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Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has been absent from offseason workouts. He reportedly showed up for the first few days, and he then left.
Can confirm Yannick Ngakoue has been absent from voluntary workouts after being present for the first few days. If contract related, it’s a bit curious. Ngakoue’s market value has only increased by waiting for other pass rushers (Demarcus Lawrence, Frank Clark) to sign. #Jaguars
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) May 2, 2019
Could be a sign that he’s done waiting, though. The market has been set, and Ngakoue has been eligible for an extension since December. It’s undoubtedly a risk to enter the final year of his rookie deal without long-term security. #Jaguars
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) May 2, 2019
It makes sense — rookies are now forced into pre-determined contracts based on where they’re drafted, not by how much they produce. And Ngakoue’s 29.5 sacks over the past three seasons is tied for 10th in the league since then.
Ngakoue is due to make only $2.025 million in 2019. Allen, however, is slated to make a little more than last year’s No. 7 overall selection (coincidentally, also named Josh Allen) made — $21 million over four years.
That’s a pretty big disparity between one of the best pass rushers in the league vs. a highly touted rookie who hasn’t played an NFL down yet and I’d be a little reluctant to participate in voluntary workouts too.