5 Jaguars the team was right to cut ties with after 2023

The Jacksonville Jaguars failed to live up to expectations in 2023. While there were several reasons, their lack of depth and talent at certain positions groups certainly played a role. That's why the Jags wasted no time making upgrades in the offseason.

To make room for the newcomers, though the front office also had to move on from a handful of players, including the next five.

Jacksonville Jaguars were correct to move on from Dawuane Smoot

Defensive end Dawuane Smoot endured the lowest of the lowest points as a member of the Jaguars but also managed to appear in the playoffs under two different regimes. A third-round pick in 2017, Smoot wasn't much of a factor early in his stint in Jacksonville but he ended up becoming a key cog in their defensive-line rotation as the years passed.

After failing to register a single sack in his first two seasons, Smoot tallied 22.5 from 2020-2022. Even though he was never a superstar, he's the kind of grizzled veteran you can always count on. However, everything came to a halt when he tore his Achilles late in 2022.

Even though the former Fighting Illini became a free agent and was still recovering from the Achilles injury the Jags brought him back. He eventually took the field but he wasn't still 100 percent, and it showed in his performance. In 12 games, Smoot logged just 10 total tackles and one sack. With the benefit of hindsight, it's fair to say that the Jags didn't get enough back for their buck.

Then, free agency came, and the Jags didn't make an effort to bring Smoot back. Instead, he hit the open market and had to wait nearly two months to sign with the Buffalo Bills. With enough time to recover from the torn Achilles, maybe Smoot can once again become a steady contributor. The Jaguars will find out when they face their conference foe in 2024.