Several of Jaguars free agent additions play key role in Week 1 win

Under new GM James Gladstone, the Jacksonville Jaguars were very active in free agency this offseason, with Gladstone reshaping the roster on the fly to best fit what he and Liam Coen were looking for.

Fast forward several months to the Jaguars' Week 1 opener against Carolina, and many of those free agent additions played pivotal roles in helping Jacksonville secure the win.

As noted by ESPN's Michael DiRocco, the Jaguars' offense would rush for 200 yards with the help of interior offensive linemen Patrick Mekari and Robert Hainsey.

Dyami Brown had three receptions for 52 yards, while Hunter Long had a touchdown reception.

Eric Murray had seven tackles, two pass breakups--one of which led to an interception--and a quarterback pressure.

Jourdan Lewis had five tackles, three pass breakups, an interception, a fumble recovery, and a quarterback pressure.

Dawuane Smoot would record two tackles and a sack, with Dennis Gardeck adding two tackles of his own.

Now, DiRocco would also add that this group accounted for five of the Jaguars' 11 team penalties as well, but the impact that this group had on Sunday's outcome can't be overstated.

According to Spotrac, the Jaguars spent the 10th most on free agents this offseason. However, a big part of that total value is the number of free agents Gladstone brought in vs. him handing out massive contracts.

The highest average annual value among these signings belongs to Mekari at $12 million per year. Mekari also has the highest total contract value at $37 million.

These free agent deals were all for three years or less. On the one or two-year contracts, those deals will come off the books relatively quickly, while the structure of the three-year deals gives the Jaguars an out before then if needed.

So it's not as if the Jaguars' future salary cap is going to be weighed down by these deals either. Gladstone should still have the flexibility to maneuver as he needs to.

When overhauling a roster, hitting on these outside additions is key to a quick turnaround, and in Week 1, that's exactly what happened.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: James Gladstone's offseason signings play key role in Jaguars' win