When trimming down their rosters, teams always choose what they think are the best 53 players. In the Jacksonville Jaguars case, it must have been a bit difficult. After all, they spent the offseason making upgrades to the roster.
Keep in mind keeps that teams are always making moves. Not long after setting the 53-man roster, the Jags released EDGE defender Aaron Patrick, who had originally made the cut, and claimed wide receiver Tyrod Johnson off of waivers.
The other side of the coin is that there were a few players that had no business making the Jaguars’ 53-man roster. These five players could turn out to be solid contributors in the 2021 season but they haven’t shown enough to believe that will be the case.
Jaguars player that shouldn’t have made the roster No. 1 – Adam Gotsis
Head coach Urban Meyer said earlier this year that revamping the Jaguars’ defensive front was a priority. True to his word, the team signed Roy Robertson-Harris and Jihad Ward in free agency. Later in the draft, they selected Jordan Smith, but that wasn’t it. Jacksonville also brought back Dawuane Smoot and Adam Gotsis.
It wasn’t surprising to see the Jags keep Smoot. After all, he was the team’s best pass rusher in 2020, posting a team-high 5.5 sacks. On the other hand, it was a bit puzzling to also retain Gotsis. Sure, the 2016 second-round selection appeared in all 16 games and made 14 starts last season but was hardly an impact player, finishing the year with 37 total tackles, one forced fumble, four tackles for a loss, and no sacks. With Roberson-Harris and Ward now on the roster, Gotsis may not see the field often in 2021.
Throughout his five-year career, the defensive tackle hasn’t shown he’s more than a rotational player. He’s played more than 50 percent of the defensive snaps just once. Also, he’s posted a paltry five career sacks and hasn’t registered one since 2018. The Jaguars might’ve been better keeping a player with a bigger upside and a higher ceiling.
Jaguars player that shouldn’t have made the roster No. 2 – Daniel Thomas
How quickly things change from one year to another. Former Houston Oilers head coach Jerry Glanville was into something when he told a referee that the NFL stands for Not For Long. You could have a starting job one day and suddenly lose it. Jaguars safety Daniel Thomas might know that feeling.
A fifth-round selection in 2020’s draft, Thomas moved up the depth chart and joined the starting lineup up in Week 10 last season. However, he suffered an injury the following game and missed the rest of the year. Jacksonville revamped their safety room in the offseason and the unit looks very different from their 2020 version.
Heading into the 2021 season, the Auburn product looked like a good bet to reclaim his starting job. Nevertheless, he tumbled down the depth chart while third-year safety Andrew Wingard and rookie Ande Cisco gained ground. Now, Thomas definitely showed flashes as a rookie but it was kind of puzzling to see him make the team over veteran Jarrod Wilson, who was released in the last round of cuts.
Head coach Urban Meyer told the local media either Cisco or Wingard will start opposite of free-agent acquisition Rayshawn Jenkins in Week 1 of the regular season. Another newcomer, Rudy Ford, has also earned praise from Meyer and could see a significant amount of snaps on defense in 2021. While Thomas could end up earning playing time, he might be relegated to special teams at the start of the season.
Jaguars player that shouldn’t have made the roster No. 3 – Dakota Allen
Jaguars defensive coordinator Joe Cullen will be running a hybrid scheme. Thus, it made sense for the team to carry 13 defensive linemen. On the other hand, keeping five linebackers may have been too much on a system that will often show 3-4 looks.
Damien Wilson and Myles Jack will be an integral part of the defense while Shaquille Quarterman and Chappell Russell have shown growth. Meanwhile, Dakota Allen hasn’t done much to justify keeping him in 2021.
A seventh-round pick in the 2019 draft by the Los Angeles Rams, Allen has appeared in 18 games with two starts over the last two seasons and has logged 19 total tackles. Last season, he played nine percent of the team’s defensive snaps but was mainly relegated to special teams, where he appeared in 58 percent of the snaps.
It’s true that not every player on the team can be a difference-maker and a good chunk of the make-up will be players that will contribute on special teams. Nevertheless, Allen hasn’t much shown much upside and the Jags may have been better off assigning his roster spot to an extra cornerback or a safety.
Jaguars player that shouldn’t have made the roster No. 4 – Dare Ogunbowale
Would running back Dare Ogunbowale have made the roster if Travis Etienne hadn’t suffered a Lisfranc injury that cut his rookie year short before it even started? Probably but the Jaguars’ running back room might not look how they originally envisioned. James Robinson is entrenched as the starter and veteran Carlos Hyde will get on the football field whenever he needs to catch his breath.
Ogunbowale is currently the number three running back on the depth chart, and may not see the field often unless Robinson once again misses time. He started the last two games of the 2020 season after Robinson injured his ankle. In those two starts, the Wisconsin product toted the rock 28 times for 121 yards and no touchdowns. Although that kind of production isn’t bad, Devine Ozigbo played better in the 2021 preseason and may have been more deserving of a roster spot.
While Ogunbowale carried the ball 15 times for 37 yards in three preseason games, Ozigbo racked up 72 yards on 13 carries. Of course, the Jaguars’ brass surely took other teams into account when choosing the best 53 players. Yet, it was puzzling not to go with Ozigbo, who was the hotter hand ahead of the 2021 regular season.
Then again, the Jaguars announced they signed Duke Johnson to the practice squad. The 2015 third-round pick has shown an aptitude to catch the ball out of the backfield and could end up getting more playing time than both Ogunbowale and Ozigbo.
Jaguars player that shouldn’t have made the roster No. 5 – Taven Bryan
Keeping defensive tackle Taven Bryan was arguably the most questionable decision the Jaguars made on roster cutdown day. Sure, the Florida product was a first-round selection back in 2018 but he hasn’t done much over the last three years to justify his spot in the team over someone like Doug Costin.
Keep in mind that Costin outplayed Bryan last season and the only reason the latter kept playing was that the Jags were thin at defensive tackle. Had Bryan and DaVon Hamilton stayed healthy, the former Gator may have seen his already low playing time decrease even more. Bryan missed a good part of training back after suffering an off-field accident and being placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list. Nevertheless, the team liked his effort in the last two preseason games.
Bryan has never played more than 50 percent of the Jags’ defensive snaps in any of his three years with the team. Costin probably has more upside at this point of his career than the 29th overall pick in the 2018 draft. So why did the coaching staff decide to keep Bryan? Urban Meyer and defensive line Tosh Lupoi have spoken positively of him and like his physical tools.
In the end, the Jags kept Bryan because they think he can contribute. The clock is ticking for him though. He’s set to become a free agent next offseason, as the team declined to exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie deal. Maybe Meyer is right and this is the year he turns the corner. Crazier things have happened in the NFL.