The Jacksonville Jaguars are stacking up weapons for their young franchise quarterback, Trevor Lawrence. The Jags' latest move is a 3-year, $41.25 million extension for tight end Evan Engram. Jacksonville general manager Trent Baalke previously placed the Jaguars' franchise tag on Engram, and the two sides had until Monday to reach an agreement on a contract extension.
Is this a good move for the Jaguars, or will they come to regret it?
Evan Engram extension grade: A-
Engram is 28 years old, and he's been fairly healthy in his career. He's coming off the most productive season of his career and has proved to be a reliable target for Trevor Lawrence. Engram is effectively in the prime of his career, and $24 million in guaranteed money is an acceptable number for Jacksonville to eat in the event that he doesn't pan out.
The timing and length of this contract is well-aligned, particularly given the trajectory of Lawrence's career, the very winnable state of the AFC South, and the Jaguars' emergence as a contending playoff team.
Engram is 6-3, 240 lbs with strong hands and plus athleticism. He's also a better blocker than most tight ends with his level of production.
Engram caught 73 passes for 766 yards (both career highs) and four touchdowns in 2023. While that's only 45 yards per game, Engram didn't receive a huge share of targets in his first season in Jacksonville. Engram also showed out in the Jaguars playoff win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He caught seven passes for 93 yards and a touchdown to cap off a strong late-season push.
In terms of production, a potential $41 million does feel like a lot of money for a player who has never eclipsed 800 yards in a season. However, not every tight end is putting up Travis Kelce numbers. Engram's receptions and yards both still ranked in the top four at his position. Also, keep in mind that we're talking about a tight end here, not a first-option receiver.
Speaking of first-option receivers, Jacksonville is also getting its first taste of Calvin Ridley in a Jags uniform.
Some forget how good Calvin Ridley is and also the fact that Jacksonville traded for him a year ago. Ridley sat out all of last year on a suspension for gambling, but he's still just 28. His last full season, Ridley played 15 games and put up 1375 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Christian Kirk was the Jaguars leading receiver in 2022, with team-highs in targets (133), receptions (84), receiving yards (1108), and receiving touchdowns (8). With Ridley joining the fold, Kirk's role is likely to decrease. Still, that's very solid production from the guy who projects to be Jacksonville's second-option. A trio of Ridley, Kirk and Evan Engram creates a really strong foundation for Trevor Lawrence to work with.
Jacksonville already won a playoff game last year, and they're only getting better. The defense needs to improve, which they probably could have addressed more urgently in the draft. However, they opted to draft a tackle in the first round to protect their most valuable asset in Lawrence.
The AFC South is among the weakest divisions in football, and the Jaguars are building to be the perennial divisional champs. The AFC as a whole is totally stacked and brutal to compete in. However, Lawrence is quickly becoming what he is supposed to be: one of the best quarterbacks in football.
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