The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming up on a big decision in which they will have to release Marcell Dareus to free up a much-needed amount of $20 million in cap space. While that could eventually lead to him returning on a new deal, the team may feel getting younger might be the better option as the Jags are aging on the interior defensive line.
Luckily, if they are looking for youth, there will be options on the free agent market. Here are three defensive tackles for the Jags to consider if Dareus isn’t in their plans for 2020:
D.J. Reader, Houston Texans
If the Jags let Dareus hit the market, D.J. Reader would be a perfect replacement for many reasons. First and foremost, he’s solid against the run just like Dareus and registered a Pro Football Focus rating of 86.7, which is the highest of any free agent defensive tackle on the market.
Secondly, landing him would take away one of the best young defensive players (just 25 years old) from their AFC South rivals and one of Bill O’Brien’s favorite players. Heck, maybe even Leonard Fournette could benefit from snagging Reader as the running lanes could be easier to come by between the tackles.
Per PFF, Reader is projected to earn a four-year, $54 million contract and I’d assume he’d probably want half guaranteed ($27 million). That’s a deal the Jags might could swing if they give him a low cap hit in 2020, but we will ultimately have to see what they are working with in terms of salary cap in the coming weeks.
Javon Hargrave, Pittsburgh Steelers
He’s in the same tier as Reader as a run defender and registered a PFF grade of 83.4, but some would argue he’s a better pass rusher. Per PFF, Javon Hargrave also accumulated 49 total pressures, a top-10 figure amongst interior defenders.
While Hargrave is two years older than Reader (27), he has a better chance of hitting the market as the Steelers’ cap situation isn’t anywhere close to Houston’s. Per Over the Cap, they currently have about $1.5 million in space available, however, it’s unknown whether they can free up the amount of space that the Jags can.
In terms of a figure, I’d say Hargrave might want a contract similar to that Reader is projected to get.
Andrew Billings, Cincinnati Bengals
He’s a name many may not know about because he plays for the Bengals, but make no mistake about it, Andrew Billings is a run-stuffing machine in the trenches. While he’s limited to what he can do as a pass rusher, the Jags were so putrid against the run last year they definitely should show Billings some interest if he hits the open market.
At just 25 years of age, Billings is the type of young talent Dave Caldwell looks for in free agency just like Hargraves and Reader. He was able to accumulate 35 tackles last year but could’ve had more had he not been double-teamed so much. Then again, that’s exactly what the Jags lacked (a space-eater) when Dareus had season-ending core surgery.
Of all of the options mentioned in this article, Billings should be the most affordable. In guessing, a contract like Denico Autry received from the Indianapolis Colts in 2018 (three-years $17.8 million) might be one he’d be interested in and one the Jags could easily swing.
