Laurent Robinson, Chad Henne Join The Jaguars

Aaron Ross, Jaguars Agree To 3-Year Contract

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been relatively quiet about free agency, but signed another player late on Monday night. The Jaguars agreed to a three-year contract with former New York Giants cornerback Aaron Ross, according to a report by Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Jacksonville reached agreement with former Giants CB Aaron Ross on a three-year deal worth up to $15.3 million.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 20, 2012

Ross was originally drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft, starting most of the games his first two seasons. Ross dealt with injuries after that, limiting his play, but returned to his starting roll in 2011 after Terrell Thomas went down with an injury. The thought is that Ross will compete with both Derek Cox and Rashean Mathis, who the Jaguars re-signed, in training camp.

For more on the signing, be sure to check out Jaguars blog Big Cat Country.

Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars Agree To 2-Year Deal, According To Report

The Chad Henne sweepstakes is over, according to a report on Wednesday evening.

Henne, who was reportedly taking a look at the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, among other teams, in free agency, has signed a two-year deal with the Jags, according to multiple reports.

Initial word of the deal came from Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union:

Don't know if this is out there, but the #Jaguars signed Chad henne to a two year deal.

— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) March 14, 2012

Shortly thereafter, NFL.com's Jason La Canfora added that Henne's contract is a two-year deal.

Chad Henne agrees to a 2-yr deal with Jags. Won't be visiting Seattle now. Matt Flynn for SEA on Thursday #freeagency

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 15, 2012

Henne joining the fold in Jacksonville will create an interesting situation when the Jaguars head into minicamp. With Blaine Gabbert already in the mix, there's no telling who may come out on the other side of workouts as the team's starting quarterback. Henne's signing could indicate the Jags have soured on Gabbert's ability to lead the franchise, both now and in the future.

For more on the signing, be sure to check out Jaguars blog Big Cat Country.

Laurent Robinson, Jaguars Agree To $32.5 Million Deal

The Jacksonville Jaguars have dipped into the free agency market to address their need at wide receiver. Per ESPN, the Jaguars signed WR Laurent Robinson to a five-year deal that's worth up to $32.5 million. That includes $14 million guaranteed.

That is a large contract for a player who is really a No. 2 receiver. Robinson's best season came last year when he had 858 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys. He's also been with the Rams and Chargers after the Falcons drafted him in 2007.

Robinson joins Brian Robiskie and Mike Thomas on the Jaguars receiver depth chart. Jacksonville needs to get more out of it's passing game (looking at you, Blaine Gabbert) so they're hoping Robinson's 2011 season is just the start.

For more on the signing, be sure to check out Jaguars blog Big Cat Country.

Jeremy Mincey Back To Jaguars With 4-Year Deal

Defensive end Jeremy Mincey has elected to re-sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars after just a few hours on the free-agent market. Mincey had briefly visited with the Chicago Bears, but ultimately settled on a four-year deal with the Jaguars that will reportedly guarantee him $9 million and could be worth as much as $27.2 million (ESPN).

Chicago!!! what a great organization. But, Gene Smith fought for me in a Very Tough fight.... PROUD TO BE A JAG!! DUUUUUVALLLLL!!!

— Jeremy Mincey (@MrMince94) March 14, 2012

The move fills a massive area of need for the Jaguars, who were carried by their defense a year ago. The Jaguars ranked 11th in the NFL in points allowed per game (20.6) and ranked sixth in yards allowed per game (313.0).

In his fourth NFL season, Mincey broke out. His 8.0 sacks and 57 tackles more than doubled his career totals. He also had four forced fumbles.

For more on the signing, be sure to check out Jaguars blog Big Cat Country.

Free Agent Chad Henne Visiting Seahawks, Jaguars

NFL free agent season is now underway. Players all over the country will be meeting with teams in the coming weeks as the scramble to field the best possible squad in 2012 begins in earnest.

One of the players looking for a place to land is quarterback Chad Henne. Henne is meeting with several teams this week. According to Jeff Darlington of NFL.com, Henne already has a meeting planned with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who could certainly use some help on offense in the upcoming season.

