Jawaan Taylor is a potential target for the Denver Broncos in free agency, but his apparent contract demands might be too much. Taylor was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft and has since started in and played in every game of his career.
He did come with some genuine knee concerns, but he's held up and has not missed a start. However, he was shaky, to say the least during his first three seasons in the NFL. In his fourth year, not only did the Jaguars improve, but Taylor did as well.
He's now a pretty solid tackle, but nothing to write home about. The big advantage that Taylor has going into this free agency period is that there is a low supply of quality offensive linemen in the NFL, especially at the tackle spot.
Him being a free agent will play in his favor in every scenario, as Jeremy Fowler reported that some teams should not be surprised if Taylor commands a new contract worth $17-$18 million per season.
The right tackle market as of now is quite interesting, and does prove that there is not a ton of quality players at this position, at least compared to others.
Right now, there are only seven right tackles in the NFL making $10 million per year or more. Taylor's reported demands would place him within the top five of the AAV (average annual value) category.
Should the Denver Broncos pay this much if they have a chance at signing the player? My gut tells me no. It just seems like too much money for that position at this time. I'd personally feel more comfortable if they were to bring in a couple of new interior players for $10 million per year each, which would be slightly more than what Taylor would want on a new deal.
Just because he is a free agent and is relatively good at what he does, does not mean the Broncos need to break the bank for him.