JACKSONVILLE – Senior writer John Oehser examines five things to know about the Jaguars and the 2026 free-agency period …

1. The Jaguars were not inactive. The 2026 NFL League Year opened Wednesday at 4 p.m., and the Jaguars very notably announced no new unrestricted free agent signings. This gave what normally is a frenzied, high-profile moment of the NFL offseason a lower-key feel around the Miller Electric Center than was the case around a lot of team headquarters. But make no mistake: The Jaguars were not inactive in recent days, nor is this in any way an unproductive offseason. The Jaguars this week not only re-signed tight end Quintin Morris, linebacker Dennis Gardeck and cornerback Montaric Brown, they signed left tackle Cole Van Lanen and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to long-term extensions last season. When you're thinking of the Jaguars' 2026 free-agent class, think of those players – Van Lanen and Meyers – as key members. That's how the Jaguars view it. Remember: While fans and observers think of player acquisition as the first few days of free agency and Round 1 of the draft, teams work and maneuver year-round. This was more of a year-round offseason for the Jaguars.

2. Less is often more. The Jaguars were decidedly quieter than many teams in the days leading to the league year and that might not change in the next day or two. While that may give Jaguars Twitter an unpeaceful, uneasy feeling, the reality is there's nothing wrong with a reserved approach this week – and there usually is a lot right about that approach. The riskiest time of the NFL year is the so-called "first wave" of unrestricted free agency, when teams wildly bid for the services of players who – while often talented – are indeed free agents. This means their former teams chose not to re-sign them, which means they weren't "core" players on their former teams. That means you're paying elite, franchise-changing money for players who weren't franchise-changers. The best organizations are often the ones who steer clear of the first wave as often as possible. The Jaguars appear to be fast becoming such an organization.

3. Free agency is not over. One of the most common misperceptions about the NFL offseason is that the only way to improve is to add first-day free agents. The reality is there are contributing players who remain unrestricted free agents after the first-day frenzy – and they're available for contracts that don't hinder the franchise moving forward. The Jaguars didn't spend big on outside players early this week by design. That doesn't mean they're done working on the roster this offseason.

4. Brown was big. Much was made this week of former Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. agreeing to terms to sign with the New Orleans Saints and former Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd agreeing to terms to sign with the Carolina Panthers – understandably so considering the big moments those players provided fans in recent seasons. But the Jaguars knew since the end of last season that retaining those players was very unlikely and their main focus as Monday's "negotiating" period approached was re-signing Brown. The Jaguars saw him as one of the better corners on the market and were ecstatic when the sides reached a deal late Sunday/early Monday. Brown figures to enter the 2026 season as the team's No. 2 corner opposite wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and solidifies what is a deep, strong cornerback group that also includes Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones and Christian Braswell. The Jaguars have reshaped this position significantly in recent months, and they feel like they're much more solid here than they were before the reshaping began.

5. Farewell, friends. A word before we close about Etienne and Lloyd. These were good, contributing players who will be missed – a pair of late first-round draft selections who had stellar seasons in 2025 to help the Jaguars to their first AFC South title in three years. The Jaguars will miss Etienne's play-making ability and 13 touchdowns, and Lloyd provided key big plays at key times in this past season in crucial victories over the Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers. The NFL is a draft-and-develop league and many observers understandably have been upset that the team drafted and developed Lloyd/Etienne only to have them sign elsewhere. But the reality of drafting and developing well – which the Jaguars have done in recent seasons- is knowing which good players to re-sign. Lloyd and Etienne should be – and will be remembered fondly by the team and its fans. But their positional value – along with the Jaguars' present and future salary-cap situation – made it time to move forward without these two front-line professionals. The decisions made regarding these two were difficult. But they were also necessary and unavoidable considering the circumstance.