With the 2021 NFL regular season inching closer, the Jacksonville Jaguars need to trim down their roster to 53 players before 4:00 PM EDT August 31. The Jags already made some moves ahead of the deadline. They sent quarterback Gardner Minshew to the Philadelphia Eagles one day before their Week 3 preseason matchup against the Dallas Cowboys and traded cornerback Sidney Jones to Seattle Seahawks on Monday evening. Moreover, they announced they waived undrafted free agent Cory Straughter.
That’s just the beginning though, as they still need to move on from close to 20 players as of this writing. On the bright side, they will be able to sign 16 to their practice squad. The team’s brass will take a dive into the waiver wire to see if they can poach a few contributors other clubs aren’t interested in.
Keep in mind that practice squad players are not part of the active roster. They partake in practices and attend position meetings but won’t appear in games nor travel with the rest of the team. With that in mind, the Jaguars should sign these four players to their practice squad if they release them.
Candidate No. 1 to land in Jaguars’ practice squad – TE Tyler Davis
The Jaguars’ coaching staff have praised second-year tight end Bell Ellefson several times. With Tim Tebow out of the way, the former Bison will most likely make the roster, so Tyler Davis could end up as the odd man out.
The 2020 sixth-round pick hauled in five receptions for 34 yards and one touchdown in the preseason. Although those kind of numbers aren’t eye-popping, the team, the team’s brass should give him a longer look. Davis didn’t register a catch in his rookie campaign but could benefit from a fresh start with the new regime.
Candidate No. 2 to land in Jaguars’ practice squad – WR Laquon Treadwell
The Jaguars may have a ‘burden of choice’ kind of situation at wide receiver. They have a well-rounded unit and it won’t be easy to sort it out. DJ Chark Jr., Marvin Jones Jr., and Laviska Shenault Jr. are the team’s top three receivers. One spot is most likely earmarked for Jamal Agnew, who will moonlight as a returner, and Collin Johnson might take another one.
That may leave just one spot open and there will be three or four players competing for it. Veteran Phillip Dorsett could end up getting it. If that’s the case, the Jaguars should sign Laquon Treadwell to the practice squad. After being a non-factor with the Minnesota Vikings and the Atlanta Falcons, it looks like he found the right fit in Jacksonville.
In the preseason finale, Treadwell caught two passes for 14 yards and one trip to the end zone. Keeping him in the practice squad is a low-risk, high-reward project, The 23rd overall pick in 2016 is still young and may be able to reach his full potential in Jacksonville. He’s the kind of reclamation project teams like.
Bonus: Since teams can sign 16 players to the practice squad, the Jaguars should also sign Jalen Camp. Although the former Yellow Jacket didn’t have a great preseason, it’s too early to give up on him. Camp is a victim of the numbers game and may be someone worth developing.
Candidate No. 3 to land in Jaguars’ practice squad – S Daniel Thomas
The Jaguars will have to make some tough choices at safety. Earlier this year, the position was one of the biggest needs but the team’s brass did a good job of adding upgrades in both free agency and the draft. The Jags signed Rayshawn Jenkins and Rudy Ford. They also brought back Josh Jones, who played and started 13 games last season. If that wasn’t enough, they used a third-round draft pick on Andre Cisco.
Although safety isn’t a strength per se, it isn’t a weakness either and the Jaguars will have to choose which ones they will keep. Jenkins is a lock to make the team and so should Cisco but things become less clear after those two. If the Jags decide to carry five safeties, the other three could be Jarrod Wilson, Jones, and Ford.
Unless Jacksonville trades (or releases) Wilson or Jones, Daniel Thomas would be the odd man out. The 2020 fifth-round pick missed time in the offseason after being placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list and didn’t particularly stand out in the preseason. However, he showed potential in his rookie campaign and even started two games.
In case Thomas doesn’t make the Jaguars’ 53-man roster, he’s a prime candidate to land on the practice squad. After all, he’s just 23 and hasn’t likely reached his ceiling yet.
Bonus: Another safety worth keeping in the practice squad is Andrew Wingard. The Wyoming product saw his playing time on defense go up in 2020 and could carve a niche on special teams.
Candidate No. 4 to land in Jaguars’ practice squad – QB Jake Luton
Trevor Lawrence is the most talented quarterback on the Jaguars’ roster and will start in Week 1 of the regular season. After trading Gardner Minshew to the Philadelphia Eagles, C.J. Beathard became the primary backup. Also, sophomore Jake Luton moved up one spot on the depth chart by default. However, he might not make the 53-man roster.
At this point, it’s uncertain if head coach Urban Meyer wants to carry two or three quarterbacks. There’s not really a ‘correct’ number but because this is his first season in the NFL, nobody outside the Jaguars organization knows what his preference will be. Meyer had a sitdown with the local media after the Jags’ 34-13 win over the Dallas Cowboys and was asked if Luton would be on the 53-man roster. He said the Oregon State product was in the mix but didn’t delve into specifics.
NFL teams are a couple of injuries away from losing their two quarterbacks, so having a third one always comes in handy. However, the Jaguars’ brass may be reluctant to assign one roster spot to a player that won’t play in every game. If Jacksonville ultimately chooses not to keep Luton, they should definitely sign him to the practice squad. The 2020 sixth-round pick isn’t a starting-caliber quarterback but could develop into a solid backup.
Last season, Luton had a solid rookie debut, completing 26 of 38 passes for 304 yards, one passing touchdown, one rushing touchdown, and one interception. Then again, he looked overwhelmed in his following two starts and was eventually benched. Still, the Jags should keep him one more season and see what they have in him.