Yes, the Jaguars gave free-agent defensive end Greg Hardy a visit and a workout. No, they won’t be signing him, yet.
Per a league source with knowledge of the situation, the Jaguars wanted to learn more about Hardy so that they’ll know more about him if at some point down the road they need him.
That could be in a week. That could be in a month. That could be late in the regular season or in the postseason.
If they’d been blown away by Hardy, they likely would have signed him now. As it stands, they were doing their due diligence regarding who he is as a player and his issues in Carolina and Dallas.
The Jaguars first considered the possibility of looking at Hardy in March, but they deliberately waited to see how he conducted himself during his search for work.
Moving forward, the Jaguars know more about him if they find themselves in a situation where they urgently need help at a position that doesn’t have many competent free-agent players readily available. They now know more about Hardy, and it’s possible that at some point down the road they’ll make a move.
It means they haven’t slammed the door on signing him. But there’s no guarantee he’ll be walking through the door in the near future, or ever.
Whatever and whenever they make a decision, the move won’t be influenced, we’re told, by public reaction to the possible move. The Jaguars want to win, Hardy is eligible to be signed, and the possibility that someone will criticize the team for giving him another second chance won’t be a factor.