The Jacksonville Jaguars built a well-rounded roster in the offseason, but that isn't stopping them from looking for ways to improve. This is why it wasn't particularly surprising to make a pair of moves just before the preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints.
The Jags announced that they've waived cornerback Keni-H Lovely and added Amari Burney to bolster the depth at linebacker.
Lovely joined the Jags in August last year and spent the season on the practice squad. He signed a future contract early in 2026. The team's brass might have already seen enough of him and wanted to use his roster spot to address another position.
The Jaguars waived Keni-H Lovely and added Amari Burney
Amari Burney was a sixth-round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders. After two seasons with the Silver & Black, he spent a portion of 2025 with the Tennessee Titans. The former Florida Gator has appeared in 24 games with one start throughout his NFL career, registering 32 tackles. He can play special teams. That may allow him to make an impression.
When asked about signing Burney (and Jahlani Tavai, who landed in Jacksonville one week prior), head coach Liam Coen says they're just depth moves, and not much else.
It's worth noting that Burney was previously teammates with Ventrell Miller, who's entering his fourth season in Duval and is competing for the starting job next to Foyesade Oluokun.
On the other hand, Lovely wasn't going to make the 53-man roster spot. Travis Hunter, Jourdan Lewis, Jarrian Jones, and Montaric Brown are locks to make the team. Christian Braswell, Jabbar Muhammad, Preston Hodge, and Devon Marshall are competing for one or two roster spots, and whoever is left out could land on the practice squad.
Why did the Jaguars sign Amari Burney?
General manager James Gladstone is always trying to improve the larger scale roster, so it's not surprising to see him kick the tires on Amari Burney, especially when you take into account that Jack Kiser is dealing with a knee injury.
Kiser is expected to return at some point of training camp. During his absence, rookie Parker Hughes has seen an uptick in reps, but Jacksonville is also using the opportunity to potentially bolster the linebacker corps.
Now, Burney is a long shot to make the team, and there's a chance he won't be in Duval come cutdown day. Heck, at this point, his best bet would be to make the practice squad, and even then, his odds of getting the nod may be slim.
That said, Burney won't be just auditioning for the Jags in the preseason. He'll also be putting tape for other teams, and if he makes a strong impression, he could end up landing somewhere else next season.
The truth is that the Jaguars didn't truly need reinforcements at linebacker, but it's still good to see them look for ways to bolster an already talented group.
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