The Jacksonville Jaguars rested several starters in their 28-12 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3 of the 2022 preseason. This gave several players the opportunity to make one last impression before the final round of roster cuts on August 30.
While some Jaguars made the most of their chance in the preseason finale, others didn’t put up a solid outing and saw their stock drop following the loss to the Falcons. Here are three of those players.
No. 3 Jaguars player whose stock dropped vs. the Falcons: Jeff Cotton Jr.
There Jaguars have a well-rounded wide receiver corps and there were probably one or two spots open for competition in the offseason. That’s why Jeff Cotton Jr. needed to have an outstanding performance against the Falcons but was a non-factor throughout the game, catching just one of four targets for two yards.
Cotton was targeted a total of 13 times in the preseason and hauled in a measly two receptions, good for a subpar 15.4 percent catch rate. That’s not the kind of production that will get you a roster spot. To make matters worse for the former Idaho Vandal, fellow wide receiver Tim Jones caught three passes for 103 yards against Atlanta and made a strong case to make the final 53.
Laquon Treadwell wasn’t as productive as Jones in the preseason but still hauled in six receptions for 51 yards and one touchdown. Either he or Jones will earn a roster spot and whoever doesn’t make it will most likely be signed to the practice squad, leaving Cotton on the outside looking in.
No. 2 Jaguars player whose stock dropped vs. the Falcons: Ryquell Armstead
Position battles often come to the wire and the little things could end up playing a big role. That’s why running back Ryquell Armstead could be on shaky ground after his outing against the Falcons.
Armstead toted the rock two times for 15 yards on three offensive snaps. That’s not necessarily a bad statline. The problem came on special teams, when he missed an assignment that led to one of Logan Cooke’s punts getting blocked. The Falcons recovered the ball at the Jaguars’ one-yard line and running back Qadree Ollison had no trouble reaching the end zone.
A fifth-round pick by the Jaguars in 2019, Armstead caught COVID-19 in 2020 and missed the season with complications. He was waived last offseason but returned to the Jags at the end of the year. Against the Indianapolis Colts in the season finale, he racked up nine carries for 52 yards and seemed like a good bet to be part of Jacksonville’s running back rotation in 2022.
However, rookie Snoop Conner’s arrival bumped Armstead down the depth chart and he could be competing for one roster spot with sophomore Mekhi Sargent, who got more playing time in the offseason.
James Robinson and Travis Etienne are at the top of the depth chart, and Snoop Cooner figures to be the third running back, leaving only one spot open. Armstead could still make the team in spite of his missed block but it won’t help his case.
No. 1 Jaguars player whose stock dropped vs. the Falcons: E.J. Perry
With Trevor Lawrence not suiting up and C.J. Beathard only available for emergencies, E.J. Perry had the chance to make a positive impression against the Falcons but his outing was less than impressive. The Brown product completed 19 of 37 passes for 201 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. This statline doesn’t look that bad when you take into account that this was the first time he got extended action. However, there are reasons for concern.
For starters, Perry only averaged 5.4 yards per attempt. That’s even worse than Trevor Lawrence’s 6.0 yards average last year. Moreover, his numbers were inflated thanks to Tim Jones’ three catches for 103 yards.
On the bright side, this may not be the end of the road for Perry. After going undrafted in this year’s draft, he signed with the Jags but was waived with an injury designation in the offseason. He later returned but missed most of training camp.
Even though Perry won’t likely make the Jaguars’ 53-man roster, the coaching staff is high on him, so he should be a priority target for the practice squad. There, he will have the chance to work on his passing skills and if Jacksonville needs an emergency quarterback this upcoming season, they can add him to the active roster and revert him afterward.
C.J. Beathard is set to become a free agent next offseason but the Jags won’t need to bring him back if Perry progresses in the upcoming months. The rookie quarterback needs to put the loss against the Falcons behind him and learn from it.