The Jacksonville Jaguars announced their initial 53-man roster for the 2025 season right around the cutdown deadline. All things considered, put together a good mix of youth and experience.
That said, Jacksonville had to make a few tough decisions. One of them was ending the season of an ascending rookie before it even started.
At the same time they announced the 53-man roster, the Jags placed first-year Caleb Ransaw on Injured Reserve, effectively ending his rookie campaign before it started.
This happened because if teams place a player on the Injured Reserve before the start of the season, they'll spend the whole year there. In this case, the Jags put Ransaw on IR two weeks before the opener against the Carolina Panthers.
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Why the Jaguars placed Caleb Ransaw on the Injured Reserve
The Jaguars had a surplus at safety during the offseason, and it was always going to be tough to sort it out. To start training camp, they had Darnell Savage, Eric Murray, Antonio Johnson, Caleb Ransaw, Andrew Wingard, Daniel Thomas, Rayuan Lane III, and undrafted rookie Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig.
Not everybody was going to make the cut, but Caleb Ransaw was projected to make the cut even though he suffered a lower-body injury early in training camp. At the time, head coach Liam Coen said the former Tulane Green Wave was day-to-day, and there was no reason to think he wasn't going to be ready for the regular season.
Then, the Jags released Thomas and Slimon-Craig. While the cuts paved the way for Lane to make the team, they didn't seemingly have an impact on Ransaw. But to keep Johnson, Wingard, and Savage, they had to stash Ransaw on IR.
Jaguars rookie Caleb Ransaw showed promise during the offseason
Although Caleb Ransaw played cornerback, inside and outside, in college, the Jags turned heads when they made it clear that he would be switching positions with them. General manager James Gladstone was impressed with his tackling skills and versatility, believing they would transition well to safety.
Then, the offseason program came, and Ransaw wasted no time making an impression, earning rave reviews from coaches and beat writers. Had the rookie safety stayed healthy, he would have started at some point of the season, if he hadn't earned a featured role by the opener.
The silver lining is that the Jaguars have the talent to overcome Caleb Ransaw's stay on IR. With Eric Murray, Antonio Johnson, and Andrew Wingard in the mix, they are in great shape ahead of the regular season.