On Wednesday, Jaguars owner Shad Khan made clear that 2016 and the few years prior under his watch were unacceptable.
A little more than 24 hours later, his team has landed one of the most exciting young players in free agency.
According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Jacksonville is signing former Texans cornerback A.J. Bouye to a five-year, $67.5 million deal. The contract is set to pay Bouye $44 million over the first three years.
The 25-year-old undrafted free agent has developed into one of the best cover corners in the NFL over the past two seasons. A breakout 2016, which included interceptions in each of the Texans' two playoff games in January, priced him almost completely out of Houston's market. Alongside Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who is likely headed to New England, Bouye was expected to set the value for cornerbacks this spring.
While the Jaguars have lured us in each of the past two offseasons, a secondary that includes Bouye and 2016 first-round pick Jalen Ramsey is a very solid foundation for new head coach Doug Marrone. The team is also expected to add former Cowboys safety Barry Church once contracts can be made official at 4 p.m. ET today.
General manager Dave Caldwell has done yeoman's work trying to draft and develop a foundation for a roster that had none when he arrived back in 2013 but has done even more heavy lifting in free agency trying to convince top-tier players that this rendition of the Jaguars will be different. Last year, the team brought in 27-year-old Broncos tackle Malik Jackson and are in on CardinalsPro Bowl defensive end Calais Campbell this season.
Bouye is another step toward legitimacy.
As I wrote back in January, Bouye rose from college and NFL obscurity and emerged as more than just a spare hand on special teams. After years of getting buried on the depth chart, it appears his ship has come in.
