Jaguars roster cuts just offered a huge clue on Cole Van Lanen's health

Everyone's still processing the fallout of the Jacksonville Jaguars' final cuts after the last game of the preseason, and it seems like one of the coldest business decisions was made along the offensive line. The front office's eternal quest for improvement along the roster worked against Chuma Edoga, the eighth-year pro who had just joined the Jags last year. However, his surprise departure may have been a bittersweet sign of some great news elsewhere.

Despite being listed as a guard, Edoga actually played tackle quite a bit during his tenure in Jacksonville. However, the quality of his performances on the field left a lot to be desired. According to PFF, he was frequently penalized and could only muster up a 33.6 overall grade.

The Jaguars' recent trade for Daniel Faalele during the thick of training camp made roster spots in the O-Line room even more scarce. Likewise, Anton Harrison's move to left tackle shored up one of the most prestigious spots on the entire offense for years to come.

Those two moves, and the arrival of Emmanuel Pregnon, could have spelled bad news for a rising star who got bitten by the injury bug at the worst time possible. However, Edoga's blunt departure opened up the roster spot needed for Cole Van Lanen to continue his rehab and get ready for the upcoming season at his own pace.

As the dust settles, the Jaguars left the door open for Cole Van Lanen's return

Another major development that happened in the middle of the preseason was the report that Van Lanen would be activated from Jacksonville's Physically Unable to Perform list after passing a physical. He suffered a lower-body injury during the Jaguars' 2025 season finale and missed the team's Wild Card game against the Buffalo Bills as a result.

Before the franchise's recent announcement that he was almost good to go, we barely had a picture of what the swing tackle's availability would be for the Jags' season opener against the Cleveland Browns. Edoga's exit signifies that Van Lanen might not need any extra time to get ready for the Browns and their front seven, which is just what Liam Coen and Grant Udinski would want to hear as they game plan for their first opponent in 2026.

PFF's data shows that Van Lanen was one of the better pass blockers in all of pro football last season. In 632 snaps, he only allowed one sack and five quarterback hits, which is more than serviceable for a player who started his career on the practice squad in 2021 and didn't start his first game until 2024.

Going by the course of his career, the 28-year-old Wisconsin alum could be due for a breakout season in 2026. Blossoming into a star before our very eyes would validate the three-year, $51 million extension Jacksonville gave Van Lanen before the season ended and give the franchise a lot more flexibility as they work to attack the other holes in the roster during next year's widely-hyped NFL Draft.

Van Lanen will probably be manning the right tackle spot on September 13th if he's good to go. On paper, he and Anton Harrison would be one of the best offensive tackle combos the team's fielded in years. And, with Walker Little serving the Jags in a backup role again, one of the most shaky parts of the offense going into training camp would end up becoming a major strength before things kick off for real.

I hope Coen and Udinski will be able to take advantage of their improving situation along the offensive front and give us all a glimpse of that versatile and unpredictable run game we've been talking about all offseason. After all, the best way to defend the AFC's world-class quarterbacks is to keep them off the field and limit the number of chances they have to be great.

If Cole Van Lanen peaks at the right time, his services will definitely help with that effort.

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