The Jaguars aren’t stocked with a ton of talent on their roster at the moment, but that isn’t driving them to try to lock up one of their best players before he becomes a free agent.
Left tackle Eugene Monroe told Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union that he has not had any discussions about a contract extension with General Manager David Caldwell. Monroe, the eighth pick in the 2009 draft, is set to become a free agent after the 2013 season and has developed into a strong blocker in both the running and passing game.
“I do [think about it] but my focus is on always getting better,” Monroe said. “Whether the deal is up, it doesn’t dictate how I train because I’m the same way every day. I don’t focus on it. We have a new system and I’m focused on soaking in all the new information and improving my game.”
Monroe, who did not report for the start of voluntary offseason work last week, also said that he didn’t anticipate any negotiations starting up this offseason or during the season. That adds some further shade to what the Jaguars might be planning to do with the second overall pick in the draft later this month. With tackles like Luke Joeckel and Eric Fisher considered strong possibilities in the top five, the Jags could be planning to turn Monroe in for a younger model.
Or they could just be waiting until after the draft to move on something with Monroe, perhaps with the hope of getting someone to trade up for one of those tackles. The franchise tag always remains a possibility as well, so it’s still far too soon to assume that Monroe will be leaving Jacksonville once his rookie deal expires.