The Jacksonville Jaguars are wasting time giving their roster an overhaul ahead of free agency. The same day it was reported that they would be trading Christian Kirk to the Houston Texans instead of outright releasing him, they also made several roster moves.
Hours after the news broke that Jacksonville was moving on from Kirk, several outlets reported that they released tight end Evan Engram, cornerback Ronald Darby, return specialist Devin Duvernay, and wide receiver Josh Reynolds.
All four moves were expected (and predicted by B&T) and will free up a significant amount of cap space. Add the extra $10 million the Jags will get after sending Kirk to Houston, and the Jags will get an additional $25 million aside from the space they currently have. Below is a breakdown of all the moves:
Player released/traded | Cap space created |
|---|---|
Christian Kirk | $10.4 M |
Evan Engram | $5.9 M |
Ronald Darby | $2.3 M |
Josh Reynolds | $4.2 M |
Devin Duvernay | $ 2.7 M |
Total savings: | $25.5 M |
Per Over the Cap, the Jaguars have $38 million before all the moves become official. If they do, they'll have a total of $63.4 million. But wait! There's more.
On the same day all these moves took place, center Mitch Morse announced that he's stepping away from football. His retirement will leave $4,7 million in dead money with $735,294 in extra space. Add those to the previous figure, and Jacksonville will have $64.1 million.
What's next for the Jaguars after trading Christian Kirk and releasing 4 other players?
As busy as the Jacksonville Jaguars have been over the last 24 hours, more moves could come. Running back Travis Etienne is rumored to be on the chopping block due to the presence of Tank Bigsby.
But even if Etienne ends up sticking around, the Jags now have ample space to make a few splash signings in free agency. Then again, they also have 10 draft picks, so don't expect them to address all their needs at once.
Drew Doleman would be a great replacement for Mitch Morse
The best center in the open market will be Drew Doleman. Already, the Atlanta Falcons expect him to leave, and he should have no shortage of suitors. if the Jaguars are willing to pay a premium for him, they should make him a priority. He would be worth whatever salary he commands, though.
Doleman was one of the top-rated centers by PFF last year, giving up just two sacks and 10 total pressures last year. On top of that, he excels as a run blocker. Simply put, he would give the interior offensive line a massive boost.
It was hard to see the Jaguars keeping Ronald Darby
The Jaguars thought Ronald Darby was going to be a viable replacement for Darious Williams, who was released in a cap-saving move last year. However, the former Florida Seminole struggled throughout most of the season and was a healthy scratch the last four games.
Even if Darby had stayed, the Jaguars would've needed to look for a starting cornerback opposite Tyson Campbell. After releasing the veteran, it's still one of the team's top priorities. Don't be surprised if they get one in free agency.
Brenton Strange will step in Evan Engram's place
Aside from the extra cap space, releasing Evan Engram paves the way for Brenton Strange to join the starting lineup. After an underwhelming rookie season, Strange hauled in 40 receptions for 411 yards with two touchdowns in 2024. There's no doubt that he's ready for a bigger role.
Releasing Josh Reynolds paves the way for the Jaguars go make upgrades to WR corps
It looks like the Jaguars are focused on revamping Trevor Lawrence's arsenal of weapons. While the Christian Kirk trade and Evan Engram's release got the headlines, moving on from Josh Reynolds frees up a roster spot and paves the way for the front office to add reinforcements in free agency and the draft.
Last season, the Jags picked Reynolds off waivers, but he didn't do much of note, hauling in just one pass on five targets for 11 yards. The front office can use the savings and his roster spot to trade for Tee Higgins or Cooper Kupp. Conversely, they could wait until the draft and draft Tataiora McMillan with the fifth overall pick.
Last but not least is Devin Duvernay. The Jaguars have two in-house replacements in Parker Washington and Keilan Robinson. If they want Washington to fully focus on offense, and Robinson isn't ready, the front office will need to dip their toes in the draft to find a specialist.
Either way, it looks like the new Jaguars regime is looking for any possible way to get better this offseason, and before they add players in free agency, they're cleaning house.