3 Jaguars cut candidates who may already have one foot out the door in 2027

The Jacksonville Jaguars chose not to take a big swing in this year's free agency, opting instead to re-sign their own players. Based on their cap space for 2027, they may need to stick to the same strategy.

The Jags are already $13.7 million over the cap next year, and they haven't even played a game in the 2026 season. General manager James Gladstone will be able to shed some space with a few contract restructures, but he'll also need to release a handful of players to get relief.

This begs the question, what players could be cap casualties in 2027. The following three come to mind.

Walker Little, offensive tackle (cap savings: $10.8 M, dead money: $4.6 M)

After an underwhelming 2025 campaign, Walker Little was seen as a cut candidate throughout most of the offseason. However, Jacksonville kept him around because he offered valuable insurance while Cole Van Lanen recovered from a knee injury he sustained last year.

Van Lanen is close to returning but isn't there yet. That means Little could fill in for him at right tackle and rebuild his stock. That may convince the Jags to keep him for the remainder of his contract, which runs through 2027.

But if that isn't enough to stay in Duval, Little could put tape for teams in need of help at offensive tackle. And that's the thing, releasing the former Stanford Cardinal would free up $10.8 million in space with just $4.6 million in dead money. That's the kind of relief Jacksonville will need, so cutting ties with him will be too tempting not to do it.

Eric Murray, safety (cap savings: $3.9 M, dead money: $5 M)

The Jaguars signed Eric Murray in 2025 to add stability at safety. He did just that while becoming a leader of the secondary. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher is now entering his season as the starter. The trouble is that Caleb Ransaw and rookie Jalen Huskey are waiting in the wings, and both of them have way more upside.

When you factor in that Murray doesn't create turnovers at a high rate, it's easy to see him getting phased out at some point of 2026.

If both Huskey and Ransaw flash, the Jags could easily afford to move on from Murray to free up $3.9 million in space with $5 million in dead money. It's not nearly as much as Walker Little, but it would help nonetheless.

Patrick Mekari, offensive guard (cap savings: $13 M, dead money: $5.1 M)

Availability is the most important ability in the NFL. You can be the most talented player ever, but if you can't suit up on game day, it's all moot. That's more or less the situation Patrick Mekari finds himself in that position going into the 2026 season.

Mekari signed a three-year deal worth $37.5 million with the Jaguars in 2025. However, he left much to be desired in his first season in Duval, giving up two sacks and 34 total pressures. In his defense, the former Cal Golden Bear dealt with a back injury, so the expectation was that he was going to bounce back once he got healthy.

The issue is that Mekari hasn't gotten better. Quite the contrary. He missed the offseason program and training camp while recovering from the back injury, only to undergo surgery in August. The veteran hog molly is now on Injured Reserve, and the team's brass expects him to be back sooner rather than later. However, Ezra Cleveland has already taken his place at right tackle, so even if he does return in 2026, he'll take on a backup role.

Now, there's still a chance Mekari could play again in 2026, but even if he does, he'll be a prime candidate to get the boot next season. Releasing him would free up, a whopping $13 million in space with $5.1 million in dead money.

Some signings simply don't work out, and that appears to be Mekari's case. At this point, the Jags' best course of action may be to cut their losses and move on.

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