NFL groups have till 4 p.m. ET on Monday to signal their franchise-tagged gamers to a long-term deal, and the Jacksonville Jaguars have been in a position to attain an settlement with tight finish Evan Engram previous to the deadline.
In accordance with ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Jaguars and Engram agreed to a three-year contract on Sunday that might pay Engram $41 million over the length of the contract. That deal contains greater than $24 million in ensures.
Engram is coming off a profession 12 months with the Jaguars—his first 12 months with the workforce—that noticed him haul in 73 passes for 766 yards and 4 touchdowns. He figures to be a key a part of a Jaguars offense that has sky-high expectations getting into the 2023 season.
With Engram signed, meaning there are simply three franchise-tagged gamers nonetheless in search of a long-term deal earlier than Monday, and they’re all operating backs.
That checklist contains Dallas’ Tony Pollard (who has already signed his franchise tender), Las Vegas’ Josh Jacobs and the New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley.
With Pollard having already signed his tender he might play out the season on that contract earlier than changing into a free agent once more after the 2023 season. So whereas the Cowboys would possibly prefer to get a deal completed, it’s not crucial for this season.
The Jacobs and Barkley conditions are much more problematic for the groups.
Neither participant is pleased with the present state of the negotiations as they want to get what they imagine to be truthful worth, whereas additionally serving to to restructure the marketplace for operating backs. The operating again place has develop into brutal for gamers in recent times as groups are hesitant to pay high greenback for a place that’s deemed to have a brief shelf life and be very workforce dependent.
With out long-term offers signed by Monday, there’s a very actual risk that Jacobs and Barkley aren’t current with the Raiders and Giants for the beginning of coaching camp or even perhaps the common season.
After Monday they must play out the 2023 season on their franchise wage of $8.4 million.
