Jason Babin back with Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars veteran defensive end Jason Babin decided to void his contract before the start of free agency when he had two years left on his deal for $6 million in each season, and the Jaguars would have released him if he didn’t opt out. It looks like this may have been planned, but we don’t know that for sure. What we do know is that Babin is back with the Jaguars, as official site writer J.P. Shadrick has reported the move, so the news is official at this point.

The Jaguars signed former Seattle Seahawks defensive linemen Red Bryant (before free agency) and Chris Clemons (today), and it looks like Babin will rotate with Bryant at one defensive end spot. Bryant is the better player and will receive the majority of the snaps, and the elite run defender and locker room glue guy will be a two-down DE with Babin likely spelling him on third downs. There’s plenty of room for Babin, 33, to get significant pass rushing opportunities, but it’s clear that he is on the decline and isn’t nearly as valuable as Clemons, who has plenty of familiarity with Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley.

Last season, Jason Babin recorded 40 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and forced three fumbles, and he hasn’t had double-digit sacks since bringing down the quarterback a whopping 18 times in his lone season with the Philadelphia Eagles.