JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — NFL free agency hasn't officially kicked off, but the Jacksonville Jaguars got in on the fun early.
Help is on the way for the Jaguars after NFL Media's Mike Garafolo reported Monday morning that the team agreed to terms with Buffalo Bills center Mitch Morse a few hours before the start of the league's free agency negotiating period begins. Morse reportedly visited the Pittsburgh Steelers before making his way to Jacksonville.
Morse will sign a two-year deal worth $10.5 million with $7 million guaranteed, Garafolo added.
Morse was released by the Bills last week as part of the team's salary-cap savings moves. The Bills also released veteran safety Jordan Poyer, defensive back Srian Neal, receiver and return specialist Deonte Harty and running back Nyheim Hines.
The Bills are undergoing a re-tooling period, and Morse, a captain in 2022 and 2023, was part of the team's process saving them $8.5 million against their salary cap.
Morse has started 126 games in his career after being drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. Morse spent his first season in Kansas City with Doug Pederson when the coach was the team's offensive coordinator. Morse made the Pro Bowl in 2022.
After spending four years with the Chiefs, Morse was signed in free agency by the Bills, starting 77 games for Buffalo, missing just seven games total in five years with the Bills.
Morse adds competition for Jacksonville and likely will earn the starting job over third-year center Luke Fortner, who struggled last season.
Fortner earned a 44.3 grade from Pro Football Focus, the second worst in the NFL at the position ahead of only Giants rookie center John Michael Schmitz.
At his end-of-season press conference, Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke indicated the team needed to bring in competition, someone to push the team's young center potentially. Morse fits that bill.
"We also got to look to how we make this a more competitive situation. Guys get nervous when the guy behind them is pushing them every day for the starting role. Iron sharpens iron," Baalke said in late January.
"So you got to make these rooms as competitive as you can, whether it’s through the draft or through free agency, we’ve got to attack that to make these rooms as competitive as they can be so the guy that’s starting is always feeling the pressure of the guy behind him.”
The promise has been followed through and Morse comes in to help stabilize the team's offensive line after a turbulent 2023 campaign.
