NFL Rumors: Are Jacksonville Jaguars Reopening Contract Negotiations With Josh Scobee?

It has been a quiet offseason for Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee, perhaps too quiet for his liking.

Scobee, who had the franchise tag placed on him by the Jaguars back in February, has expressed his frustration several times this offseason about the team’s lack of willingness to negotiate a new long-term contract with him.

However, with the deadline to negotiate a new deal with Scobee rapidly approaching, rumor is that the Jaguars may be ready to return to the negotiating table to lock up their kicker beyond the 2012 NFL season.

The Jaguars and Scobee have until July 16 to reach a new long-term deal, or else he will be forced to sign the one-year franchise tender that would pay him $2.88 million next season. The two sides could continue to negotiate after the July 16 deadline, but a new deal could not be signed until after the 2012 season.

Scobee has missed the entire Jaguars offseason training program because he is not currently under contract with the team, but it is unknown whether or not he would show up for training camp later this month if he is forced to sign his franchise tender. Scobee is on record, however, as saying he would not miss any regular season games if a long-term contract is not signed before the deadline.

The Jaguars and Scobee may use the parameters of recently signed kickers like Matt Prater of the Denver Broncos and Connor Barth of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a starting point for these negotiations. Each signed contracts that were four-years and worth about $13 million.