2024 Jaguars free agency tracker

Welcome to the American football version of March Madness.

The Jaguars spent minimally in free agency last offseason but they’re expected to be bigger shoppers this time around.

Here’s a quick look at every player Jacksonville has signed or re-signed in 2024 free agency, with the most recent moves listed at the top.

TE Josiah Deguara

New contract: not yet announced

Background: Deguara was drafted by the Packers in the third round (94th overall) in 2020 out of Cincinnati. His rookie season was cut short by an ACL tear, but Deguara caught two touchdowns in 2021 as a backup behind Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis. He eventually turned into a key special teams contributor, and even played 51 snaps at fullback last season. Perhaps Deguara can find a role in Jacksonville’s jumbo packages, though the team is more incentivized to deploy highly-paid Evan Engram and highly-drafted Brenton Strange.

Grade: C+

OLB Trevis Gipson

New contract: 1 year, $1.3 million with $42,500 guaranteed

Background: Gipson was drafted by the Bears in the fifth round (155th overall) in 2020 out of Tulsa. He played minimally as a rookie but broke out with 39 combined tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles in 2021. Gipson started about half of Chicago’s games again in his third season but was ultimately removed from the rotation. He was waived in August 2023 and signed with the Titans, though he only registered 6 tackles and 1 sack on 76 defensive snaps last year. Now, Gipson will help replace K’Lavon Chaisson (who signed with the Panthers last week) as necessary depth in Jacksonville’s pass rush unit.

Grade: B

K Joey Slye

New contract: 1 year, $1.3 million with $25,000 guaranteed

Background: Slye was undrafted in 2018 out of Virginia Tech, where he made 78 of 108 field goal attempts (72.2%). He went unsigned in 2018, but after a brief stint with the Giants in May 2019, Slye joined the Panthers for the next two seasons. He was released ahead of the 2021 season after Carolina traded for Ryan Santoso, and spent some time with the Texans and 49ers before signing with the Commanders in November. He connected on 56 of 66 kicks (84.8%) in Washington and set the franchise’s record with a 61-yarder in Week 8 of the 2023 season. Slye is expected to compete with Riley Patterson, and perhaps a rookie, for Jacksonville’s starting job in 2024.

Grade: C+

DT Arik Armstead

New contract: 3 years, $51 million ($17 million per year) with $28 million guaranteed

Background: Armstead was drafted by current Jaguars and former 49ers general manager Trent Baalke in the first round (17th overall) in 2015 out of Oregon. He played in 116 of a possible 147 regular season games with 97 starts; 13 of those missed games came in the last two seasons due to a plantar fasciitis (2022) and a knee meniscus injury (2023). The latter has forced Armstead to have offseason surgery, though he’s expected to be ready by 2024 training camp. The Sacramento native may not have any Pro Bowls on his resume — but Armstead has been a consistent pocket-pusher for the Niners throughout his nine-year career, helping lead San Francisco to multiple recent Super Bowl appearances. He’s tied with Nick Bosa for the most sacks of any player across the past three postseasons (6). Armstead also finished top-12 in PFF pass rush grade, pass rush win rate, and total pressures among 128 defensive linemen last year. This move is reminiscent of Calais Campbell signing with Jacksonville in 2017.

Grade: A

LB Caleb Johnson

New contract: not yet announced

Background: Johnson became the first player from Houston Baptist to sign an NFL contract when he joined the Bears as an undrafteed free agent in 2021. He played 5 defensive snaps as a rookie, and recorded 7 combined tackles and a fumble recovery on 239 special teams snaps. Johnson was waived after one season but was claimed by Jacksonville, where he spent the next two seasons racking up 21 total tackles on special teams. He rounds out the Jaguars’ linebacker room behind Foye Oluokun, Devin Lloyd, Chad Muma, and Ventrell Miller.

Grade: B-

RB D’Ernest Johnson

New contract: not yet announced

Background: Johnson was undrafted in 2018 out of USF despite setting the school’s record for career all-purpose yards (4,186). He spent a year fishing for mahi mahi in Key West before signing with the Orlando Apollos of the AAF in 2019. The minor football league ceased operations after its inaugural season, but Johnson found a home in Cleveland when he made the 53-man roster after an impressive training camp. He spent four years with the Browns, appearing in 64 of a possible 66 regular season games with two starts at running back, and played at least a third of the team’s special teams snaps each season. Johnson signed with the Jaguars in 2023 and rushed 41 times for 108 yards while continuing to be a key special teams contributor. He and 2023 third-round pick Tank Bigsby will compete once again for backfield snaps behind Travis Etienne.

Initial grade: B

CB Ronald Darby

New contract: 2 years, $8.5 million ($4.25 million per year) with $5.5 million guaranteed

Background: Darby was drafted by the Bills in the second round (50th overall) in 2015 out of Florida State. Prior to his third season, Darby was traded to Philadelphia, where he promptly won a Super Bowl with Doug Pederson. Darby spent three years with the Eagles, then one with the Football Team, two with the Broncos, and one with the Ravens. He has played in 105 of a possible 147 regular season games with 95 starts in his nine-year career. Darby fared well in press-man coverage metrics for Baltimore last season, making him a strong fit in Ryan Nielsen’s scheme, and he should slot in nicely between Tyson Campbell and a top-50 rookie on Jacksonville’s depth chart.

