Jaguars practice squad: Revolving door at kicker, other takeaways

2. EJ Perry was a better fit for the Jaguars practice squad than the roster

The NFL has undergone several changes over the last 20 years. One that doesn’t get plenty of attention is that clubs no longer feel the need to carry three quarterbacks into the regular season. They might have three or four for training camp but they will only have two on their active roster in Week 1.

As Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Focus noted, only 13 teams will carry three signal-callers into the season and the Jaguars aren’t one of them. Wilson cites talent or the dearth thereof as one of the reasons clubs no longer allocate a slot to a third quarterback. Why would you give a roster spot to a mediocre passer instead of a player that will actually contribute on game day? Jacksonville seems to believe so.

With Trevor Lawrence entrenched as the starter and C.J. Beathard getting the nod as the primary backup, it didn’t make sense to keep E.J. Perry on the active roster, especially when you take into account that he’s still a work in progress.

On the other hand, the Jaguars’ brass recognize Perry’s potential and couldn’t just simply let him go, so they stashed him in the practice squad. This makes sense when you consider that he can continue working on becoming a better passer there. Also, Beathard is slated to become a free agent in 2023, so Jacksonville needs to plan ahead in case they aren’t able or aren’t interested in bringing him back.

Keeping Perry in the practice squad gives the coaching staff enough time to assess him and see if he can be a potential replacement.