The Jaguars knew they were onto something when Allen Hurns reeled in two touchdowns in his first NFL quarter. Hurns upped the ante a year later by going on a seven-game touchdown streak. Instead of waiting around for his next accomplishment, the Jaguars decided to pay the man.
Hurns landed a four-year, $40 million extension last week, keeping him in Jacksonville through the 2020 season. The 24-year-old has enjoyed an unlikely path to stardom, beginning his career as an undrafted free agent and quickly blossoming into a legitimate No. 2 receiver. Last year he was Robin to Allen Robinson’s Batman, reeling in 64 catches for 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Game flow played a major role in his success—the Jaguars were forced to air it out because they were usually trailing—but that’s not a criticism. Hurns was a breakout star in 2015 and the Jags had no interest in letting him test the market as a restricted free agent. Assuming he plays out the length of his deal, Hurns will take in $40.6 million over his next five seasons. That means he’ll be earning about the same as Torrey Smith and Marvin Jones, who both signed five-year, $40 million contracts upon reaching free agency. Hurns outperformed both players by a significant margin last year.
It might seem presumptuous to roll out the red carpet for a No. 2 wideout, but you don’t always need a reason to do something. Sometimes you just do things because you can. Even after an offseason spending spree that included deals for Prince Amukamara, Kelvin Beachum, Chris Ivory, Tashaun Gipson and Malik Jackson, the Jaguars still have the most cap space of any team in the NFL. Even if Hurns’ deal is heavily frontloaded (we don’t know all the details yet), the Jaguars are still going to be about $40 million under the cap. Hurns’ deal could end up being a bargain. If a flawed gadget player like Mohamed Sanu can net $32.5 million, there’s no telling what Hurns could have made on the open market.
Extending a player this early in his career is rare but not unprecedented. New England handed Rob Gronkowski a six-year, $54 million contract after only his second year in the league. The deal may have worked out for both sides. Gronkowski is due to make an extremely reasonable $6.6 million this year (not including a $10 million option bonus that doesn’t count against the cap). But if Gronkowski had entered free agency after his injury-plagued 2013 season, teams may have been hesitant to give him a long-term deal.
The Jaguars are set up pretty well for the future. The team made notable strides offensively in 2015 and were the clear winners of this year’s draft by selecting Florida State cornerback Jalen Ramsey and UCLA linebacker Myles Jack. Both players have injuries to overcome but their upside is through the roof. The Jaguars are also gaining Dante Fowler, who missed his entire rookie year with a torn ACL.
Next up on the Jaguars’ to-do list will either be extending Blake Bortles or locking up Allen Robinson long-term. Robinson’s contract is up after 2017 so his negotiations will probably begin sooner. Bortles and Robinson were drafted the same year but because Bortles was a first-round pick, his contract carries a fifth-year option for 2018.
ESPN Jaguars reporter Mike DiRocco said he envisions Robinson signing a five-year deal in the $70-80 million range. For a point of reference, Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas both received five-year, $70-million extensions last offseason while Julio Jones landed a five-year deal worth $71.5 million. The eight-year, $132 million pact signed by Calvin Johnson in 2012 is still the high water mark for wide receivers.
The Aqib Talib Saga
While his teammates were at the White House shaking hands with Barack Obama on Monday, Aqib Talib was in a hospital bed in Dallas. Denver’s controversial cornerback was treated for a bullet wound in his right leg after getting shot early Sunday morning.
It’s going to take a while to piece this one together. Here’s what we know. The bullet entered through the rear of Talib’s right thigh and came out his right calf. He only needed stitches and was released from the hospital on Monday. Talib is expected to return to Denver on Tuesday or Wednesday, where he’ll be evaluated by the team’s medical staff. Talib’s injury isn’t considered serious but it could sideline him for the rest of OTAs, which are winding down anyway.
Talib reportedly told Dallas Police that the night was a “blur” while admitting he was “too intoxicated to remember what happened.” Officials are looking into whether the incident was connected to a strip club shooting, though Talib claims he was shot in a park at 3:40 a.m. Police know at least two men were shot at the V Live club on Empire Central Drive early Sunday morning. Four gunshots can be heard in the background of this Snapchat video obtained by TMZ.
According to NBC Denver, Talib has “told people close to him” that he accidentally shot himself. That makes the most sense given the path the bullet took through his leg. This draws obvious parallels to an incident involving Plaxico Burress in 2008. As the story goes, Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg at a New York City nightclub. What followed was a lengthy legal battle that eventually led to Burress serving a 20-month prison sentence for criminal possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. There are sure to be legal ramifications if police find that Talib did indeed pull the trigger, accidental or not.
