Age, declining performance, and a looming salary-cap crisis raise questions about the future of Jacksonville Jaguars veteran Arik Armstead.
The Jacksonville Jaguars will have to let some players go this offseason, and that's just a harsh reality of the NFL and the salary cap.
One of the players the Jags might have to cut ties with is a team leader.
Arik Armstead hasn't been in Jacksonville long. The native Californian spent the first nine of his 11 NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
But in his two seasons with the Jaguars, Armstead has made an impact, both on the field and in the Jacksonville area as the NFL's 2024 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner.
On the field, Armstead played in 33 of 34 games for the Jags and ended this season with 5.5 sacks. But none of those sacks came in the season's last six regular-season games or in the Jags' playoff loss against the Buffalo Bills. Furthermore, Armstead only registered more than one tackle in one of those last six games, and although he did tie a season high with four tackles against the Bills, it's fair to wonder if his age -- he turned 32 in November -- is catching up with him.
With three of Jacksonville's regular defensive starters from this season now north of 30 (and safety Andrew Wingard now 29), it might be wise for the Jags to get younger.
The draft is always an optimal place to acquire young talent.
Jacksonville will have a harder time doing that this year since the team doesn't have a first-round pick due to what it gave up to get Travis Hunter at No. 2 last year.
So unless Jacksonville trades into an earlier pick in the second round, it will have to wait until No. 56 to get somebody. For Pro Football Focus' Max Chadwick, defensive tackle Lee Hunter out of Texas Tech would be the perfect option.
Hunter was one of the best defensive tackles in the country this season, playing for one of the best defenses.
According to PFF's numbers, the 6-foot-4, 325-pounder had a run defense grade of 84.5, which was the eighth-best of any defensive tackle. He also knows how to pressure the quarterback, ranking second in the Big 12 with 26 pressures.
Armstead signed a three-year, $43.5 million deal with the Jaguars in March 2024, so he won't be a free agent until after the 2026 season. If the Jags wait until after June 1 to cut him, they'll free up $14.4 million in cap space.
ㅤ
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!