5 Jaguars the team was right to cut ties with after 2023
![Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) runs past Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayshawn Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) runs past Jacksonville Jaguars safety Rayshawn](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3882,h_2183,x_0,y_708/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01hxfqe770ejxwvh1zr0.jpg)
Jacksonville Jaguars were correct to move on from Rayshawn Jenkins
Rayshawn Jenkins, alongside cornerback Shaquill Griffin, was one of the Jags' biggest free-agent acquisitions in 2021. A fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017, Jenkins was expected to bolster a secondary that needed an infusion of talent. Unfortunately, he didn't do much of note in his first season in Jacksonville besides being ejected for punching San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings.
You could shrug off Jenkins' underwhelming season as a product of the Urban Meyer debacle, though. He made several key plays at crucial moments during the Jaguars' playoff run in 2022. His walk-off pick-6 against the Dallas Cowboys and his forced fumble in the season finale are the two that stand out the most. But then, he came back to earth in 2023.
Granted the former Miami Hurrican did make a few plays last season but, at times, it felt like he was just going through the motions. The Jags may not have been pleased with his production, so they pulled the plug on him and created $5.1 million in space.
Jenkins' departure will pave the way for rookie sensation Antonio Johnson to start opposite Andre Cisco, so the Jags are arguably better off without him.
Jacksonville Jaguars were correct to move on Foley Fatukasi
The Jaguars had trouble putting together a stout defensive front in recent years. They thought that defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi was going to help them fortify the trenches. Instead, he became part of the problem. A sixth-round pick by the New York Jets in 2018, Fatukasi signed a three-year, $30 million deal with Jacksonville in 2022.
While the Jags never expected Fatukasi to rack up high sack totals, they did want him to clog up running lanes and collapse the pocket. He was able to do it at times but not on a consistent basis. The fact that he dealt with injuries over the last two years didn't help matters, but the team's brass was surely feeling buyer's remorse after 2023.
Releasing Fatukasi only created a modest $3.5 million in space but they probably didn't feel he was going to make an impact next season. Otherwise, they would've kept him but they chose instead to free up his roster spot. When you take into consideration that the front office went on to add Arik Armstead, this most definitely looks like the right call.