Check out their 2017 free agents: Jacksonville Jaguars must unload some of “Gus Bradley’s players”

By Kenneth Arthur@KennethArthuRS Updated Mar 7, 2017, 12:19am PST

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars, aka “Florida’s Seahawks (not counting the Miami Seahawks)”, may no longer hold that nickname (that’s way too long and I just made up) now that they’ve moved on from head coach Gus Bradley. After four terrible seasons — four more terrible seasons, let’s be honest Jags — the team fired Bradley but retained general manager Dave Caldwell.

New head coach Doug Marrone will give it a go with quarterback Blake Bortles, but plenty of change is coming. The team must totally reinvent themselves while saying goodbye to “Bradley’s Russell Okung” and “Bradley’s Earl Thomas” and every other version of a Pete Carroll player who was not on the level of one of those Pete Carroll players that Seattle had when Bradley was the defensive coordinator.

Will some of those “Florida Seahawks” be flying north this offseason?

Impending Free Agents

Kelvin Beachum, LT

Luke Joeckel, OT/OG

The team declined the four-year option on Beachum, the former Pittsburgh Steelers tackle who they took a chance on as he was recovering from a torn ACL. Beachum made 15 starts and so the injury issue seemed to be okay, but I guess the rest was not quite enough to add up to $12 million a season. Meanwhile, they’re finally cutting ties with Joeckel, the second overall pick in an awful 2013 draft class, who had been moved to guard and then missed 12 games last year.

Joeckel played on the Texas A&M line from 2010 to 2012, which we know from Patrick Lewis and Germain Ifedi, is a place Carroll likes to pull from.

I asked Aflie Crow of BigCatCountry.com about these two and here’s what he had to say:

Beachum I thought played OK considering he was back from an ACL and was surprised they didn't pick up his option. Joeckel is just not physical enough and gets in his own head at both LT and guard. Beachum is a much better option.

Beachum may very well be the better player but Carroll is adamant that the team won’t be spending big money on offensive linemen. That would make Beachum a bit more surprising given that he should get more money than Joeckel. I don’t think the team will be going near either player. Surprisingly enough, despite his large frame and high draft status, Joeckel isn’t athletic enough to play on Carroll’s line; Ifedi was a tick faster despite weighing 18 more pounds than Joeckel (at their respective combines), had a four-inch higher vertical, and three inches longer in the broad. Joeckel did three more reps on the bench and was slightly faster in the short shuttle, but Ifedi had a better overall combine. Funny how those things work out.

Jared Odrick, DE (released)

Tyson Alualu, DT

Jacksonville released Odrick two years after signing him to a five-year, $42.5 million deal. Odrick had 5.5 sacks in his first season with the team but missed 10 games, finishing on IR with a shoulder injury. Obviously the team was ready to move in a new direction with their defense.

Alfie on this:

I do think they bring Alualu back. He's a solid player at LDE or UT. As good as Odrick but a lot cheaper imo. Odrick is fine, they just had him two gapping at big end.

Odrick seems like a veteran option if Seattle finds out that he’s not too expensive, but he’s already met with the New England Patriots and that could be his final destination.

Jonathan Cyprien, S

Cyprien was supposed to be the Jags safety that set the tone like Earl Thomas or Kam Chancellor but he can’t cover anything like Thomas and he can’t hit anything like Kam. He’s racked up a lot of tackles but is a liability if he’s not playing close to the line. He’ll go be a starter somewhere and needs to transition in the same way that Mark Barron once did in order to get the best out of him. He’s no fit for the Seahawks.

Prince Amukamara, CB

A former first round pick with name recognition (who could forget a name like that?), Amukamara had an excellent combine in 2011 but the “under 32” arms is bad” thing checks out: Amukamara has 30.5” arms. He disappointed with the Giants and had one forgettable season in Jacksonville. Not an option for Seattle.

Denard Robinson, RB/WR

No doubt Carroll would like the former college QB’s athleticism and versatility. Robinson’s most productive season was 2014 when he had 706 total yards but he’s done almost nothing since and barely plays special teams. No thanks.

Jordan Hill, DT

The former Seahawks defensive tackle signed with the Jaguars in November but didn’t play. He’ll be a free agent and I’m sure Seattle is going to be on a list of potential suitors because of their history with Hill. It makes sense for him to come back and do another summer with the team to see if he can stay healthy, but I don’t think anyone’s expecting him to be able to do that.

Davon House, CB (released)

At 6’1, his arms are just a hair under 32”, so I think the measurables are fine. Fairly athletic. The Jags did bench him last season though, so that’s not a good sign, but at a cheap cost it might be worth exploring if he’s released.

Others: WR Arrelious Benn, WR Bryan Walters, WR Justin Blackmon (indefinite suspension)

Potential Cap Casualties

Roy Miller, DT

Miller did 36 reps on the bench at the combine and moves well for a big man. He missed 10 games last season which is why he might be on the chopping block, but maybe not.

Dan Skuta, LB

Marcedes Lewis, TE

With the trade of Julius Thomas to the Dolphins, I expect them to probably just keep Lewis since he’s a fan favorite and career-long Jacksonville player, but he’s been really unproductive for awhile now.