The Jacksonville Jaguars will start trimming down their roster soon and their bout against the Miami Dolphins in the preseason finale will probably play a role in the evaluation process. Even though the game finished early due to an injury receiver Daewood Davis sustained, the Jags have more than three quarters worth of tape to assess.
While some players took advantage of the opportunity in the finale, others failed to seize it. In particular, these four could be barely hanging onto a roster spot after an underwhelming performance. And even if they make they survive the first round of cuts, they could get the boot once the Jaguars take a dive into the waiver wire.
No. 4 Jaguars player barely hanging onto a roster spot: Shaquille Quarterman, LB
The Jaguars have done a good job of revamping their linebacker corps since the end of the 2021 season. Since then, the Jags have signed Foyesade Oluokun and drafted Chad Muma, Devin Lloyd and Ventrell Miller.
The only holdover from before Doug Pederson became the head coach is Shaquille Quarterman. In fact, he joined the Jags when Doug Marrone was still at the helm. However, his days with the Black and Teal could soon come to an end.
Leaving aside all the additions the Jaguars made to their linebacker corps, Quarterman hasn't done much to prove he deserves a roster spot in 2023. Mainly a special teams contributor, the former Miami Hurricane has struggled in coverage in the preseason. To make matters worse, he missed three tackles in the finale against the Dolphins.
Heading into the 2023 season, it's simply hard to see Quarterman making the cut over Miller, a fourth-round pick in this year's draft, or even Caleb Johnson.
No. 3 Jaguars player barely hanging onto a roster spot: Kendric Pryor, WR
Undrafted free agents have a steep hill to climb to make the 53-man roster. Against all odds, wide receiver Kendric Pryor did it last year. It wasn't with the team he originally joined, the Cincinnati Bengals, but with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who claimed him off waivers just before the 2022 season began.
Still, it was a noteworthy achievement for Pryor, even if he was a healthy scratch throughout the year. Following the end of the 2022 campaign, it looked like the Illinois native could make strides and earn a bigger role in his sophomore campaign. But that hasn't been the case.
Instead, Jacob Harris, rookie Parker Washington, Elijah Cooks, and Seth Williams all seem to have better odds of sticking around. When you take into account that Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones, Jamal Agnew, and Christian Kirk have a roster spot secured, Pryor might be a victim of the numbers game.
And that's the thing, the Jaguars have a wide array of options and if they weren't stacked at wide receiver, Pryor would have a better chance of making the roster. Now, this isn't the end of the road for him. He will probably get his walking papers in the upcoming days. If he does, he can either be claimed off waivers or signed to the Jaguars practice squad. Either scenario would be good for him.
If Pryor latches onto a another team, he would then have a roster spot secured. On the other hand, if he lands in the Jacksonville practice squad, he can continue working on his craft and get promoted to the active roster in case injuries hit the wide receiver corps.
No. 2 Jaguars player barely hanging onto a roster spot: Snoop Conner, RB
Running back seems to be a strength for the Jaguars heading into the 2023 season. Not only do they have talent at the position but they also have enviable depth. Travis Etienne, who tallied over 1,400 yards from scrimmage last year is set to be their top back in 2023. Rookie Tank Bigsby, for his part, should also see the field often next season.
Bigsby, a third-round pick in this year's draft, shined in training camp and his performance carried into the preseason. The former Auburn Tiger averaged more than five yards per carry and often showcased the power that made him a star at the collegiate level. Beyond the 1-2 punch Etienne and Bigsby will provide at the position, the Jags have a dynamic No. 3 running back in D'Ernest Johnson.
Johnson, who signed a one-year deal in free agency, has done enough three preseason games to pass JaMycal Hasty on the depth chart. Also, sophomore Snoop Conner could be on the outside looking in on roster cutdown day.
Hasty was Etienne's backup last year and could offer depth at the position. Conner, on the other hand, hardly got playing time last year and he was less than stellar when he got snaps in the preseason. Maybe if he contribute on special teams, he would have a better chance of earning a roster spot.
But unless the Jaguars move on from either Johnson or Hasty — and there are no signs indicating they will — to free up cap space, Conner seems like a prime candidate to land on the practice squad in 2023.
No. 1 Jaguars player hanging onto a roster spot: K'Lavon Chaisson, OLB
A few players need more than others to hit their stride but they also reach one point where teams must accept things won't work out and move on. That seems to be the case for outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson and the Jags heading into the 2023 season.
Chaisson, a first-round pick in the 2021 draft, has registered three sacks in as many seasons and would be a surefire candidate to walk the plank if it weren't for the fact that the Jacksonville pass rush rotation is in need of reinforcements. Then again, they wouldn't be in this situation if Chaisson had already put it all together, which seems unlikely right now.
The former LSU Tiger was a non-factor in the first two preseason games and didn't even get playing time in the third. That doesn't bode well for him. It's possible that Chaisson will benefit from a change of scenery but he doesn't have much trade value.
Then again, it's not a given that the Jaguars' brass will move on from Chaisson. However, there doesn't seem to be much value in keeping him around either. Rookie Yasir Abdullah has made a positive impression in the preseason and deserves to move ahead of Swiper on the depth chart.
Having said that, maybe it's time the Jaguars just accept that it's time to cut their losses and pull the plug on Chaisson.