Jacksonville has already made one move in the secondary this offseason, as the team announced on Friday that it would be re-signing restricted free agent cornerback Tre Herndon to an unspecified deal. Herndon, who is heading into his fourth year in the league, was on an expiring contract, but now the Jaguars will be keeping him around for a little bit longer.
Herndon initially signed a three-year, $1.71 million deal as an undrafted free agent out of Vanderbilt in 2018. He was the only undrafted free agent to make the final 53-man roster for the Jaguars that year, and he appeared in 11 games as a rookie, though his action was limited, and he totaled just 13 tackles.
After the Jags traded Jalen Ramsey in 2019, Herndon became the starter. He started 14 games in his second year and appeared in all 16, totaling 55 tackles and career highs in passes defended (13) and interceptions (three). He saw a starting role in 12 games in 2020, though he appeared in all 16 once again. Herndon finished with 76 tackles and four tackles for loss (both career-highs) in addition to notching his first career sack, though he didn’t have any interceptions.
Brining Herndon back doesn’t mean the Jaguars won’t be active in upgrading the secondary. Though we don’t know the terms of the deal, it likely isn’t a large commitment from Jacksonville. But he’s an experienced player, appearing in every game for the last two seasons with 26 starts, and he could provide very useful depth in 2021.
