoffs completely as a result of a terrible collapse at the end of the season and the success of the Houston Texans. Their defense’s inability to stop anything and injuries contributed to a difficult season finale.
Jacksonville tried to solve the problem the only way they knew how, which was to spend a lot of money. Arik Armstead, a former defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers, is their greatest acquisition this season. One of the better edge rushers in his heyday, Armstead will provide grit to a Jaguars line that occasionally lacked it. In addition, they signed Darnell Savage, a former safety for the Green Bay Packers, to take Rayshawn Jenkins’ spot.
The objective is very clear: the mistakes made in the 2023 season must never be repeated. The Jaguars intend to qualify for the playoffs, or else they will spend all of their money trying.
Jags’ outlook for 2024
In the end, the defense is not the only factor contributing to the Jaguars’ issues in 2023. Last year, their attack was widely regarded as one of the best units in the league. But all year long, they struggled with severe inconsistency problems. The inconsistent performance of Calvin Ridley is somewhat to blame.
The Jaguars are returning to their system from a few years ago now that Ridley is not there. There won’t be a single real wide receiver; rather, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, Evan Engram, and recently added Gabe Davis will form a WR by committee. Mitch Morse and Ezra Cleveland were two additional offensive lineman they signed.
In 2024, Jacksonville will have their hands full. As of right now, the Texans lead the conference. The Titans are a possible dark horse, and the Indianapolis Colts are also improving.
