4 Jaguars veterans who should be cut before 2022 free agency

No. 3 veteran the Jaguars should release – Carlos Hyde, RB.

Cap hit in 2022 – $2.45 million. Dead money if released – $450,000. Total cap savings – $2.0 million.

At the time, the signing of running back Carlos Hyde didn’t seem particularly bad. The Jaguars needed someone to back up James Robinson, who was coming off a historic rookie campaign but had also missed the last two games of the season with an ankle injury.

Hyde’s connection to the Jags was clear. He had previously played for head coach Urban Meyer at Ohio State and general manager Trent Baalke drafted him in 2014 back when he held the same job for the San Francisco 49ers. The former Buckeye was a serviceable running back throughout his NFL career, racking up 1,153 carries for 4,726 yards with 36 touchdowns from 2014 to  2020.

Keep in mind that this wasn’t Hyde’s first rodeo in Jacksonville. He had previously played for the Black and Teal in 2017 but had a minimal impact, toting the rock 58 times for 189 yards and no touchdowns. His second go-round wasn’t much better, tallying 72 carries for 253 yards and one touchdown.  Also, the 2014 second-round pick was indirectly a reason for controversy, as Meyer wanted to give him meaningful playing time despite the fact that Robinson was the better and more complete running back.

The Jags are going to need some kind of insurance with Robinson and Travis Etienne recovering from injuries but Hyde doesn’t bring much to the table and the front office can find a cheaper alternative with more upside in this year’s draft.