5 Jacksonville Jaguars potential salary-cap casualties in 2023

No. 3 Jaguars potential salary-cap causality: Rayshawn Jenkins, S

Dead cap figure – $4 million

Potential cap savings – $6.25 million

Safety Rayshawn Jenkins was one of the many players the Jaguars’ brass signed last offseason. A fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2017 draft, the former Miami Hurricane looked like a low-key solid addition to Jacksonville’s secondary.

Jenkins was mostly relegated to special teams in his first two NFL seasons but joined the Chargers’ defensive lineup in 2019 and never looked back. He made 29 starts in a span of two years and logged five interceptions and eight passes defensed. His production earned him a four-year, $35 million deal from the Jags, which seems like a fair amount at the time. And while it’s true that players are worth whatever clubs are willing to pay them, you could make the case that the safety’s performance wasn’t proportional to his salary in 2021.

Named a team captain by his teammates before the start of the season, Jenkins started 14 games but missed the last three with an ankle fracture. He didn’t force any turnovers and wasn’t particularly great, posting a 56.9 Pro Football Focus grade and getting disqualified in Week 11 for throwing a punch at San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings.

Jenkins needs to bounce back in 2022 or else run the risk of being shown the door next offseason, when he’s set to count $10.25 million against the cap. Releasing him would create $4 million in dead money but would also free up $6.25 million in cap space.