Early in the year, the Jacksonville Jaguars were dealing with a cap crunch, but they put in the work to get out of the red. This sounds a bit more impressive when you take into account that the Jags managed to extend defensive end Travon Walker and cornerback Montaric Brown. Granted, they lost linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne in free agency, but the front office had to make tough decisions in order to get into healthy cap shape.
After signing the whole rookie class, Jacksonville has around $7 million in cap space. But with the June 1 deadline looming, perhaps general manager James Gladstone will try to get further cap relief.
The Jaguars could make a handful of moves after June 1
The June 1 deadline allows teams to spread cap hits over two years when they release a player, whereas dead money from a pre-June 1 release counts entirely toward the current year.
For instance, the Jaguars cut ties with wide receiver Gabe Davis last year. Had they released him before June 1, he would have left $20 million in dead money. Instead, the team's brass slapped him with a post-June 1 designation to split the hit in two, $5.7 million in 2025 and $14.6 million in 2026.
It wouldn't be shocking to see the team's brass make a few moves with the deadline looming.
The Jaguars could cut ties with Arik Armstead, DaVon Hamilton, or Walker Little post-June 1
James Gladstone made several offseason moves last year after the draft. Specifically, he signed wide receiver Tim Patrick, linebacker Dennis Gardeck, and defensive ends Dawuane Smoot and Emmanuel Ogbah. He also traded for defensive tackle Khalen Sanders Sr, so nobody would bat an eye if he takes a swing before the 2026 season begins. To pull it off, though, he may need more space, and to get it, he can make a few moves.
The Jags could easily release tight end Hunter Long or offensive lineman Chuma Edoga to free up a combined $4.2 million. But if they want more space after June 1, DaVon Hamillton and Arik Armstead then become trade candidates while Walker Little gives Jacksonville a trade piece.
Releasing Hamilton or Armstead would free up $8.4 million and $14.4 million, respectively, with dead cap hits of $4 million and $4.9 million in 2026. The issue is that defensive tackle remains a question mark, so unless Albert Regis or Ruke Orhorhoro make an impression in the offseason, it's hard to see Jacksonville release either Hamilton or Armstead.
Meanwhile, trading Little would free up $11 million in space with $2.5 million in dead money. However, Cole Van Lanen is recovering from a knee injury he suffered late in 2025, so Jacksonville may want to hold onto Little in case Van Lanen's recovery takes longer than expected.
Either way, the Jaguars have options to free up cap space. It doesn't seem like they're going to make a move soon, but they could pull the trigger once they have a better picture of the roster in training camp.
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