Although another week needs to pass before the NFL reaches free agency, the Jacksonville Jaguars have already started to redevelop their team. Despite having the most cap space in the entire NFL, the Jaguars recently requested for left guard Andrew Norwell to take a pay cut. Norwell signed a 5 year, $66.5M contract with the Jaguars prior to the 2018 season. As of right now, his contract will earn him a combined salary of $25M in the next two years before he hits the free agency market in 2023.
The 29-year old has started 40 games with the Jaguars in three seasons thus far, proving that he is a valuable x-factor on the offensive line. In 2020, Norwell played arguably his best season yet, as he allowed only 3 sacks and 15 total pressures in 13 games played. However, if he does not take a pay cut as requested, then Jacksonville fans should expect him to suit up elsewhere in 2021. The Jaguars have already expressed much interest in trading Norwell, as it would result in $9M worth of cap space opening up.
As head coach Urban Meyer has stated on multiple occasions, fans should expect a substantial rebuild in Jacksonville. The Jaguars need all the help they can get at multiple position groups, and unfortunately, that may require multiple veterans to take pay cuts in the near future. With the most salary cap space in the league, it would not be completely surprising to see a completely revamped Jaguars offense within the next two years. In retrospect, moving on from Andrew Norwell could be the right decision after all if the Jaguars choose to do so.