After being pushed around the line of scrimmage last year, beefing up the offensive line is a priority for the Jacksonville Jaguars this offseason. They could wait until the draft to get reinforcements, but Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus thinks they should check off a massive box in free agency.
Locker wrote a list of one free-agent match for all 32 NFL teams and has offensive guard Will Fries going to the Jags, arguing that signing him would allow head coach Liam Coen to establish an identity in the running game.
Similarly, Locker thinks Fries would be the best option to replace rigth guard Brandon Scherff, who's slated to hit the open market. Here's the skinny.
"Coen’s run game was extraordinarily diverse during his lone year in Tampa, and the Buccaneers racked up the 12th-most rushing plays of any team. In turn, acquiring a guard with run-blocking upside is important. Fries’ 84.9 PFF run-blocking grade slotted sixth among guards with 100 or more snaps last year, and his 74.9 PFF pass-blocking grade placed 14th."
A seventh-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, Fries joined the starting lineup in 2022. Unfortunately, he suffered a tibia injury in 2024 that cut his season short. The former Penn State Nittany Lion has appeared in 41 games with 31 starts and has given up just seven total sacks. Before he went down last year, he posted a whopping Pro Football Focus run grade of 86.9.
While Fries is coming off a serious injury, it doesn't look like it will affect his stock in free agency. He himself says that he doesn't want to pick up where he left off before the fracture but wants to be even better.
Spotrac estimates Fries' market evaluation at $14.1 million per year. The amount could be a bit higher when you take into account that this overall isn't a great free-agent class.
Should the Jaguars sign Will Fries in free agency?
As noted before, this year's free-agent class lacks star power. Fortunately for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the positions they need to bolster are stacked with options. For instance, they'll have their wide array of choices at right guard even though Trey Smith got the franchise tag.
Aside from Will Fries, Mekhi Becton gives the Jaguars another option at the position. By signing either one, they could beef up the rest of the offensive line in the draft. Then again, they'll have around $60 million in space, so they could easily add a right guard and find a replacement for center Mitch Morse, who announced his retirement ahead of free agency.
Drew Dalman will be the best center available in the open market. The Jags would check off a massive box if they signed him and a right guard. Then again, a more realistic scenario would be to sign a guard, let's stay Fries, and bolster the defense in free agency. The Jags could then add a center in the draft. Heck, they could wait until the draft to take care of the interior offensive line given how deep this year's crop is.
In the end, it will come down to who the Jacksonville Jaguars like the most in free agency. Will Fries would most definitely be an intriguing choice at right guard, but it wouldn't be shocking to see them address different needs.
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