Jacksonville Jaguars training camp: Storylines, camp battles and expectations
By Larry Brake
Biggest Storyline: Will Yannick Ngakoue show up for training camp?
Yannick Ngakoue has made it known that he wants a new contract. He is in the final year of his rookie deal. He is threatening to hold out of training camp and beyond until he gets an extension. Ngakoue missed the team’s mandatory minicamp in June. There is a very good chance that he will seriously sit out the upcoming season. Remember, the Jaguars have two more players on defense who are looking to get a big pay raise.
Ngakoue has definitely earned a bigger contract. The former 2016 third-round selection has recorded 29.5 sacks and has hit the quarterback 70 times. His tremendous playmaking ability allowed the Jaguars to part with Dante Fowler.
Ngakoue is a ferocious pass rusher. He and Calais Campbell put fear into opposing quarterbacks. Jacksonville needs him on the field in order to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy in February.
Will the Jaguars bite the bullet and pay up? The salary cap is not very friendly to the team, currently. Currently, according to Spotrac.com, Jacksonville is $8.6 million under the 2019 salary cap. Next season’s projections are really unfavorable.
The biggest storyline to follow is whether Ngakoue decides to end his holdout. He could sit out and test the free agent market in March. Let’s see how this plays out during the preseason.