3 players who made the Jaguars' initial 53-man roster for 2024 but don't deserve it

The Jacksonville Jaguars were busy ahead on cutdown day and managed to trim down the roster to 53 players several hours before the deadline. Like every other year, there were a few surprises. Probably the biggest one was that the Jags decided to keep 11 defensive linemen.

On the other hand, Jacksonville chose to keep just three running back, opting to waive rookies Jalen Jackson and Keilan Robinson. Similarly, they went with six receivers after carrying seven to start 2023. This means that undrafted free agent Joshua Cephus and sophomore Elijah Cooks failed to make the cut.

All things considered, the Jaguars' initial 53-man roster looks well-rounded, filled with both depth and talent. That said, there were a few head-scratching decisions, including the next three.

Roy Robertson-Harris, defensive linemen

As noted before, the Jaguars are rolling with 11 defensive linemen. This is understandable when you take into account that the unit is glowing with youth and talent. Granted, the front office will keep making changes before the Week 1 opener, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them part ways with one or two.

While it's not particularly shocking to see them keep Roy Robertson-Harris, it's still puzzling when you take into account that the Jags aren't hurting for depth in the defensive trenches.

The Jags signed Arik Armstead and later drafted Jordan Jefferson and Maason Smith. Add the return of DaVon Hamilton and there's simply no run for Robertson-Harris, who struggled late in 2023 and was underwhelming in the preseason.

In fact, Robertson-Harris made headlines because he was playing late in the fourth quarter in Week 2 of the preseason. Head coach Doug Pederson tried to justify the decision by saying that RRH missed time in training camp and needed the reps. Still, it was odd to see a veteran of his caliber get mop duty against fourth and fifth-stringer.

In the end, though, the Jaguars wouldn't have saved any cap if they released Robertson-Harris and would've instead incurred $11.7 million in dead money, so it's easy to see why they chose to keep him around.

Yasir Abdullah, linebacker

After running a 3-4 defense the past two years, the Jaguars are switching to a 4-3 scheme with Ryan Nielsen running the show. This means that they'll no longer have pass rushers bringing the heat from a two-point stance. This might've affected sophomore Yasir Abdullah, so the coaching staff switched him from standup linebacker to off-linebacker. The issue is that barring injuries, the former Louisville product won't see much playing time in 2024.

Foye Oluokun and Devin Lloyd are firmly entrenched as the starting linebackers while Chad Muma is No. 3 on the depth chart. Behind them are Ventrell Miller and special-teams ace Caleb Johnson. This leaves Abdullah in the cellar of the depth chart.

The coaching staff is surely pleased with Abdullah's development but it doesn't make sense to give him a roster spot when other position groups (running back, tight end) could use it. Last year, the Florida native was a healthy scratch in several games. Don't be surprised if that's the case again next season.

Luke Fortner, center

Early-round picks get more leeway than their late-round counterparts. That's why you'll often see teams hold onto certain players even if their talent hasn't turned into steady production on the football field. Such is the case of the Jacksonville Jaguars and 2022 third-round pick Luke Fortner.

Fortner flashed as a rookie but regressed mightily last year. He was one of the worst centers in the league, ranking 31st in pass-rush win block rate. The former Kentucky Wildcat wasn't much better as a run blocker, posting a dreadful Pro Football Focus grade of 40.0 in that department. His underwhelming play led the Jags to sign veteran Mitch Morse in the offseason.

With Morse in the fold, Fortner took on a reserve role. However, he hasn't shown any signs of improvement even after taking a backseat. The Ohio native was unremarkable in the preseason and would not probably have made the cut if it weren't for the fact that he was a third-round pick.

It's possible that the Jaguars think Fortner will eventually turn the corner. But so far, he hasn't done much to indicate that will be the case.

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