3 takeaways from Cole Van Lanen contract extension with Jaguars

6 days ago 2

The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly signed offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen to a three-year contract extension.

The deal is worth $51 million and includes $32.5 million guaranteed. With incentives, the contract could be worth as much as $55.5 million, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Van Lanen was set to be a free agent this offseason, but is now under contract through the 2028 season.

Here are three takeaways from the Jaguars-Van Lanen extension.

Cole Van Lanen's versatility has been extremely valuable

For much of the season, Van Lanen has come off the bench for the Jaguars, filling in on the offensive line wherever he's been needed. This includes starting at least one game at every position along the offensive line except for center.

According to PFF, Van Lanen has played 300 snaps at left tackle, 72 at left guard, 46 at right guard, and 133 snaps at right tackle.

This level of versatility is quite uncommon, but it has provided the Jaguars with needed stability up front as they've worked through various injuries.

Teams don't let players who can provide this level of value out of the building. GM James Gladstone made sure that Van Lanen didn't get to free agency.

What does Van Lanen's deal mean for Walker Little?

While Van Lanen's versatility has been crucial, in recent weeks, he has found a home at left tackle.

In his last four starts, Van Lanen ranks 10th among all tackles in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency metric. He also ranks 10th in run-blocking grade during that span as well.

This has left Little to come off the bench and he has filled in at right guard with Patrick Mekari out.

Little still has two more years left on his current deal, and it's cheaper to have him on the roster than releasing him next season. Little's cap hit in 2026 is $14.55 million, according to Over the Cap, while his dead cap hit if released is $18.23 million.

So it makes sense to keep Little around for next season, but he may end up providing depth instead of starting somewhere.

Where does Cole Van Lanen's new deal rank relative to other offensive tackles?

With a total contract value worth $51 million, Van Lanen's deal will rank as the 26th highest among offensive tackles next season, according to Spotrac.

In terms of guaranteed money, his deal ranks 26th, and it's the 27th-highest-paid tackle contract by average annual value at $17 million per year.

This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: What Cole Van Lanen contract extension means for Jaguars Walker Little

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