Henne played in just four games during his 2011 season with the Miami Dolphins. In his fourth start against the San Diego Chargers, Henne injured his non-throwing arm, an injury later revealed to be a separated shoulder. The injury caused him to miss the remainder of the season.

The quarterback will also reportedly visit the Seattle Seahawks this week.

For more on the Jaguars, check out Big Cat Country.

Kassim Osgood Released By Jacksonville Jaguars

It should probably come as little surprise that the Jacksonville Jaguars have elected to release wide receiver Kassim Osgood. Although he was a special-teams standout, he was heading into the final year of a three-year contract that originally paid him $6.67 million over the entirety and that's probably a little much for a player who produced so little offensively. The move saves the Jaguars $2.933 million against the salary cap.

Well I had a great experience in Jacksonville. Good people, good fans, great city! I will not be a jaguar next year, but the show must go on

— Kassim Osgood (@kassimosgood81) March 13, 2012

Osgood signed with the Jaguars in 2010 after earning a third All-Pro selection for his special-teams work. But he has failed to reach those loft heights since and he only made eight tackles in 2011, while appearing in just 12 games, which tied a career low.

Offensively, he's never really put up significant numbers since 2004. But his five catches and 42 yards hardly made him a viable option there.

For more on the Jaguars, check out Big Cat Country.

Free Agent Mario Williams Will Have A Ton Of Interest

Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams is expected to hit NFL free agency as an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET and is expected to have plenty of suitors for his services. The Texans began clearing up some cap room on Monday evening by replacing players like right tackle Eric Winston, but it's unknown if this is clearing up space for Williams or to go after another player. One team who will be interested is the Seattle Seahawks, according to Danny O'Neill of The Seattle Times.

Williams is the only top-shelf pass-rusher scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent. He's also going to be expensive, with a number of teams expected to be bidding for his services. Maybe the Seahawks will have better luck catching Williams' eye than they did with Manning.

The Chicago Bears are also expected to be in heavy pursuit of Williams in the hopes to pair him up with defensive end Julius Peppers. John Mullin of CSN Chicago reports that the Bears will be after the free agent defensive end.

The Bears will go into the hours leading to the start of free agency considered around the league to be the favorite in the competition to sign defensive end Mario Williams away from the Houston Texans, CSNChicago.com has learned from a number of NFL sources.

The Atlanta Falcons are another team who reportedly will have lots of interest in Mario Williams as well. "I think that when you look at the value, he's going to be more valuable to a 4-3 team, and the two 4-3 teams that appear to have either the most money or the most interest are Atlanta and Seattle," ESPN's John Clayton told the "Brock and Salk" radio show. The Jacksonville Jaguars are also a team expect to be in heavy pursuit of Williams as well.

One team who doesn't appear to be in the running for Williams, however, is the Dallas Cowboys, according to Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News.

The next two would be Mario Williams and Carl Nicks. They figure to command the next highest contracts of this free agency period. With the franchise tag placed on Spencer, I don't think the Cowboys could be financial players for either Williams or Nicks.

For more free agency updates, go to SB Nations Texans blog, Battle Red Blog.

Jaguars Free Agency 2012: Help Needed For Blaine Gabbert

The Jacksonville Jaguars were one of a few teams to give their rookie quarterback the starting nod in 2011, but they were unfortunately the least successful of the teams. Blaine Gabbert struggled badly in 2011 and the Jaguars struggled along with him.

When it comes to free agents that may pack their bags and leave Jacksonville, defensive end Jeremy Mincey is on the top of the list. Others include Dwight Lowry, Rashean Mathis and C.J. Mosley. The Jaguars have a decent amount of money to spend if they're willing to spend. The money could keep guys like Mincey on the team. However, if it isn't done now, it's not likely to happen.

The Jaguars could spend their money to bring people in town from other teams to help them be more successful in 2012. Gabbert could use the help of a true No. 1 receiver to open things up for other receivers. Vincent Jackson or Mario Manningham could help the team out if they were signed. If they lose Mincey, they will need to find somebody to help rush the passer, and while they likely won't go after Mario Williams, they could try to acquire somebody like Red Bryant or Mark Anderson.

For more free agency updates, go to SB Nation's Jaguars blog, Big Cat Country.