It’s too early to speculate on what kind of punishment he’d face, or if the Broncos would consider placing Talib on the non-football Injury list. But Talib certainly won’t be given the benefit of the doubt given his checkered past. Talib has been involved in a slew of off-field incidents since entering the league in 2008. He’s been arrested twice: once for allegedly battering a taxi driver in 2009 and again in 2011 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, though the charges were later dropped.
Talib has also exhibited his fair share of reckless on-field behavior. He was suspended one game last year for poking Dwayne Allen in the eye and was fined $26,044 for committing a pair of personal fouls against Ted Ginn and Corey Brown in Super Bowl 50. Talib’s talent is without question—he’s been invited to each of the last three Pro Bowls and is one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in NFL history. But personal demons have continued to get in the way of his success.
We don’t know all the facts yet but it sure looks like Talib put himself in a compromising position with guns and alcohol. He’s just lucky he’s alive to tell the story, even if he doesn’t remember most of it.
Quick Hits: Jared Cook will miss the remainder of OTAs after undergoing foot surgery. Before his injury, ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky called Cook the team’s best offseason pickup … The Panthers rewarded All-Pro center Ryan Kalil with a two-year, $16,75 million extension. That keeps him in Carolina through his age-33 season … Marshawn Lynch confirmed his retirement in an interview with Showtime, which will air on Tuesday night. “I’m retired,” said Lynch. “I’m done. I’m not playing football anymore” … The Vikings signed free safety Harrison Smith to a five-year, $51.25 million extension on Monday. That makes him the highest-paid safety in the NFL, excluding Kansas City’s Eric Berry, who is playing under the $10.8 million franchise tag … J.J. Watt returned to practice on Monday. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year underwent offseason groin and core surgeries. He’s never missed a regular season game … Von Miller and the Broncos are making progress in contract talks. The two sides have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal. Right now, Miller is playing under the $14.1 million franchise tag … Members of last year’s Super Bowl-winning Broncos team visited the White House on Monday but Brock Osweiler was conspicuously absent. Osweiler said he would have gone if the Texans didn’t have practice on Monday … Todd Gurley lost 10-15 pounds this offseason but isn’t sure how. “I don’t know what happened this offseason,” said Gurley. “I feel fine how I am, so I’m not going to add weight” … Gary Barnidge underwent sports hernia surgery on Thursday. He’s hoping to be ready for training camp next month … Fletcher Cox and Darren Sproles were absent for OTAs but both arrived at the Eagles’ facility Monday ahead of Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp. If either had missed minicamp, they would have been subject to a $76,580 fine … Dolphins coach Adam Gase said he wants his running backs to be able to play all three downs. Jay Ajayi is hoping to establish himself as the team’s workhorse following Lamar Miller’s departure this offseason … DeSean Jackson returned to practice on Monday. He forfeited a $500,000 bonus by skipping OTAs last month … Christian Hackenberg has struggled at OTAs. ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini called his footwork “robotic” and said he’s been “fluttering” his passes. “Right now I expect him to look sloppy because he’s seeing a whole boat load of defenses that are coming at him daily,” said head coach Todd Bowles. “There’s going to be a growth period” … Lions GM Bob Quinn confirmed Ameer Abdullah (shoulder surgery) will be ready for training camp. He’s not as optimistic about Brandon Pettigrew, who is still recovering from a torn ACL … The Bills signed first-round pick Shaq Lawson on Monday. The Clemson alum might not be ready until midseason after undergoing shoulder surgery last month … Jason Pierre-Paul said he’ll be out of the country for the 4th of July this year. Last year’s festivities didn’t end well for JPP, who lost one of his fingers in a fireworks accident … Aaron Rodgers is an icon in cheesehead country. Ironically, he’s no longer eating cheese. The two-time MVP slimmed down to 218 pounds by cutting dairy from his diet. That’s his lightest playing weight since 2007 … After Will Smith’s murder two months ago, Tyrann Mathieu went on a lengthy Twitter rant about the culture of violence in his hometown of New Orleans. Mathieu returned to the Big Easy last Saturday to host a youth football camp called “Heart of a Badger.” 400 campers were in attendance along with Mathieu’s former coach at LSU Les Miles and star running back Leonard Fournette … Muhammad Ali had a major influence on Cam Newton. He wrote about it in The Players’ Tribune.
