Each day this week I'll provide an answer to a key question facing the Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Most of the talk about free agency and the Jacksonville Jaguars is about which players from other teams that general manager David Caldwell and coach Gus Bradley will target. Demaryius Thomas? Randall Cobb? Julius Thomas? Devin McCourty?
However, the Jaguars have some decisions to make regarding the following players that will become unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire in March: Receiver Cecil Shorts III, linebackers J.T. Thomas and Geno Hayes, defensive end Tyson Alualu, and cornerback Alan Ball.
How much interest do Caldwell and Bradley have in either working out an extension or re-signing those players? Here’s a breakdown:
DE Tyson Alualu: Caldwell was up front about wanting Alualu back and Alualu said late in the season that he would like to be back. He has not made the kind of impact you’d expect from a top 10 draft pick (the Jaguars took him 10th in 2010) but has played well behind Red Bryant as the edge-setting end opposite the leo in his two seasons in Bradley’s defense (74 tackles and three sacks).
CB Alan Ball: He is one of Caldwell’s best free-agent signings. He was the Jaguars’ best cornerback in 2013 (team-high 14 pass breakups to go along with two interceptions) and played well this season until going on injured reserve because of a biceps injury. However, the emergence of Demetrius McCray, a seventh-round pick in 2013, and Aaron Colvin, the team’s fourth-round pick in 2014, has made him expendable. Plus, he’ll turn 30 on March 29. It’s unlikely the team will try to re-sign him.
LB Geno Hayes: He has been a solid player in his two seasons in Jacksonville (129 tackles, three sacks) but a problem in 2014 was his lack of impact plays. He broke up four passes, intercepted two more, and forced a fumble in 2013 despite playing with a knee injury for much of the season, but this past season he didn’t break up a pass and forced just one fumble. He did have nine tackles for loss and played multiple spots, so his versatility is an asset. The Jaguars need speed and playmakers at linebacker and it’s unlikely that Hayes returns.
WR Cecil Shorts III: Caldwell offered a clue about the Jaguars’ interest in re-signing Shorts. When asked if he wanted to re-sign Alualu, Caldwell responded with a direct answer. When asked about Shorts, this was his response: “That’s something we have to address with our coaching staff, too. All of our agents and all of our guys that we haven’t re-signed yet, we are going to spend the next three weeks looking at our roster and looking at who fits, who doesn’t fit, what are needs are, and we’ll see.” Sounds like a goodbye, doesn’t it? You can’t blame Caldwell if it is because Shorts had a disappointing season (53 catches for 557 yards and one touchdown) despite being the only receiver with more than 32 career catches entering the season. Those stats were his lowest since he caught just two passes as a rookie in 2011.
LB J.T. Thomas: He is an intriguing player because of his versatility. He played all three linebacker spots in 2014 and capably filled in for Paul Posluszny in the middle over the final nine games. He’s not Telvin Smith-fast but he’s athletic, runs well and could find a home at the otto linebacker spot. The Jaguars want him back and he wants to be back so it’d be a surprise if he weren’t.