The Jacksonville Jaguars have a few players absent from voluntary workouts in the former of Jalen Ramsey https://www.jaguarsfanstore.com/Austin- … ins-Jersey , Telvin Smith and Yannick Ngakoue. Ramsey is training on his own and looking for a new deal,..." Can the Jaguars afford Yannick Ngakoue?New,77commentsEDTThe Jacksonville Jaguars have a few players absent from voluntary workouts in the former of Jalen Ramsey, Telvin Smith and Yannick Ngakoue. Ramsey is training on his own and looking for a new deal, the former is something he’s always done anyway. Smith is currently AWOL and Ngakoue has skipped out after showing up for the first week of workouts, presumably in a good faith showing while trying to get a new contract.One question I’ve seen a lot is if the Jaguars can actually afford to pay Yannick Ngakoue at market value and if it will prevent the team from signing Jalen Ramsey long term. The short answer is yes they can and no it won’t. Getting into the numbers, if the Jaguars want to keep Ngakoue it will not be cheap. If you look at some of the contracts at the position recently you can see that, especially for some players I personally think Ngakoue is just as good or better than. Trey Flowers signed a 5-year, $90 million deal with $40 million guaranteed. DeMarcus Lawrence signed a 5-year, $105 million deal with $48 guaranteed and Frank Clark signed a 5-year, $104 million deal with $43.8 guaranteed. The sack totals for those players rank as follows; Flowers 21 sacks in 46 games Niles Paul Color Rush Jersey , Lawrence has 34 sacks in 64 games, Clark has 35 sacks in 62 games and Ngakoue has 29.5 sacks in 48 games.As you can see, Ngakoue is one or above their level in a raw numbers perspective and I’d bet his quarterback hurries and hits are as much or more than them as well.My guess would be that the hope is that the Jaguars are able to lock up Ngakoue on a deal more similar to that of Trey Flowers instead of a deal eclipsing $100 million. Currently the Jaguars have $13.5 million in cap space, but they can free up more space if they feel it necessary by restructuring or they can simply play financial gymnastics and do something like a large signing bonus with a small 2019 salary to mitigate the cap hit. I expect the Jaguars to get a deal done with Ngakoue before the season and that’s likely how they’ll do it.The real question many fans have however is; can the Jaguars still afford Jalen Ramsey if they re-sign Ngakoue?Yes.For the 2020 season the Jaguars can do things they’re likely going to be doing anyway, such as cutting Marcell Dareus to save $20 million in cap space. Jake Ryan has kind of a dummy year in his contract for 2020 where it’s a straight $6 million in savings. You’ll also likely release DJ Hayden to save $6 million, etc. The Jaguars have continuously set themselves up to move on from contracts when they need to in a way to be able to re-sign their own players, since they finally have players worth re-signing. You also have to remember the team has picked up Jalen Ramsey’s fifth-year option and will still have the franchise tag as an option, so it’s not something really worth worrying about at this point. Just remember: The salary cap is fake. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Leonard Fournette sprinted right, took a couple of stutter steps while waiting for blockers, cut back sharply and then made another abrupt move to elude two defenders and find an even bigger opening.He was celebrating in the end zone a few seconds later.Fournette’s 21-yard touchdown scamper in an exhibition game against Atlanta was longer than any run he had during Jacksonville’s final seven games last season. It showed the kind of vision and burst Fournette lacked down the stretch as a rookie D.J. Hayden Jersey , and provided a glimpse of what the Jaguars expect from the centerpiece of their oft-maligned offense in 2018.“I want to be great,” Fournette said.With that in mind, Fournette shed more than 15 pounds this offseason in an effort to “take it back” to his college days. He now expects his second NFL season to look a lot like his sophomore year at LSU , the 2015 campaign in which he averaged 6.5 yards a carry, scored 22 touchdowns and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting.Fournette insists he’s eating better, conditioning more and even doing 50 push-ups a night.“I would say it is probably one of my first years feeling healthier than I ever did before,” he said.The Jaguars are counting on it making a difference on the field, too.Fournette carried 268 times for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017. He scored seven touchdowns in his first six games, including on runs of 90 and 75 yards.He slowed significantly down the stretch, missing two games because of injuries and another because of a suspension. The Jaguars led the league in rushing https://www.jaguarsfanstore.com/Cody-Kessler-Jersey , averaging 141.4 yards a game, but the ground attack was hardly the same during the second half of the season and the playoffs.Jacksonville averaged 40 yards less a game over that stretch and was down a little more than a yard a carry.The stalled ground attack reached a low point in the AFC title game at New England. Trying to milk the clock and preserve a lead, the Jags managed a measly 41 yards on 15 carries in the second half. More than a third of those yards (14) came on one play.Fournette shouldered the blame, and the fourth overall pick in the 2017 draft decided to do something about it. He got leaner and fitter in hopes of gaining a little more top-end speed and becoming a three-down back. He also plans to get out of bounds more often to save his body from the pain and pounding that comes with a 16-game schedule.“It’s Year 2,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “You always look at Year 2 being in the same system and understanding everything: the speed of the game, the offense. That’s always going to amp up your production.”Jacksonville made several other moves to help Fournette.General manager Dave Caldwell and football czar Tom Coughlin signed All-Pro guard Andrew Norwell to a five-year, $66.5 million contract in free agency. They also revamped the receiving corps by signing big-play receiver Donte Moncrief and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, then selected speedy receiver DJ Chark in the second round of the draft.Caldwell and Coughlin believe Norwell and a few more passing threats will help create more space for Fournette near the line of scrimmage.And for Jacksonville — which wants to win games by running the ball and playing stout defense — that could mean everything in a season with Super Bowl aspirations.Fournette being leaner could pay dividends, too.“I feel like he’s faster,” defensive end Yannick Ngakoue said. “I can tell he’s been working hard.”Some other things to know about Jacksonville heading into the season opener at the Giants:DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE?: After finishing second in the NFL in yards allowed, points https://www.jaguarsfanstore.com , sacks, takeaways and interceptions last year, Jacksonville’s defense believes it will be improved in 2018 . The unit returns 12 of its top 14 players, including eight starters who earned Pro Bowl honors in the last four years.“We like to talk a lot of trash and back it up and make teams fear us,” All-Pro defensive end Calais Campbell said. “Our ultimate goal is to strike intimidation, and people know that we know how good we are. That’s a good feeling to have.”MISSING RECEIVER: The Jaguars will be without top receiver Marqise Lee for the season. Lee tore ligaments in his left knee in a preseason game, was placed on injured reserve and will have season-ending surgery. The team will rely on second-year pros Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook, one-year rental Moncrief and rookie Chark to fill the void.POSTSEASON BOUND?: Jacksonville is looking for consecutive postseason berths for the second time in franchise history and first time since the 1998 and ’99 seasons.