Jaguars Franchise tag: Derek Cox, nor anyone will be tagged

The Jacksonville Jaguars will not be using the franchise tag on cornerback Derek Cox or anyone else on the roster, general manager David Caldwell told Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union.

Related: Will Cox get tagged?

If the Jaguars were to place to tag on Cox, it would cost in the range of $10 million guaranteed, which is quite a bit for a corner who's struggled to stay on the football field during his career. When healthy, Derek Cox has been a good cornerback for the Jaguars for the most part, but the problem is he carries that caveat; when healthy. Cox has played all 16 games just once in his four-year career, his rookie season. Since that season, Cox has missed a total of 17 games, including missing 14 the past two years.

"When you don't tag somebody and they get to free agency, you have to be prepared to lose him," Caldwell told O'Halloran.

The Jaguars will be in need of corners going forward, as now Cox, Rashean Mathis, and William Middleton will all be heading to free agency. The team may also explore releasing Aaron Ross as a cap cut, so corner will now be a need.