Jaguars add Mario Edwards to practice squad, re-sign Adam Gotsis
After moving on from defensive linemen Jay Tatufele and Adam Gostis in the past few days, it seemed like the Jacksonville Jaguars were lacking depth on their defensive line. But they’ve addressed the issue with the signing of Mario Edwards.
The Jags signed Edwards Sunday, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. Then, Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported that the deal was for one year. The team should soon make an official announcement.
Update: The Jaguars have re-signed Adam Gotsis to the active roster while Edwards will be landing in the practice squad. Here’s the announcement from their PR account on Twitter.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have signed DL Adam Gotsis to the active roster, the team announced today. Additionally, the team has signed DL Mario Edwards and WR Jaylon Moore to the practice squad.
— JaguarsPR (@JaguarsPR) September 4, 2022
A second-round selection by the Las Vegas (then Oakland) Raiders in 2015, Edwards spent the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears but was released on final roster cutdown day. The former Florida State Seminole has also suited up for the New York Giants (2018) and the New Orleans Saints (2019).
Edwards has appeared in 86 games with 25 starts and has amassed 16.5 sacks, 118 total tackles, 19 tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles. On a side note, he and Cleveland Browns receiver Amari Cooper are the only players the Raiders drafted in 2015 that are still in the league.
What does the addition of Mario Edwards mean to the Jaguars?
It was a bit surprising to see the Jags let Adam Gotsis go. After all, he inked a one-year deal in the offseason after becoming a key cog in their defensive line rotation in 2021. Similarly, it looked like Jay Tufele was going to be part of their defensive front this upcoming season. However, both were given the booth and left the Jags without much depth up front.
The addition of Edwards bolsters the Jaguars’ defensive front. The former Bear has only started one game in the last four years and has played more than 30 percent of the defensive snaps in a season just once in the same span. Expect him to have a similar role in Jacksonville.
Edwards is currently listed behind Folorunso Fatukasi on the depth chart while Dawuane Smoot shows up behind Roy Robertson-Harris. Arden Key appears behind Smoot but can also line up inside if needed, where third-year pro DaVon Hamilton is expected to start.
The Jaguars have built a stout defensive front but they lacked depth after releasing Gotsis and Tufele. Signing Edwards takes care of that.
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