Jacksonville Jaguars sign S Devin Neal

Devin Neal's three-year, $3.1M deal with Jacksonville represents a fair-value signing at the bottom of the market — nothing more, nothing less. At a $1.04M AAV, this is essentially a minimum-caliber contract for a safety who profiles as a depth piece or special teams contributor rather than a foundational piece of the secondary. The $231K in guarantees tells you everything you need to know about the Jaguars' confidence level here — this is a prove-it situation dressed up in a multi-year structure, giving Jacksonville roster flexibility while giving Neal a runway to earn a more prominent role. For a 13-4 team sitting as the AFC's third seed, adding low-cost depth at safety makes organizational sense — you're filling out a 53-man roster, not reshaping a unit. The contract earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), which feels right: the deal doesn't hurt Jacksonville's cap picture in any meaningful way given the negligible AAV, but Neal's production tier hasn't justified anything more than replacement-level investment at this stage. The three-year length is the one eyebrow-raiser — locking in a depth safety through multiple seasons can complicate future roster decisions — but with virtually no guaranteed money beyond the signing bonus, the Jaguars hold all the leverage here. This is low-risk portfolio management for a contender, not a needle-mover.