The Jacksonville Jaguars underwent a major overhaul this offseason and the results are noticeable on the final 53-man roster. Head coach Urban Meyer and general manager Trent Baalke took advantage of the surplus of cap space and draft picks the team had earlier this year and made major upgrades.
Just like every other NFL team, the Jags had to trim down their roster to 53-players before the 4:00 PM EDT deadline on August 31. They started the process a few days ago though. First, they sent quarterback Gardner Minshew to the Philadelphia Eagles one day before the preseason finale. The team’s brass also traded cornerback Sidney Jones to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday evening and waived undrafted free-agent cornerback Corey Straughter.
Here’s a list of all the players the Jaguars waived (less than four accrued seasons) and released (more than four accrued seasons) to get to 53, via the team’s official website:
Waived:
CB Lorenzo Burns
WR Jalen Camp
DT Doug Costin
TE Tyler Davis
WR Jeff Cotton Jr.
RB Nathan Cottrell
TE Ben Ellefson
WR Josh Hammond
WR Collin Johnson
WR Tevin Jones
QB Jake Luton
OL KC McDermott
RB Devine Ozigbo
OL Austen Pleasants
DB Brandon Rusnak
OL Badara Traore
OL Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms
LB Quincy Williams
Released:
WR Pharoh Cooper
WR Phillip Dorsett II
OL Jermaine Eluemunor
WR Devin Smith
WR Laquon Treadwell
S Jarrod Wilson
Furthermore, the Jaguars placed safety Josh Jones on the Reserve/Injured list, and safety Josh Jones landed on Reserve/Injured list. EDGE rusher Josh Allen is currently on the COVID-19/Reserve list and rookie linebacker is on the Reserve/Non-Football list.
Keep in mind that Jacksonville might not be done and will take a look at the waiver wire for pickups. Also, they will have to eventually release/waive somebody to make room for Allen, Jones, or Moses in case he’s healthy. Here’s how the 53-roster looks ahead of Week 1 of the regular season.
Trevor Lawrence is ready to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars offense.
Here’s how the Jaguars’ offense looks. Arguably, the biggest surprise is that the team’s brass decided to carry just two quarterbacks and three tight ends.
Quarterbacks (2): Trevor Lawrence and C.J. Beathard.
The Jaguars chose to keep just two quarterbacks into the season. Jake Luton is a prime candidate to land on the practice squad but they could also take a dive into the waiver wire.
Running backs (3): James Robinson, Carlos Hyde, and Dare Ogunbowale.
With rookie Travis Etienne out for the year, Dare Ogunbowale had an easier path to make the team. The team could Devine Ozigbo to the practice squad and promote him to the active roster in case they need an extra running back.
Wide receivers (5): DJ Chark Jr., Laviska Shenault Jr., Marvin Jones Jr., Jamal Agnew, Tavon Austin.
The Jaguars bet on younger wide receivers with bigger upside and released Phillip Dorsett. On the other hand, it was kind of surprising to see them waive sophomore Collin Johnson. Jacksonville could bring him and/or Laquon Treadwell back on the practice squad.
Tight ends (3): Chris Manhertz, James O’Shaughnessy, Luke Farrell.
Of all the tight ends on the Jaguars’ roster, James O’Shaughnessy arguably had the best offseason. Chris Manhertz will still see the field often in short-yardage and red-zone situations. Also, rookie Luke Farrell could develop into a solid starter. The Jaguars may look into the waiver wire for upgrades at tight end.
Offensive line (9): Cam Robinson, Andrew Norwell, Jawaan Taylor, Brandon Linder, Tyler Shatley, A.J. Cann, Ben Bartch, Walker Little, Will Richardson.
The Jaguars brought back all their offensive line starters from 2020. They expect the group to improve. If either Robinson or Taylor struggle, Little could take their place in the lineup but other than that, the unit didn’t undergo many changes.
The Jacksonville Jaguars put an emphasis on the defensive line.
Earlier this year, Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer told the local media the team was going to fortify the defensive front and revamp the secondary. The Jags made several additions to both groups in the offseason and kept most of them.
Defensive tackles (5) DaVon Hamilton, Jay Tufele, Malcom Brown, and Taven Bryan, Daniel Ekuale.
Even though the Jaguars declined to exercise the team’s fifth-year option on defensive tackle Taven Bryan, they kept him over sophomore Doug Costin. The Florida product fell down the depth chart last season but the new coaching staff could at last untap the potential that made him a first-round selection in 2018.
Defensive ends/EDGE rushers (8): Josh Allen, Roy Robertson-Harris, Dawuane Smoot, Adam Gotsis, Le Jordan Smith, K’Lavon Chaisson, Lerentee McCray, Aaron Patrick
The Jaguars revamped their defensive front this offseason but kept several players that the former regime brought in. Defensive coordinator Joe Cullen believes this group can realistically double the team’s sack totals from 2020.
Linebackers (5): Myles Jack, Shaquille Quarterman, Chapelle Russell, Dakota Allen, Damien Wilson.
Damien Wilson was a better fit in Joe Cullen’s scheme than Joe Schobert and hence the Jaguars decision to trade the latter. Shaquill Quarterman had a good training camp and improved in the offseason.
Cornerbacks (5): C.J. Henderson, Tre Herndon, Chris Claybrooks, Shaquill Griffin, Tyson Campbell.
The Sidney Jones trade paved the way for Chris Claybrooks to make the roster. C.J. Henderson quickly made up for the time he lost in training camp and will most likely start opposite Shaquill Griffin in the season opener.
Safeties (5) Rayshawn Jenkins, Daniel Thomas, Rudy Ford, Andre Cisco, Andrew Wingard
The Jaguars had a crowded safety room ahead of the roster cutdown deadline. In the end, they decided to go younger and released Jarrod Wilson, who shouldn’t be out of work for long.
Special teams (3): Logan Cooke (punter), Ross Matiscik (long snapper), Josh Lambo (kicker).
This group has been set for a while.