PFF names the Jaguars' biggest loss so far in the 2023 offseason
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't had the offseason that they maybe thought they would, especially when you consider what they were doing a year ago around this time. They have made little to no moves, and the moves they have made have been re-signing players. In fact, they have lost bigger pieces than they have signed. […]
The Jacksonville Jaguars haven't had the offseason that they maybe thought they would, especially when you consider what they were doing a year ago around this time. They have made little to no moves, and the moves they have made have been re-signing players.
In fact, they have lost bigger pieces than they have signed.
They let Jawaan Taylor walk and sign a huge deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, which means they obviously trust Walker Little. That loss was huge, but it wasn't their biggest one.
Losing Arden Key, who was one of their top five best defenders in 2022, was huge. Pro Football Focus seems to think it was their biggest loss of the 2023 offseason so far.
Key had a career year playing on a one-year, $4 million flier, with his 81.3 overall grade his top mark for a season by more than 10 grading points. Over the past two seasons, Key recorded 80 quarterback pressures on 546 pass-rush reps, with the 14.6% pressure rate good for 17th among edge defenders over the span. Key generated at least three quarterback pressures in each of Jacksonville’s final five regular-season games and both playoff games, repeatedly stepping up big when it was do-or-die time. He made it very clear he wanted to be back in Duval County and felt disrespected by Jacksonville’s offer, so his two matchups a year against the team as a member of the division-rival Tennessee Titans will be fun to watch.
Key actually said he felt disrespected by the Jaguars when he did his introductory press conference for the Tennessee Titans. He felt that with everything he has done for Jacksonville, being there for only one year, that he deserved more respect in the free agency process between the two sides.
For some reason, whether it be the two sides couldn't come to an agreement, or the Jaguars just didn't want him back, Key is now going to be playing the Jaguars twice a year for their biggest rival.
This loss is huge for a few different reasons. The main and obvious one is that now the Jaguars don't have a versatile guy on the defensive line. Key was a guy who played snaps at every position on the defensive line, just some more than others. He played 268 snaps outside as an edge rusher, eight snaps as the nose tackle, 87 snaps lined up over an offensive tackle, and 86 snaps as a defensive tackle. He lined up everywhere, even if most of or almost all his production came from the edge.
He is still very versatile, and the Jaguars will be missing that. But the other reason this is a big loss is that it makes the Jaguars look bad in terms of other free agents who may be interested in playing in Jacksonville.
Key's comments definitely don't help, and seeing that the Jaguars just let him walk definitely doesn't help either. This was by far the biggest loss, but also because of the way the Jaguars handled it.
You can read the rest of the PFF article here.
