The Jacksonville Jaguars are hoping that they are able to carry the momentum that they built last year into the 2023 season.
They are a division winner that plays in one of the weaker divisions in the AFC so it should be a lot of fun to watch them play again.
Expectations are placed on them this year which means that they are a good team. There is nothing wrong with expectations.
That also means that there is going to be internal competition all year long. Only the best are going to be dressed on a team like this. These three players could be in danger of losing their jobs before the 2023 season starts:
1. D'Ernest Johnson
The Jacksonville Jaguars are pretty set at the running back position.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a great year out of the backfield in 2022 from Travis Etienne. He was one of the better rookie running backs in the league as he put up marvelous numbers.
Coming into year two, they are expecting big things from him. They are also going to have Tank Bigsby who they just drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft paired up with him which should really help.
That leaves JaMycal Hasty and D'Ernest Johnson as the third and fourth backs on the roster. Most teams will carry a third guy which means that Johnson is in danger of losing his job before the 2023 season starts.
There are other teams that might consider him for a chance at the third-string job if he does get cut but the drafting of Bigsby put his job in danger ahead of the new year.
2. James McCourt
The Jacksonville Jaguars might not carry two kickers on the roster.
The Jacksonville Jaguars made a splash when they added Brandon McManus to be their new kicker. They are serious about making sure that they have everything they need to be a winner this year.
Kickers can be overlooked by bad teams but teams that overlook them find out quickly why it is a bad idea once big games start to come around. Ask a Chicago Bears or Minnesota Vikings fan about that.
James McCourt was brought in by Jacksonville out of the University of Illinois. He will be there for training camp but it is unlikely he will overtake McManus for the starting job as the kicker.
If he is on the roster to start the 2023 season, that will be very surprising based on how teams are usually constructed.
If McManus finds himself hurt at some point, they could give McCourt a call if he isn't scooped up by anybody but finding a replacement-level kicker wouldn't be impossible.
3. Samuel Jackson
The Jaguars' cuts might include people deep on the depth chart.
The Jacksonville Jaguars currently have four players listed as right tackles on the depth chart. That is the only position on the offensive line with a depth chart four people deep.
The fourth player there is Samuel Jackson. He is someone that is likely to be cut before the 2023 season begins for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Walker Little, a second round pick by the Jaguars in the 2021 NFL Draft, is considered to be the starter there right now.
32 year old Josh Wells is thought to be the backup right now. Following him as the third-stringer is Cooper Hodges who was just a seventh round pick here in 2023 by the Jaguars.
Samuel Jackson could absolutely show up to training camp and surprise but he is definitley someone in danger of losing his job before the 2023 season begins.
For all of these guys, however, it would be amazing for them to prove us all wrong.