The Jacksonville Jaguars revamped their coaching staff and front office this offseason. There's also a chance their roster will undergo a notable overhaul, according to a prominent NFL analyst.
Matthew Berry of NBC Sports discussed 25 things he heard at the NFL Scouting Combine, making it clear that he isn't breaking news but rather sharing "unsubstantiated nuggets and tidbits I picked up." Regarding the Jags, he reiterated that the passing game will run through sophomore Brian Thomas Jr. and added that Christian Kirk, Evan Engram, and Travis Etienne could be gone this offseason. Here's the skinny.
"Liam Coen said the passing game will go through Brian Thomas Jr. Me now, but BTJ is already on the short list for potential “Ride or Die” candidacy… Also, don’t be surprised to see the Jags move off both Christian Kirk and Evan Engram. Brenton Strange might be a thing this year..."
For the sake of transparency, Berry has made it clear that he's got a mixed track record when it comes to the stuff he shares. He cited the Arizona Cardinals drafting Marvin Harrison Jr. and running back Tank Bigsby's increased workload with the Jags as things that he got right. On the other hand, he was wrong about Tejae Spears becoming RB1 for the Tennessee Titans or tight end Travis Kelce getting a lighter workload with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Circling back to his Jaguars nugget from this year's combine, it isn't necessarily shocking but it signals the potential of a soft rebuild in Jacksonville.
Etienne, Kirk, and Engram all have been integral cogs on the Jacksonville offense the past three years. However, trading all three would free up $23 million in space and give new general manager James Gladstone additional ammo in the draft to replenish the roster.
On top of the cap space and the draft picks the Jags would pick up by moving on from Etienne, Engram, and Kirk, the team's brass would pave the way for Bigsby, Brenton Strange, and Parker Washington to join the starting lineup. All three played well enough last year to make you think that they're ready to take on full-time roles in 2025.
Related story: Updated cap space and draft picks for the Jaguars in 2025
The Jaguars can afford to trade Travis Etienne, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram
If the Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to, they could keep Travis Etienne, Evan Engram, and Christian Kirk around in 2025. They have $38 million in space and could restructure a few contracts if they found themselves in a cap crunch. Moreover, they have valuable depth in case injuries strike, something that's happened each of the past two seasons.
On the other hand, it's understandable why the Jags would want to cut ties with the three of them. All of them are still productive players, but they also want to see what they have in their younger players. Moreover, freeing up space would allow them to address other needs, and the front office could replenish their running back room, the wide receiver corps, and their tight end unit with whatever compensation they get.
This is to say, that it would be great to see Etienne and co. return next season, but the Jags could move on from them without missing a beat. And there's a chance they will.
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