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Johnnydollaz89
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The Jaguars got a head start on their 2014 free agents today by agreeing to a four-year contract with defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks, the team confirmed.
Marks, who signed a one-year contract with the Jaguars last spring, has been one of the bright spots during the team’s 4-11 season that wraps up in Indianapolis on Sunday.
The deal is worth $22 million over four years and a source said the contract includes $8 million guaranteed and a 2014 cap number of around $4 million.
"It's all about the direction we're heading and the direction we want to go," coach Gus Bradley said. "He's done a great job. A great job competing, a great job leading with our younger guys. Every day, we know exactly what we're getting from him."
Talks between the Jaguars and Marks' camp had been "in the works," a source said.
"It's very cool; I didn't expect it," Marks said after signing the deal around 1 p.m. "I thought it would go into the off-season and we would see what happened then."
General manager Dave Caldwell gave three reasons for why the move makes sense.
"The player wanted to here, we wanted him to be here and we were able to do it before the season ended and put some of the money into this year's salary cap," Caldwell said.
Caldwell said the team isn't close to signing any of their other potential free agents, chiefly running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
Marks is making $1.5 million this year.
The deal is the first major one for Caldwell since he was hired last January. The Jaguars' free agency approach last year was signing players (including Marks) to one- or two-year contracts.
Last week, a source said it would be smart for Marks to consider re-signing with the Jaguars before the market opens March 11 because of the glut of quality defensive tackles headed for free agency.
Marks is also the first Jaguars player during Caldwell's tenure to get an extension with time remaining on his current contract (albeit one game).
Marks has started all 15 games and has 28 tackles, four sacks and seven pass break-ups. He leads all Jaguars defensive linemen by playing 84 percent of the snaps
Jaguars DT Sen'Derrick Marks signs four-year contract | members.jacksonville.com