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Should the Jaguars Extend Antonio Johnson?! · Duval Daily: A Jacksonville Jaguars Podcast

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jacksonville Jaguar fans, welcome into Duval, daily presented by Jinjak.com.
• 0:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Jordan Aluga, thanks so much for being here Tuesday, April 7th.
• 0:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: Right now, we're talking about a player for the Jaguars, drafted by the previous regime.
• 0:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Antonio Johnson is a versatile defensive back safety for the Jaguars who is coming off an incredible season in which he was tied for the F.C.
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: lead in interceptions.
• 0:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: five interceptions last year for Antonio Johnson, and he's going into in 2026, the final year of his rookie contract.
• 0:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hard to believe, isn't it?
• 0:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he's already been in the NFL three years, so drafted in 2023, somehow, and I'm still baffled by it.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: He fell to pick 162, all the way into the fifth round.
• 0:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Closer to the bottom of the fifth round.
• 0:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: So,
• 1:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Based on his college tape, his athleticism, his testing, I just don't know how that happened.
• 1:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he was a young, it's not like he was an older prospect.
• 1:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was young prospect.
• 1:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's still only 24.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: He doesn't turn 25 until late October.
• 1:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I still do not know why Antonio Johnson fell to round five.
• 1:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I can't wrap my brain around it.
• 1:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: but the Jack Wars, similarly to how Parker Washington and the same draft fell even further, got a steel.
• 1:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely got a steel in Antonio Johnson and his first year in Jacksonville, he wasn't a starter for the team, but he came in, and his primary role was like in a big nickel sort of role, right?
• 1:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's six foot two, almost 200 pounds, has really good length in college.
• 1:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: He played kind of a off-ball nickel kind of role versus a safety like he has the body of a safety certainly.
• 2:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: But he was playing more in that nickel kind of role and they brought him in here in 2023 and that's exactly what they did with him as a rotational player.
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: who got in in like specific packages as a big nickel and he did a good job for them and he did such a good job that in 2024 the team was like well we believe he has the ability to start at safety for us which is a different role than they had him in in 2023 and a different role than he really played in college at Texas A&M so they were putting him into a situation where
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: it was going to be a tough transition like in 2023 he had what 172 total defensive snaps 121 of those were in the slot like that was his role then you fast forward to 2024 in a new defense man heavy defense a defense that really just their defense of coordinator struggled to get guys on the right page
• 3:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: to get players understanding their assignments, to get them playing consistent football across the board, outside of like the edge guys, really.
• 3:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: So in 2024, his primary role became really, like the free safety for the Jaguar Stephens, which that was tough for him to adjust to.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then obviously, complete regime change, fire the coach, all that stuff, fire it all the most, almost all the coaches.
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, 2025, new mindset, Anthony Camponele comes in, Antonio Johnson, not installed as a starter early on, right?
• 3:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: They brought in Eric Murray, they had Andrew Wingard.
• 3:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, I mean, shoot, still darn old savage was still on the team for a while.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, they drafted Caleb Ransson round lane, like Antonio Johnson was going to be having to compete and earn what he was going to get in 2025, um, or, you know, injuries happen at the safety position.
• 4:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he gets on the field.
• 4:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he pretty much immediately makes the most of it.
• 4:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he had, again, a standout season for the Jaguars and 2025 leading
• 4:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: The AFC, along with Devin Lloyd, and Interceptions.
• 4:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: And one thing you've got to, if you've got a guy, that can get his hands on the football.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Five Interceptions last year.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: Two Interceptions as a rookie.
• 4:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: And a guy who plays the run extremely well, doesn't miss tackles.
• 4:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: His career miss tackle rate is 6.8% last year, he only missed 4.8% of his tackle attempts.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: That is an extremely elite number.
• 5:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: And somebody who's a sign met sound and coverage, which he absolutely was for the most part last year.
• 5:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was a few hiccups, but look, if you're playing safety 700 reps in the NFL, there's gonna be moments where you mess up.
• 5:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: Offences are good.
• 5:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Offences are very good.
• 5:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: His yards per reception and coverage was 8.8.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Pretty damn good.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: only allowed 67.6 completion percentage and primary coverage, 23 catches.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: The big difference here between the year before, statistically, he only allowed 67.5 percent of receptions and primary coverage in 2024, but the yards per catch was 13.6.
• 5:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: It was a gulf in terms of the yards per catch, and that was indicating big plays being allowed.
• 5:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: that was indicating more consistent kind of chunk plays being allowed by Antonio Johnson in 2024 similarly to Devin Lloyd and some other players on the Jaguar's defense.
• 6:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Anthony Camponele was able to coach these guys and not just camp but the entire defensive staff.
• 6:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: was able to coach these guys up to understand their assignments within a given play understand how the offense was trying to attack them and trick them and fool them and trust what they were seeing.
• 6:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: And Antonio Johnson absolutely trusted what he was seeing played so well for the Jack Wars as a versatile safety and someone who has all the
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: at 24 years old.
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: Do you plan?
• 6:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: Do you wait?
• 6:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
• 6:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's the question the Jack Wars are kind of having to sift through right now, he's not the only extension candidate, obviously they're just extended trayball and walker.
• 7:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Their first round pick from 2023 Anton Harrison, I don't think now would be the time to extend him because you still have two years of control after picking up his fifth your option.
