Jacksonville Jaguars Tight End Mercedes Lewis runs with the ball in their match against the Indianapolis Colts at Wembley Stadium, London on October 02, 2016.Jaguars won the match by 30-27. Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI. | License Photo

Jacksonville Jaguars breakdown: Free agency, draft shopping list


As they wade through free agency and prepare to evaluate draft prospects at the Indianapolis Scouting Combine (March 1-6), the Jacksonville Jaguars must decide which players to keep as they seek to improve upon their 3-13 record from last season.

The Sports Xchange and NFLDraftScout.com evaluated the Jaguars' roster and created a shopping list to use in free agency and to reference during the Combine.

The Jaguars were active in the week before the Combine, agreeing to trades involving tackle Branden Albert and tight end Julius Thomas. Both deals won't be official until the March 9 start of the league year, but Albert will arrive from Miami to be the left tackle after the Jaguars opted not to exercise the option in tackle Kelvin Beachum's contract. Thomas, who was making too much money for his lack of production and number of injuries, will head to the Dolphins.

The offseason will be spent trying to get quarterback Blake Bortles right as well as upgrading the pass rush.

THE BREAKDOWN

2016 finish: 4th in AFC south (3-13)

STATISTICS

TOTAL OFFENSE: 334.9 (23rd)

RUSHING: 101.9 (22nd)

PASSING: 233.0 (20th)

TOTAL DEFENSE: 321.7 (6th)

RUSHING: 106.4 (19th)

PASSING: 215.3 (5th)

NEEDS, SHOPPING LIST

&=Player released

TOP THREE NEEDS


DEFENSIVE END

The Jaguars need a pass rusher who will create havoc and can record double-digit sack totals. Jared Odrick, who was a starter, was released Feb. 20.

UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)

Jason Pierre-Paul, N.Y. Giants (28, $10M)

Calais Campbell, Arizona (DT; 31 in September, $11M)

Jabaal Sheard, New England (28 in May, $5.5M)

&Mario Williams, Miami (32, $8.5M)

Charles Johnson, Carolina (31 in July, $3M)

DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht., Wt., Proj. Rd.)

1/1 Myles Garrett, Texas AM, 6-4, 268, 1 (underclassman)

2/3 Solomon Thomas, Stanford, 6-2, 275, 1 (underclassman)

3/17 Derek Barnett, Tennessee, 6-3, 265, 1 (underclassman)

4/28 Taco Charlton, Michigan, 6-5, 272, 1

5/32 Charles Harris, Missouri, 6-3, 255, 4.74, 1-2 (underclassman)

GUARD

Injuries forced the Jaguars to start five players at left guard, all without success. Starter Luke Joeckel is likely to depart to play tackle elsewhere.

UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)

Kevin Zeitler, Cincinnati (27 in March, $1.89M)

T.J. Lang, Green Bay (30 in September, $5.2M)

Ronald Leary, Dallas (28 in April, $2.55M)

Chris Chester, Atlanta (34, $2.35M)

Chance Warmack, Tennessee (26 in September, $3.04M)

DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht., Wt., 40 time, Proj. Rd.)


1/33 Dan Feeney, Indiana, 6-4, 304, 5.09, 1-2

2/35 Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky, 6-4, 305, 5.12, 1-2

3/46 Dorian Johnson, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 300, 5.20, 2

4/49 Dion Dawkins, Temple, 6-4, 317, 5.27, 2

5/85 Nico Siragusa, San Diego State, 6-4, 326, 5.37, 3

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER

Myles Jack is likely to replace Paul Posluszny at middle linebacker this year or next, creating a need for linebacker help at the outside spots and for more depth.

UFA TARGETS (Age, previous contract's average annual salary)

Chandler Jones, Arizona (27, $2.04M)

Nick Perry, Green Bay (27 in April, $5.05M)

Melvin Ingram, L.A. Chargers (28 in April, $2.1M)

DeMarcus Ware, Denver (35 in July, $10M)

Julius Peppers, Green Bay (37, $8.67M)

DRAFT TARGETS (Rating pos/overall, Player, School, Ht., Wt., 40 time, Proj. Rd.)

1/18 Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt, 6-3, 230, 4.74, 1 (underclassman)

2/26 Takkarist McKinley, UCLA, 6-2, 258, 4.58, 1

3/27 Tim Williams, Alabama, 6-3, 252, 4.76, 1

4/31 Haason Reddick, Temple, 6-1, 237, 4.54, 1-2

5/48 T.J. Watt, Wisconsin, 6-4, 243, 4.76, 2 (underclassman)

UFA KEEPERS

CB Prince Amukamara (28 in June, $5.5M)

S Johnathan Cyprien (27 in July, $1.367M)

T/G Luke Joeckel (26 in November, $5.3M))

ROSTER REVIEW

MAJOR COACHING CHANGES

--Head coach Doug Marrone.

DEPTH CHART

Starters and backups are listed according to their status at the end of the season, but players who were starters before being injured are included.


* Indicates player who ended 2016 season on reserve.

& Indicates player released since the Super Bowl.

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Blake Bortles. Backups -- Chad Henne, Brandon Allen.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Chris Ivory. Backups -- *T.J. Yeldon, Denard Robinson (UFA), Corey Grant, Bronson Hill, Joe Banyard (UFA), Daryl Richardson.

TIGHT ENDS: Starters -- *Julius Thomas (expected to be traded), *Marcedes Lewis. Backups -- Neal Sterling, Ben Koyack, Alex Ellis.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns. Backups -- Marqise Lee, Bryan Walters (UFA), Arrelious Benn, *Rashad Greene, Shane Wynn, Tony Washington.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT Kelvin Beachum (option not expected to be exercised), *LG Luke Joeckel (UFA), C Brandon Linder, RG A.J. Cann, RT Jermey Parnell. Backups -- OT Josh Wells, *LG Chris Reed, LG Tyler Shatley, *LG Jeremiah Poutasi, *LG Patrick Omameh (UFA), G/C Luke Bowanko.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- *&LDE Jared Odrick, LT Malik Jackson, *RT Roy Miller, RDE Yannick Ngakoue. Backups -- DE Dante Fowler, DE Tyson Alualu (UFA), *DE Jonathan Woodard, *DE Chris Smith, DT Sen'Derrick Marks, DT Sheldon Day, *DT Michael Bennett, DT Abry Jones, DT Jordan Hill (UFA).

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- WLB Myles Jack, MLB Paul Posluszny, SLB Telvin Smith. Backups -- WLB Dan Skuta, LB Sean Porter, MLB Hayes Pullard, LB Marcus Rush.


DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Prince Amukamara (UFA), RCB Jalen Ramsey, SS Johnathan Cyprien (UFA), FS Tashaun Gipson. Backups -- CB Davon House, *CB Aaron Colvin, RCB Josh Johnson, LCB Akeem Davis, FS Peyton Thompson, SS Jarrod Wilson, *S James Sample.

SPECIAL TEAMS: P Brad Nortman, K Jason Myers, LS Carson Tinker.