Jacksonville Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell clarified why the team brought embattled free agent defensive lineman in for a free agent visit.
Caldwell said that the Jaguars were simply doing their due diligence on potential improvements.
“It was an opportunity for us,” Caldwell said, via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “Here was a guy who was a franchise defensive end that was on the street and we tried to find out the facts of where he’s at, the truth behind him and everything that surrounds him and just do our homework.
“It’s not often you get to work out a player of that caliber. We have no imminent plans of signing him at this point. But it was good to get him in and find out about him.”
Ever since this incident, Hardy has largely been viewed as toxic. Between that and the fact that he was a locker room distraction, he’s simply been ruled out as an option by many teams. The Jaguars are leaving the door cracked, but it doesn’t sound like they’re going to be opening it all the way anytime soon.
