Urban Meyer's club made its biggest splash yet.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported the Jacksonville Jaguars are signing corner Shaquill Griffin to a three-year contract, per sources informed of the situation.
The deal is worth $44.5 million with $29 million guaranteed, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero added. The $14.8 million per year average places him seventh among CBs.
The Seattle Seahawks made a push to retrain the starting cornerback, but the Jags reeled in the top corner on the market and the No. 18 player overall on Gregg Rosenthal's list of the Top 101 NFL free agents of 2021.
The former third-round pick has been a starter since his rookie campaign and has grown each year. The 2019 season saw Griffin come into his own, earning a Pro Bowl bid as the Seahawks' top corner, generating 13 passes defended.
Injuries have curtailed Griffin's upside slightly. Still, with ideal size at 6-feet and fluidity to his game, the 25-year-old represented the best starting corner option in a depressed market at the position this year.
The Florida native returns home to help boost a Jags defense that needs upgrades across the board. Pairing Griffin with C.J. Henderson, who had an up-and-down rookie season while dealing with injuries, could be a solid base from which Jacksonville builds its secondary in Meyer's first season in Duval.
Might Griffin have some company in his return to Florida? Pelissero reported the Seahawks aren't tendering his brother, linebacker Shaquem Griffin, as a restricted free agent. Could a family reunion in Jacksonville be in the cards?
In addition to Griffin, the Jaguars later added another defensive piece in Tyson Alualu, ranked No. 80 on the Top 101. Selected 10th overall by the Jags in 2010, the defensive end signed a two-year, $6 million deal to return to Duval, Pelissero reported, per an informed source.
