March 3, 2026, 7:44 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
In addition to Jacksonville Jaguars’<\/a> GM James Gladstone looking for outside free agent additions to bolster his roster, he also has a number of decisions to make about his own free agents.<\/p>\n We’ve spent quite a bit of time in recent weeks discussing Jacksonville’s top free agents, Devin Lloyd<\/a> and Travis Etienne<\/a>. In a perfect world — without a salary cap — perhaps the Jaguars<\/a> find a way to re-sign both. However, that’s probably not reality either.<\/p>\n Both players will have strong markets, and the Jaguars have a fairly tight salary cap situation<\/a> at the moment.<\/p>\n But going beyond Lloyd and Etienne, the Jaguars have several other pending free agents. These four, in particular, Gladstone should prioritize re-signing.<\/p>\n CB Montaric Brown<\/p>\n Brown took a big step forward last season, showcasing his abilities to start on a weekly basis and perform at a high level while doing so. Brown allowed a completion rate of just\u00a054% on 68 targets<\/a>\u00a0and held opponents to just 10.4 yards per catch. He also came away with two interceptions and forced nine pass breakups.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n Spotrac contract projection: Three years, $27.68M<\/a><\/p>\n LB Dennis Gardeck<\/p>\n Listed as a linebacker, the majority of Gardeck’s snaps came as a pass rusher, although he saw opportunities at linebacker as well. Gardeck finished the season with 25 pressures, three sacks, and 35 total tackles.<\/p>\n He was also a core special teams contributor, playing 283 snaps across five of the six different phases. Gardeck is a player who, early on,\u00a0caught the attention<\/a>\u00a0of Liam Coen last season.<\/p>\n Spotrac contract projection: One year, $2.53M<\/a><\/p>\n DE Dawuane Smoot<\/p>\n Smoot provided Anthony Campanile with a versatile presence up front, lining up at defensive end and in the B-gap regularly and everywhere in between<\/p>\n Smoot finished the season recording 19 pressures and two sacks, while making 21 tackles in the run game,\u00a0according to PFF.<\/a> He was a regular rotational member of the defensive front, can fill a variety of roles, while depth at both defensive end and defensive tackle is needed this offseason.<\/p>\n