When the Jacksonville Jaguars brought Quintin Morris back on a one-year deal, they hinted at the possibility of making changes to their tight end room.
And just days after giving Morris an extension, the Jags have indeed released one of their tight ends. However, it wasn't the one Black & Teal predicted.
The Jaguars are releasing Johnny Mundt to free up cap space
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media just reported that the Jags have released tight end Johnny Mundt just one year after signing him. The move will create $2.7 million in space with just $500,000 in dead money, which will give the team the flexibility to keep making moves in free agency.
The move doesn't come as a surprise when you take into account that Mundt wasn't much of a factor last year. On top of that, he became expendable once Jacksonville brougth back fellow tight end Quintin Morris on a one-year deal.
Granted, Brenton Strange remains at the top of the pecking order, but Quintin Morris earned a bigger role after coming through last year. That left either Hunter Long or Mundt as potential cap casulaties. The team's brass chose the latter.
Morris signed with the Jags after the draft. He didn't make the initial 53-man team but ended up in the practice squad. He was eventually signed to the active roster, working his way up the depth chart and carving a niche as a pass-blocker
Granted, Mundt got more playing time than Morris, but that was only because he was on the active roster to start the season. He ended up appearing in 16 games with six starts, registering nine receptions for 111 yards with no touchdowns.
An undrafted free agent in 2017, Mundt spent time with the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings before joining the Jags last year. He's appeared in 114 career games with 24 starts, reeling in 74 catches for 658 yarsd and four touchdowns. He's now free to sign with any team after getting the boot.
What's next for the Jaguars after releasing Johnny Mundt?
Before the legal tampering period, the Jaguars had $100,000 in space. Since then, they've re-signed cornerback Montaric Brown and linebacker Dennis Gardeck, so they'll need to continue to keep making moves to free up more space. The good news is that Jacksonville has options.
The most obvious candidate to get the axe is offensive lineman Chuma Edoga, who made a strong impression in the offseason program but struggled once the regular season started. The former USC Trojan is set to have a cap hit of $3.8 million in 2026. Releasing him would create $2.8 million in space with $1 million in dead money.
Another alternative would be to restructure the deals of either Arik Armstead or Josh Hines-Allen. Reworking either contract would get the team as much as $7 million in relief.
The Jaguars were always going to need to release a few players to comply with the cap rules. That Johnny Mundt got the nod is a tough pill to swallow, but that's the nature of doing business in the NFL.