5 players the Jacksonville Jaguars were right to move on from in 2022

No. 2 player the Jaguars were right to move on from – A.J. Cann, RG.

The Jaguars wanted to have some continuity in their offensive line this offseason, so they brought back a couple of key pieces. Besides re-signing veteran center Tyler Shatley, they also gave left tackle Cam Robinson a long-term deal. Moreover, they signed right guard Brandon Scherff in free agency.

On the other hand, Jacksonville let offensive guards Andrew Norwell and A.J. Cann walk away in free agency. Norwell went on to join the Washington Commanders while Cann signed with the Houston Texans. You could make the case that the Jags could and should have kept Norwell, who had been their most consistent lineman since they signed him in 2018. But moving on from Cann was a sound move.

A five-time Pro Bowl designation, Scherff is a big upgrade over Cann, who had been a staple of the Jags’ offensive line since 2015, the year he was drafted 67th overall. During his seven-year stint in Jacksonville, the former South Carolina standout appeared in 95 games with 94 starts. Other players would like to have that kind of consistency but the other side of the coin is that Cann was merely a serviceable starter, posting a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 70.0 or higher just once in his NFL career.

Cann started the 2021 campaign on the wrong foot, allowing six total pressures in Week 1 and while he played well in the next two games, he suffered an MCL injury that ended his season prematurely in Week 4. Scherff might have been an expensive upgrade at right guard but he will be worth the price tag if he can keep Trevor Lawrence upright and open wide running lanes for Travis Etienne and James Robinson.