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WILL THE JAGUARS SIGN A LINEBACKER?! · Duval Daily: A Jacksonville Jaguars Podcast

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jacksonville Jack Wars fans welcome in to do vault daily presented by jing Jack dot com i'm Jordan Lugo thanks so much for being here Thursday February 19th and right now we are talking linebacker off ball landbackers specifically uh the jack wars they have a really interesting situation at off ball linebacker with Devon Lloyd coming off of a monster
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Monster 2025 campaign where he should have been a first team all pro but he was second team led the AFC tied with Antonio Johnson with five interceptions he was a clutch player
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  [SPEAKER_00]: high impact player, big time blitzer, big time against the run, playmaker and coverage.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He was doing it all at the linebacker position.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Of course, it was a contract a year.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And now, a lot of time in this discussion for him, Lou, it can kind of, doesn't get talked about enough.
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think foil, Lou, it can's responsibility in this defense for the Jaguars is so vital for what Anthony Campanile was doing.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: the heart and soul of that defense in a lot of ways that he has been for several years just by having different coordinators and he's just he's that dude he really is way looking but Devin Lloyd has that skill set the game changing skill set that the Jaguar is really relied on a lot in 2025 and now he's set to be a free agent.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He is probably going to make anywhere between $18 and $20 million per year if I had to guess.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: If he comes in lower than $18 million per year, the Jaguars maybe they can make that work.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: But it feels like just based on James Ladsson's history with the Rams.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: the Rams not valuing the off-ball line-backer position to that extent.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not like they just completely poo poo the position and they don't care if they have talented players there, but they have, again, really just not shown high level interest in adding like premium contracts.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: to their roster at that position.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: They haven't done it.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's James Gladstone going to follow that same path.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe the Rams just haven't had that off-ball line back because they felt had this superstar kind of impact like a Devon Lloyd.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, they did have Ernest Jones, who they traded away, Ernest Jones was a really good player.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He would probably be the closest thing you could compare to Devin Lloyd for the Rams over the years, but even he wasn't having the same impact Devin Lloyd had in 2025.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So maybe they bucked the trend and they say, look, we're going to bring Devin Lloyd back come hell or high water because he can be a superstar in our defense.
• 2:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: That could be the case.
• 2:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: It seems like the more likely scenario considering the Jaguar's cap situation.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're like 10 to 12 million over the cap right now, and they're gonna have to do some different things to get down.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of basic restructures they can do without even having to agree with the players on a restructure, on their roster, where they can kick the can down the road, create some cap space.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: They also have the ability to renegotiate with Trevor Lawrence and
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And Josh Heinz Allen, and it's not even a real renegotiation.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: The player just has to agree to it, but there's no reason they wouldn't because they're going to get a fat signing bonus.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's not going to impact their yearly income really in a negative way at all.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just one of those things that they would have to agree on.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And I'm sure that the Jag was going to get that done if they want to kick the can down the road even further.
• 3:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: But point being,
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Even with Devon Lloyd being a free agent, there's a lot of other positions that the DAF free agents too.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, corner back, obviously Travis Hunter's gonna be a full-time corner this year, it looks like.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's a helpful thing there, but you still have Greg Newsom and Buster Brown said to be free agents running back, you have Travis CTN said to be a free agent.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So there's some things to figure out.
• 3:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: for sure, with this, with this roster and the jag wars again, they got to get a little creative, create some cap Caproom if they want to bring back a Devon Loiter anyone, but I think it's possible.