Josh Scobee Is The Latest Kicker To Receive Franchise Tag

The Jacksonville Jaguars have used their franchise tag on kicker Josh Scobee, according to a report by Tania Ganguli of the Florida Times-Union.

The #Jaguars have franchised kicker @JoshScobee10. He is locked in for at least one more year.

— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) March 5, 2012

The move to tag Scobee was expected by most in the Jacksonville media and will pay Scobee a projected $2.9 million for the 2012 season if the two sides cannot come to terms on a long term deal by the July 15 deadline. The Jaguars had a few other players the team could have franchise tagged, such as defensive end Jeremy Mincey and safety Dwight Lowery, but it wouldn't have been very cost effective.

The $2.9 million guaranteed is likely around the same price the Jaguars would pay Scobee for the season under a new long term contract.

For all news and information regarding the Jacksonville Jaguars and their offseason moves, please visit Big Cat Country.

Jaguars Free Agency: Don't Expect Jacksonville To Go Crazy

The Jacksonville Jaguars had another disappointing season in 2011, finishing 5-11 and firing head coach Jack Del Rio following Week 12. They have less players set to enter free agency than many other NFL teams this offseason, but are not expected to hit the free agent market very hard prior to the 2012 season kicking off.

Tania Ganguli of The Florida Times-Union reports that the Jaguars' aggressive pursuit of defensive free agents before last season was something of an anomaly and that fans should not expect a similar push this year. She spoke to Jacksonville general manager about how the team plans on filling needs heading into 2012, considering that talents like defensive end Mario Williams are expected to hit the open market.

"I think [owner Shad Khan] understands the philosophy is to build your team through the draft," Smith said. "I think most teams have figured that out. Where you don't want to be is in pro free agency year in and year out. That's not our philosophy. It's to supplement the college draft."

Jaguars fans are not likely to see top-flight free agents like Williams or wide receiver Vincent Jackson wind up in Northern Florida this year.

For all news and information regarding the Jacksonville Jaguars and their offseason moves, please visit Big Cat Country.

Jeremy Mincey, Jaguars Start Talking Contract

The Jacksonville Jaguars have begun negotiations for defensive end Jeremy Mincey and will meet again this week with his agent, according to The Florida Times Union.

The New England Patriots selected Mincey in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft, but he never played for the team. The Jaguars signed him from the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad in 2006. Mincey played in fifteen games in 2010, starting eight of them, and compiled thirty-one tackles and three pass deflections.

They also report that Jacksonville has meetings planned with safety Dwight Lowery's agent and cornerback Rashean Mathis's agent this week while contract talks are ongoing with kicker Josh Scobee,

Scobee, Mincey and Mathis have played their entire pro careers with the Jaguars, and Lowery was acquired in a trade with the New York Jets during the preseason.

For more on the Jags offseason, check out Jacksonville Jaguars blog Big Cat Country.

Jaguars Free Agency 2012: Josh Scobee, Jeremy Mincey Are UFAs

The Jacksonville Jaguars have an average to below average number of unrestricted free agents, but that group includes a few of their best players. Kicker Josh Scobee will be a big priority in the offseason for the Jags, along with defensive end Jeremy Mincey. Rashean Mathis is starting to age and has had some trouble with injuries in the last three years, but showed flashes of his old Pro Bowl form in 2011. After a 5-11 season, the Jags could be in for some roster turnover.

Here's the complete list of Jaguars free agents, via Mac's Football Blog.

Exclusive Rights Free Agents (4)

FB Brock Bolen
TE Zach Potter
TE Martin Rucker
DT Nate Collins

Restricted Free Agents (5)

OT William Robinson
DT Leger Douzable
LB Russell Allen
CB William Middleton
S Courtney Greene

Unrestricted Free Agents (11)

QB Luke McCown
OT Guy Whimper
DT C.J. Mosley
DE Jeremy Mincey
DE Matt Roth
CB David Jones
CB Dwight Lowery
CB Rashean Mathis
S C.C. Brown
K Josh Scobee
P Nick Harris

For more on the Jags offseason, check out Jacksonville Jaguars blog Big Cat Country.