JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars might not be having the loudest offseason in the AFC South, but it certainly appears they are doing good business.
The Jaguars signed Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. as their first outside free agent addition on Wednesday, and his two-year deal makes it clear he will play some tangible role in Liam Coen's offense.
chris rodriguez jr
Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (36) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the second quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In addition to adding a talented player in Rodriguez, there is an extra benefit for the Jaguars with James Gladstone's latest signing.
Another Win
Since the Jaguars' deal for Rodriguez was relatively small at two years and $10 million, it appears that the signing will not impact the Jaguars' standingin compensatory draft picks for 2027 -- at least by projections, that is.
According to Nick Korte of Over the Cap, the deal is small enough that the Jaguars will still have their three projected draft picks from the departures of Devin Lloyd, Travis Etienne and Greg Newsome.
I am surprised the Commanders didn't tender Chris Rodriguez, given the $5M APY he just got from the Jaguars.
It's also a mindful signing by Jacksonville, as he won't cancel out any of their 2027 compensatory picks.
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) March 11, 2026
As long as this continues to hold for the rest of the offseason, the Jaguars will be set to have at least 10 picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, earning extra picks in the third, fourth and fifth rounds. The Jaguars already have 11 draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, so hitting double-digits again in 2027 would certainly be welcomed. And that is without even considering the possibility of the Jaguars adding future picks during the draft.
In short, the Jaguars are set to still be big winners from the offseason's departures even after adding a geniunely important player in free agency. That is how the best teams conduct buisness in the offseason, and it is hard to poke any holes in the Jaguars' free agency plan to this point.
chris rodriguez jr
Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (36) rushes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
The Jaguars still need to make moves to improve this offseason, but the only real hole that has opened for the Jaguars to this point of the offseason is at inside linebacker. The Jaguars have internal options to consider at linebacker in Ventrell Miller and Jack Kiser, but they still have free agency options or draft picks to use on the position if needed. The same can be said for the Jaguars' needs along the defensive line.
But as the Jaguars navigate these improvements, they are in a good spot. There was already plenty to like about the addition of Rodriguez, but this is one more cherry on top as the Jaguars progress forward.
chris rodriguez jr
Dec 29, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (36) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images