Initial grade: A

WR/RS Devin Duvernay

New contract: 2 years, $8.5 million ($4.25 million per year) with $5.7 million guaranteed

Background: Duvernay was drafted by the Ravens in the third round (92nd overall) in 2020 out of Texas. He played in 59 of a possible 67 regular season games with 24 starts at wide receiver, including 13 straight in 2022. Duvernay has been Baltimore’s lead return man on kicks his whole career, and on punts since his second season. He earned first-team All-Pro recognition after leading the league with 13.8 yards per punt return in 2021. Duvernay also earned Pro Bowl nods in 2021 and 2022, and he’s the only player in Ravens history with a kickoff return touchdown, receiving touchdown and rushing touchdown. Now he is expected to replace Jamal Agnew as the Jaguars’ primary returner and backup reciever.

Initial grade: A-

S Darnell Savage

New contract: 3 years, $21.75 million ($7.25 million per year) with $12.5 million guaranteed

Background: Savage was drafted by the Packers in the first round (21st overall) in 2019 out of Maryland. He appeared in 72 of a possible 83 regular season games with 69 starts across five seasons. Savage had his best season as a pro in 2020, when he registered 75 combined tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 12 pass deflections, and 4 interceptions. He never grew into the star player he was once billed as, though — he was benched for former Jaguars safety Rudy Ford in Green Bay. Now Savage will have a chance to revive his career in Jacksonville behind expecting safety starters Andre Cisco and Antonio Johnson.

Initial grade: C

WR Gabe Davis

New contract: 3 years, $39 million ($13 million per year) with $24 million guaranteed

Background: After being born in Fernandina Beach and growing up in central Florida, Davis was drafted by the Bills in the fourth round (128th overall) in 2020 out of UCF. He has played in 64 of a possible 67 regular season games with 47 starts. Davis has accrued at least 500 yards and 6 touchdowns in each season of his career, and he set an NFL postseason record with 4 touchdowns receptions against the Chiefs in the 2021 Divisional Round. Since entering the league, Davis ranks 34th in receiving yards (2,730) and 3rd in yards per target (16.7) among 132 receivers with 100-plus targets in that span. He’ll be reunited with his former position coach in Buffalo, Chad Hall, and may be the best pure deep threat of Trevor Lawrence’s pro career.

Initial grade: B-

OL Blake Hance

New contract: not yet announced

Background: Hance was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2019 out of Northwestern. He had stopgaps on practice squads in Washington, Jacksonville, New York (Jets), Cleveland, and San Francisco before returning to the Jaguars in 2022. He has played in 26 games over the past two seasons with one start. In that span, he’s gotten reps at left tackle, left guard, right guard, right tackle, and jumbo tight end. Hance is expected to be the team’s fourth tackle option in 2024 behind Cam Robinson, Anton Harrison and Walker Little.

Initial grade: C

C Mitch Morse

New contract: 2 years, $10.5 million ($5.25 million per year) with $7 million guaranteed

Background: Morse was drafted by the Chiefs in the second round (49th overall) in 2015 out of Missouri — Doug Pederson was Kansas City’s offensive coordinator at the time. Morse played in 49 of a possible 64 regular season games with 49 starts during his rookie contract in K.C., then became the league’s highest-paid center when he signed with Buffalo, where he played in 77 of a possible 83 regular season games with 77 starts. Morse was a Bills team captain and 2022 Pro Bowler. The soon-to-be 32-year-old still has the movement skills that Pederson covets in his system and he should win a training camp competition over Luke Fortner.

Initial grade: A-

QB Mac Jones

New contract: 1 year, $2.8 million with fifth-year rookie option available

Background: After being born and raised in Jacksonville, Jones was drafted by the Patriots in the first round (15th overall) in 2021 out of Alabama. He has played in 42 of a possible 51 games with 52 starts. Jones previously finished second in Offensive Player of the Year voting, but over the last two seasons, he ranks 32nd in yards per attempt and passer rating (among 39 quarterbacks with 500-plus attempts in that span). Jacksonville acquired the former Bolles quarterback for its 2024 sixth-round selection; Jones is expected to replace C.J. Beathard as Trevor Lawerence’s backup.

Initial grade: C

DL Jeremiah Ledbetter

New contract: not yet announced

Background: Ledbetter was drafted by the Lions in the sixth round (205th overall) in 2017 out of Arkansas. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie but saw just 5 games of action in the next five years as he bounced around practice squads. 2023 was Ledbetter’s second season in Jacksonville; he played at least 10 snaps in every game, earned his first two career starts, and registered a career-high 24 combined tackles.

Initial grade: C

G Brandon Scherff

New contract: not yet announced

Background: Scherff was drafted by the Commanders in the first round (5th overall) in 2015 out of Iowa. He has played in 123 of a possible 147 regular season games with 123 starts in nine seasons. Scherff earned five Pro Bowl nods and 2020 first-team All-Pro honors in Washington before joining the Jaguars in 2021. In the past two seasons, Scherff has played in every game and allowed a total of 8 sacks and 46 pressures.

Initial grade: B-

G Ezra Cleveland

New contract: 3 years, $24 million ($8 million per year) with $14.25 guaranteed

Background: Cleveland was drafted by the Vikings in the second round (58th overall) in 2020 out of Boise St. He has played in 62 of a possible 67 regular season games with 55 starts in four seasons. Cleveland was traded to the Jaguars on Oct. 31, 2023, and allowed 2 sacks and 18 pressures across seven games in Jacksonville. He dealt with various injuries last year, but the 25-year-old Cleveland should benefit from a full offseason with the Jaguars and his former OL coach Phil Rauscher.

Initial grade: B-

S Daniel Thomas

New contract: not yet announced

Background: Thomas was drafted by the Jaguars in the fifth round (157th overall) in 2020 out of Auburn. He started four games at safety early in his career but has developed into a core special teams player. Thomas excels as a gunner and ranked second on the team with 7 special teams tackles last year.

Initial grade: B+