Despite their recent free-agent spending sprees, the Jaguars are still among the youngest teams in the league. The squad only has four players who are over the age of 30.
That number is below the league average when it comes to employing positional players who are 30 or older. Philly Voice's Eagles beat writer Jimmy Kempski recently put together his annual calculations for the league's rosters and found that the average is 6.5 players of 30 years or more for each team.
The Jaguars actually have 10 fewer "30 or more" players than the Oakland Raiders (14). When you consider the four conference championship teams from last season, the Jaguars have the smallest grouping of the 30 or older crowd. The Eagles have 10 players who fit that description, while the Patriots have eight and the Vikings have five. All four AFC South teams have four positional players (not counting specialists) who are 30 or older.
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When you consider who the Jaguars have in the "30 or more" category, it's easy to see the contingency plans for those older players. The Jaguars' eldest players are defensive end Calais Campbell (31), safeties Barry Church (30) and Don Carey (31) and right tackle Jermey Parnell (31).
Of the 30-plus crowd, Campbell will probably be the hardest to replace. However, the Jaguars invested heavily in the future of his "rover" lineman role by selecting Florida defensive lineman Taven Bryan in the first round of the draft.
Bryan was cross-trained as a strong-side end and a three-technique during the offseason program and his athleticism should allow for him to move along the line like Campbell. If Bryan can become a consistent pass rusher, he will be able to fill in when Campbell eventually leaves Jacksonville. The Jaguars can save $9.5 million by releasing the All-Pro next season. If they decide to hang onto Campbell for two more years, he can be released for a cap savings of $15 million in 2020.
With Church, the obvious eventual replacement is third-round pick Ronnie Harrison. Church's four-year, $26 million deal - signed last offseason - will run out of guaranteed money next year and he can be released for a cap savings of $6.25 million, according to OverTheCap.com. With cornerback Jalen Ramsey, defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and linebacker Myles Jack all eligible for massive contract extensions next offseason, replacing Church with Harrison, who will be on his rookie contract for the next four years, makes a lot of sense.
Carey is viewed as a special teams ace. While his role will be important to the game's third phase, the Jaguars can easily replace him next season with an up-and-coming defensive back like third-year safety Jarrod Wilson or second-year cornerback Jalen Myrick. Carey will be a veteran leader on special teams but fellow free-agent addition, Cody Davis, could take on that role as well.
Parnell has battled injuries over the past two seasons but he has been a productive right tackle when healthy. Due to his history of injuries, the Jaguars hedged their bets during this year's draft. The team picked NC State offensive tackle Will Richardson in the fourth round of April's selection process. While Richardson won't be an immediate replacement, he could serve as the long-term heir apparent at right tackle, similar to Harrison's outlook with Church.
The Jaguars have designed their roster around a young core of players with contingency plans for their aging veterans. That design will allow the Jaguars to keep their foot on the pedal when it comes to competing in the AFC South, as the team will have salary cap flexibility and be able to house their young talent for years to come.
Follow Mike Kaye on Twitter: @Mike_E_Kaye.