Jacksonville Jaguars: 4 possible training camp cuts

Not every veteran on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster is guaranteed a roster spot this season as younger players will challenge for playing time in 2020.

"Per Jaguars.com, “The Jacksonville Jaguars have hired Tony Gilbert as the team’s assistant linebackers coach and Denard Robinson as the team’s offensive quality control coach, the club announced.”"

Both players have a connection to the organization, having played here in Jacksonville during their NFL careers. As the coaching staff attempts to bold a new roster into a contender, Gilbert and Robinson can use their experiences with the Jaguars organization to help this young roster adapt to a new culture the franchise wants to incorporate this season.

They can also talk about what it’s like to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars and to have moved on to another team.

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Gilbert played linebacker in Jacksonville from 2003-06 after being drafted by Arizona in 2003. He retired from the game in 2010. Robinson was a standout quarterback at Michigan before being selected in general manager David Caldwell’s first draft class, He players for the Jaguars from 2013-16, totaling 263 rushes for 1,058 yards and five touchdowns.

He is expected to aid new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and his west coast style of offense.

The moves head coach Doug Marrone made in hiring both former players shows the coaching staff is still evolving as well and will work closely with the 90 players in camp. helping to mold the roster into the best it can be. The Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league this season.

Robinson played during the Gus Bradley years here in Jacksonville where victories were scarce. Gilbert played for the Black and Teal where the team finished 8-8 or better in three of the four seasons he was on the squad.

Marrone and his staff will look for players much like Gilbert and Robinson – ones who add a different dimension to their position room and provide depth when needed. Because of sheer numbers of first-year players in camp – 12 drafted players and 18 undrafted rookie free agents – there should be plenty of competition across the board.

Veterans will have to prove they can keep up with a new brand of football offensively while learning additional components of the defensive scheme coordinator Todd Wash has implemented this coming year.

Mike Glennon, Quarterback

Marrone said following the announcement the team had signed Mike Glennon this offseason, the move was made to give him more comfort at the position.

For anyone out there wondering, this is still Gardner Minshew’s team. There won’t be a big surprise at the end of training camp unless the current starter gets injured.

The Jacksonville Jaguars now have four quarterbacks on the roster. They are likely to keep two and one sent to the practice squad. Glennon will compete with Josh Dobbs for the backup role. Jake Luton is the rookie sixth-round pick who will study and wait his turn but won’t see the field in 2020.

The backup battle comes down to Glennon and Dobbs. It would be a slight upset if Dobbs wins the right to fill in for Minshew.

Keelan Cole

Keelan Cole averaged 15 yards per catch last season for the Jacksonville Jaguars. No matter how you try to spin this, making a first down each time you make a play is pretty remarkable. Unfortunately, the wide receiver room got a bit crowded this offseason.

There should be some interesting battles in camp, but none may be as exciting as the one at wide receiver. How does Cole, was fourth on the depth chart last season, overcome the players in front of him on the depth chart and compete with rookies drafted and brought in through free agency?

Cole will need to put together a camp as he did in 2017 to make the team as a free agent. It’s also possible the Jaguars, who have many bodies in camp, could trade a piece or two off the roster, which could open the door for Cole to remain here in Jacksonville.

If not, the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to lose a solid player to some other team.

Taven Bryan

Are his days numbered? The Jaguars coaching staff believes Taven Bryan, the team’s first-round draft pick in 2018, is progressing and should see more time as a starter this year.

That might not be what fans want to hear. The organization has invested money in the former Florida player. There is still hope for a return on the investment.

Bryan did play better in the second half of 2019, but he must put in a complete season where he proves to be a dominant interior lineman against the run. The Jaguars’ front office believed he could be a stud pass rusher on the outside his rookie season, but he could not pick up the tempo and was moved back inside to his original position.

The defense needs his big body to help stop the run and to apply pressure on the quarterback up the middle.

I have not closed the book on Bryan yet, but if he does not have a solid camp, and younger players produce more than he does, will Marrone cut his losses this season if he knows the defense can be better without Bryan on the roster?

Abry Jones

My daughter will probably throw a fit when she reads this. Abry Jones is her favorite player. Jones is the team’s most tenured player and has been a mainstay in the middle of the defensive line. Last season, however, his production fell off.

He wasn’t the only one who could not stop the run. The Jacksonville Jaguars took measures to help the run defense in free agency and the NFL Draft. If that proves to be enough of a bandage, players like Jones could be in jeopardy of losing their spot on the roster.

Jones is a nose tackle who should see some competition from rookie third-round pick DaVon Hamilton out of Michigan. not only do the Jaguars need more effort out of Jones on the field they also may need him to become more of a vocal leader on the field.

Jones could be one of the last roster cuts this preseason depending on how much Todd Wash gets out of his younger players on the field.