• 7:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would say next off season would be the time to extend Anton Harrison, but you've got Parker Washington, you've got Britain's strange.
• 7:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: you've got a couple of veterans that you could think about extending that maybe we'll talk about in the future.
• 7:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know that that's going to be within their plans to keep them around long term.
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: But Eric Armstrong steps going into a contract year.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's up there in age.
• 7:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Devon Hamilton going into a contract year to the Jaguar's pursue Dexter Lawrence.
• 7:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: If they do, obviously they're not extending to Van Hamilton.
• 7:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then you've also got as reclevelin to I think has been one of the Jaguar's best offensive linemen over the last couple of years.
• 7:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's going into a contract here as well.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: So a lot of guys that are in this conversation, but to me, Antonio Johnson, there's an argument to be made that he was the best out of all of them last year that are up for new contracts following 2026.
• 8:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Parker Washington maybe, but Antonio Johnson's right there for me, right there, how do the Jaguar's value, the safety spot?
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, they drafted Caleb Ransaw, Eric Murray going into the second year of his deal.
• 8:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: They also drafted Rayon Lane.
• 8:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: But if I'm the Jags, what I would like to see at safety after 2026 is a lot of Antonio Johnson and a lot of Caleb Ransaw.
• 8:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you, Antonio Johnson comes into the season as a clear, clearly defined starter.
• 8:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Caleb Ransal, you try to get on the field.
• 8:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's coming back from an injury that kept him out all year.
• 8:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: Eric Murray's gonna have a big role still.
• 9:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: The future of the Jaguar safety room in my mind should be Antonio Johnson and Caleb Ransal.
• 9:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: if you can get a deal done with Antonio Johnson this year and the difference between Antonio Johnson this year and like a Devon Lloyd last year or a Travis ET and last year, this regime knew both of those guys were going into contract years and they didn't try to extend them.
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, there's experience here.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's time on task here with this staff.
• 9:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: with Antonio Johnson that last year, it was going into Devon Lloyd and all the rest of the players, but all the rest of the guys that were going into contract years, kind of on a brand new experience.
• 9:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: You just didn't know the guys, sorry, I lost or something.
• 9:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: There was no time on task and experience in relationship built.
• 9:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: So to me,
• 10:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think they should try to extend Antonio Johnson.
• 10:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: Where does that number come in as the real question?
• 10:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think if he has another season, let's say they don't extend him this off season.
• 10:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he has another season where he plays the way he did last year, I think you're easily talking about over $15 million per year on average, easily.
• 10:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe, you know, Jesse Bates has 16, Xavier McKinney's at 16, seven.
• 10:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Trayvon Mary is at 17, I feel like that was a wild.
• 10:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he's a good player.
• 10:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've always liked him, but that's a lot for him.
• 10:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: But if you extended him right now, where could you be at, potentially?
• 10:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, Jalen Thompson just got 11 million.
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Cam curls at 12.
• 10:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: Quentin Lake's at 12.75.
• 10:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: A couple of guys that just got paid, Kobe Bryant got 13.3, Bryant cooked got 13.4.
• 11:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you could get in in between like 11 and 13, 11 and 13, five, I think you'd be getting like an extreme value.
• 11:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you might say, well, why would they be willing to pay Antonio Johnson that?
• 11:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: But they weren't willing to pay Devin Lloyd that.
• 11:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, they have much more cap flexibility following the 2026 season than they do in 2026.
• 11:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like going into 2027, a lot more cap flexibility than they do for 2026.
• 11:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: But also, again, you're getting ahead.
• 11:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: here versus paying after the massive breakout, which Antonio Johnson did have a huge breakout, but you're also not in a situation right now where it's a bidding war.
• 11:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: You could kind of go to back and have a healthy back and forth this off season with Antonio Johnson if you want to.
• 11:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: And that's, look, the jackwares might not value him that way.
• 12:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: That might say that we can find somebody else.
• 12:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Where do you have Rayon Lane?
• 12:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, excuse me, Caleb Ransal, we really believe in him.
• 12:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Personally, the way I'm looking at it, I do value him that way.
• 12:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: And the difference between Devin Lloyd and potentially paying Antonio Johnson 11 to 13, if you're at 11, I mean, that's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
• 12:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's outside of the top 20 at the safety position.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you're at,
• 12:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: 13, you're at like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're at like safety 15 in terms of the pay, average per year.
• 12:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: But when you talk about linebacker, they were going to have to pay Devin Lloyd.
• 12:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Devin Lloyd is the fourth highest paid linebacker on football on a per year basis.
• 12:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: The Jaguars, like these two contracts would be completely different.
• 13:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even if you have to go up to 13.5, you're still not paying inside of the top 10 at the position.
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: You're like right outside the top 10.
• 13:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's just different levels to these things.
• 13:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Antonio Johnson, 11 to 13 million dollar range, would be an excellent deal for the Jaguars as long as they believe in his trajectory.
• 13:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And they believe that he can elevate the team and that he's not.
• 13:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: Elevated himself and elevated the team more than just Anthony Campanila elevated him.
• 13:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what they believe inside the building, I believe Antonio Johnson is a player of the Jaguar should pay and keep around for a while.
• 13:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: If you enjoyed the content, please like and subscribe, y'all have a good one.