Calais Campbell reportedly picks Jaguars over Broncos
Free agent defensive lineman Calais Campbell is headed back to the state where he played his college football career.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports on Thursday that Campbell will be signing a four-year, $60 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars with $30 million guaranteed after also considering the Denver Broncos.
After considering Denver, Calais Campbell is going to sign a 4-year, $60 million deal that includes $30M gtd with Jacksonville, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 9, 2017
The 30-year-old Campbell, who is actually a native of Denver but attended college at the University of Miami in Florida, started all 16 games for the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, recording 53 combined tackles, 8.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Broncos cornerbacks Chris Harris and Aqib Talib both posted tweets directed at Campbell on Thursday trying to recruit the two-time Pro Bowler to Denver, but apparently their efforts were unsuccessful.
@Campbell93 come play with some super dogs lol
— Chris Harris (@ChrisHarrisJr) March 9, 2017
@Campbell93 come on home my Brudda!!! #NoFlyZone
— AqibTalib21 (@AqibTalib21) March 9, 2017
The Jaguars ranked just 19th in the NFL in rushing defense last season (per ESPN), so Campbell definitely fills a need for them. That $15 million average annual value will also put Campbell in near-elite territory for a defensive lineman, eclipsed only by Ndamukong Suh, Muhammad Wilkerson, Jason Pierre-Paul (who will be playing under the franchise tag in 2017), Marcell Dareus, Olivier Vernon, and now fellow Jaguar Malik Jackson. As for the Broncos, they would have offered him the better chance to compete for a Super Bowl, but perhaps this cheap shot they took at Campbell three seasons ago was enough to convince him to sign elsewhere.