Jaguars: PFF thinks Arden Key will go to the Houston Texans in free agency
The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to lose some players in free agency as does every team, but one national media site has a key player heading to a division rival
The Jacksonville Jaguars are bound to lose some players in free agency, as is every team. No team keeps every single player from the year before. But, at the same time, you hate to see key players go.
In the Jaguars' case, they are currently $18 million over the cap, per Spotrac.com. Some players, and good ones, will have to play elsewhere, as much as that sucks. Arden Key, who was a key player in 2022, pun intended, could be one of those guys.
Pro Football Focus is predicting Key will head to the Houston Texans for the 2023 season.
Key was a solid pickup for the Jags this past year, totaling 44 pressures and 4.5 sacks in the regular season. However, he had one of the best years of his career with the 49ers in 2021 under now-Texans head coach Demeco Ryans where he recorded 36 pressures and 6.5 sacks while finishing with the highest pass-rushing grade of his career at 79.4. The Texans were able to get some great production out of Jerry Hughes this year, but they could really use an upgrade outside of him. Key would give the Texans a cheap and solid pass-rusher who’s played in Ryan’s scheme before.
Key finished the 2022 season with a PFF grade of 81.3, and a pass rush grade of 73.5, as he finished with 4.5 sacks on the year in just 323 pass rush snaps. But, the impressive number is the 44 pressures he had in just 41% of Jacksonville's total defensive snaps.
When you factor in the playing time, Key was a pretty good player and will be looking to make a little bit of money this summer. But, the Houston Texans would feel like a gut punch. Then the Jaguars and their offensive line would have to block him two games a year.
You can read the rest of the PFF article here.
Featured Image Via Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK
