3 waiver-wire targets the Jaguars must prioritize after roster cutdown day

The Jacksonville Jaguars finalized their initial 53-man roster for the 2024 NFL season. However, not all the players who make the cut should uncork the champagne just yet. After all, the team's brass will keep making moves in the upcoming days. One source of talent they'll look at for depth and talent is the waiver wire.

You probably heard that clubs either released or waived players. Sometimes, the terms are used interchangeably. However, there's one key distinction. Players who have four accrued seasons are waived. On the other hand, players with fewer than four accrued seasons are waived and will be subject to the waiver wire.

For example, Jacksonville released safety Terrell Edmunds. Because he has six accrued seasons, his contract was terminated and won't be subject to waivers. Therefore, he'll be free to sign with any team he pleases. Conversely, cornerback Christian Braswell, a sixth-round pick in 2023, only has one accrued season, so he'll land in the waiver wire.

If a player hits the waiver wire, a team can place a claim on him. The order is the same as in the draft. This means the Jaguars will hold the No. 17 spot. They can put claims on as many players as they wish but they'll be awarded to them only if another team with a higher spot in the waiver wire didn't claim him.

It's also worth noting that if a club is awarded a player via waivers, they'll need to make a corresponding move to free up a roster spot. This means either placing a player on the injury reserve or waiving them.

This begs the question, what players should the Jags go after in the waiver wire? They should most definitely prioritize going after the next three.

Jackson Carman, offensive lineman

The Jaguars chose to keep 10 offensive linemen in 2024 but you could make the case that the group, particularly inside, is still in need of a boot. After all, left guard Ezra Cleveland hasn't been able to get rid of the injury bug since last year. On the other hand, right guard Brandon Scherff isn't getting any younger and has played through injuries the past two seasons.

Currently, their primary backups inside are Cooper Hodges and Luke Fortner. The Jaguars would surely want to have insurance in case they underperform or injuries deplete the depth chart. If they want to look into the waiver wire for help, the team's brass should then take a flyer on former second-round pick Jackson Carman.

Disclaimer alert, Carman has been underwhelming for the Cincinnati Bengals since they drafted him in 2021. The fact that they've given him several chances at both guard and offensive tackle doesn't inspire much confidence. That said, there's a reason the former Clemson Tiger was a highly regarded prospect coming out of college. Under the right coaching, maybe he'll be able to hit his stride.

Sure, Carman made headlines in the preseason because of his subpar play but maybe all he needs is a clean slate somewhere else. The Jaguars could give it to him. While there's a chance the third-year pro won't pan out, he's a low-risk, high-reward developmental prospect, one the team's brass should consider pursuing.

Frank Gore Jr., running back

The Jaguars only kept three running backs for 2024: Travis Etienne, Tank Gibsby, and D'Ernest Johnson. They could've also kept Keilan Robinson or Jalen Jackson but chose to allocate extra spots to the offensive and defensive lines. They could bring back either one in the practice squad, but if they want to look into outside options, Frank Gore Jr. is their guy.

After going undrafted earlier this year, Gore signed with the Buffalo Bills. He had a promising preseason, totaling 212 yards and averaging 5.7 yards per carry. However, the Southern Mississippi product wasn't able to make the cut, and will now be subject to waivers.

The downside of going after Gore is that he'll most likely be in high demand on waivers, so he'll probably be gone by No. 17. Still, it wouldn't hurt the Jags to put a claim on him.

K.J. Henry, pass rusher

While the Jaguars kept 11 bigs on defense, only three of them are edge rushers: Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and rookie Myles Coles. While some of their defensive tackles could move outside, the front office should strongly consider adding reinforcements to the rotation.

Sophomore D.J. Coleman, who showed improvement in the offseason, would be a solid option for the practice squad. But it would also make sense to pursue former Washington Commanders edge rusher K.J. Henry.

A fifth-round pick in last year's draft, Henry flashed but was a victim of a new management taking over the Commanders earlier this offseason. General manager Adam Peters had no attachment to Henry, so he had no trouble moving on from the former Clemson Tiger.

The talent is certainly there. Last season, Henry had 1.5 sacks in limited playing time. He could put it all together in the right place. The Jaguars would be a promising landing spot when you take into account that defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen's area of expertise is the defensive trenches.

Like Frank Gore Jr., Henry will have a robust market but that shouldn't stop the Jaguars from going after him.

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