For the Jaguars, the sooner they sign Trevor Lawrence, the better

Of the five quarterbacks selected with the top 15 picks during the 2021 draft, only one of them was not traded for a Day 3 pick.

But when will the Jaguars and quarterback Trevor Lawrence work out a deal that will keep him there long-term?

Time only makes it cheaper if the center fielder suffers a career-altering injury or loses his fastball. Usually, waiting makes it more expensive. Primarily because other quarterback deals keep pushing the price higher and higher. Not to mention the ever-increasing salary cap.

Over the weekend, ESPN put the final figure on Lawrence’s extension at more than $50 million per year. Which is kind of obvious, given the market. The real question is whether, by waiting a year, Lawrence can reach the $60 million mark.

That’s the other side of this. For the team, it never gets cheaper to wait. For the player, time is on his side – if he is willing not to take the bird in his hand.

For this reason, the team must place the largest possible bird in the player’s hand. Make him an offer he can’t refuse. If, after a few years, its performance and continued market growth ruin everything, it can be addressed. But at least he will have been locked in at a decent rate until that time comes.

Lawrence is making $5.6 million this year. His fifth-year option is a mere $25.6 million — nearly $30 million less than the market cap. If the Jaguars were going to make Jared Goff an offer now, how could Lawrence say no?

The clock is ticking. The price is rising. It won’t get cheaper.

And yes, Lawrence knows this. But it’s one thing to say “I’ll wait” in a vacuum. It’s quite another to say “no thanks” to a huge pile of money on the table, and she’s smiling at you.