Jacksonville Jaguars: Time to move on from Josh Evans
By Luke Sims
Jacksonville Jaguars safety Josh Evans has somehow stuck with the team despite mediocre play through three seasons, but it’s time to move on.
2016 is the year that the Jacksonville Jaguars officially break out. It’s the year that they finally claw back from a decade mired in mediocrity and below-average performances to emerge again as a contender on the national stage.
That means moving on from some players who have helped get the team to where they are right now.
No player may be such a clear bridge to the horrific past and brightening present than safety Josh Evans.
Originally coming to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Evans was a player the team had moderately high hopes for but knew he may not be anything special. He was quickly overshadowed by fellow 2013 safety Johnathan Cyprien, but still somehow found himself as a starter in many games. In fact, Pro Football Reference has him listed as starting 36 games out of an eligible 47.
In return for all of that time on the field, Evans has contributed just five passes defensed, one fumble forced, three fumbles recovered, and 145 tackles. He’s been slotted in at both safety positions but hasn’t managed to latch on with either.
He’s a mediocre player at a critical position for the Jags and has somehow found himself forced to be a major contributor. In fact, he’s been a major contributor over the last three seasons – three of the worst Jaguars defenses ever, actually – precisely because the Jags haven’t managed to put the right talent on the field.
When general manager Dave Caldwell first came to the Jags he was forced to reach deep to find players who were capable of getting early playing time regardless of whether they were strong players or not. That meant players like Evans saw the field more and more frequently, especially when compared to other teams with greater depth.
Now, as a maturing roster, it’s time for the Jaguars to say goodbye to players like Evans. They’ve done their jobs, they’ve helped bridge the gap from 2012’s complete lack of talent to today’s much deeper group. That role deserves to be recognized, but it doesn’t justify keeping a spot on the roster for him.
Mike Kaye at First Coast News sums it up nicely:
"More from Black and TealJaguars RB Travis Etienne expected to have bigger impact in 20235 bonafide stars from the Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 seasonJacksonville Jaguars haven’t heard any Calvin Ridley news from the NFLWR Marvin Jones Jr. will give 110 percent with the Jacksonville Jaguars or wherever he plays in 2023Jacksonville Jaguars keeping TE Evan Engram in 2023 one way or anotherThis season, with the addition of Tashaun Gipson, Evans has dropped down a peg. Peyton Thompson and James Sample are both being given opportunities to play larger roles in the secondary, which makes Evans’ spot on the roster quite shaky. He and undrafted rookie Jarrod Wilson are likely competing to force the Jaguars to keep a fifth safety on the active roster. So far, Wilson has made plays and Evans has failed to stick out."
Evans desperately needs to prove that he’s worth more than just nostalgia on the Jaguars going forward. He needs to show that younger players aren’t able to make more plays than him, a three-year veteran.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely that he can do that.