• 4:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: If the Jaguar is decided not to bring back Devon Lloyd, that they do bring in a unrestricted, pre-agent linebacker, I also think it's possible that they focus on just the draft, because this linebacker draft is insanely deep.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: It's talented at the top.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, signing styles might be the best player in the draft.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: It's also incredibly deep.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: There's so many good linebacker prospects.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So they might just say, hey, we've got FOIA,
• 4:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've got Ventral Miller, who we know can do some things out there on the field.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He's a really good run defender.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's a smart defender.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: We've got Jack Kaiser, who we drafted in the fourth round last year.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: We can wait till the draft and just add somebody when we feel comfortable with the value.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: They could definitely do that, but they could also say, hey, we like somebody with a little bit more experience to replace Devin Lloyd here, and we can do it cheaper.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Cause again, Devin Lloyd probably gonna be $18 to $20 million player.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: There's a lot of linebackers out there.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: There's like 50 unrestricted for agent linebackers right now.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: That's not the exact number, but like, it's a ton.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Over 50 for agent, off-ball linebackers right now.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And there's some that I think could make sense
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  [SPEAKER_00]: for the jacks.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So we're gonna dive into that list and some of the guys how they could make sense and one thing to keep in mind regarding the linebacker position in Jacksonville specifically.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Anthony Campanile is a linebacker's coach at heart.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He is a linebacker's guy and he has gotten the most out of almost every linebacker he's worked with over the last several years in the NFL.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So that could be a Trump card, that could be a, you know, big advantage for the Jaguars and whoever their linebacker is, as long as that guy has the skill set that they need, that player could have a career year under Anthony Campanile, something to keep in mind.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So when you look at this list, I think that Caden Ellis is a guy that makes sense as a linebacker from the Falcons because he's a player that has had kind of that heavy blitzing role on the defense and Devin Lloyd did.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Caden Ellis, he played for New Orleans and he's a guy that actually played a lot for Jack Wars former defense coordinator from the Falcons.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: like, absolutely.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He's also pretty darn good in coverage.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I think when you combine those two aspects of his game, like he's a guy that gets his hands on the football in coverage, he is a guy who blitz his at an extremely high level.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He can also play the run pretty well.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: When you combine all those things, he's 30 years old, he's not gonna cost much, you can probably get him on a shorter deal,
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I say he's not going to cost much.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: The projection on spot rack is just under nine million.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's still a pretty penny at the linebacker spot.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: But not too bad.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Matt Milano, I think there's just been so many injuries over the years, and he's not quite the same player, but they're projecting him five million.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Alex and Zaloneza, a name to watch, he's 31 former Florida Gator, but he's a guy that has been a leader.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he's tough.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I think, you know,
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  [SPEAKER_00]: been on the lines, obviously, Campanylee would know at least a little bit about him from being in the same division for a year.
• 7:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not coaching against him directly, but I think he's kind of a pretty complete player at the linebacker position as well.
• 7:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think he could fit with what the Jaguar is want to do, and I think he would be cheaper than even like a K-Nellus.
• 8:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: You look at Quincy Williams,
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if Quincy Williams is the archetype to Jaguars are looking for, but that'd be fun to bring him back.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he's a damn good football player.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Quay Walker makes a lot of sense in my opinion.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He had a career year under Anthony Camponele and 2024.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Former first round pick, super talented, physically gifted player.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought he took a step forward under Anthony Camponele and a big way in 2024, but still
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  [SPEAKER_00]: still has had plenty of coverage mishaps.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I would say throughout his career.
• 8:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: But he's he's 25 years old.
• 8:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's not even 26.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He could be hitting his prime for sure.
• 8:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, Devon Lloyd makes sense, but don't know if that's going to be in the cards.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: His projection on SpotRack is 20 million.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I really like his game from the Kansas City Chiefs.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He's somebody who so physically explosive.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So explosive, six, three, two, 50, he's 25.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He hasn't had like a full-time role with the chiefs yet.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And one thing the Jaguar's did with Devon Lloyd is he wasn't on the field a lot in nickel.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like they went with a big nickel, like three-safety look or something like that.
• 9:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's also something to keep in mind with this linebacker spot.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: For way, Lou is the one that always stays on the field for the most part.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: This linebacker,
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  [SPEAKER_00]: They don't have to be like an elite coverage player on third-down.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: The Jack Wars can get creative in that way, too.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So just something to keep in mind when you're thinking about these players.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I do think Leo Shinel makes a ton of sense.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: He's probably the one, like if the projections on his...
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  [SPEAKER_00]: on his cap number, on his salary, our correct, which SpotRack has at $4.6 million per year.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: For Leo Chanel, who's, again, 25 years old, let's see what over the cap has.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: If these numbers are anywhere close to correct, they have a Matt 3.8.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, that would be just a screaming value to me.
• 10:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: And he's the one that I think I identified as the player.
• 10:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'd like the most last time we talked about linebackers for the Jaguars.
• 10:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: But again, as much as we're talking about individual players,
• 10:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: a takeaway should still just be, there's 50 unrestricted free agent linebackers.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: Like, there's going to be guys that the Jaguars feel can fit their system if they desire to add one.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, they don't have to add one in free agency.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: They have ventral Miller who has experience.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: and Jack Kaiser, who they drafted last year, who got a little bit of experience.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And foe Luke can as the leader in the room.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: And again, they can address this position in the draft, which it's widely considered like the best linebacker draft we've seen in a very long time.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: So, it's not like that they are...
• 11:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: really stuck in between a rock and a hard place in this situation.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think that they have lots of options, lots of avenues they could potentially go down in 2026 at this linebacker spot.
• 11:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Obviously, we'd all love to see definitely back in black and teal.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: That would be incredible, but if not, these are just kind of some of the different paths the Jaguar's could take.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Really appreciate y'all tuning in.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: If you enjoy the content, please like and subscribe.
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  [SPEAKER_00]: Y'all have a good one.