With free agency beginning at midnight tonight, the Jacksonville Jaguars have offered minimum tenders to eight of their nine restricted free agents. They have another 13 players who will be unrestricted free agents at 12:01 a.m. tonight.
The eight restricted free agents who received tender offers were: S Ainsley Battles, CB Robert Bean, LB Bobby Brooks, LB Danny Clark, G/OG Leander Jordan, LB T.J. Slaughter, DE Paul Spicer and CB Kiwaukee Thomas. They can negotiate with any team through April 18. If any player receives an offer sheet from a new team, the Jaguars can match the offer and retain the player through the right of first refusal. If the Jaguars do not match the offer, they can possibly receive draft choice compensation depending on the amount of the qualifying offer.
G/C Aaron Koch, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered last June, did not receive a tender offer as a restricted free agent. However, the team has reached agreement in principal with Koch for him to return.
The free agency period runs from midnight tonight through April 18 for restricted free agents and through July 22 for unrestricted free agents. The Jaguars have 13 unrestricted free agents (including one franchise player) and nine restricted free agents.
Last week, the Jaguars designated safety Donovin Darius as a franchise player. The team's 12 other unrestricted free agents are: OT/G Todd Fordham, QB Kent Graham, WR Patrick Johnson, WR Kevin Lockett, RB Stacey Mack, TE Pete Mitchell, MLB Wali Rainer, WR Bobby Shaw, DT Larry Smith, C John Wade, OT/G Zach Wiegert and TE Joe Zelenka. They are free to sign with any club, with no compensation owed to the Jaguars, through July 22. On July 23, all rights revert back to the Jaguars if the club makes a tender offer (110 percent of last year's salary) by June 1.
Sixth-year G/OT Daryl Terrell has been released, but the team is hoping to re-sign him in the near future.
The maximum salary cap for 2003 is $75,007,000 per club.
