The Jacksonville Jaguars are set to make Malik Jackson one of the highest paid defenders in the NFL. With the active free agency period beginning on Wednesday, the Jaguars are expected to acquire one of the biggest free agents on the market, Malik Jackson.
The talented defensive end got a starting job in 2015 and proved that he was one of the best defensive linemen on the Broncos' roster. Jackson started in all 16 games during the 2015 NFL season and recorded 45 combined tackles, 5 sacks and 7 pass defenses, so Jackson has been very productive at multiple areas in the Broncos' defensive front.
The special thing about Jackson is that he has recorded sacks from every position along the defensive line. He also recorded 45 quarterback hurries in 2015 compared to DeMarcus Ware who only had 27. This ability makes him highly versatile, not to mention he is tied for the second most batted passes in the NFL.
This would not be the first time the Jaguars signed a former Denver Bronco, as in 2013 they signed offensive lineman Zane Beadles, and in 2014 they signed tight end Julius Thomas after the Broncos failed to retain either player. Jackson did say that he would consider taking less money if the whole team was kept together, however that should not be the case.
Jackson also is one of the priciest free agents on the market, which means it could take a lot of money to even come close to re-signing him. His contract could be upwards of $85 million in total and could give him $13-$15 million a season. The Jaguars currently have more than $80 million in cap space and can easily afford to give Jackson all the money he desires but also have enough left over to make additional moves in free agency.
The Jaguars need to be aggressive about acquiring talent in order to take advantage of a soft division. With the Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans all looking to fix some glaring holes on their rosters, the Jaguars could sneakily become the best team coming out of the AFC South.
