Colts rising star predicted to leave Indy for projected $57 million deal with Jaguars

When Liam Coen took the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach job, he did so knowing that  recently-extended quarterback Trevor Lawrence would be his meal ticket.

While the Jaguars will have to address what was one of the NFL’s worst defenses in 2024, Coen’s background comes on the offensive side of the football. He’ll be Jacksonville’s play caller going forward, and he figures to leverage his heavy sway in the organization to make key additions on offense.

The offensive line figures to be a major priority, as Lawrence missed a career-high seven games due to shoulder and head injuries last season. Jacob Camenker of USA TODAY is eyeing a top pending free agent from the AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts as a possible solution in free agency.

Here’s why Camenker predicts Coen and the Jaguars will prioritize signing star offensive guard Will Fries away from the Colts this March:

Brandon Scherff is a free agent this offseason. The Jaguars could bring back the stalwart right guard for another season, but they could also look to get younger at the position with Scherff set to turn 34 in December. Fries turns just 27 in April and has blossomed into one of the best guards in the NFL. Signing him comes with the added benefit of weakening the Colts, so the Jaguars' new general manager could get off to a good start with a move like this.

Fries has steadily improved since entering the NFL as a seventh-round pick in 2021. He was on the verge of a breakout season entering Week 5 of 2024, thriving as the starting right guard on Indy’s dominant offensive line while carrying a PFF grade of 86.8 through 268 snaps.

Unfortunately for Fries, his season ended in Week 5 — against the Jaguars of all teams — due to a broken tibia. He missed the remainder of the season and could be a nice score in free agency at what PFF projects will be a three-year deal in the neighborhood of $57.25 million.

Jacksonville moved on from left tackle Cam Robinson at last year’s trade deadline and signed Walker Little to a three-year extension. Those moves were decided on by former GM Trent Baalke, so it remains to be seen where Coen and Co. stand on guys like Little, Anton Harrison and pending free agent Brandon Scherff.

Fries has interest in returning to the Colts, so the Jags would have some competition in this hypothetical signing. But no matter how Jacksonville goes about shoring up the protection for Lawrence this offseason, poaching a rising star from the Colts would feel like an early win for the Jaguars' new regime.